Scouts Race to Aid NASCAR Drivers

BY Jeff Branscome - Fredericksburg.com

NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. learned yesterday that they can turn to Boy Scouts if they're injured in a race.

They participated in a first-aid competition in which several Scouts at the National Scout Jamboree treated them for broken legs, broken arms and burns on their hands.

Gordon and a bearded Earnhardt sat next to one another on a stage as the Scouts bandaged their pretend injuries using splints, gauze and other supplies.

The Scout who finished first won a point for his group--Team Gordon or Team Earnhardt.

Alec Robert of East Stroudsburg, Pa., had to put a sling on Earnhardt's arm. He finished before his competitor, but the point went to Team Gordon because he made a mistake.

"When I lost, he was just like 'Good job,' and real kind about everything," Robert said of Earnhardt.

Team Gordon won the first-aid competition.

The celebrity appearances came after a brief downpour, which had Scouts and others scrambling for cover.

Some escaped the rain near one of several jamboree stages, where volunteers were setting up band equipment. Adults instructed Boy Scouts to stay away from metal objects because of lightning.

It was sunny again by the time Gordon and Earnhardt arrived at the jamboree site at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County.

In addition to Gordon and Earnhardt, the jamboree hosted thousands of other visitors yesterday. The traffic caused backups in the morning, and some visitors were directed to overflow parking. The main visitor parking lot was full, with 8,500 cars, said Boy Scouts of America spokeswoman Renee Fairrer.

Hundreds of Scouts gathered around the stage awaiting the arrival of Gordon and Earnhardt. They chanted the drivers' names, particularly Gordon's.

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