Full Throttle

Well… at least we now know why Stewart bugged out and didn’t offer any interviews after his second place finish at PIR, he was hot. But not from being in a 140

For a sport that is inexorably tied in some minds to the type of idiocy on display in such things as Talladega Nights it’s surprising (sadly) someone from the academic community can so precisely define NASCAR’s culture so elegantly.

Jim Wright a professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida has a valid “excuse” however, he grew up in the culture, and as a result has defined the culture with a capital “C”.

Wright’s book, “Fixin’ to Git: One Fan’s Love Affair with NASCAR’s Winston Cup,” documents his early exposure to racing through his father, who was a stock-car racer in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Wright also explores some of the sociological aspects of the NASCAR phenomenon, including fans, and finds that for many racing is linked to rural values - no matter where they themselves live.

Part of NASCAR’s appeal is that the NASCAR subculture intersects easily and seamlessly with other subcultural strands in contemporary American life.

There is, first, the obvious connection to the regional subculture of the South - more important is the strong link to small-town and rural culture and to traditional outdoors pursuits.

In the Great Cultural Divide between city and country, whose importance in American political and social life rivals or even exceeds the divide between worker and owner, rich and poor, male and female, and even black and white, NASCAR people are unambiguously, defiantly, proudly country folk - and that’s true even if they live in downtown Atlanta.”

One can only imagine the looks Wright receives in academic circles when he makes the admission he’s a NASCAR fan and, oh the horrors, even wrote a book about it.

Wright touches on something I suspect everyone has seen, heard or read in a forum somewhere.

Who hasn’t read or heard “NASCAR is losing its roots,” or “Staten Island, what to hell are they gonna do on Staten Island amongst those elitist snobs?”

The animosity directed towards NASCAR and ISC for abandoning North Wilkesboro and Rockingham for tracks west of the Mississippi is near legendary (nevermind NASCAR has been there for 40 years) and, to hear them tell it, have sworn off the sport all together.

Oddly, most of the “threats” are followed up with continued residence in the same blogs and forums.

In addition to Wright’s Great Cultural Divide there is a second divide that separates the sport’s fans by two distinct eras of NASCAR.

I believe that second division might explain in part some of the disparaging words directed Jeff Gordon’s way when he tied Dale Sr. this past weekend.

(David Poole cites one of the more delusional ones I’ve seen but he’s far from alone. EDIT: From the description Mark DeCotis spotted the same idiot. If you really care to know Google “Jeff Gordon

With apologies to Howard Morris who directed With Six You Get Egg Roll, a semi-classic that debuted in 1968.

In the three plus decades since things have become more efficient and now it only takes four NASCAR officials, Brian France, Paul Brooks, Robbie Weiss and Ken Clapp to “get egg roll.”

In Beijing, China.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France is leading the four person delegation for a week-long visit to China to discuss possible projects with government, sports and business officials in Beijing.

According to Scene Daily talks will center on discussions about lower-level NASCAR-type events or series at Chinese racetracks and business relationships that might include NASCAR and Chinese interests.

The presence of Ken Clapp, who is a NASCAR consultant and formerly NASCAR’s West Coast director, may indicate any move into China might include NASCAR’s Grand National Division, West Series.

At this point that’s just speculation on my part but it would continue a pattern set when NASCAR ran a series of events in Japan.

For the first two years NASCAR raced at the famous Suzuka road circuit. When the new Twin Ring Motegi course opened late in ‘97 the events switched to the tri-oval located there for the 1998 race.

The 1999 Coca-Cola 500 at Motegi (part of the NASCAR Winston West Series 14-race schedule) was the first points race in NASCAR history held outside North America.

Although France has had designs on Asia for some time he may have been caught sleeping, for once. While he’s been dreaming and talking F1’s Bernie Ecclestone has announced an FIA sanctioned stock car series called Speedcar.

Speedcar opens its first season in November next year with F1 veterans Johnny Herbert, Gianni Morbidelli, Narain Karthikeyan, Stefan Johansson and Jean Alesi signed to drive.

With both of the racing worlds billionaire head honchos about to butt heads in Asia the next few years should make for interesting viewing.

Four time Cup champion Jeff Gordon teamed up with renowned Bay Area chef Victor Scargle to prepare a gourmet meal at the Infineon Raceway for more than 50 Northern California media members.

Gordon who won his first career race at Phoenix Int. Raceway Saturday night and Scargle prepared poached Alaskan halibut and grilled Bigeye Tuna.