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NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon (left) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. take part in a first-aid test at the Scout jamboree.
Scout jamboree visitors sit in traffic at Fort A. P. Hill. Officials temporarily shut down one gate yesterday morning to give traffic inside the post time to clear. |
NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. learned yesterday that they can turn to Boy Scouts if they're injured in a race.
They participated in a first-aid competition in which several Scouts at the National Scout Jamboree treated them for broken legs, broken arms and burns on their hands.
Gordon and a bearded Earnhardt sat next to one another on a stage as the Scouts bandaged their pretend injuries using splints, gauze and other supplies.
The Scout who finished first won a point for his group--Team Gordon or Team Earnhardt.
Alec Robert of East Stroudsburg, Pa., had to put a sling on Earnhardt's arm. He finished before his competitor, but the point went to Team Gordon because he made a mistake.
"When I lost, he was just like 'Good job,' and real kind about everything," Robert said of Earnhardt.
Team Gordon won the first-aid competition.
The celebrity appearances came after a brief downpour, which had Scouts and others scrambling for cover.
Some escaped the rain near one of several jamboree stages, where volunteers were setting up band equipment. Adults instructed Boy Scouts to stay away from metal objects because of lightning.
It was sunny again by the time Gordon and Earnhardt arrived at the jamboree site at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County.
In addition to Gordon and Earnhardt, the jamboree hosted thousands of other visitors yesterday. The traffic caused backups in the morning, and some visitors were directed to overflow parking. The main visitor parking lot was full, with 8,500 cars, said Boy Scouts of America spokeswoman Renee Fairrer.
Hundreds of Scouts gathered around the stage awaiting the arrival of Gordon and Earnhardt. They chanted the drivers' names, particularly Gordon's.
"Folks, two heroes of the NASCAR racing industry are only minutes away before they meet some of the best Boy Scouts in the entire country," said Staff Sgt. Ken Weichert, who was the emcee and is a master fitness trainer for the Army. "Make some noise!"
During a brief question-and-answer session, Gordon was asked what he does in his spare time. Before that question, he had mentioned that he has a child on the way.
"When we're not having babies and all those things, we love to travel," the four-time champion said, referring to him and his wife. The crowd laughed and cheered.
"I did not come here to educate anyone, I promise," the soft-spoken Gordon responded with a smile.
After the first-aid competition, Team Gordon and Team Earnhardt competed in a pit-stop simulation--where Scouts removed and replaced a tire's lug nuts using an air ratchet--and faced off in a trivia contest.
Team Earnhardt tied up the competition by recording the faster pit-stop time.
But Team Gordon won the trivia game--and the competition--by correctly answering a question about Earnhardt.
"If you guys don't get this one, I'll be highly disappointed," Gordon said. He then asked, "What car number is Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s?"
"Eighty-eight!" the Scouts shouted.
Gordon and Earnhardt, who smiled and shook hands with Scouts throughout the festivities, left after signing some autographs.
"You guys are all the future," Gordon told the Scouts. "You're the future of this country."
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
