I don't watch NASCAR much anymore, maybe a few laps here and there flipping around channels.

Saturday afternoon doing that I saw the ARCA race from Daytona and stopped for a few laps. Wanted to see the changes to the cars since the last time I saw an ARCA race many years ago. They're more streamlined and definitely are cleaner, from a paint-advertising-PR standpoint and I get that since it's about entertainment and revenue.

And then they mentioned a female driver. OK, fine, cool, I'm down with that. I don't care who's behind the wheel as long as they're qualified.

And then they mentioned the female driver's sponsor -- VEGANSTRONG.COM -- and showed the in-car camera with the VEGAN STRONG decal on the dash in clear view.

NASCAR, the organization founded on moonshiners beating the G-Man on backroads and racing on the beach with white redneck crackers drinking whatever bad beer, now has a driver who is promoting a vegan lifestyle. Not just vegetarian, but vegan - which is different. Vegans don't believe in "exploitation of animals for the use by man." Vegetarians may still chomp on fish or dairy products, but generally eschew meat. Vegans take it further.

Interestingly, veganism began in 1944 and grew during ... wait, wait ... the late 1950s and '60s as liberalism grew on the east and west coasts as they railed against the growth of agriculture and capitalism.

I wonder how many vegans watch NASCAR vs. how many eat steaks, brats, chicken wings? Never believed I'd see the day. Dang.

NASCAR went to hell years ago.

Nascrap will have openly gay drivers very soon I'm sure. Not to mention cars on twentyfo's type drivers being streamlined to the front. It's coming. That's why when Dale died the sport did too. Or davey really for me.

NASCAR died when Dale died.

They got too big for their britches, stars in their eyes, jets and money and big corporate PR crap, and forgot about their fan base while trying to be the country version of Indy and Formula 1.

At one of the first NASCAR races at Talladega I covered back in the late 1990s, the garages were still open and PR people weren't arrogant assholes. I was standing at one garage bay watching the guys work on Petty's car. King Richard walked up beside me, we chatted for a moment and shook hands, and he walked on into the bay. I didn't whip out my notebook or anything - we just had a nice, casual chat.

Another time, I saw Bill Jordan in the garage area. We chatted a moment. "C'mon, I'm going to the hauler to watch Dale qualify." I followed him and climbed on top of Earnhard's hauler with Bill and stood there with him, Richard Childress and 2-3 other people watching the 3 car. No PR lackies, no fences or KEEP OUT "Who are you?" crap. When he finished, I climbed down and went on my way.

Now? Maybe 10-15 minute media interviews and no substance to them. If you walk around a garage bay it's like you're a Commie spy. Corporate "friends" clogging up areas and all the pre-race falderol trying to hype it up along with concerts and crap. Meh. It's not racing and innovation anymore. It's entertainment, glitz and money.

Nobody watches nascar anymore.

Their ratings aren't as high as in the past but they still draw good numbers. So yeah, some people are watching. Ratings have declined for auto racing across all formats in the last 10 or so years but "no one is watching" isn't true.

Otherwise they wouldn't be on the major networks.

I’m still waiting on the first transgender faggot to drive a NASCAR with Vasoline as its sponsor .


NASCAR hasn’t been the same to me since the Allison’s, Yarbourgh and Earhart. Back when they would kick someone’s ass for cutting them off, now these asswipes probably are licking each other’s ass.

Technically, ARCA isn't affiliated with NASCAR but the point still holds true. The NASCAR of today is nothing more than glorified marketing. There's no sport left in it.

I miss the old days of Ken Squire calling races and twice a year mini "vacations" to the Talladega infield. Sadly, those days are long gone.

I used to love Nascar and everybody I knew did. One of my best memories was going to Darlington in 1991. Those people over there were seriously crazy about it back then.

Turn left, turn left, turn left, turn left. Never saw the attraction to it.

Vegetarians don't want to eat meat. Vegans don't want YOU to eat meat (or consume/use any food/drink/products made from animals). That's the difference.

Nascar, in it's current form, may be the single worst-run business there is. They have completely lost touch with reality when it comes to their fan base and what made them popular to begin with, and they're either too stupid to realize it or they just. don't. care.

Same for me. It's next to golf, for me, as far as being an enjoyable sport to watch televised.

I've pretty lost interest too. But drive one sometime and you'll understand why they do it. Besides the money..

I just don't get why the Vegan group thinks they would get any return on investment from a NASCAR sponsorship, maybe they did it just to say they did?

No doubt about it. It has been downhill ever since Dale Sr died.. Its almost like they knew the good ole boy days were over, and then they could coroporatize it even more by making everything politically correct. I miss the days of Jimmy Spencer punching Kurt Busch in the face the days of the Intimidator wrecking Rusty Wallace to win or whoever for that matter then begging them to do something about it. Nascar thought by going more corporate the sport would grow but they lost all touch with the folks that got them there.

Fixed it for you

Jeff Gordons Gay!
Even wrote a song about it.

Rainbow warrior.

This was my first thought. I'm sure they believe they will get some television time (they did, obviously) with the female driver and attention that goes with her being out there.

But to what end? This would be like the pro rodeo tour buying a booth at the vegan healthy living expo. Or NASCAR or Pro Bull Riding or a camouflauge company buying commercial time on HGTV or "Project Runway."

Doesn't make sense. Even if the vegan company-site gets TV time, what NASCAR or auto racing fan is going to go to it? Just seems weird.

However, at some point over the length of the ARCA and racing season, some of the bigger media outlets will probably write about them or put them on the TV-web. The PR people for the vegan driver is no doubt furiously pitching her to big news media - not the sports writers, but the feature-lifestyle-news writers and producers as the "new wave of drivers."

And some will bite, and report on her and give the vegan site some inclusion, and thus they will have the PR win. Bigger picture.

Is the female driver a vegan? I would think that would be required .

Be funnier if one of the lesser sponsors is omaha steaks

I haven't followed or watched Nascar in about 10 years. I agree with the fact the sport died when Dale did. I went to the Charlotte race last year because we got free tickets at work. I was able to get two so I invited a good friend of mine that lives in the area so we turned into a weekend for the guys.

Who's got three hours of their day to waste watching the first 3/4 of the race when even the drivers admit they sometimes stay back until 40 to go. BORING>

They got all of you talking about them, money well spent!

Sasquatch, you're right. The first 10-20 laps and the final 20 laps are the best. The rest are snoozers.

woodleyrd, also right. They got my attention. I probably won't watch an ARCA race again for years but I flipped on at the right time and saw it.

Yes/no.
Yes we're talking about them because we're really perplexed, I highly doubt anyone on this website is a vegan or considering veganism.

The only use I have for NASCAR is background noise while taking my Sunday nap.

They are not trying to change those that have a opinion, they are trying reach those that don’t have an opinion.

Exactly...Most of the popular drivers today are millennials, Chase Elliot, Bowman, Wallace Jr. They will have fans from all walks of life.

A friend of mine that has a dirt track racer and is/was a big NASCAR fan told me that now they have a rule that you can't pass. WTH? I need more of an explanation on that. I guess they all get participation trophies when it is over.

I know the girl that is driving that car is a vegan but she is hot. Now that Danica is gone mark my word in a few years she will have a ride in the cup series. She will bring money publicly to the table.

You can't pass on a restart until they cross the start finish line. They can't pass on or coming to pit road but other than that they can