Who Are These People and What Do They Want?

When you measure your income in seven figures or more a year, you're shielded from some of the routine hassles of the work-a-day world.

When you're famous enough that you worry more about maintaining your privacy than you do about your picture being in the paper, you doubtless become a bit jaded about the real -- and fake -- admiration showered upon you.

Celebrity isolates the rich and famous.

"Signing Sessions For All CART Drivers At All Races" blares the headline from Speedvision .

Did anyone hear Michael Andretti or Paul Tracy groan?

Speedvision's report quotes Patrick Leahy, CART's senior vice-president of marketing, "In effect, what we are doing is opening our 'locker room' to give the fans an inside look at the FedEx Championship Series, while offering the added opportunity of getting their favorite drivers' autographs. We thank our drivers, teams and promoters for their cooperation in this initiative, and we are grateful that we have these occasions to thank our fans for their continued support of Champ Car racing."

Can you say "lagging fan interest and decreasing television ratings?"

The first of the Fan Appreciation meet-greet sessions will be this week at Homestead on Saturday following qualifying. The session will be limited to 45 minutes and will be confined to a designated area.

Race fans attending the first race this weekend at Homestead are in for another treat. According to an announcement on the Homestead Miami Speedway Web site , "Race fans will be able to experience the thrills of CART FedEx Championship Series racing in the week leading up to the March 24-26 Grand Prix of Miami presented by Toyota. The CART Fan Fest will be on display, free of charge, at selected South Florida Toyota dealers."

It's odd that CART is moving to reach out to racing fans while NASCAR is being chastised for leaving it's fans out in the cold. It was once possible to stroll through the NASCAR pits and chat with drivers and crews. Now the drivers need a posse to run from their custom motorhomes to their race cars.

It's hard not to have sympathy for a famous race driver. Everyone wants a piece of him -- the sponsor, the PR guy, the marketing guy, his business manager, maybe even his wife and kids. What does he need with a crowd of people demanding he sign his name or shake their hand?

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