Bobby Sisk WCNC Anchor

It's not everyday a NASCAR driver makes sure your helicopter door is safely shut. That happened to me on Thursday, as I covered a new development underway in the mountains of Southwest Virginia.

Tony Stewart will have a home at Sheridan Ridge Private Reserve, a resort community planned for more than 1,400 acres not far from Interstate 81.

Stewart, his crew chief Greg Zippadelli, drivers Elliot Sadler and Denny Hamlin and commentator Jeff Hammond now make up the Reserve's advisory board. Basically, they'll have input on what they want to see and developers hope their presence will draw others who want to invest.

There are 500 home sites with the smallest lots -- 3 acres -- starting at more than $500,000.

After a planned news conference showing renderings of what cabins and homes will look like, I was the only reporter who got a few minutes away from everyone else to talk with the drivers one on one.

Denny Hamlin is a really nice guy, excited about bringing his buddies to Sheridan Ridge to ride ATVs and see musical acts at a planned amphitheatre.

Elliot Sadler is a country boy from southeast Virginia who can't wait to hunt and fish with his dad on the southwest side of the state.

And then there's Tony Stewart. I've seen Stewart get a little testy after races, most recently about tires at the Atlanta race. I'd been told he doesn't always like reporter questions, especially stupid ones. Well, I'll have to tell you I must have passed his test. In fact, he said I was one of the better ones who'd interviewed him. Stewart seemed like a nice enough guy, excited like the others to have a mountain retreat close to four tracks. Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond and Charlotte are within driving distance, but more importantly to these guys, a short flight away.

Speaking of flights, my photographer and I flew to Smyth County, Virginia, on board Greg Biffle's Helicopter. Our route took us through Wilkes County, east of Boone and over a few southern Virginia mountains still dotted with snow. To say this was really cool would be an understatement.

Once we landed, the Biffle helicopter provided aerial tours of Sheridan Ridge first for news crews, then for the drivers who wanted a closer look at where they'll live.

On the last flight, Tony Stewart was last to get out. He and I shook hands as we had when I interviewed him earlier, then he made sure my photographer Scott McClendon and I got in safely, latching the doors and all.

Fan or not, that's a pretty nice way to end the day, don't you think?

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