Attacking NASCAR isn’t working

By Mike Harper

If you had a chance to attend the Indianapolis 500 would you go?

Let me rephrase the question. If you were a NASCAR fan living outside Indiana and you were given the opportunity to attend the "greatest spectacle on earth" would you go?

Call me crazy, but this year I said no.

Even though I find the IRL entertaining, I’m not a big supporter. From past experiences, the drivers aren’t accessible like they are in NASCAR and the environment at the track isn’t as user friendly like it is at a NASCAR event. To be honest, I just prefer the low rumble of stock car engines that shake your insides versus the high pitched engine of an open wheel car.

According to Nielsen Media Research, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 had a higher television rating than the Indy 500. In addition, there were plenty of empty seats at Indy. That said and while I’m still being brave, I’ll just say I don’t think the Indy 500 is the greatest spectacle on earth - anymore. Sorry IRL fans, it’s not personal it’s just my opinion.

Since I started writing columns many years ago, I’ve received my share of personal attacks from those who disagree with my viewpoints. I ignore them because it comes with the territory. I’m sure others including NASCAR, has a full mailbox of negative letters coming to them on a daily basis.

In general, I try to keep my opinions about drivers, NASCAR or any other racing series on a professional level. If I disagree with them or I think they’re wrong, I say it. I don’t use personal slaps to get my point across and I don’t take too kindly when personal slaps are thrown at me or in the faces of others. Sure we kid around sometimes, but at times personal attacks can be taken too far and can’t be ignored.

In the case of retired driver Willy T. Ribbs, who I have the utmost respect for, I can’t ignore his choice of words when he called NASCAR, "al-Qaida." (David Poole’s story about Willy T. Ribbs)

NASCAR has always been an easy sport to pick on. Non-fans have used negative names to describe NASCAR fans and I’m cool with that. In most cases, I don’t take it too seriously and I can laugh about it because they have every right to hold their opinion. And, at times it’s funny!

However, I do take exception to Mr. Ribbs’ comment. He has every right to hate NASCAR and he can trash the sport until the cows come home. But in my eyes, he’s unfairly compared NASCAR to a group of people who make a living as terrorists, killing innocent people and attempting to take freedom away from free loving people. They attacked our country on 9-11, they continue to kill our soldiers and innocent people and people shouldn’t use their name so lightly. Calling NASCAR "al-Qaida" is frankly over the line.

Call the sport whatever you want, but remember that NASCAR is an American sport built on American dreams. NASCAR may have their problems, but calling it a name of a group who promotes death to all Americans was unnecessary.

That said, congratulations to all of those involved in the ending the terror of al-Qaida’s Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He WAS the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq. The world is now a better place with him gone.