40-year-old Deanna Craig is originally from Warsaw, Indiana. She moved to Tempe, Arizona last November when she met her fiancé Bernard Rucker (February "race fan of the month" winner) in a Jeff Gordon fan site on Facebook. Deanna and her fiancé Bernard are going to stay in Tempe, Arizona until they move to North Carolina in the future. They want to move to North Carolina in the future so they can be in the heart of NASCAR.
Deanna has been a race fan ever since she was 5 year old. “My dad would take us about every weekend to small tracks in Plymouth and New Paris raceways in Indiana. I can remember being little and loving the sounds of those engines roaring." At age 17 to 20, Deanna was racing in her own racecar. “My dad wouldn’t sponsor me anymore due to the fact that I was going to have my son. My dad did not want to be responsible for anything happening to me. I had to quit my own racing but from then on out, I was hooked watching racing on TV as much as possible." Deanna said,” I wish I could be behind the wheel still. I remember a lot of good times with my dad and racing. It’s funny he calls me for any NASCAR questions and he doesn’t call my brothers.” Deanna said that her family has some ties to David Stremme! “I watched David’s brother bobby race along with his dad. David’s mom is the best! They call her the "purple lady" at a small track in Indiana called New Paris. They race at the M-40 Speedway in Michigan as well. My dad has gone over to David’s house a time or two!"
Deanna and her fiancé Bernard watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping world Truck Series, ARCA Series, IndyCar Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the NASCAR K@N Series. Every now and then Deanna and Bernard watch Motorcycle racing. Deanna used to watch just the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series until she met her fiancé Bernard. Deanna is a huge fan of 4-time Sprint cup Champion Jeff Gordon. “I remember the first time I saw Jeff in Midgets in Plymouth. I was hooked on him then and I knew he would be a great NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver in the future.” In the NASCAR Nationwide Series Deanna is a fan of Danica Patrick. “I love Danica Patrick! I wish I had seen her race open wheel." Deanna is a fan of rookie Jeb Burton and Jennifer Jo Cobb in the NASCAR Camping world Truck series. She does not really have a favorite driver in Indy Car or in the motorcycle series yet, because she is just starting to learn those series.
Deanna’s fiancé gave her an experience last November that she will never forget. Deanna went to her first NASCAR race last November! After her experience at her first NASCAR race, she fell in love with racing even more. Deanna and her fiancé Bernard are hoping to go to the Phoenix races this November. Deanna said when her fiancé took her to her first NASCAR race in Phoenix last November, she kept telling him that she wants to get Jeff Gordon’s autograph! She did end up getting Jeff’s autograph. He signed a plaque of hers and he said hello to her. They made many memories that weekend and got many autographs. Deanna said that they are definitely going to a lot more races in the future.
I would classify Deanna as an extreme race fan based on three things. The first thing that I would consider Deanna as an extreme race fan is that she used to be a racecar driver! The second thing that I would consider Deanna as an extreme race fan is that she plans to get married in the future to a huge race fan. Both of them watch more than one racing series together. I am sure they will have a long happy life enjoying racing together. Deanna is such a huge fan of racing that she has strong opinions about the sport. “I would say if I could change anything in NASCAR it would be the points system. I do not like the new system. I wish they would go back to the old way. I am starting to like the green-white-checker finish." Deanna said,” most women are into racing because they think that the drivers are cute. I do not watch racing just because the drivers may be cute. I know facts about the racers. I love what Jeff Gordon does on and off the racetrack. I will die loving racing."
I would classify Deanna as an extreme race fan based on three things. The first thing that I would consider Deanna as an extreme race fan is that she used to be a racecar driver! The second thing that I would consider Deanna as an extreme race fan is that she plans to get married in the future to a huge race fan. Both of them watch more than one racing series together. I am sure they will have a long happy life enjoying racing together. Deanna is such a huge fan of racing that she has strong opinions about the sport. “I would say if I could change anything in NASCAR it would be the points system. I do not like the new system. I wish they would go back to the old way. I am starting to like the green-white-checker finish." Deanna said,” most women are into racing because they think that the drivers are cute. I do not watch racing just because the drivers may be cute. I know facts about the racers. I love what Jeff Gordon does on and off the racetrack. I will die loving racing."
To Deanna Craig: Congratulations on being Up To Speed With Amanda Reisinger’s March “race fan of the month” winner! I hope you enjoy all of the race the rest of the 2012 season!
Deanna and her fiancé Bernard.