Similar to as mentioned above by
@slo,
@WDWEPCOT and
@hertamaniac I have had a lot of encounters with auto racing celebrities, specifically in NHRA drag racing. That's a big part of going to watch those races, the ability to meet the drivers. Two of my really 'treasured' meetups were with the 'king and queen' of drag racing, Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney. Anybody who follows auto racing, and NHRA in specific, know those two. And right up there in that 'league' of driver, John Force, no picture though. Like
@WDWEPCOT, have met and chatted a bit with Antron Brown along with many others over many years.
And then going back to the late 1980's, the firm I was with sponsored the MLB 'Old Timers Series'. The firm managed the MLB pension fund. The Series played an 'old timers (all retired, mostly Hall of Fame players) once in each stadium during the year. When they came to Chicago, (twice, Cubs and Sox), about a month or so apart, the players would come into town on Saturday and stay at a Downtown hotel. There would be a real fancy dinner for the old timers, some spouses that maybe came along and some people from my firm, me included. Vince was about 10-12 at that time and played Little League (good player too, if I may say so, ha). We got to sit at one of the dinner tables and schmooze with the players. I was awe struck, Vince not as much, he didn't really know wo these guys were.
Then on Sunday morning, at the same hotel, a very fancy brunch for the players. Vince and I went to that also. Same thing, schmoozing. Then the players went to the park on a bus, we drove to the park. We were able to stay in one of the skyboxes for the game, after being on the field during batting practice.
We were able to do both Cubs and Sox each year for 4 years in a row, until they discontinued the program. After many years now, Vince realizes who those players were and looks back on those 4 years with a smile.
Lastly, over the past 25 years, I've met up with many folks from here on the DIS, at WDW, DL and lots of DIS meets. To me, they're all celebrities.
Shirley Muldowney
Don Garlits
