DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Hours before William Byron led the Cup Series field to the green flag at Darlington, NASCAR alumni huddled inside a tent, swapping stories and asking a wide array of questions.
"What surgery have you had? Where do you live now? How bad do you hurt?"
Understandable questions to ask for these competitors who battled door-to-door years before NASCAR implemented its modern safety devices, but they were only a small part of the discussions during the second-annual NASCAR Alumni Network event.
These questions were just part of the process as drivers reconnected with rivals and peers after several years apart.
"I was on the parade yesterday and Robert Pressley's there and, man, he goes, 'We got to come see you,'" former Truck Series champion Mike Skinner said in response to a question from AltDriver.
"'We're only an hour away from you.' So, we set plans to grill some steaks and stuff."
This discussion between Skinner and Pressley was the result of NASCAR launching the Alumni Network in 2024.
Managed by Amber Wells, this program helps former members of the racing industry better connect with those currently competing for championships, and it gets these icons of the sport back at the track, where they can be properly celebrated once again.
A key part of this Alumni Network is the at-track reunion. The first reunion took place at Darlington last season, and it returned this past weekend.
Such drivers as Kevin Lepage, four-time Truck champion Ron Hornaday Jr., Skinner, Geoff Bodine, and Morgan Shepherd showed up at the historic track and spent several hours enjoying time together.
"Amber's group and the NASCAR folks doing this alumni deal was brilliant," Skinner added. "A lot of times, we want to come back to the racetrack. A lot of us still motor coach, so we want to be able to get a motorhome spot. We want to come and shake hands and see people.
"I mean, Richard Petty gave me my first job at NASCAR in 1983. I get to go see him and shake his hand, hug his neck. ... Leonard Wood, we just had a wonderful relationship for 100 years. Angie (Skinner) calls him her boyfriend. To come and see these people is priceless."
Just a couple @NASCAR_Trucks champs rockin' at the alumni tent 🏁 @RonHornaday @MSTheGunslinger @TooToughToTame pic.twitter.com/Nw7robQBIc
— Angie Skinner (@angieskinner5) April 5, 2025
Expressing gratitude to the generation that paved the way in racing is a big part of the Alumni Network reunion. So is looking back fondly on the big battles for race wins.
These are opportunities for drivers such as Skinner and Hornaday to talk about the times they wanted to punch each other and how they chose to just go drink some beer at the hauler.
It's an opportunity to really find out who was "at fault" for a wreck that occurred decades earlier.
"It's still fun to bring up some old memories and what we've done in our careers," Hornaday said.
Of course, this reunion provides opportunities for the younger members of the network. They are able to rub elbows with those they looked up to and have conversations that they thought would never be possible.
These are opportunities they do not take likely, overwhelming as they can be.
"You feel not worthy, to be honest," former Coca-Cola 600 winner Casey Mears said. "As a young guy, you walk into that tent, and you see the history and the people that have been in the sport way longer than I have, the guys that you look up to and the heroes that you have."
The reunion is the time for the members of the Alumni Network to reconnect and celebrate each other. The rest of the weekend features the all-important time with the fans.
Whether these drivers are taking part in parades or heading to the Tweetup held by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass and The Athletic's Jeff Gluck, they are embracing opportunities to regale race fans with stories, shake hands, and take photos.
Incredible tweetup today. Thanks to NASCAR for having Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner, Geoff Bodine and Mike Wallace come out to join us. Some hilarious stories! pic.twitter.com/9f1vkOXEfN
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 6, 2025
"A huge kudos to NASCAR to put this together, regenerate -- get some of these guys that have been in the sport for a long, long time that maybe haven't spent a lot of time at the track in recent years -- and create a platform for them to be here," Mears said.
"I think it's necessary for them, us, and I think it's necessary for the fans to be able to reconnect with the guys they've supported for so many years."