This article sums up everything that's wrong with NASCAR

[Unchainme]

Hold your fire, flag wavers.

NASCAR is just taking care of business. Let’s face it, alienating the majority of American consumers is no way to make money. The fact it’s also the right thing to do is beside today’s point.

Not surprising, a lot of people aren’t seeing it that way. To them, banning General Lee is just another case of NASCAR spitting on its heritage.

General Lee, you may recall, was probably the finest actor on the '80s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. Pro golfer Bubba Watson bought the 1969 Dodge Charger for $110,000.

He was supposed to drive it on the parade lap before the Subway Fresh Fit 500. The problem is that General Lee has a big rebel flag painted on its roof.

“The image of the Confederate flag is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive,” spokesman David Higdon said.

To which the flag-wavers say, well, they can barely talk at the moment.

“It makes me want to vomit.”

So read one of the many Internet comments. Based on my unscientific survey they are running about 102.7 percent against the decision. More samples:

“This isn’t America. It’s Communist Russia.”

“Just one more example of NASCAR abandoning its traditional fans. Bill France Sr. is rolling over in his grave.”

A former U.S. congressman has even weighed in.

“It is a disgraceful and gratuitous insult to a lot of very decent people. It is prejudicial toward those good-hearted folks, who, like Uncle Jesse Duke, are in fact, ‘never meaning’ no harm.’ ”

So said former Georgia representative Ben Jones. He’s better known as ace mechanic “Cooter” Davenport on The Dukes of Hazzard, so he’s not exactly emotionally detached.

When it comes to the rebel flag, few people are. We’re not going to settle the Heritage-vs.-Hate debate here, though feel free to bombard us with your views on what a great guy Robert E. Lee was.

Heck, you don’t have to convince me. I graduated from Robert E. Lee High. My great-great-grandfather fought for the South. I honor his courage and know the Civil War was more complex than anti-flag groups care to ponder.

But the bottom line is that battle is over. Just ask Johnny Rebel at Ole Miss or anyone who has visited the South Carolina State House. Waving the flag doesn’t stamp you a racist, but it has become a symbol of intolerance and slavery to millions of people.

Why insult them?

That’s NASCAR’s calculation, and Big Bill France was nothing if not a good calculator. He took a ragtag bunch of moonshiners and started a multibillion dollar enterprise.

Now his grandson, Brian, is running the business. Business hasn’t kept booming the past few years, which critics say proves NASCAR’s attempts at “inclusiveness” have backfired.

I think it’s more because of the economy, boring races and a business hitting its growth ceiling. Despite all that, International Speedway Corp. profits were up 4.5 percent last year. And 71 percent of that stock is owned by Big Bill’s heirs.

I doubt profits would have improved if NASCAR went back to the good ol' boy days. If you want a good chuckle, check out this video of the 1968 Southern 500.

You have to admire how an obviously spent Cale Yarbrough found the strength to carry the rebel flag on his victory lap. And how some flunkie held it as a backdrop as Yarbrough and Miss Southern 500 sat on the roof posing for pictures.

That didn’t bother too many people back then. Neither did all-white college football teams.

But imagine a Southern 500 replay at the upcoming Daytona 500. Talk about marketing suicide. The CEOs of every NASCAR sponsor would storm France’s skybox and throw him off the roof.

But wait, you say. General Lee was just a mechanical character on a goofy TV show.

“Obviously, I don’t stand for the Confederate flag,” Watson said. “The Confederate flag was not used (in the show) for what people see it as today.”

He’s right, but a whole lot of people would not get the distinction. Uncle Duke and Cooter should accept that this ain’t 1968 anymore.

NASCAR values your business. But if it has to choose between you and appealing to the anti-flag demographic, visit Big Bill France’s grave.

That noise is not a rebel rolling over.

It’s the sound of a businessman nodding his head in approval.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/s...#ixzz1mxtMAyUv

[Unchainme]

Here's my take.

Let me first off say, that I really dislike to a certain degree, pseudo rednecks, and biggoted rednecks. You know the type. Put on a flannel cut off shirt, a wife beater, a john deere hate, some dip, and listen to kenny chesney type.

I also, as a member of a proud former union state, cannot stand to see the Stars and Bars up here. HEY FUCKHEAD, YOU LIVE IN AN AKRON SUBURB, YOU'RE NOT A FUCKING REDNECK.

I also detest racism, and any form of discrimination, and bullying against a member of another race.

Now onto nascar, and the general lee.

I have no problem with this. The general lee was a fucking car in a TV show. The Stars and Bars on it are far less offensive than one would think. When someone see the car, you think of the south, and jumping over a bridge, and Waylon Jennings, NOT SLAVERY.

