Racing Talk of NASCAR

05-0004 ETF_49_56_CX1 10/18/05 3:42 PM Page 49 NASCAR© AP/WNASCARNASCARIDEWORLDNASCARNASCARPHOTOS AANN AAMERICANMERICAN SSPORTPORT AND AND PPASTIMEASTIME by Phyllis McIntosh nother sellout crowd jams the stands. Over the loudspeaker come those famous A words, “…start your engines!” The fans cheer, engines roar. Two by two, colorful cars plastered with advertising logos follow a pace car around the oval track, weaving in and out to warm their tires. After two parade laps, the green flag waves—and they’re off! As 43 cars jockey for position over the next three hours, the lead can change 20 times. Drivers intentionally bump one another as they fight their way to the front of the pack. Engines may blow up and cars collide or bounce off the wall, leaving other drivers to maneuver through smoke and flying car parts—all at an average speed of 160 miles per hour. Welcome to America’s fastest growing spectator sport—NASCAR—which claims 75 million fans coast to coast and more TV viewers than any sport except football. E NGLISH T EACHING F ORUM V OLUME 43 NUMBER 4 2005 49 05-0004 ETF_49_56_CX1 10/18/05 3:42 PM Page 50 HISTORY OF NASCAR ASCAR traces its roots to the men vinced that fans would identify more closely N who trafficked illegal “moonshine” with the sport if the cars resembled family whiskey in the American South of the sedans, France banned the highly modified 1930s and 40s. The moonshiners souped up cars that had become popular.To participate in their cars and honed their driving skills in his new Strictly Stock Division, cars had to be order to outrun federal agents who pursued full-sized passenger models with hoods, fend- them. When drivers began to compete against ers, bumpers, and grilles intact. The cars he one another on dirt tracks at fields or fair- sanctioned were so “stock,” in fact, that early grounds, the sport was called “stock” car rac- competitors drove the family to the track, raced ing, because the cars were improved-upon the car, and drove back home. versions of the Chevys or Fords anyone could In June 1949, 33 cars competed in NAS- buy off the lot. CAR’s first Strictly Stock race, a 150-mile event In those early days, stock car racing was on the dirt track of North Carolina’s Charlotte loosely controlled by independent, often Speedway. Among the competitors that day (above) unscrupulous, promoters. “Sometimes you’d was Sara Christian, the first female driver on A driver turns to watch as his left front wheel win the race, then have to beat the promoter the new NASCAR circuit, who finished in 14th flies off his car during to the back gate to be sure you got paid,” place. France soon scrubbed the Strictly Stock a 1952 stock car race. recalled Junior Johnson, a former moonshine name in favor of the classier Grand National (opposite page) outlaw who later became one of NASCAR’s Division. (This top rung of NASCAR competition Two drivers battle each greatest drivers. is now known as the Nextel Cup.) other in the final lap of the 1959 stock car race One promoter, Bill France of Daytona Beach, The first modern asphalt speedway opened at the Daytona Interna- Florida, was determined to bring order to the near Darlington, South Carolina, in 1950. In tional Speedway. The chaos. In 1948 he rallied a group of his col- September of that year, an astonishing 75 cars average speed during the 500-mile race was leagues and established the National Associa- lined up on the new track for NASCAR’s first 135 miles per hour. tion for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). Con- 500-mile race, the Southern 500. 50 V OLUME 43 NUMBER 4 2005 E NGLISH T EACHING F ORUM 05-0004 ETF_49_56_CX1 10/18/05 3:42 PM Page 51 A NATIONAL PASSION he phenomenal growth of NASCAR in the past ufacturers of consumer products, to jump onto the T 50 years can be attributed to three T’s: tracks, NASCAR bandwagon. Sponsors such as Tide detergent tobacco, and television. Bill France launched a new and Kellogg’s cereals helped lure women to the race era of racing when he opened the first of the super track. With its new sponsorships, NASCAR also began speedways at Daytona, Florida, in 1959. On its 3,600-foot appealing to well-heeled fans, and renovations at older straightaway and high-banked turns, cars could reach tracks included sky boxes and VIP suites. speeds of 200 miles per hour. The first Daytona 500 in Another major boost for the sport came when televi- February 1959 was such a close race that it took offi- sion networks discovered NASCAR. In the first live cials three days to declare a winner. A half century later, broadcast of the entire Daytona 500 in 1979, viewers the