Future IndyCar driver?

When Nate and I found out we were expecting a boy to arrive the weekend of the 2011 Indianapolis 500, we started looking at names of past 500 winners. For a while, we were seriously considering Emerson (for two time 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi). In the end, as you all know, we chose Owen William, but we still bought plenty of t-shirts with race cars on them and I even considered decorating his room with a race car theme.

Owen's ticket to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 hangs in his room. He decided not to arrive until June 2, so the ticket was never used - chill out, I wouldn't have taken an infant to the Speedway. It hangs in a Borg Warner lanyard, compliments of a contact of Papaw Williams. On the ticket is Dario Franchitti since he won the race in 2010, his second win at Indy.

This year, Owen and I listened to the race while Nate and Uncle Kahlil watched from the A Stands. Later that night, we watched the first couple of laps until Owen passed out and I soon followed. Of course, by that point we already knew that Dario had won his third Indianapolis 500. For me, it was one of the better 500s I've followed since moving to Indy in 2004. I was sad I couldn't be there to watch it in person, but thrilled to watch Owen's reaction to the cars and noises.

Fast forward to last weekend: When I took Owen to get his haircut, they had him sit in a race car (no, I didn't ask for it). He just happened to be wearing a t-shirt that said "Grand Prix." So, of course, I couldn't resist tweeting a picture of my big boy and sending it to an IndyCar driver asking if they thought he could be a driver one day. I didn't even hesitate, I sent it to Dario Franchitti. After I pressed "Tweet," I sat back and thought to myself, "There's no way he'll respond." I was wrong. Here's just another reason why I love IndyCar - the drivers are not only accessible in person, but they engage with their fans via social media perhaps better than any other professional athletic league. Thank you, Mr. Franchitti.

I can't wait to tell Owen the story of his "First 500" and how a three-time (maybe four-time?) winner thought he could be a race car driver one day.