For nascar to continue to push away it's mainstream fanbase, which is the south, is both disgusting, and sickeningly corporate-main street america. I've seen a sport that was once about good ol' boys, racing hard, and southern pride, be turned into something that Jill soccer mom from up the street loves. I've seen the system reward boring-bland figures like Jimmie Johnson as the face of the sport.

Enough is enough.

[ZahZoo]

I think you're a little behind the times...

I've been a NASCAR fan since the 60's... I was born & raised on the California coast. My dad raced cars at local tracks when I was kid. Spent many a friday night or saturday nights having a blast out there!!

NASCAR's heritage and history was born in the South, but their mainstream fan base and overall popularity surpassed that demographic in the early 70's. It's the second most viewed sports series in the US on TV behind the NFL. Currently broadcast internationally in over 150 countries.

I really don't view NASCAR's turning away inclusion of the General Lee car due to the Confederate flag as much of an issue nor a slap at a majority of it's fan base. Even in the South most people don't care that much for the symbolism of the flag nor the hoopla people make of it. It's much more of an issue of individual choice to fly it... than a culture icon it used to be.

As far as the sport itself... I couldn't be happier with where it is and where it's heading. Women and minorities are making great in-roads into the sport and it's also attracting great talent from Indy and F1 drivers and crews. You can guess where I'll be parked Sunday watching the Daytona 500...

[chefcraig]

True to form, NASCAR still blows it when it comes to instinctive logic. There are ZERO competitive black drivers, and only two owners I can think of. Both just happen to be stars from other sports (Brad Daugherty and Randy Moss), but are engaged in the often entertaining yet lesser tier truck series. So rather than address the disparity regarding race, they sidestep the issue by banning the General Lee. Gee whiz, now everything is all better.

[Hardrock69]

HOLY KRAP THE TRACK IS ON FIRE! Am watching Daytona 500 now. Something I usually don't do, but I figured what the fuck......Danica is 60-something laps behind, due to her wreck on Lap 2.

A car going slow (by comparison) suddenly skidded sideways, and ran into one of the trucks with a jet engine on it used to dry the track.....the jet fuel ignited, now there is a fucking bonfire in turn 3!

The cars have been stopped!

[Nitro Express]

What did the General Lee do at NASCAR? Jump the hot dog catering stand?

[Hardrock69]

[chefcraig]

HOLY KRAP THE TRACK IS ON FIRE! Am watching Daytona 500 now. Something I usually don't do, but I figured what the fuck......Danica is 60-something laps behind, due to her wreck on Lap 2.

A car going slow (by comparison) suddenly skidded sideways, and ran into one of the trucks with a jet engine on it used to dry the track.....the jet fuel ignited, now there is a fucking bonfire in turn 3!

The cars have been stopped!

No kidding! I'm flicking back and forth between American Pickers and the race, then this shit erupts. Suddenly NASCAR becomes "Must See TV." HUH?

It will be interesting to see how the sanctioning body determines that the road surface is safe enough to race upon, let alone how the weather holds up.

[ZahZoo]

Tell me things get this interesting at a baseball game...

[Von Halen]

There are ZERO competitive black drivers

This is Nascar's fault? Really? Nascar should just step up to the plate and hand a black guy a top team, just because he's a black guy? Why not? They are getting everything else handed to them these days. Maybe if Nascar allowed subwoofers in the cars...

[chefcraig]

This is Nascar's fault? Really? Nascar should just step up to the plate and hand a black guy a top team, just because he's a black guy? Why not? They are getting everything else handed to them these days. Maybe if Nascar allowed subwoofers in the cars...

I could care less about equal-opportunity nonsense, I believe in individual merit. I'm not saying NASCAR should hand out some sort of token invitation to non-white drivers, all I'm stating is that there seems to be an astounding lack of them involved in the sport. And simply banning a fictional race car from appearing in a parade lap celebration will do absolutely nothing to change that.

[Unchainme]

I could care less about equal-opportunity nonsense, I believe in individual merit. I'm not saying NASCAR should hand out some sort of token invitation to non-white drivers, all I'm stating is that there seems to be an astounding lack of them involved in the sport. And simply banning a fictional race car from appearing in a parade lap celebration will do absolutely nothing to change that.

If you're looking for diversity within the sport, IRL's season starts on the 25th

NASCAR to me, is at a bizarre point right now. They're lacking a face to the sport, and just..overall likable drivers, and yet they are at their most popular point

Growing up as a kid in the 90's, everyone loved Earnhardt, Petty, Rusty Wallace, Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, fuck even Gordon were all beloved by the fans.

