“TALLADEGA, Ala. — They come in every day by the bushel. Screeds and manifestos from that small but vocal minority within the NASCAR fan base that believes in Roswell and black helicopters and second shooters on a grassy knoll. They weave conspiracy theories so outrageous, you become convinced that NASCAR chairman Brian France is personally laying down spike strips so a Hendrick car can win. Virtually every writer who covers NASCAR gets them, those e-mails riddled with spelling errors or randomly-placed uppercase letters, written in such a rush of anger that sometimes they hardly make sense. They claim. . . . ” Article, by David Caraviello, continues

And I respond,

Hi David,

I’m going to copy this baby to Word and check my spelling, before I get publicly admonished by you. LOL

 

Here’s my opinion. (That’s what you wrote, too, and got paid for, I hope: Opinion.) Tony Stewart used poor judgment by leaving the track without giving an interview and then airing his views on his radio show. I think he knows that now, unless, of course, he’s playing along because, after all, NASCAR does get the final word on who does and who doesn’t race in their races. And Tony let it be known in his “retirement remarks” that he doesn’t yet have “enough money.” How much is enough I don’t know. Tony Stewart has a crafty, witty kind of intelligence that annoys interviewers who don’t know when he’s kidding and when he’s serious. He plays a “bad boy” well. But the analogy Tony Stewart used with respect to wrestling has been voiced in my living room most Sundays for years.

 

NASCAR is a we-make-it-up-as-we-need-it sport. Sometimes it’s doing so makes sense, such as when safety is involved. Fans love wrecks, but no wants to see a driver hurt or killed. No one. And if we must “forgive” drivers for making decisions at 180 mph, we must consider that a caution is thrown while cars circle the track at that speed, also. An official is like an umpire (before instant replay), he “ain’t blind” no matter what, even if the cameraman can’t find the debris. Reason tells us that no one can un-throw a caution flag, and if it was thrown by accident, well . . . live with it. And no one interviews the NASCAR flag thrower, who unlike a driver who drifts up the track due to a “tire going down” and takes out two or three drivers who “happened to be in this path,” gets to take the blame, as he rattles off every one of his sponsors and every being who spit in a bucket “back at the garage” during the past week. Sometimes, the change-the-rules-as-you-go thing has a certain back-woodsy charm. After all, when we consider NASCAR’s roots, we envision Buddy Baker sliding around curves to deliver the moonshine! And there were rules then? Yeah, right.

 

But sometimes NASCAR’s lack of consistency is just plain aggravating, as it must have been to Stewart. I do know people who have stopped watching NASCAR because of the wrestling thing, and there’s “nothing new under the sun” for Stewart or anyone else. So Tony Stewart just said what’s been said over and over again. Have you noticed that Stewart’s radio “rants” are calm and calculated?

 

NASCAR needs Tony Stewart as much as Stewart needs NASCAR. Have you noticed how many drivers have said that Stewart’s the best driver? Not Jeff Gordon. Not Jimmie Johnson. Not has-anyone-told-him-he’s-a big-whoop-in-open-wheel-but a-NASCAR-rookie the-Juan-man-Pablo. Get told “you’re the man” as often as Stewart has and not win, and no wonder he’s frustrated. Stewart doesn’t think NASCAR didn’t want him to win. He knows NASCAR didn’t allow him to find out if he could win, if his car could make it to the front by racing. That angers Stewart, and it angers the fans. Stewart loves racing. Did you notice the smile when Bobby Labonte out-raced him? Stewart wants a fair race, and he knows NASCAR is not always about racing. Sometimes it’s about “putting on a good show for the fans.” A good show is wrestling, not racing.

 

And yet the drama will continue, fueled by NASCAR and fans and drivers. And by broadcasters and interviewers and columnists. (If it didn’t, you’d be out of a job.) But this isn’t about right and wrong, because no one, including Tony Stewart, would dare shout about that in a world controlled by sponsors.

 

NASCAR didn’t like the wrestling image. So how about this: Is NASCAR “putting on a circus” or a race? Now call me in to “the Big Blue Truck.”

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UPDATE: After sending this to NASCAR, I received the following e-mail message:

“Dear NASCAR Fan,

NASCAR has great respect and appreciation for their fans around the world.

Because of the volume of letters we receive we are not able to reply to every one. However, each and every letter is important to us. Our staff personally reviews each correspondence and is then cataloged as to the nature of the comments.

NASCAR thanks you for taking the time from your busy schedule to write a letter and for your continued support of our sport.

Regards,
NASCAR Public Relations”

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Guess I’m going to squeak through without a fine. LOL