By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
NASCAR has a way of bringing stars from the streets of Hollywood to the pit roads of any race circuit. And this past weekend at Pocono Raceway was no different, as actor Jocko Sims came out Sunday to wave the green flag for the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400.
Attending not only his first event at Pocono but his first-ever NASCAR race, Sims, 38, was impressed by the experience.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be the honorary starter,” Sims told Kickin’ The Tires. “I’m mainly a basketball fan and I got to say, the culture here, there is something different about it. It is something so welcoming and warm, everybody has their favorite, who they
Sims was surprised by the fans that came out to the Pennsylvania track, even under dreary gray clouds.
“My favorite thing is seeing all the RVs and the campers, people have camped out here waiting for days,” he said. “It’s something that I never expected to see.
“I promise you, I want to be a long lifetime fan now. I will definitely be back in the years to come if I’m invited back.”
Sims was on site to promote his new NBS show New Amsterdam, a medical drama starring himself as Dr. Floyd Reynolds. For Sims, the role is a dream come true after pursuing medicine before turning to acting in high school.
“I wanted to be a doctor when I was in high shcool,” he said. “I got to college and realized I didn’t want to be in school for the next 12 years, so I took a theatre class and fell in love with it. I’ve been working professionally for the last 16 years and I wanted to play a doctor role… this is my dream come true two fold.
“It’s based on a true story, a book called “Twelve Patients” by Dr. Eric Manheimer, the life and death at Bellevue Hospital. He was the medical director there and he really breaks down on the show how broken the heathcare system and we get to tell some fun stories, true stories and make people laugh at the same time.
Playing roles in films like “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, “Jarhead” and even a voice on the animated TV series “American Dad!”, Sims feels he is at his best as a performer.
“What I love about New Amsterdam in particular, like I said it’s a drama,” he said, “but the writers are so gracious they allow me to bring myself and my comedy into it, too. It’s just been a lot of fun.
“My claims to fame: Honorary starter at NASCAR, President Obama follows me on Twitter — and did since he was the president, never met him, pretty amazing — and they mentioned my name on Family Guy. I feel like I’ve arrived.”