For a few days, it was like Rocky Alexander was a rock star.
The Estevan stock car driver became the first Canadian ever to reach a main event at Super Nationals in Boone, Iowa, last week.
Alexander qualified for the Sept. 5-10 event by winning the season championship at Estevan Motor Speedway.
He made history last Wednesday when he finished third in his qualifying race to reach the main event.
He said he wasn't aware of that fact until track officials told him after the qualifier.
"I had tears in my eyes, I was so happy," he said. "The hype, they just pumped me right up."
He signed an estimated 200 autographs as well as a lot of shirts.
Alexander started 13th in the main show and worked his way up to sixth before disaster struck.
"The caution came out and on the restart a guy tried to put me into the wall. That knocked me back quite a few places."
Alexander, who was driving Jeremy Christians' 2009 Wolfe Chassis, clawed back up to 11th by the end of the race. There were 30 drivers in the field.
"It was frustrating. He did a little damage on the car, which robbed me of some horsepower," he said.
Still, he said he was satisfied with his showing.
"The fans there just loved the fact that I made it into the show. All the announcers were talking about was how I was reeling them in. First place was in my sights," he said. "I think I have a pretty good shot (at winning) next year if I go down."
Another highlight came when Alexander's 10-year-old daughter Emily sang the Canadian anthem - kind of.
There was a recording on YouTube of Emily singing the anthem at EMS earlier this year and the track in Boone used it on Saturday.
Alexander added that the track didn't have a Canadian flag, but he took one from his trailer and held it out during the anthem recording.
Other than possibly racing in Williston this weekend, Alexander said he's done for the 2011 season.
