Jump to content

NASCAR Bubbas

Guest Friz

By Guest Friz
in The Off-Topic Bar

Recommended Posts

Guest Friz

Guest Friz

Posted
Posted

From the Indianapolis Star

 

Don't buy Bubba image; NASCAR's savvy about selling

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 18, 2002

 

MIAMI -- Yee haw, Bubba, we got all 'em other sports plum fooled. They keep thinkin' we a buncha Southern-fried rednecks, cashin' all these fat checks with Jack Daniels on our breath, Confederate flags on our trucks and country music on our minds. Funny, ain't it? That they think we're the dumb ones? Because we in racin' are a whole lotta things, but Lord knows we ain't ever slow.

 

You go ahead and keep thinkin' the face of racin' has a one-tooth smile, speaks through a slur and spits chaw. Truth is, it looks a helluva lot more like a smilin' Jeff Gordon, corporate and polished, and with a team of handlers. Every driver, every engine, every sponsor had at least one PR person shillin' in Homestead, Fla., this weekend, and those people ain't got an ounce of hick in 'em.

 

 

You think it's funny our concession stands were selling cigarettes? It's only because we're using a huge pool of tobacco-industry sponsorship money other sports ain't even touchin'. We encourage smokin' at the track, except near the fuel, where only the tires are allowed to smoke.

 

Backward? Whatever. You keep thinkin' we're white trash because some of us drive our homes. Yeah, hundreds and hundreds of RVs were parked around the racetrack Saturday, but those RVs pack up and follow us, the lives inside them literally revolving around our sport. You think Pat Riley wouldn't want a following like that for his Heat? The Marlins, with their crowds, could play in an RV.

 

Beer don't stop flowin' in the fourth quarter here, either, not when Anheuser-Busch just reupped as sponsor through 2007. The beer is given to fans from taps actually stuck in the side of beer trucks.

 

Money flows into our sport like fuel flows into those cars. That's why there was a large space reserved near the track Saturday for the rich folks to land their helicopters.

 

But let them other sports laugh at us from on high, in their corporate skyboxes, when we put "Viagra" on that Ford in real big letters. And let 'em keep thinkin' we're busy polishin' our guns, drinkin' our Bud and thinkin' of new bumper-sticker slogans. Maybe they won't notice we're stealing their fans, one by one. And their wallets, too.

 

Because there ain't nothin' in sports bigger now, Bubba. Football and basketball and baseball and hockey are trying to figure out how to bring up TV ratings, but ours keep rocketin' up faster than that Viagra car. Helps, too, that we have Tony Stewart, the charming, insane punk who is the most polarizing figure in this sport since we buried Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s daddy.

 

We sell out tracks all over the country, get televised on all the networks and fill even toy stores with our products.

 

You could see it for yourself this weekend. Right there next to that expensive, empty stadium where baseball couldn't make it go because it was supposed to be too far from civilization fans keep coming from all over wearin' T-shirts with their favorite drivers on them. There were more than 70,000 of them here Sunday, here in football country, on a day the first-place Dolphins needed a TV station to buy tickets so they could sell out.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Le Batard writes for The Miami Herald.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    250.3k
    Total Topics
    2.7m
    Total Posts

  • Member Statistics

    342,724
    Total Members
    8,960
    Most Online
    No1UKnow
    Newest Member
    No1UKnow
    Joined

  • Who's Online   5 Members, 1 Anonymous, 1,150 Guests (See full list)

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • asilverblazer
      Another 6.2L engine failure!

      By asilverblazer · Posted

      My take: I don't think seeing up to 200k on the odometer of any of these engines/trucks (2014-to present) is surprising. (Excluding the known DEFECTS, specifically, the 6.2 main/connecting rod bearing issues, the defective lifters, alternatively parts that a recall was issued for - I think there were three.)   250K is my line in the sand, anything over that is 'surprising', but not limited to the engine making it that far but including the truck surrounding it too. (We've talked about this in other posts, why I think the engine isn't the deciding factor for ultimate mileage.)
    • asilverblazer
      Another 6.2L engine failure!

      By asilverblazer · Posted

      I included the first gen-cylinder de-activation (active fuel management) in my statement.
    • No1UKnow
      Transmission Woes :-(

      By No1UKnow · Posted

      Hello All!   My 2019 Colorado 3.6 LT, 4WD Crew Cab has approximately 77,500 miles and I recently began experiencing the well-known transmission shudder between about 30 and 65 mph. The problem had worsened to the point that I could no longer attribute it to road conditions - and I had decided to bring the truck to the dealer - when recently, I experienced a sudden loss of power while driving at maybe 40 MPH. Several warning lights flashed, the “Check Stabilitrack” message appeared, and the Check Engine, Stabilitrack, and Traction Control icons remained illuminated. The truck regained driving power, but it stayed in a low gear with unusually high RPMs for the speed. (limp mode?) Because I was only about two miles from home, driving slowly, I was able to make it back and run an OBD-II scan, which showed fault codes U0101, P0700, and U0100. My next trip in the truck was to drive it to the dealer the following day. That trip began normally, but after about a mile I experienced another loss of power, along with the same warning lights and the same “Check Stabilitrack” message. As before the truck remained driveable, but again operated at an abnormally high RPM-to-speed ratio and seemed stuck in a single gear. About a mile later, the dashboard lit up once more, this time displaying “Check 4WD.” Soon after that, I arrived at the dealer. I have verified that the truck still has its original factory transmission fluid, which means it has never received the corrective fluid exchange outlined in GM Technical Service Bulletin #18-NA-355.  That was Thursday of last week and I've heard nothing yet from the dealer.    According to Technical Service Bulletin #18-NA-355 and the build date of my truck, my truck should have the newer LV fluid. I've done a little research and read something about a problem with the wiring harness as well.   Anyone have an insights into this situation?  Thank you!!
    • GMCustomerService
      Damaged Left Rear Bumper & Left Rear Quarter Panel - Repair Questions

      By GMCustomerService · Posted

      Having bumper and other body damages can be very frustrating, especially as a result of a parking lot collision/bump. Our team wants to learn more about the damages to your truck so we can look into ways we might be able to help. When you get the chance, please fill out our support form with more details: https://s.gmc.com/support-request . A member of our team will follow up with you as soon as next available. We want to get you enjoying your truck to the fullest again. 
    • PhilB
      Gas Prices

      By PhilB · Posted

      Did you even read this article?   Even the title of the article says "U.S.-Iran Deal Doesn’t Mean a Swift Return of Oil and Gas Flows"   Remember, crude oil prices are based on FUTURE purchases by the oil companies.  Gas prices are based on FUTURE purchases by the station.  This article stated that many of the oil producing nations have to restart their processes to get the oil produced.  Then the oil has to be shipped to wherever.  And it doesn't get there overnight.  And most of that oil is not coming here. Check out this site:  https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10621   A graph will pop up to show where the US imports their oil from.  Notice that there isn't a lot of import from OPEC and Iraq.  Most of the US import comes from Canada. The US oil produces are selling their oil on the open market, which is why the US fuel costs went up.  So you're correct, the US oil companies are going to slow walk the price downward.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...