Fan-atic: John & Paula Ockovic

January 24, 2002
10:33 AM EST (1533 GMT)

Nobody is as enthusiastic about sports memorabilia as NASCAR fans. Week after week, we hear from fans who have turned rooms -- even entire houses into motor racing shrines.

John and Paula Ockovic of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, are prime examples. A good portion of their house has been used to bear witness to their devotion to NASCAR. You'll find everything from store bought collectibles to race-used auto parts and apparel.

Here, John Ockovic shares the story of his family's dedication to the sport they love.

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"Well I guess you can say we love our NASCAR racing. We have been fans for longer than I would like to admit, and we have surrounded ourselves with items from the sport we love.

We have three rooms of our home that are devoted to our sport. We have the upstairs race room where we have everything from hundreds of die-cast cars to cereal boxes. If it has anything to do with NASCAR or a driver, we try to buy it.

"There are Coke bottles, Winston Cup iced tea, shampoo (Dale Jarrett), tooth paste (Jeff Gordon), barbecue sauce (Sterling Marlin), hot sausages (Bobby Labonte), Spam… and the list goes on and on. We have hundreds of posters, pictures, and handout cards we have collected over the years.

"Across from the race room is the racing bathroom!!! Hey, what else would it be? It's done in black and white tile floors and walls. Even the towel bar is made out of connecting rods, as well as the Winston Cup Scene holder on the back of the toilet. Our favorite area is the downstairs bar area. Our TV sits on a Craftsman tool box bottom. We have loaded this area with a lot of our favorite items.

"I have been very fortunate to have been able to be in the garage area for a lot of races and gotten some great photos and autographs that we have displayed. We have sheet metal from Ken Schrader's Skoal car, Kodiak car and M&M's car. We have a sheet metal side from Joe Nemechek's BellSouth car, a nose from Brett Bodine, a Bobby Labonte front fender, a Kenny Wallace fender, a tire from Jeff Gordon's run in 1995 at the Brickyard and a Hoosier tire from the No. 8 car from the 1994 Daytona 500.

"One of my favorite items is the gas can my wife got me for our 20th anniversary. She also found the NASCAR neon sign for behind the bar and a racing related slot machine. The Wheel Tough barstools are always a topic of conversation when friends come over.

"Some of my favorite things are all of the autographs I have collected over the years. Each one has a special meaning because of how and when we got them. I have never found any of the drivers to be anything but gracious and as accommodating as possible. Many fans forget that the drivers have a job to do and they need to respect that when they are in their space. With patience, luck and respect, you can get that great photo or autograph.

"My wife and I have done all of the work building each of the rooms. I am thankful that my wife enjoys racing as much as I do.

"I am a die-hard Ken Schrader fan and my wife loves Dale Jr. Even our dog, Ugabugga, is a race fan. All we have to do is tell her the race is coming on and she goes and takes her place on the sofa with her NASCAR blanket.

"To all of the fans out there: Thanks for letting us share some of our collection with you. And remember when you go out to the shopping support the car sponsors by purchasing their products or services. You can never have enough M&M's."

-- John Ockovic