It should be enough that most drivers devote seven or eight hours a week to signing autographs outside of the garage area. The crush of fans in the garage area only forces drivers to hide behind their armies of public relations representatives and in the hidden corners of their motor homes. It's also dangerous to have moonstruck fans staggering around an area where cars are literally speeding in and out of their garage stalls. Practice time is so precious, race teams don't waste a single second. Practice usually consists of running several laps, racing into the garage to make minor changes, then running more laps.
Drivers have to dodge fans like they're steering through a minefield.
The fact that nobody's been killed in the garage isn't remarkable. It's a miracle. And the fact drivers haven't lost their minds by being surrounded and hounded by their public is another miracle. And it was very intense and it was a dramatic experience for my family to go through. Shove a hat in his hand, and he'll sign it without a second thought.