Dem Convention Money Woes Continue - NASCAR Event Canceled

I'm sure the Dems had high hopes for North Carolina when they booked their convention there, but fundraising is suffering and events are being dropped:

Democrats canceled a political convention kick-off event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and will move the activities to Charlotte’s main business district, the convention’s host committee announced.

“While we regret having to move CarolinaFest away from our great partners at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the City of Concord, we are thrilled with the opportunity that comes with hosting this event in Uptown Charlotte,” said Dan Murrey, the executive director of the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee.

The move comes as party planners are grappling with a fundraising deficit of roughly $27 million, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss internal party politics. With a party ban on direct contributions from corporations, the host committee has raised less than $10 million, well short of its $36.6 million goal, said one of the people.

NASCAR was not exactly their target audience since it represents freedom, fossil fuels, speed, and a general disregard of governmental authority. If NASCAR was run by Democrats the cars would be electric, couldn't exceed 50 mph and the races would be no more than 35 miles long...or until the last car loses its charge.

Obama is still planning to accept the nomination in a 74,000 seat stadium, but unless they pack the place with union members who have been paid to be there, I can't see them coming close to filling the place.  It's not 2008 anymore.

NASCAR Signs Agreement With the EPA

Is this the end of America's greatest sport?

President Obama’s eco-friendly EPA inked a green partnership deal with high-octane NASCAR Monday to promote recycling and environmentally-friendly products to the sport’s millions of fans.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, NASCAR will encourage fans to buy “sustainable concessions” at races, expand the use of “safer chemical products,” conserve water, reduce waste, promote recycling, push products approved by the EPA that have a small enviro footprint and encourage suppliers to get an “E3 tuneup” aimed at promoting sustainable manufacturing.

Missing: any talk of greening races or race cars that consume about two million gallons of gas a year and average five miles per gallon.

“Yes, the focus is on suppliers and programs, not green cars,” said an EPA spokesman.

If I was elected president the first thing I'd do is shut down the EPA.

And then go to the Daytona 500.

There's no truth to the rumor that next year's Cup cars will have windmills.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Calls Out Congress On Military Sponsorships

I posted an item on this yesterday in which a GOP and Dem member of Congress were promoting legislation that would ban the military from sponsoring teams in NASCAR among other sports.  It's a stupid law, especially given the recruiting impact the NASCAR sponsorships have had for the respective military branches.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose team is sponsored by the National Guard, is calling them out:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Friday urged a Republican who backed an amendment to end military sponsorship of sports to do his “homework” on NASCAR’s influence by attending a race.

The popular NASCAR driver, who is sponsored by the National Guard, singled out Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) for his sponsorship of an amendment to a defense bill that would prohibit the military from using federal funds to sponsor professional sports teams.

“I think the Republican from Georgia that is heading the bill hasn't even been to a NASCAR race," Earnhardt said during a media event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, according to multiple reports.

Earnhardt suggested attending a race might change Kingston’s mind.

“Just because he's a Republican from Georgia, he ought to have been to a NASCAR race by now,” he said.

Kingston’s office confirmed that the congressman has never attended a NASCAR race, but said they had yet to receive a formal invitation from Earnhardt.

NASCAR races are incredibly patriotic events, and military sponsorship of teams have yielded significant recruiting results. It's money well spent. Congress should provide a budget to the military for recruiting and then let them decide how to spend it. They know what works and what doesn't far better than some congressman.

House Passes Ban on Military Sponsorships in NASCAR, Other Sporting Events

From Jamie Dupree's Twitter feed:

The House yesterday approved a plan that would ban military sponsorships of race car, wrestling and fishing events

The sponsorship ban was a bipartisan amendment backed by Rep Jack Kingston R-GA and Rep Betty McCollum D-MN

The Pentagon will spend $80 million this year on sponsorships like for Dale Jr; $136 million in past five years

Why would Republicans support this? I'm sure the military will tell you that sponsorships in NASCAR are a tremendous recruiting tool. The NASCAR fans are very patriotic and love seeing the various military branches represented in sponsorships on the cars.

I can see restricting the amount spent on such sponsorships, but banning them outright seems to be a classic case of overkill.

And this won't help NASCAR which has already been hit hard by the poor economy.  Ticket sales are down, and although they still draw a huge crowd, it's not like it was a few years ago.

Young Driver Sues NASCAR Because He Looks "Too Caucasian" For Their Diversity Program

This is a classic example of what's wrong with the whole concept of diversity programs:

An aspiring stock-car driver is suing NASCAR, claiming he was denied the opportunity to compete in NASCAR’s diversity program because he looks “too Caucasian.”

NASCAR argues that in trying to change the “face” of the sport, it has the right to select drivers for its diversity program based on skin color, attorneys for the sanctioning body and its former diversity program administrators have told a U.S. District court.

