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Getting to the track is only part of the job of NASCAR haulers STORY AND PHOTOS BY RANDY GRIDER ean Mozingo, bound for Indianapolis, pulls onto Interstate 85 in Concord, N.C., just past midnight. Unlike most truckers on the highway at this late hour, he garners a great deal of attention as he navigates the sparse traffic before coming upon a 10-minute backup at a construction zone. For Mozingo, it's impossible to remain anon- ymous. After all, his rig is a rolling billboard for probably the most famous NASCAR driver on the Sprint Cup circuit — Jeff Gordon. His No. 24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont transporter is loaded with two race cars, backup engines and at least one spare part for anything and everything that could possi- bly be needed by the crew on race day. When Mozingo has his CB turned on, he is sure to get a lot of comments and questions from fellow truckers. "Probably the most-asked question I get is, 'How do I get a job doing what you're doing?'" Mozingo says. "I also get questions like 'Is Jeff in there with you?'" Curious truckers and others often approach Moz- ingo whenever he pulls into a truckstop for fuel or to take a needed break. Though he has fielded the same inquires thousands of times during his 15-year career as a NASCAR hauler, Mozingo patiently and graciously takes the time to answer the questions. "If I take 10 minutes to talk to someone, he may become a Jeff Gordon fan," Mozingo says. "If I'm rude, [Gordon] may lose a fan." Mozingo says he feels he has an obligation to represent three different entities — trucking, his race team and the sponsors — in a positive light. "I am a trucker, and I'm proud of that," he says. "I also work for a great team that has sponsors who pay a lot of money to have their names on the side of my truck." Fellow transporter drivers like Jeff Craven, who hauls the Caterpillar-sponsored No. 31 car of Jeff Burton on the Richard Childress Racing team, understand the interest from other truckers. Though race fans may follow a transporter for 50 miles or more just to get a good picture of the eye- catching trucks and trailers, many truckers find the job compelling. "Truckers will ask you where you are going even when they know where you are going just so they can talk to you," Craven says. "They don't under- stand the job, but they are interested in finding out more about it." With each Sprint Cup Series race limited to a field of 43 cars, it is truly a niche profession. Even when you factor the handful of cars with limited Often drivers of race team haulers find themselves signing autographs and posing for pictures. For most drivers, it's a little strange being treated like a celebrity. "People look at us like we're celebrities, but I tell them, we're not all that," laughs Cindy Lewis, co-driver of the No. 56 car hauler. Jeff Gordon's transport driver Dean Mozingo says while he understands NASCAR fans want to get closer to the team, it's a role he still finds a little uncomfortable. "It's a little embarrassing at times when people come up to you and want you to sign something," Mozingo says. "We do it because we want to rep- resent the team. And there are some people out there who are fans of the truck, so that's neat." OCTOBER 2011 TRUCKERS NEWS 21 Off to the races D PLA YING THE CELEBRITY ROLE