Monday, February 20, 2012

'Hulkamania' Runs Wild At Bubba Raceway Park


Hulkster, meet the Outlaws. Outlaws, meet the Hulkster.

Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan made a special appearance during Saturday night’s Bubba Army Late Model Winter Nationals finale at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., sending a dose of ‘Hulkamania’ through the stands and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series pit area.

Hulk Hogan directs the field. (Butler photo)
A close friend of BRP owner/radio show host Bubba ‘The Love Sponge’ Clem, Hogan visited the three-eighths-mile oval to serve as the Grand Marshal of the biggest event that Clem has hosted since taking over the facility in the spring of 2011. He watched time trials from the infield and qualifying events from the roof of the scoring tower before heading trackside for one of the most unique pre-race driver introductions in the history of the WoO LMS.

After the 25-car starting field for the 60-lap A-Main was parked in double-file formation on the homestretch, Hogan walked from the back to the front of the pack, shaking hands and posing for a photo with each driver. The pictures were Clem’s “Hogan-themed” gift to the race’s competitors; he said he would get each driver an autographed print of their meeting with the Hulkster.

Judging by the excited looks on the drivers’ faces, they all enjoyed their photo-ops with the 58-year-old Hogan. Wearing a sleeveless ‘Bubba Army Racing’ shirt and a blue do-rag, Hogan provided them some of his trademark bravado, pointing at each driver as the photos were snapped and telling them, “Good luck, brother.”

Jason Feger with the Hulkster. (Butler photo)
Hogan seemed to be most impressed with DIRTcar UMP Late Model star Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., who struck a Hulkster point-to-the-sky pose as the wrestler approached. Hogan smiled and gave Feger a hand-clasp rather than the handshake everyone else received.

Once the feature lineup was introduced, Hogan stood alongside WoO LMS announcer Rick Eshelman – a huge professional wrestling fan who, with his pre-race interview of Hogan, had the opportunity to picture himself as famed WWE Hall of Fame announcer Mean Jean Okerlund – and put his own twist on the most famous words in racing.

“Gentleman, start your engines…brother!” yelled Hogan.

Finally, Clem enlisted Hogan to throw the green flag for the A-Main. But rather than have Hogan squeeze his 6-foot, 7-inch body into the flagstand, Clem parked a golf cart in the infield grass at the edge of the homestretch racing surface so Hogan could wave the flag and then ride away.

Rick Eckert meets Hulk Hogan.
Standing so close to a charging pack of dirt Late Models did concern Hogan at least a little bit. When WoO LMS director Tim Christman suggested to Clem that Hogan should back away from the track surface, the Hulkster quipped, “I’m with ‘ya brother.”

No comments:

Post a Comment