Other pro sports entice Cup drivers

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LOUDON, N.H. – Michael Waltrip never even hesitated. When asked recently what profession he would like to try if he wasn’t an auto racer, the Nextel Cup driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. answered “Weatherman, for sure.” “They’ve got it made. They’re never…
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LOUDON, N.H. – Michael Waltrip never even hesitated.

When asked recently what profession he would like to try if he wasn’t an auto racer, the Nextel Cup driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. answered “Weatherman, for sure.”

“They’ve got it made. They’re never right. All they’ve got to do is be able to talk and they can keep their job,” explained Waltrip.

Rusty Wallace would like to be a professional golfer.

“It’s easier. It’s not as hot,” said Wallace. “Golf is a relaxing sport for me. It’s a lot of fun. I like watercraft stuff, too. Watercraft stuff, aviation, or golf. Any one of those three.”

Sterling Marlin would like to try being a “real estate developer. I’d enjoy it. Clean the property up, make it look good, and sell it.”

Kyle Busch said he wouldn’t mind being a baseball player.

“I’m pretty much a sports guy. But I haven’t done much outside of racing my whole life. I played a little bit of baseball in Little League. Other than that, my mother wanted me to go to college and become an orthodontist. I kind of turned that down,” said Kyle Busch.

Joe Nemechek said he would probably be a machinist or engineer.

“I grew up around a machine shop when I was little. I think I’m a very good machinist and engineering person. I love it. I went to school for engineering,” said Nemechek, who attended the Florida Institute of Technology. “So I’d probably be involved in some engineering aspect, either in our family business or, hopefully, in racing somehow.”

He said the family business, which is run by his brother, builds different types of machinery that makes “disposable items like styrofoam cups, lids, containers, all kinds of stuff.”

Bobby Hamilton Jr. said, “I like law enforcement stuff. I’d like a state trooper type of deal or SWAT or something cool like that.”

Mike Bliss said he likes sports and golf is “kind of relaxing,” although there are good days and bad days.

“I like working on things like motorcycles and hot rods. I’m not a big fabricator, but I used to work on diesel trucks and equipment for my dad. He had a trucking company. I enjoy working on mechanical stuff,” said Bliss.

Jeremy Mayfield would like to do something “daring, crazy.”

“I’m kind of an on-the-edge kind of guy. I’d like to be doing something cool, exciting. I’d like to keep the adrenaline flowing and all that stuff,” said Mayfield.

Carl Edwards said he would “probably join the military.”

“It would be a pretty exciting thing to do and it would be for a good cause. I’d like to be in the Air Force. I’d like to try to fly planes,” said Edwards.

Kyle Petty and Matt Kenseth said they couldn’t imagine doing anything else other than being race car drivers.

Busch Series

Driver Standings

1. Martin Truex Jr. 3,006

2. Clint Bowyer 2,884

3. Reed Sorenson 2,822

4. Carl Edwards 2,687

5. Kenny Wallace 2,669

6. Denny Hamlin 2,567

7. Ashton Lewis 2,395

8. David Stremme 2,336

9. David Green 2,327

10. Paul Menard 2,249

11. Jason Keller 2,241

12. Greg Biffle 2,174

13. J.J. Yeley 2,137

14. Kevin Harvick 2,009

15. Johnny Sauter 2,006

16. Stacy Compton 1,988

17. Randy LaJoie 1,964

18. Stanton Barrett 1,939

19. Jon Wood 1,933

20. Justin Labonte 1,869


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