Michael Rodriguez, a driver from Pennsylvania, says in his complaint filed in U.S. District Court that he was denied the opportunity to compete in the 2005 and 2006 Drive For Diversity combines.

Rodriguez is suing NASCAR and Access Communications, which operated NASCAR’s diversity program from its inception in 2004 until 2008 and conducted the combines that are designed for teams in NASCAR’s regional series to scout minority drivers.

NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program was created to develop minority drivers and crewmen and help them advance through the NASCAR ranks with the goal of reaching the sport’s top series. Since 2004, the program has included 41 drivers, with most being selected multiple times. There currently are six drivers in the program racing in various NASCAR regional series.

Rodriguez, now in his early 20s, is asking for undetermined damages for violation of his civil rights.

How about we just find the best drivers we can find and let them race, regardless of last name, color, or sex? What a novel idea!

NASCAR in Fontana Today

But I have a feeling they won't get the race in because pretty significant rain is supposed to hit the area this afternoon and continue through the evening.  They have to get at least half the race run today or the show continues on Monday.  If they hit halfway before the rain, they'll call the race when the rain hits and send everyone on their way.  With the teams 3,000 miles from home and another race in Martinsville, VA next weekend, they won't want to linger in California any longer than necessary.

UPDATE:  They've made it to halfway, so the race will end today.  Now, can they finish before the rain gets there?

UPDATE 2:  Nope.  Red flag at lap 129 of 200.  My guess is they won't wait too long to call the race.

UPDATE 3:  Race is called and Tony Stewart is the winner.

Sports Video of the Day

In case you missed it, here's the crash and ensuing fire that delayed the Daytona 500 for a couple of hours last night:

How to Gain 100,000 Twitter Followers in Two Hours

1.  Be a NASCAR driver.
2.  Tweet from your car during an extended red flag:

When the Daytona 500 ran into a protracted delay following an explosion and fire on the track Monday night, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski did what any social media addict would: grabbed his phone and began posting status updates to Twitter.

Then he gained more than 100,000 followers in less than two hours.

Keselowski’s fellow driver Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a safety vehicle mid-race. The collision and jet fuel — the safety vehicle reportedly holds 200 gallons of jet kerosene — sparked a huge ball of fire, although both vehicles’ drivers appeared to avoid serious injury. The race was halted. From his spot in the racecar traffic jam, Keselowski sent this tweet to his (at the time) less than 85,000 followers:

More than an hour later, the race resumed. Keselowski’s follower count topped 185,000.

Although I didn't join the thousands of followers, I did check his feed and saw some of the photos he posted as the delay ran on. The drivers were out of their cars and standing around talking to each other on the backstretch while the clean-up and repairs went on, and Keselowski was the only one with a phone. Since the drivers couldn't see the replays of the accident, some of them were able to see the photos and maybe even video on Brad's phone. It was another example of the new media's influence on news.

My guess is this will be the last time a driver does this because I'm guessing that they'll issue a firm rule against smartphones in cars. Even though Brad never used it while driving, they won't want to take the chance that someone might try it.

Juan Pablo Montoya Versus the Jet Dryer

If you're not watching the Daytona 500 tonight you've missed one of the most amazing incidents I've seen in 15 years of watching NASCAR Cup Series races.  Coming out of the pits Juan Pablo Montoya suffered some type of failure in his car and crashed into one of the jet dryers that was circling the track under caution and blowing off any loose debris.  The resulting fire, fed by 200 gallons of jet fuel, was pretty spectacular, and fortunately it doesn't appear to have resulted in any serious injuries.  Montoya walked away and the jet dryer driver was helped away from his flaming truck.

The question now is how badly the track might have been damaged and if they will attempt to restart this already delayed race.

UPDATE:  And here come the jokes:

How many Nascar drivers does it take to ignite a jet fuel fire?


Just Juan.

And this one for Princess Bride fans:

My name is Montoya, you drove a jet engine in front of me, prepare to catch fire.

UPDATE: They got the race going again after a long delay, had three big pile-ups in the last 38 laps, but finally finished with Matt Kenseth winning his 2nd Daytona 500.

Daytona 500 Under the Lights

The first Daytona 500 to start under the lights will begin 7:00 pm EST on the Fox Network.  Skies are clear for the moment, but showers still threaten and could cause some delays, however I expect them to do everything they can to get the whole race in tonight.

There's another race that will take place this week - the race to get all the Daytona stuff back to the shops in North Carolina and the Phoenix stuff loaded and on the haulers for the 2,200 mile drive to Phoenix.  The teams are supposed to set-up shop there on Friday morning.

Daytona 500 Moved to 7pm EST Tonight

The folks involved with NASCAR have got to be hating this:

NASCAR president Mike Helton says the Daytona 500 will start Monday night at 7 p.m.

