Jarrott Kirby’s love affair with NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing has been building since he watched an interview with then-Roush team member Mark Martin.

Kirby liked the way Martin handled himself. Then he saw in interview with Roush and the racing team became nearly an obsession. He has a specially designed Roush Racing Ford F-150 truck, sent from the factory in Michigan to Roush headquarters to be fit with Roush modifications to the engine. Roush stickers adorn the truck’s exterior. He named his Basset Hound Roush and has a sizeable collection of Roush Racing memorabilia.

He even took the patch from the shirt he was wearing the night his life changed and had it burned into his prosthetic leg as a constant reminder.

On Tuesday. Kirby, married to the former Paula Gordy, a Vicksburg native, was honored by the racing team as the first Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year.

“This means a lot to him,” said Paula, who stumbled on the fan contest while perusing the Internet one evening. “Things have been really hard since the accident having to adjust to everything. This helps him a lot.”

Paula wrote the following letter to Roush nominating her husband:

“I am actually entering this for my husband, Jarrott Kirby. He has to be the ultimate Roush Fenway Racing fan. Last year on April 1, he was in a serious motorcycle accident which resulted in two broken femurs, a broken arm and ankle and (he) ended up losing his left leg. His accident was the day before the April race at Texas Motor Speedway, which we did have tickets for but obviously were unable to go. He was in ICU not even aware of anything around him. We made sure the race was on the television in his room, we were only able to go in his room every two hours for 15 minutes, the last time we went in his room before the race was over, Jack Roush was on the TV and he woke up long enough to see him and said, ‘It’s Jack Roush, he’s my hero!’ And he was out again.

“Now almost a year since his accident, he has given up motorcycles and moved on to trucks, a Roush (Performance) F-150 at that. As soon as he saw that truck, there was no turning back. We also have a dog and his name of course is Roush Racer. My husband is such a huge fan of anything Roush, it’s ridiculous. His dream is to be the next ‘Driver X’ for Roush Racing. He’s always asking if I think he could do it even though he is an amputee. The day of his accident he was wearing a Roush Performance T-shirt. The shirt had to be cut off of him but he saved the chest patch from the shirt and has it laminated into his prosthetic leg. Jarrott absolutely idolizes Jack Roush and Mark Martin.”

Soon after. Kirby won the Roush Fan of the Week honors which qualified him for fan of the year. Kirby received more than 100,000 votes, far distancing himself from the other finalists.

He first heard of his award two days ago and has done three interviews with satellite radio companies. He’ll be a VIP along with Paula and their 6-year-old son, Jarrott “Trace” Kirby III, at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the May race.

The couple recently moved from Dallas to Marshall, Texas — about 30 miles west of Shreveport — where he works at Republic Industries, a cabinet maker. They live in an apartment and are planning on buying a house where he can showcase his Roush memorabilia.

He should receive much more during the Lowe’s race. He has no idea what the VIP treatment intails, but hopes, “to get to walk around the garage and meet all the drivers.”

According to a Roush press release, Kirby will receive apparel and merchandise designating him as the 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year. He will be recognized in a display at the Roush Fenway Racing museum in Concord, N.C., and will be featured on RoushFenway.com in a designated 2007 Fan of the Year area. The 2007 Roush Fenway Racing Fan of the Year will serve as an “unofficial spokesperson” of the Roush Fenway Racing Online Fan Clubs on and will be used in various press releases and online materials throughout the year.

“We’re thrilled with the voter turnout we had and we’re honored to have Jarrott as our first-ever Fan of the Year. He’s going to be a great spokesperson for our fans and we’re going to have a really fun year with him and his family,” said Amy Rowell, director of Internet marketing for Roush Fenway.