NASCAR attracts 75 million fans
– and one Morgan Hill gopher.
The unofficial mascot
”
Digger
”
won’t get to watch the 2010 NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas this
weekend as was planned by his good-humored keeper Susan Howell.
NASCAR attracts 75 million fans – and one Morgan Hill gopher.
The unofficial mascot “Digger” won’t get to watch the 2010 NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas this weekend as was planned by his good-humored keeper Susan Howell.
You see, Howell and about 25 volunteers with the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center care for, rehabilitate and keep native wildlife at her southwest Morgan Hill property, and she loves NASCAR. The rescued gopher was named after the “Digger cam” that’s embedded in the racetrack and pops up to capture on film the NASCAR race cars that zoom overhead. When their two worlds collided – Digger the NASCAR-loving gopher was formed.
To Howell’s dismay, the details weren’t worked out early enough to get Digger to Las Vegas. But her wheels are already turning for next year’s race.
“We have to get our community together to get Digger there,” Howell said.
She says she will plan to start a campaign, starting with Digger’s “fan club” at Ponzini’s Community Garage on Monterey Street.
“You know it would benefit Morgan Hill and give it some recognition,” said Tony Salinas, the shop manager at Community Garage who works on the wildlife center’s vehicles and will also be in Las Vegas for the race.
“There’s always next year and other races,” Salinas said. “It will give the town something to talk about.”
Howell and her friends at the nonprofit WERC have a slogan picked out for next year’s T-shirts: “Digger’s official pit crew.” And a party could be in the works, too.
“You know, it’s tough times,” Howell said, “And this is just so much fun.”
Howell said the center got permission from the Nevada Department of Wildlife to bring Digger across state lines on the condition that they would bring the gopher back to California and not leave him in Las Vegas.
The plan was to let Digger watch from an extra seat Howell had for the weekend’s races. He would be in a clear plastic container with fewer wood shavings so he could better view the event and maybe get a glimpse of FoxSports NASCAR personality Darryl Waltrip, who championed the camera “Digger.”
“Wouldn’t it be fun if Digger went to Vegas to meet his hero?” Howell said.
Digger’s rambunctious curiosity and the public’s own interest makes the gopher a good learning tool and example of predator and prey.
He has become somewhat of a local celebrity among children and especially at the Taste of Morgan Hill, Howell said.
“People are astonished at seeing the gopher: the little ears, the long teeth and the long fingernails,” she said.
See Digger there in September or for more information on the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, go to www.werc-ca.org.
