here is an article from my high school newspaper BASHING NASCAR and I feel like people should listen to what others have to say about our “non-athletic sport.” NASCAR. The household acronym for “National Association for Stock Car Racing.” To me it stands for “Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks.” Over 17 million fans tuned in to watch this years Daytona 500(pronounced day-tona-uhh fi’e hunerd). of those 17.8 million people, it is estimated that that 10 million of those fans wanted back the three and a half hours they wasted while watching the 500 mile race. I spent five minutes watching this year’s “famed” Daytona 500 (also known as the Great American Race). That was long enough for me to hear Trisha Yearwood sing the national anthem, see two or three commercials for cheap alcohol, and to watch the start of the race. What forced me to shut off the television was the announcer as the race started. “And there’s the green flag! BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY! IT’S TIME TO GO RACIN’ FOLKS! BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY!” First of all, how can someone that says “boogity” have a job on prime time television? Secondly, is “boogity” really a word? I do not think of race cars when I hear that word. I think of a four year old sitting in the backseat of a car with his finger up his nose. And thirdly, the common NASCAR fan has succumbed to using this so-called jargon on a daily basis because of some former driver who has an IQ equivalent to that of Forrest Gump (75) that has the privilege of broadcasting. Thank you for that Forrest. NASCAR is pulling drivers from other sports because of the extremely large pursue that is associated with each race. First case: Juan Pablo Montoya, 2000 Indy 500 winner and successful Formula One driver switched over to NASCAR because he was not making enough money. Second case: 2006 Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. switched over to NASCAR as well. Thirdly: Dario Franchitti, who won the 2007 Indy 500, left in the middle of the Indy Racing League Circuit to race in NASCAR. Events such as these may lead to the demise of the IRL and have already lead to the genesis of what was the best thing that happened to America: Formula One. There is so much money in NASCAR because of corporate sponsors such as Viagra, Budweiser, The Home Depot, Callaway Golf along with many others. If you can think of it, it is most likely stamped on the hood of a stock car in the NASCAR circuit. Who would have thought to make the connection between Viagra and NASCAR? The same is true of many other ridiculous sponsors. There is no prestige or history associated with this “sport.” It’s not the NASCAR CUP, it’s the SPRINT CUP. When a driver wins a race in the SPRINT CUP, no one will ever remember it because the circuit is filled with exactly 40 races this year. There is no Borg-Warner Trophy, a circular wreath, a traditional glass of milk or champagne for the driver at the finish in NASCAR. The common celebratory items of NASCAR include: a bottle of whatever the sponsor for that race poured over the victorious driver of the race, confetti and donuts done by the driver in the infield. Simply classless and containing no tradition. This “sport” makes a mockery of what sports actually are and it is ruining real sports that have been around for generations and may not be around for generations to come. After you read this please reply back to me because I would like this student to know what NASCAR is really about.

Link to the school newspaper please…

Although the author makes a lot of good points about NASCAR, directly attacking DW is a bit much.  The “Boogitys” do sound silly (a term popularized by country music funnyman Ray Stevens in his song “The Streak”, which is pretty silly in it’s own right), and I’ve never met him, but I’m willing to wager that Darrell Waltrip is much more intelligent than his TV broadcasting persona would indicate.  With that much racing experience under his belt, he would prcatically be an engineer without a degree (assuming that he does not have a degree).  You just about have to be to get that far in any major form of motorsports anymore. 

These days a lot of race fans have a difficult time separating the public personality from the person, just like people who are celeberity obsessed.  For all of his silly statements, I think DW puts things in terms that non-automotive engineers can understand, and that does take some talent.  He was a heck of a driver, too!  But that was way back when I actually cared about NASCAR.

I suggest that the author look deeper into motorsports of all kinds, not just NASCAR.  There are a lot of really sharp people all over auto racing, as most anyone who posts here on the Speed TV boards will tell you.