In this crazy downside up world, NASCAR, too, has become an organization that is rapidly changing away from its founding family’s values and its heritage.
Going into the 4th of July weekend, NASCAR, while flying the rainbow fag with Pride, began telling its fans that they had better not fly the Confederate Rebel flag at its race tracks anymore or else!
Then NASCAR sides with NBC to cut ties with Donald Trump over Trump’s statements about ILLEGAL immigration.
(Why now? NBC and NASCAR didn’t have a problem when he wrote the same sorts of things, with supporting data, in his best-selling book how many YEARS ago???)
Sometimes events happens that make you wonder later if it was more than “just a race” and maybe this is one of those times.
History took a bow with a scary Daytona near-repeat to end that race after nature did its best to cancel it before it started with a timely rainstorm.
Feb 18, 2001, Dale Jr. won the race just as the #3 was involved terrible last lap crash. His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., was killed. The Intimidator was gone.
This time, Dale Jr. won the race just as the #3 car was involved in and literally torn apart in a terrible last lap crash. By the Grace of God, the #3 car’s driver Austin Dillon walked away.
Afterwards, Austin Dillon told cameras he thinks the cars go too fast and everyone should slow down. He says the racing would be just as good.
Clearly thankful, he’s lucky to be alive, let alone walking and talking with only “a sore tailbone”, so he’s more than earned his opinion.
But, at the same time, I can’t help but notice how different the #3 car’s drivers are then and now. The Intimidator is gone.
Not sure what history doing a repeat like that means, if anything.
But, in the aftermath of last weekend, maybe those traditional fans are right.
NASCAR is gone, too.
I got it backwards: DEI drivers Michael Waltrip and Dale Jr. were first and second at Daytona when Dale Sr. was killed.
My memory was telling me that Dale Jr. won, not Michael.
My apologies. I have no excuse...