What happens when a NASCAR driver reads an Eagle Scout’s letter about distracted driving?

Lagasse_166This is the last call William Bauman expected to get while serving on staff at Cub Scout day camp last week.

It wasn’t Mom checking up on him; it was NASCAR driver Scott Lagasse Jr., calling with some unbelievable news.

Lagasse is a major Scouting supporter who drives in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. One of his team sponsors is the Florida Department of Transportation’s “Alert Today Alive Tomorrow” campaign to stop distracted drivers from hitting bicyclists and pedestrians.

Last month, Lagasse saw on this very blog William’s open letter to parents and Scouters about distracted driving. He was impressed with the letter and with William’s Eagle Scout project: a campaign to stop texting and driving. William’s ongoing efforts eventually led to Illinois’ passage of a law against this deadly habit.

Not bad for a young man who only last weekend got a driver’s license.

With cameras rolling, William, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout from Troop 73 of Grayslake, Ill., took the call on speakerphone in front of dozens of Scouts and camp staffers.

William-Bauman-getting-a-call-from-Scott-Lagasse

“I was reading on Bryan’s blog just about a week ago, and I saw a little article about you and your Eagle Scout project and the work you’re continuing to do,” Lagasse said. “What I was calling to ask for is if you’ll be my personal guest and part of my team next weekend at the Subway Firecracker 250.”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” William replied.

This weekend, William and his mom will hop on a plane and fly to Florida, where they’ll be Lagasse’s personal guests at Daytona International Speedway. (The race airs at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday on NBC Sports Network.)

Of course, being a VIP at a NASCAR race is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. But it gets even better: William has never traveled farther than Virginia, and he’s never been on a plane.

This trip, William says, will be “a dream come true.”

Watch this

See a video of William’s story, including footage of Lagasse’s call, in this video:


Special thanks to Stephanie Brooks, marketing director of the Northeast Illinois Council, for the tip!


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.