Spencer Gallagher has a question for you.
“How would you feel if you were a NASCAR driver?” he asks.
If it brings a smile to your face, then Gallagher says there’s the answer as to why he is the way he is — a ridiculously funny guy whose personality will take over the XFINITY Series garage this year.
Yes, Gallagher says he has always been a happy-go-lucky guy. It’s no front. He’s certainly not doing it for attention.
“The first time I got into a stock car and turned the engine on and started turning laps, it became real to me, and it hasn’t stopped being a joyous experience,” said Gallagher, who will embark on his rookie XFINITY Series season in 2017 with GMS Racing. “If you wonder where I get that mile-wide smile at the track, I’m living my dream every second of the day when I get to wake up and go drive a race car, and I see no reason not to love that.”
“I could be ditch-digging for God’s sake. But I get to wake up every day and drive a race vehicle, so of course, I’m going to love that. There’s no reason to hold that back. People love to see passion. People love to see people who love what they do. I love the hell out of what I do.”
From sunglasses painted red, white and blue to a “Run GMS” T-shirt (based off hip-hop group Run DMC), Gallagher can instantly ignite any room. He skillfully incorporated the word “fatso” into an answer during last month’s NASCAR Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway when asked about his change in diet and fitness.
Don’t tell officials at GMS Racing, but Gallagher admitted he’s been thinking about getting “Run GMS” tattooed on his arm. In other words, for fans who are looking for a driver with personality, Gallagher is their guy. And he’s heard feedback from some who have taken a liking to him for that very reason.
“What I try to always remind myself is once upon a time I wasn’t going to be a race car driver,” Gallagher said. “I was going to live in San Francisco and work on computers the rest of my life and be happy as a clam. But you know what, here I am, and this is a universe I’m lucky to be in, so I always try to keep that joy in my heart. And I do think the fans really resonate with it.
“People want to have that internal confirmation that if they can’t be driving a race car, the guy that they’re rooting for is having the time of his life out there. I think that means something to them.”
What will Gallagher do in 2017 to continue to bring smiles to fans’ faces? Have no fear because he’s recently come into possession of Snapchat Spectacles. Google it and you might get some ideas about the fun that lies ahead.