Tony @ TEAM Chevy tent at MIS 6/16/2012

So even though I didn't get to meet him last Sunday - WHICH STILL BURNS- I did see him at the Team Chevy tent at MIS which is the picture you see below. I stood there for over an hour to make sure I had a front row spot and boy am I glad I did because a TON of people showed up. So, I don't know if anyone from the forum was there or not, but I thought one thing in particular he said was both hysterically funny and yet very sad at the same time and I wanted to share it with you. I think I appreciated it because it gave me a better clue as to just how vulnerable a man he is. I have him on such a high pedestal, I forget he has his own issues he's dealing with too.

So, he comes up on stage and may I just say, the man is doing something right because he looks wonderful. He's certainly slimming down and those blue jeans, um, ya...(see pic below) he was looking good. So he comes up on stage and a certain very intoxicated lady in the front row yells out something to the effect of " Tony, will you go out with me". I think you could hear a collective breath as everyone wondered if we would hear the sarcastic Tony or the collected one. He kinda half laughed - and said something like, "I'm going to be nice and say No ma'am I won't". I'm just laughing because you could tell that was NOT what he wanted to say.

Well, he didn't disappoint. No sooner did the calm Tony surface, the sarcastic, true-to-form Tony quickly took center stage. He proceeded to tell everyone (can't quote exactly because I was sitting there with my mouth open in shock and awe) but he said "I've lived 41 years without a woman in my life. I don't want 50% of everything I've worked my @$$ off for to go to some woman in a divorce. I've got my German Shepherd and all he wants from me is food and that's good enough."

Again, not an exact quote but pretty dang close. I was quoting it on Saturday verbatum but now I'm getting a little foggy with it. It was funny, but than I thought about how much he wants kids and I found it kind of sad too. To have such negative experiences with women and no prospects in sight, I found it really sad for him.

At the same time, on a personal note, he has a much bigger ocean to "fish" in and if he can't find someone what the heck kind of hope do I have in my little tiny backyard pond? That really made his comment humbling to me. I can only hope that with everything that man has accomplished, he gets the one thing he has struggled the most with, and that's having a family of his own. But in the meantime, he sure is a treasure to watch live. You just never know what is going to come out of his mouth.

Tony MIS 6-16-2012.jpg (109.75 KiB) Viewed 452 times

why didnt you get to meet him, i thought you won a ride along lap with him before the race at MIS, What happened?

My Lady White....thanks for posting. He has been looking good. He must be doing something right and I bet Steve is the motivator for getting him in shape literally

why didnt you get to meet him, i thought you won a ride along lap with him before the race at MIS, What happened?

Read her post here:

Well, yet again my dream of meeting Tony came to a soggy end today. In true classic fashion, NASCAR cancelled the parade laps due to the rain and the Foundation put very little effort into fulfilling the experience any other way. After almost an hour we ended up walking through the garage (no flying through is more like it) the representative thought it was good that we ended up in the pits and standing on the track waiting for pre-race ceremonies. Ok, been there, done that and I certainly didn't need to win an auction to do it. They had zero contingency plans in place and put no effort as far as I'm concerned into any of it. They just blew us off with apology after apology.

Needless to say my heart is broken. I came so close to fulfilling my dream and experiencing something I've wanted to be a part of for so long, and now I'm going to hope I don't come down with pneumonia after tromping through the downpour for over an hour. Do people realize that you do NOT have to be sick with a terminal or life-threatening illness to have hopes, dreams and heroes? I have never had a broken heart before, but mine is certainly broken today.

Her full story is in this topic: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3413

I'm sort of surprised Tony gave that kind of information out but then on the other hand I'm not. Tony is a complex guy and there has to be reasons why he feels the way he does. Actually Tony would make a terrific Grandfather. He could love those kids to pieces and then they go home with their parents. Tony is set in his ways and it would be difficult to change. I won't give up on Tony's family tho. Look at Junior Johnson at his age with an 18 year old son.

Some people are just not meant to be married. Some people are just devoted to their work. Tony is one of them. And he has accepted that. He is the George Clooney of NASCAR (well Clooney was married once but Tony was engaged). I don't see Tony ever getting married or having kids.

Cool deal to see him at the Team Chevy tent. I saw Richard Childress there once at Richmond. But I actually met Childress in 2006 so it didn't matter much.

I would never feel Tony wouldn't get married as he is still fairly young . I think his deal is he so so many goals that never included women that his time was always taken up with Racing period. People have different reasons for not getting married and I'm sure his is not quite what he told in the interview. That reason was sort of raw and no matter how true it is it isn't the only reason. Marriage is tough and not ever getting married is not an end to a life story. There is a life out there without a wife or children. Tony loves children and not having his own is the one sacrifice he has made. As I have said in another post about this. His time hasn't run out yet as we know Junior Johnson has a son about 18. Now that is quite an age difference. Junior just beams when he talks about his son.