An interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford can be found in April's NASCAR Illustrated. According to the article, Whitford is a diehard race fan, even taking his RV to several NASCAR events. The 55-year-old owns the F1 Boston go-kartracing facility and his bio lists, “burning fuel at the race track” as his favorite smell.

Brad Whitford on NASCAR:

"I love it. It is, by far, the best racing to watch because guys are battling it out all the time. I like open-wheel racing, but the ?elds are too small and there’s never enough passing. That’s why guys like Juan Montoya are coming over from F1. They want to mix it up with the best on the biggest stage for the biggest money."

Brad Whitford on being a guy from Boston who digs NASCAR:

"I’ve always loved cars. Growing up, I had a neighbor who built dragsters. They were like street hot rods — ’30s Fords and such— but they were gorgeous. He would get ’em out in the driveway and ?re up the engine. Flames would shoot from the short-pack exhaust. Seeing that as a kid, I got hooked on anything with four wheels that goes fast."

Brad Whitford on his favorite cars:

"I’ve got some old Chevys and Porsches, but today you just have to love what’s going on. Even with gas prices soaring, there are horsepower battles being waged between manufacturers. Street cars with 500 horsepower and all the modern amenities … that’s just awesome. It’s like a return to the days before the ?rst gas crisis in the early ’70s when everyone was going for lighter and faster. It may be the last hurrah, but I’m just glad I’m here for it."

Brad Whitford on going to races:

"My schedule doesn’t allow me to go very often, but when I do, I like to stay in the in?eld and have the total experience."

Brad Whitford on the craziest race fans:

"The 12 Hours of Sebring gets a really wild crowd. The race is de?nitely secondary for those people."

Brad Whitford on the two lives of Aerosmith:

"In the beginning, everything we did came right from the gut. We didn’t listen to anybody and made a lot of great music, but we also made a lot of lousy decisions. After the RUN DMC thing and Permanent Vacation, we started listening to people and doing things differently. We were more mature and knocked the cobwebs away."

Brad Whitford on music today:

"One nice thing is that it seems young people are starting to rediscover LED ZEPPELIN and JIMI HENDRIX. Maybe they’re sick of how “packaged” music has become. Groups today don’t tour around in station wagons playing clubs and developing as bands. It shows in their performance, musicianship and how disposable they are. They have no bones, no foundation. So much of today’s music is just forgettable."

Brad Whitford on hearing Aerosmith songs on the radio:

"I still turn ’em up … especially the old stuff."

Brad Whitford on reworking “Back in the Saddle” for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage:

"As you can imagine, I’ve wanted to partner with NASCAR for years, so I’m really excited to combine two classic American icons: Aerosmith and NASCAR."