Heavy rain soaked Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, forcing NASCAR to postpone the event for the first time in its 54-year history.

The 500-mile race initially was rescheduled for noon Monday. It was still raining Monday morning.

The teams have been down in Florida for two weeks and have to be in Phoenix next Sunday. That means the haulers have to get the Daytona cars back to the shops in North Carolina, empty and quickly reload the Phoenix cars, and then head west in time to get to Phoenix by Friday morning. Tough schedule. They really didn't need this delay.

What I'm not sure of yet is if it will be broadcast on Fox, which would wipe out the network's regular Monday night programming, or will it be moved to one of the other networks that could cost them viewers.  More info later.

How Do You Go From 11th Place in Turn 4 on the Last Lap and Win The Race?

When the 10 cars in front of you wad up coming out of Turn 4 and you drive through the mess to take the checkered flag.  That's what  happened to James Buescher at the end of the Nationwide Series race at Daytona yesterday, and it's probably a sign of what we can expect to see in today's Daytona 500.

Changes in the cars this year mean a lot more pack racing, and at 190 mph things happen pretty fast.  It should be an action-packed 500 miles today.

Mitt To Get a Union Welcome at the Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 will run later today and Mitt Romney is planning to attend.  He'll get a welcome from his union buddies:

In advance of this year's Daytona 500, one of America's favorite past times, UAW is taking their message to the track and to the air. With 31 of 43 cars racing tomorrow made by one America's big three auto makers, UAW will fly a plane and banner from 10:30-11:30 with Romney's dooming declaration that we should have "let Detroit go bankrupt." The banner - which will read "Mitt Romney: Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" - the same message that UAW delivered outside of Romney's disastrous speech in Detroit on Friday - will fly over the famous track reminding NASCAR and its fans that no thanks to Mitt Romney the Auto Industry is back and here to stay.

Rick Santorum will also be represented in Daytona. His campaign has purchased advertising on the #26 car driven by Tony Raines. That car is not expected to be anywhere near the front at the end of the day...sort of like Santorum.

Gatorade Duels at Daytona

The next step in the qualifying process for the Daytona 500 starts at 11:00 am PST with the Gatorade Duels, two 150 miles races each featuring half the cars trying to get in the race.  Thirty-nine of those cars already have a guaranteed spot in Sunday's race, but there are still four spots left.  The top two finishers in each qualifying race who haven't already got a spot in the race will run on Sunday.  Making the race or missing it means the difference between a paycheck of at least $240,000...or nothing.

A car can start the Daytona 500, run one lap and then put it in the garage and collect 43rd place money which will be at least $240K.  That's why you have so-called "start and park" cars, teams just trying to get enough money to keep going.

With the exception of the front row of the starting grid, which was set during qualifying last Sunday, the races today will set the starting order for Sunday's race.  It may also be a huge setback for some teams.  Some will miss the race and will have spend many thousands of dollars for nothing.  Others may damage or destroy their primary cars in today's race, and that means possibly rolling out a back-up car and starting at the back of the field.  Given the dollars they spend to prepare those cars, today's races are a risky venture.

There should be lots of drama, so if you can't watch live, set the DVR.

Just What NASCAR Needs, A Driver With Liberal Political Views

Well, I guess if you're going to make the sport more diverse and you feel the need to promote a woman driver, she might as well be a liberal:

The government's just swell, says NASCAR driver-- We've entered bizarro-land. TheDC's Michelle Fields reports:

"NASCAR driver Danica Patrick isn’t particularly concerned about the Obama administration’s dictate that religious employers provide health care plans that cover contraceptives. 'I leave it up to the government to make good decisions for Americans,' Patrick, a Roman Catholic, told The Daily Caller Tuesday when asked about the controversy."

You can't be a NASCAR driver and be a fan of big government. It's just not allowed. That's not the America we know and love. It's like being the governor of Illinois and not being a criminal.

Another "Cafeteria Catholic". I think she may find out that NASCAR fans are ardently patriotic and extremely anti-big government.  After all, the sport got its start with former bootleggers driving the modified cars they used to run from the "Revenuers".  Leaving critical decisions to the government is not their way of doing things.

Stars-and-Stripes Yes, Stars-and-Bars No

Reader Sam points me to this NASCAR story:

Fans of the "Dukes of Hazzard" television show remember the famous (or infamous) General Lee.

However the iconic car won't be part of a planned pre-race ceremony at Phoenix International Raceway after NASCAR stepped in and tabled plans to include the General Lee due to the prominent placement of the Confederate flag on its roof.

Pro golfer Bubba Watson was to have driven the car in the ceremony to be held prior to the March 4 Sprint Cup race at PIR but NASCAR has decided to nix the idea.

