: Good people

: Last week I had the opportunity to interview
: NASCAR driver Carl Edwards for WSJ.com.

You lucky dog! Carl is the driver I root for in both the NASCAR Nextel/Sprint and Busch series. As I'm a Blue Oval driver, I always tend to root for Blue Oval drivers anyway, and I was impressed with both how quickly Carl adjusted to the top-tier of the circuit and started turning in admirable performances [and wins] but also his humility and frequent expressions of how fortunate he is to be where he is. He's a breath of fresh air.

I don't have much in the way of fan gear [I have an Office Depot 99 cap somewhere too], yet, as it's not as easy to find gear if you're new to the scene and don't have a last name like Gordon, Stewart or Earnhardt. But with a little bit of time, and less bad luck than last year, that'll not be a problem for long.

: Although I fretted some about which shirt to
: wear, there was no question about which
: watch: my Siffert.

Very good choice! I'm surprised you didn't have your sleeves rolled up or wore a short sleeved-shirt to show it off!

: You can see the interview--and the watch--on
: Youtube. The watch shows up best around
: 1:06.

Very cool!

: I found out--too late--that Jackie Stewart had
: been in for an interview a couple weeks
: before. I told Edwards and he seemed to know
: what I was talkign about, so props to Carl.

Most driver's study the great one's, and Stewart was certainly one of the great one's with three World Championships.

: BTW, I've shed 32 pounds total, and the clasp
: on the Siffert is down to the second from
: last notch.
: best
: Allen St. John

I have every confidence that a decade or two from now you'll be able to look back at the interview the same way that folks who interviewed Mark Martin or Rusty Wallace probably do, saying you just knew he was going to go places in the series...

Cheers and thanks for the note!

-- Chuck