NASCAR Responds to the Dateline Scam

NASCAR is an organization that very zealously protects its image, and they're fighting mad about NBC's Dateline's plan to infiltrate the race this weekend with Muslim looking people in an effort to film fans being racist or hateful (previously reported here and here). Michelle Malkin talked with Ramsey Poston, managing director of corporate communications at NASCAR, as he was on his way to Texas for this week's race:

"This is outrageous for a news organization with the reputation of NBC to stoop to the level of attempting to create news instead of reporting it. Any legitimate journalist should be ashamed."

Poston told me NASCAR contacted NBC, which confirmed they are doing the story (also reported here yesterday).

"It's hard to even call it journalism," Poston told me. I asked him why he thought NBC was targeting NASCAR fans for the racism sting. Poston vigorously defended the NASCAR fan base as "diverse, from every background in America."

Poston expressed dismay at NBC's "attempt to provoke a reaction from our fans" and said his organization was "confident they would not fall for it."

And here's some information about last week's race in Martinsville that was reported on the AP today:

NASCAR said NBC confirmed it was sending Muslim-looking men to a race, along with a camera crew to film fans' reactions. The NBC crew was "apparently on site in Martinsville, Va., walked around and no one bothered them," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Wednesday.

A fan, writing to Michelle Malkin and who attended the race partially confirmed the story from Martinsville:

I was at the race in Martinsville, VA on April 2. I noticed a Muslim man with two apparent Muslim women roaming the grounds before the race. He was wearing the traditional head wear and they wear dressed in traditional female Muslim garb. They never seemed to be going anywhere in particular. To the credit of Nascar fans, I never did see someone do so much as a double take at their presence.

I predict that if anyone shows up in Muslim garb in Texas, they'll get the warmest welcome this side of 72 virgins. NASCAR fans are incredibly loyal to the sport and they'll defend it like Dale Earnhardt Jr. blocking at Daytona. However, they won't take out their anger on any Muslims. They'll treat them like gold just to wreck Dateline's plans. Shoot - by the time this story gets completely out in the NASCAR market, I wouldn't be surprise to see a Muslim waving the green flag at the start of the race.

UPDATE: here and here.