Now? You got Stewart...and that's it. You can argue with me about Danica and Jr. but both are irrelevant. As a pure racing fan, I love JPM, but I wish he was back in IRL, and team mates with Helio.

the field? generally are pretty dull. San Antonio Spurs dull. I mean the ending of Daytona was a slap in the face for a race fan. You GO FOR THE WIN, YOU DON'T BLOCK FOR A TEAM MATE UNLESS HE'S NEVER WON IT BEFORE, AND HE HAS.

I'm of the belief that the sport going mainstream, and pushing it to the lamest white bread eaters was a mistake. I pine for the days when I wasn't subjected to a fucking half hour subway infomercial before the race, like I witnessed today. You know, sponsorship are great, but that made me cringe.

Not to mention the poaching of the IRL drivers? Makes me sick as a fan of both. The Daytona 500 is not the best race in the world, I know damn well where that one is, and it takes place in a little town called speedway at the end of may.

[gbranton]

If you're looking for diversity within the sport, IRL's season starts on the 25th

Growing up as a kid in the 90's, everyone loved......Awesome Bill from Dawsonville........

Now? You got Stewart...and that's it.

I agree, Stewart is the only real driver left who isn't painfully boring, so it was nice to see him win by way of a gutsy, non-drafting, last turn move last night.

Speaking of Bill, he doesn't race much anymore. He mainly concentrates on his son Chase's budding racing career but last night he qualified seventh and ran the first part of the race in third place before being fading a little and getting taken out in an accident. Bill is my all time favorite NASCAR driver, he was the only reason I watched much of the race.

If it is diversity you are after, Formula 1 is the series for you. They have everything but an American on the grid.

Watching the F1 race right now and I noticed that driver Pedro De La Rosa's name is abbreviated in all the onscreen graphics as "DLR".

[motherchicken]

If it is diversity you are after, Formula 1 is the series for you. They have everything but an American on the grid.

No Americans? Fantastic. While we at it we'll ban American cars, parts, hell anything American. But we'll still race in America. We still want American money.

[gbranton]

No Americans? Fantastic. While we at it we'll ban American cars, parts, hell anything American. But we'll still race in America. We still want American money.

There was slated to be an American team for the 2011 season, but that whole deal fell apart. There are a few American drivers working their way up through the feeder series' as well. They all speak English, which is more than you could say for half the Indy Car drivers a few years ago.

[motherchicken]

Nascar isn't a racist sport. It's a rural sport. Rural areas where they don't have noise ordinances. It's a loud sport. Rural areas where land is plentiful. You can't race in a vacant city lot. Rural areas where people have big yards to keep their race cars and parts cars. That's the breeding grounds for Nascar fans and drivers. Who lives in rural areas? White people.
Nobody says basketball is racist. The majority of players are black. It's a city sport. You can play basketball in a vacant lot. You don't need a big yard to keep your basketball equipment.
It's just geography not racism.

[motherchicken]

There was slated to be an American team for the 2011 season, but that whole deal fell apart. There are a few American drivers working their way up through the feeder series' as well. They all speak English, which is more than you could say for half the Indy Car drivers a few years ago.

Indy racing isn't really much of an American sport anymore. They don't run American cars. Most of the drivers are not Americans. Why do the drivers go for Nascar? The money, the sponsor money. You see Nascar drivers in commercials everyday. How often do you see Indy car drivers on tv?

[gbranton]

I think one of the problems with NASCAR, IndyCar and many of the other series out there is that in the interest of "fairness" they restrict every area of car design until they are all spec cars. I remember a time when there was excitement leading up to the Indy 500, you wondered what kind of cars would be unveiled. At Indy there have been turbine cars, diesels, front and rear engined cars duking it out. Now...............well they do have different numbers on them and the parts of the cars not covered with advertising may be different colors and that's about it. Boring. Hence my interest in F1 and the 24 Hours of LeMans.

[motherchicken]

As far as Nascar goes I'm cool with all the cars being the same except the paint. It's all about the driver and his crew. Teams come into play a little as far as set up but it's pretty much driver and crew that gets it done. Nobody goes out and laps the field 5 times like Petty did with his superior in every way cars he raced in the 60's and 70's. I also like the big pile ups in the last few laps due to so many cars racing for position right to the end. I love them green, white, checkers endings. Sometimes it comes down to the last few feet.
Indy Cars? Who cares? Rich mans sport watched by rich people. Not too many places have saturday night minor league Indy racing.

[Frodo]

that is exactly what i was going to say.


Thank ou