http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...-brad-keselowski-jeff-gordon-texas-chase.html
ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little was doing her job on Sunday at
Texas Motor Speedway. Following the
AAA Texas 500, she was in place to interview third-place finisher
Brad Keselowski when she was surrounded by "a huge sea of testosterone."
"You could see my arms are out, and I'm steadying myself," Little said. "And if a punch is thrown, you might get it back. I'm just there with my microphone to do my job."
Little saw the wave coming in the form of four-time
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion
Jeff Gordon, and she warned Keselowski.
"I'm standing by the car like we always do, waiting for the interview," Little said. "Brad gets out, and Brad's looking at me. And I saw Jeff get out, and I said, 'Brad, watch your back. Jeff's coming.'
"Jeff comes over and starts yelling at Brad, and then all of the sudden…
Kevin Harvick pushes, and then everybody jumps in. So I'm in the middle of it. Well, at that point, I'm not backing down. That is my spot. I was there, and I have a job to do."
Her job has been reporting motorsports for 14 years, and she'll
continue in that role next year
with the NASCAR on FOX team. For two more weekends, she and the ESPN team will broadcast the Eliminator Round finale at
Phoenix International Raceway (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at
Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"I've never seen intensity like this," Little said. "I've never interviewed a driver with blood coming off of his face. That is what this Chase format has done, and I think it's what the fans want.
"That just shows you the importance of fighting for the win and going for it at all costs, even if it means everybody else is mad at you like Brad. Brad is there to
win a race. He's there to go for the championship."