Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990 TAG: 9004060695
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S4 EDITION: SOUTH
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I knew I was in the right business the first week," Scruggs said, laughing. "I couldn't believe how many people came through the door right off the bat. Barefooted people . . . people wearing tuxedos. It was unbelievable.
"Then, I knew I had it made when one woman walked in, looked at the stuff, and hollered, `Lord, I can't believe something like this is really in Roanoke. I think I've died and gone to heaven.' "
If you're a stock-car racing fan, chances are you'll find a visit to Scruggs' new Racing Image souvenir and sportswear shop at 2501 Williamson Road a heavenly experience.
The 1,500-square-foot shop is loaded with T-shirts, hats, jackets, post cards, decals, model cars, pins and other paraphernalia from NASCAR's Winston Cup and Grand National circuits.
Scruggs, who has been involved in racing for 30 years, has spent the last six years as a NASCAR official. He is the main flag man on the Grand National tour and a car inspector on the Winston Cup circuit.
You name it, and Scruggs' outlet probably has it.
How about a Bill Elliott-endorsed night sleeper for your wife? How about an Elliott-approved pedal car for your kid? And while you're at it, don't forget the Awesome Bill coffee mug.
"Yeah, the people really love Bill Elliott," Scruggs said. "We've probably got more of his stuff than any other driver. But let me tell you, Dale Earnhardt is right on his tail, with Darrell Waltrip third."
Scruggs said he pondered the thought of opening a racing souvenir shop for seven years before taking the plunge.
"Finally, one day my wife, Jackie, said, `Why don't you open a shop?' I looked around and finally found a place to put it, and here we are," Scruggs said.
Although Scruggs knew the Roanoke area was a racing hotbed, even he never expected the early traffic jam that's developed outside his shop's front door.
"I had been around racing a long time and I knew how the stock-car fans were," Scruggs said. "No other sports fan has the allegiance and loyalty of the stock-car fan. They're fanatics about the driver they pull for.
"Take Darrell Waltrip fans. If anything's got a [No.] 17 on it and it's orange, they'll buy it.
"This whole deal has opened a lot of eyes for me. I never realized there were this many racing fans in the Roanoke area. Just from word of mouth, I've had people in here from Monterey, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville and Abingdon. We've had people come from as far away as Huntington, W.Va., believe it or not."
Scruggs said his shop provides convenience for racing fans who are used to hopping from souvenir truck to souvenir truck at the racetrack.
"If a fan wants to buy souvenirs at the track, he or she has to hit 15 or 18 different trailers," Scruggs said. "Here, we've got 'em all in one place. Besides, a lot of the stuff here you can't buy at the race track.
"The hardest thing about this is getting the merchandise people want. Somebody wants a Dale Earnhardt hat. Well, there are about eight to 10 different Earnhardt hats.
"I listen to all the customers and what they want. I'm trying to let the people decide what's going in here. Eventually, I hope to have just about anything people want."
In addition to souvenirs, the shop includes a small side area that Scruggs calls his "arguing" room.
"The fans come in here and get to arguing sometimes about whose driver is the best," Scruggs said. "If they want to argue, I send 'em back in that room. If things get too bad, one can knock the other out and pitch 'em back there with the garbage so the trash man can take 'em on out."
Eventually, Scruggs plans to bring many of NASCAR's biggest names in for autograph sessions with fans.
"I know the drivers and I've talked to several about coming," he said. "Now, you talk about a crowd. When Earnhardt comes here, there's going to be one big traffic jam on Williamson Road."
But Scruggs can handle that. Remember, he's a flagman.
"We'll have to throw a red flag and stop everybody," he quipped.
by CNB