Eddie Montgomery has always been a NASCAR fan. What he didn't know until last weekend is that one of the drivers he admires, Bobby Labonte, is also a huge Montgomery Gentry fan.
But once Labonte paid $12,000 at a charity auction for the hat Montgomery wore during his group's concert at Sprint Sound and Speed - A Celebration of Music and Motorsports - in Nashville, Tenn., Montgomery knew he had a fan.
"It freaked me out. I couldn't see who was bidding, but later I found out it was him and (NASCAR driver) Jamie McMurray bidding against each other," Montgomery said.
Montgomery wasn't sure what to expect when another driver, Owensboro native Michael Waltrip, came and took his hat to put in the auction to benefit a camp for children with chronic medical conditions and the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum.
"I thought maybe $500 just because people would be nice and not want to hurt my feelings," Montgomery said. "But Michael told me he was going to sell that hat, and he did. He put it on and walked around in it to get the bidding started. He ought to be a comedian instead of a driver."
Labonte told Montgomery that he had wanted his hat "for a long time" because both he and his son were Montgomery Gentry fans. The driver had Montgomery autograph the hat and got a picture of them together.
First time he couldn't talk
"I was speechless," Montgomery said. "I wanted to get his picture and autograph, but I forgot. I was just at a loss for words. I could hardly talk. Anyone who knows me knows I love to run my mouth, but for maybe the first time I couldn't talk."
He did get his picture with legendary driver Richard Petty and talked with a number of other drivers.
Troy Gentry, Mongtomery's singing partner, had the winning bid to join driver Kyle Petty's pit crew for any race this year.
"He gets to go over the wall and be in the pit crew. He'll get to talk to Kyle on the headset during the race. I wanted to bid, but I let him have it. But I am going with him. I've already told him that," Montgomery said.
Montgomery will be back in Nashville this weekend to help singer Tim McGraw kick off the start of the season for the arena football team he now owns. He's also hoping that might help persuade McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill, to join Montgomery Gentry at a New Year's Eve concert in Rupp Arena.
"We want him and Faith to return the favor. But no matter what, we are going to play Rupp. We have it locked down. We got a lot of phone calls about not having a show after doing it two years. We will be back this New Year's Eve," he said.
