[ColdNoMore]

It's About Time! (start your engine here)

Within minutes of arriving in the infield at the first race I covered for Yahoo Sports, back in early 2008, I saw, propped on the back of a pickup truck, a whiteboard with a crudely scrawled racist caricature of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

During one of my first visits to the lawless reaches of Turn 3 in the Daytona infield, a shirtless fan behind a makeshift bar pointed at me and a colleague and shouted a racial slur at us, cackling all the way. He wasn’t using it as any kind of identifier; it was clearly the nastiest thing he could think to say to us, and he wanted to see our reaction.

Each time, I blew off the racism as unfortunate, sure, but just part and parcel of NASCAR’s heritage. I’m not proud of that, in retrospect, but I’m not alone. So has virtually every other person who has ever attended a race and come into contact with the sometimes-subtle, always-present undercurrent of racism.

Good ol’ boys are the foundation of NASCAR, the excuse goes. Sure, sometimes they go too far. But you run them off, and what’s left?

NASCAR needs the good ol’ boys.

Not anymore. Not if the sport wants to survive.

[thomp679]

You beat me to this topic, but I wanted to share a video that is representative of where we need to go as a nation. I think it is rather heartfelt. Its from the opening of today's NASCAR race which was rained out yesterday. Awesome solidarity by a sport that has deep southern roots.

YouTube

[JoMar]

NASCAR has been dying for a long time. Large sponsor turnover, fans not showing up, ratings down (unless it's the only game in town). I used to be a fan, I left years ago.....now go to the local tracks in Inverness, Tampa, etc. Maybe Bubba is right and there will be a new fan base supporting the sport. Why did I leave? Nitpiking regulations, too many penalties/suspensions, loss of racing legacy for a few.

[nututv]

I don't think they remember who made them so popular to start out with. (hint) It was never the elite. I never cared for the sport myself but that was only because they made left turns only.
Watching a Nascar race at Mid Ohio or Riverside was a blast but still nowhere near as great as Australian V8 supercars.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by nututv

I don't think they remember who made them so popular to start out with. (hint) It was never the elite. I never cared for the sport myself but that was only because they made left turns only.
Watching a Nascar race at Mid Ohio or Riverside was a blast but still nowhere near as great as Australian V8 supercars.

I think most folks know by now, exactly who/what were a significant number of NASCAR'S 'original fan base.'

Thanks for at least being honest.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

It's About Time! (start your engine here)

Nothing wrong with "Good Ole Boys" if you mean Southern men who work outdoors and in the fields and raise live stock and go to Church on Sunday with a hangover from drinking too much on Saturday night. Nothing wrong with Hillbillies who work in Coal Mines either. Nothing wrong with Rednecks who didn't get past High School but made a fortune doing electrical work and saving their money. Nothing wrong with Farmers and Policemen and people who work in the trash industry. Nothing wrong with them any more than with people who push pencils in Government jobs or dream up gooney philosophies to teach gullible college students in the liberal art programs. Nothing much wrong with anyone who is gainfully employed except for drug dealers. I don't cotton to them much.

[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

I think most folks know by now, exactly who/what were a significant number of NASCAR'S 'original fan base.'

Thanks for at least being honest.

It must be tough to be the only non-racist in this country. A friends daughter who is half Hispanic and half white sees racism in everyone and everything. For someone who thinks the country is so racist she has done very well. She went to college at a very good university on a ROTC scholarship and got a degree in civil engineering. She then went into the Air Force upon graduation, served a short tour in Iraq and then was assigned a teaching position at the Air Force Academy. She got out after 10 years and started working for the Army Corps of Engineers where she makes a 6 figure income and holds a very responsible position. Yes, the racist system really treated her badly.
She is an intelligent, hard working young woman who got where she is at through her efforts. But that's not supposed to be possible, minorities in this country are denied this type of opportunity regardless of how hard they try.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by Number 10 GI

It must be tough to be the only non-racist in this country. A friends daughter who is half Hispanic and half white sees racism in everyone and everything. For someone who thinks the country is so racist she has done very well. She went to college at a very good university on a ROTC scholarship and got a degree in civil engineering. She then went into the Air Force upon graduation, served a short tour in Iraq and then was assigned a teaching position at the Air Force Academy. She got out after 10 years and started working for the Army Corps of Engineers where she makes a 6 figure income and holds a very responsible position. Yes, the racist system really treated her badly.
She is an intelligent, hard working young woman who got where she is at through her efforts. But that's not supposed to be possible, minorities in this country are denied this type of opportunity regardless of how hard they try.

There's a lot more than just myself, who are willing to finally stand up and say something about racism/bigotry (add misogyny/xenophobia/sexism/Etc. to that list)...and that petrifies a lot of other folks.

What we're seeing & hearing now, from a lot of people, is the shameful and disgusting echo of those who fought against...the Civil Rights (AND Women's Suffrage) movements.

[nututv]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

I think most folks know by now, exactly who/what were a significant number of NASCAR'S 'original fan base.'

Thanks for at least being honest.

Once again you've drawn a conclusion. The wrong one. Where did Nascar get it's start? From a bunch of Moonshiners building faster cars and then racing them. Who hinted at racism? It sure wasn't me.
Are you implying southerners/moonshiners/race fans are racists? Why how racist of you.
Hypocrisy | Definition of Hypocrisy by Merriam-Webster

[GoodLife]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

It's About Time! (start your engine here)

Hold your horses, this may be a case of mistaken identity or even a hoax.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...entity-308136/

[nututv]

Originally Posted by GoodLife

Hold your horses, this may be a case of mistaken identity or even a hoax.

haha. Waaay too funny if that's the case.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Nothing wrong with "Good Ole Boys" if you mean Southern men who work outdoors and in the fields and raise live stock and go to Church on Sunday with a hangover from drinking too much on Saturday night. Nothing wrong with Hillbillies who work in Coal Mines either. Nothing wrong with Rednecks who didn't get past High School but made a fortune doing electrical work and saving their money. Nothing wrong with Farmers and Policemen and people who work in the trash industry. Nothing wrong with them any more than with people who push pencils in Government jobs or dream up gooney philosophies to teach gullible college students in the liberal art programs. Nothing much wrong with anyone who is gainfully employed except for drug dealers. I don't cotton to them much.

Well then I guess you don't cotton to NASCAR much. The entire existence of the sport owes itself to the drug-smuggling trade. The drug of choice in the case of NASCAR: moonshine whiskey. NASCAR is the child of the prohibition. Not an adopted child, not a step-child, not a "distant relations" child. But the direct descendant. It began with moonshine runners racing each other on the roads to their destinations. They continued smuggling the stuff even after the 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment, and eventually became a sport even after the smuggling business lost its attraction.

[nututv]

It was only illegal because the govt couldn't get their share of the profits. Had absolutely Zip to do with racism. Remember Reefer Madness. The stuff was just horrible.... until Uncle Sam got his share. Now it's perfectly OK and I may add, waaay better than a bag of Mexican, Colombian or even Maui Wowee.
Come to think of it, reading some of this forum lately, ya'll could use some. haha

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by nututv

It was only illegal because the govt couldn't get their share of the profits. Had absolutely Zip to do with racism. Remember Reefer Madness. The stuff was just horrible.... until Uncle Sam got his share. Now it's perfectly OK and I may add, waaay better than a bag of Mexican, Colombian or even Maui Wowee.

Now that's Da Kind of statement...that's interesting.

[nututv]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

Now that's Da Kind of statement...that's interesting.

GMO is your friend. Well it's mine anyway.