Daytona 500 opens the NASCAR season every Feb- were mesmerized by a last-lap crash that led to a fist ruary and remains the most famous and most important fight among several drivers. Such eventful finishes race on the schedule. cemented the relationship between NASCAR and TV, The 1960s saw construction of a number of tracks which now broadcasts every Nextel Cup race and a that are still the heart of the NASCAR circuit today, but number of NASCAR’s minor league races as well. the crowning achievement was another Bill France Spurred by the growth of its television audience, speedway that opened at Talladega, Alabama, in 1969. NASCAR expanded beyond the South. In 1994, it invad- At 2.66 miles and with 33-degree banked turns, it re- ed the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the HOTOS P mains the largest, fastest, and scariest of all NASCAR shrine of open-wheel racing that previously had hosted tracks. When it opened, the top NASCAR drivers were so only one race a year—the Indianapolis 500 on Memori- IDEWORLD worried about safety that they boycotted the first race. al Day weekend. Now an annual event, the Brickyard After driver Bill Elliott logged a record-setting 212.8 mph 400, so-called in honor of the Speedway’s nickname, © AP/W lap during a qualifying session in 1987, NASCAR issued has become one of NASCAR’s most popular races. new rules requiring restrictor plates on carburetors to Currently, more than half of the 36 races on the Nex- keep speeds under 200 mph. Elliott’s record still stands. tel schedule are held outside the southeast, in venues In 1970 the R. J. Reynolds tobacco company, newly such as Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Hamp- banned from advertising cigarettes on TV, decided to shire. And more expansion may be in the works. There sponsor NASCAR’s entire Grand National Series. In is talk of a major new speedway on Staten Island in New 1971, that series became known as the Winston Cup, York City and possible races in the Pacific Northwest and named for Reynolds’ most popular cigarette brand. That Canada. Exhibition races already have been held in name remained until 2004, when Nextel Communica- Japan, and in 2005, for the first time, NASCAR’s junior tions took over sponsorship and the series became the league Busch Series will hold an official race in Mexico. Nextel Cup. The face of NASCAR is changing as well. Throughout R. J. Reynolds’ sponsorship of the Winston Cup paved its history, the sport has been dominated by family the way for legions of other corporations, including man- dynasties, mostly from the South. The France family still HOTOS P IDEWORLD © AP/W 05-0004 ETF_49_56_CX1 10/18/05 3:42 PM Page 52 HOTOS P ORLD W IDE © AP/W controls the operation, and some of today’s leading driv- In the Pits ers represent the second and third generation of Pettys and Earnhardts. But they are joined by a new breed of attractive, well-spoken, media-savvy young men, such A skilled pit crew is crucial to a driver’s as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch, from success. To be competitive, a crew should take places such as California, Nevada, and Wisconsin. no longer than 13 and a half seconds to change four tires Even as new drivers achieve success, NASCAR re- and put in 22 gallons of fuel, said Steve Letarte, car chief mains a white man’s sport. Only about 10 women have and member of the pit crew for Jeff Gordon competed in its top division, and while Janet Guthrie Although there are 20 to 25 support people at the track logged five top ten finishes, no woman driver has on a race weekend, only seven actually work on the car during a pit stop: the jack man, two tire carriers, two tire achieved higher than fifh place. Likewise, few African- changers, the gas man, and the catch can man, who catch- Americans have penetrated the sport.Wendell Scott, who es excess fuel. “The jack man is like our quarterback,” came in first at Jacksonville, Florida, in 1963, still ranks Letarte said. “It’s up to him to determine when we’re done, as the only African-American to win a premier division because when he drops the car, that’s the signal for the NASCAR race. driver to leave.” Despite its limited participation NASCAR has wide Pit crew members are first and foremost athletes. “It’s appeal. It boasts plenty of action and dozens of fearless a whole lot easier to take an athlete and train him to competitors. Fans can identify with the cars, which on change a tire than to take a mechanic and train him to be the outside at least still look like Chevys and Fords, and an athlete,” Letarte said.

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