"NASCAR, International Speedway Corp. and Phoenix International Raceway officials discussed this and decided it was not in the best interest of our sport," NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Friday.

"The image of the Confederate flag is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive."

Watson, who has become friends with driver Denny Hamlin, had tweeted his intention to take part in the ceremony early Friday morning. However he rescinded the plan in a later tweet:

"Sorry to say @nascar won't let me drive The General Lee at the @PhoenixRaceway !!! #dreamcrushed"

About three years ago the NAACP was after NASCAR to ban Confederate flags from NASCAR events. Teams have not been able to use the symbols for some time, but banning flags by fans is a whole different matter. With many races run in the South the fans there still appreciate their Southern heritage and the flag to them is not a symbol of slavery.

I think banning the General Lee is just another bit of NASCAR P.R. panic.  The car is an iconic symbol from an old TV show, not the official ride of the Ku Klux Klan.

Of course, if Danica Patrick shows up with the Stars-and-Bars, NASCAR will have a change of heart.

It Looks like NASCAR and Fox Will Make the Same Mistake the IRL and ABC Made

What mistake? Obsessing about driver Danica Patrick. In just the first weekend of the new NASCAR season I've seen numerous interviews and features on Patrick, far more than any other rookie or even veteran driver in the Sprint Cup series. She ran seven seasons in the IRL and had one win in the Japan, and yet you'd they market her as though she's the female Dale Earnhardt.

Way back in the early days of this blog I wrote a 2005 post about the Indy 500 and ABC's obsession with Patrick. It looks like NASCAR has told Fox to do the same this year - push Danica...we need the women viewers (and the males who drool over Go Daddy.com commercials).

As a rookie Patrick would normally have to fight her way into the Daytona 500, but thanks to some horse trading by car owners, she has a guaranteed spot no matter how she performed in qualifying or the qualifying races on Thursday. She could end up in a smoking wreck on the pace lap and she'll still start on Sunday.  Even last year's winner had to fight his way into the field.

There's nothing illegal about all this, it's just that there seems to have been an awful lot of effort on the part of NASCAR and Fox to make sure she's prominently featured.  We'll see how it goes.

Son of Fox NASCAR Host Killed in Auto Accident

I've been watching the NASCAR coverage on Fox the last couple of days and noticed that Chris Myers, who usually anchors from the Hollywood Hotel, was missing from the broadcast.  There's a sad reason why he's been gone:

The 19-year-old son of NASCAR on Fox studio host Chris Myers has been killed in a car accident.

The network said Myers will not be part of Fox's coverage of the season-opening Daytona 500.

Christopher Myers was killed Thursday in Southern California, where the family resides.

Speed studio host John Roberts will replace Myers at Daytona International Speedway.

Roberts will assume Myers' responsibilities as host of Saturday night's studio show before the Budweiser Shootout, during Sunday's qualifying, and the pre-race show for the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500.

Fox said Myers would be given as much time off as he needs.

Myers has been the host on Fox since they won the broadcast rights in 2001. My sympathies go out to his family. I can't imagine the pain something like this causes.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

Our long national nightmare is over - NASCAR returns tonight. Twenty-five cars will run tonight in the Budweiser Shootout, a sort of modified 75-lap All-Star event that starts each season. Martin Truex Jr. will lead them to the line at 8pm EST on Fox.

This next week is loaded with activities surrounding the Daytona 500.  First round of qualifying takes place tomorrow, the twin qualifying races are on Thursday, and then Friday, Saturday and Sunday we'll have the season opening races for the Camping World Truck Series (250 miles), the Nationwide Series (300 miles), and the Sprint Cup Series (Daytona 500).  Lots of work for the new DVR this week.

American Majority Racing Promoting Fiscal Conservatism to NASCAR Fans

With the NASCAR season just around the corner, look for this car running in the Nationwide Series this year:

On Thursday, American Majority launched an unprecedented program to engage NASCAR fans this year and promote fiscally conservative values on Fox News.  American Majority Racing is a year-long project in conjunction with MacDonald Motorsports, challenging millions of race fans to “Pledge to Vote to Keep America Free.” Car #81, driven by rising NASCAR star Jason Bowles, is going to be on the track for the entire Nationwide series in 2012.  The effort will also be off the track, activating and educating fans through a state-of-the-art booth on vendor’s row and special outreach at the campgrounds surrounding the races.  If fans aren’t registered to vote, we’ll be doing that as well.  There will be race car simulators, contests, a show car and American Majority Racing “swag” at the booth – all of which will be messaged encourage increased participation by fans.   NASCAR fans are the American majority and as such, should have a louder, stronger voice in the direction this nation takes.

There's more at the link. This team will probably be in for a rough ride with a "rising" star in a tough league, but hopefully their message will get out.