LEWISTON – When most of the crowd had moved on, following Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s empty No. 8 as the pit crew rolled it out for inspection, Christine Robichaud darted over to the garage floor and swept 18 old lug nuts into her purse.
She also snagged a broken piece of red Fiberglass from the race car’s body.
Robichaud framed them for keepsakes.
It’s about as close as she’s ever gotten to “Junior,” although she also owns a pair of his used race tires, Goodyear Eagles.
The giant treads were for sale during a race at New Hampshire International Speedway two years ago from a sort of sidewalk vendor.
“I would have bought four if he’d had the four. Why, I don’t know,” Robichaud said.
There’s just something about Junior.
When Robichaud got divorced six years ago, she started spending more time with her best friend, Kim, a huge Jeff Gordon fan.
“She told me: You cannot watch the races unless you pick a driver. That’s the rule.'”
Junior was wild. A rebel. A redhead. A bachelor. Perfect.
For the past five years, she’s gone to New Hampshire International Speedway twice a season to watch the NASCAR drivers duke it out for the top spot.
She’s got her tickets already for next weekend.
A hairdresser at The Hairem, Robichaud had one of her clients offer her extra pit passes last year. It granted special access to the middle of the track, allowing fans to poke around the garages, maybe meet drivers and pit crews, for most of the weekend.
That’s when she grabbed the lug nuts.
She’s never seen Junior win a race in person. That’s a goal. So is meeting him.
“That would be my ultimate fantasy: to have him drive me around the track in his car. At 200 mph,” said Robichaud, 43.
She takes “redneck” heckling in stride. NASCAR is the most-watched sport in America.
“It can’t be very redneck if everyone’s watching it,” she said.
Robichaud and fianc Bill Plourd tune in every Sunday to watch the races, an hours-long hobby. A race-day ritual: she drinks tea from her big No. 8 mug. It’s superstition.
The couple bought land and plan to build a home soon on East Merrill Road. After Plourd recently went into City Hall to get permits, he dropped some unexpected news.
“My fianc called me up and said, You won’t believe what our address is going to be: 8.”
A happy coincidence. Robichaud plans to make the two giant tires into a coffee table, topped with glass, in the new home. She figures it’ll make a good conversation piece.
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