Linda Monroe, who works in accounts payable at Hopkins, is the go-to person for NASCAR — deeming herself one of Clint Bowyer’s biggest fans.
Take one step into Monroe’s office and her love for NASCAR and Bowyer is obvious. Her office cubicle is wall-to-wall NASCAR memorabilia — much of it focusing on Bowyer, an Emporia native. Monroe keeps much of her NASCAR stuff at her office, she said, adding that her office is NASCAR central.
“This is my space,” she said. “I’m here more than I’m home.”
Monroe’s latest pride and joy is an autographed framed canvas of Bowyer’s car. Monroe entered an online Kroger Daytona 500 trivia game. She answered some questions online — questions that for her were second nature — and at the end was asked who her favorite driver was. Of course she answered Bowyer.
Recently, a package showed up on her door with the framed canvas in it. The canvas couldn’t have come at a better time — right near her birthday, which was Aug. 30. Monroe didn’t expect the package, she said.
“I was just doing it for fun,” she said. “I love anything to do with NASCAR.”
Monroe is proud of Bowyer, she said, noting that he does a lot for his hometown.
“You can tell he has a good background,” she said, adding that when Bowyer sees someone from his hometown, he goes out of his way to make them feel welcome. Monroe has met Bowyer’s grandparents, she added.
“He’s good for our community. I don’t know anybody else who has left Emporia, come back and gives back like Clint has. ... To know he’s from Emporia makes me proud of him.”
For her birthday present in 2007, Monroe’s daughter had Bowyer call her. Monroe had a T-shirt made to commemorate the occasion, documenting when the phone call took place and how long, right down to the second. Monroe beamed as she held up the T-shirt.
In a book, Monroe also has a picture of her getting a hug from Bowyer.
“He not only calls me, he hugs me,” she said, laughing.
NASCAR is a unique and special sport, Monroe added. She said they don’t forget the military, they sing the National Anthem and they pray before every race — something most sports do not do.
“No sport has prayer at the beginning but NASCAR,” she said.
NASCAR fans are both young and old, Monroe said.
“Young, old, whatever, that’s what NASCAR is all about,” she said. “You see people of all ages.”
And NASCAR is an important topic of conversation for the Monroes.
“That’s all me and my husband talk about,” she said, laughing. “Every once in a while we talk about our kids.”
Monroe’s face lights up when she talks of her NASCAR passion. She subscribes to NASCAR Illustrated, and awaits her new issue every month.
On Friday, she pulled out a folder containing trading cards — all of Bowyer — to show to visitors. She proudly displayed the folder, pointing out the first cards of Bowyer that listed his mom and dad as crew members. The cards were printed in Emporia by Chester Press. After work, Monroe looks online for trading cards she doesn’t have.
“It’s not an obsession,” she said, with a grin as she turned the pages of the folder. “OK, it is.”
Another piece of memorabilia Monroe is proud of is a worn T-shirt that belonged to Bowyer. She got the T-shirt online from an individual who was given the T-shirt when Bowyer was on the ARCA team.
“It made it all the way back to Kansas,” Monroe said.
A black helmet sits in a case in Monroe’s office. Monroe obtained the helmet at a silent auction to raise money for Greensburg. When she bought it, it was plain with no decals. Monroe bought the decals, applied them and the helmet was later signed by Bowyer. A custom-made Cheerios box stands in the same corner. A co-worker got the Cheerios box and put a picture of Bowyer on it, after Cheerios started sponsoring Bowyer.
Monroe’s love for NASCAR has rubbed off on her workplace as well. Inside Hopkins is a Bowyer wall with pictures of Bowyer and other memorabilia. At the front of Hopkins is an autographed BrakeBuddy, a product Hopkins makes for RVs that are towed behind a vehicle. Bowyer autographed the unit that is displayed at the company.
Monroe’s weekends revolve around NASCAR, she said. She keeps a race schedule at her desk at work and each race is etched in her memory. Lunches, dinners and even birthday parties are planned around NASCAR. She left her mother’s 90th birthday party early to catch a race, she said, adding that her family understands her passion for NASCAR.
“It’s not just a pastime, it’s a passion,” she said, adding that shopping for anniversaries and birthdays for her isn’t hard — just go with something NASCAR.
When Monroe and her husband, Dean, go to lunch on the weekends, they make sure they go to a place with televisions tuned to the races. Dean Monroe is a truck driver and listens to NASCAR on Sirius Satellite Radio. The couple have DirectTV at home so they don’t miss a race and listen to pre-pass where they can digest everything that Bowyer (and other drivers) has to say. Nothing gets past them, Monroe said.
“You gotta have your NASCAR fix,” she said, with a laugh. “My family all understands who I am and what I do. NASCAR is everything to me.”