May 4, 2017.

Just days before, NASCAR’s First Officially Licensed Artist Sam Bass announced he will auction off pieces of his work to help pay for medical treatment.

At 19-year-old NASCAR fan at the time, I had grown up watching drivers like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and more make a living going fast in iconic paint schemes.

As a kid I would draw my own designs, hoping to one day become a NASCAR designer just like Sam. Any time I would visit my grandma’s, I would have a folder filled with 8.5-by-11 inch copy paper smeared with Crayola crayons and pencil lead (the trouble of being a lefty).

Flash forward to me seeing one of my idols having to sell off some of his greatest works in order to afford surgery. It was devastating seeing one of my childhood heroes going through a difficult time.

At the time, I was just finishing my second-to-last semester at Muskingum University, a small “D3” private school in New Concord, Ohio where I participated in the school’s media program. As a student reporter nearing the end of my time at the school, I began thinking of larger stories, bringing in bigger guests to have on the air. That’s when it clicked and I messaged Sam on Twitter – May 4, 2017.

To my surprise the man said yes about 24 hours later. By the end of the day we set up a time for that following Monday. I was so excited I drove up early an hour from home after campus had all but closed following graduation.

Many people don’t get a chance to even see their childhood heroes, let alone talk to them. Not only did the interview go well, he was appreciative of my time and the same for me to him. He not only talked about his successes, but his recent bouts with kidney and diabetic issues, yet remained strong and hopeful through it all.

Later that summer, my dad and I went to the Bristol Night Race for the first time and got to see Sam at a meet-and-greet event prior to the race. He remembered me, got a picture, and chatted for a little while like we had just seen each other the day before.

Unfortunately, Sam passed away Saturday at the age of 57 after his bout with kidney complications. Although Sam is no longer with us on this earth, his memory will live on in the Rainbow Warriors, Junior Nation, and many more.

Oh, and that interview I mentioned? It can be found at the link below as we discussed his career, his favorite moments, and how he managed his health problems later in life.

Thank you, Sam Bass. For Everything.