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July 2, 2010
By Rebecca Gladden
Let's talk about the race.
No, not last week's Sprint Cup race at Loudon or this week's at Daytona … the race of NASCAR fans.
Every now and then on Twitter, someone will start a discussion like "Things Black People Don't Do" and thousands will post their replies. Invariably, one of the top answers to that question is "watch NASCAR."
Really? Black people don't like NASCAR?
My experience on Twitter has been quite the opposite. I've noticed many African-American NASCAR fans who are just as passionate about the sport as white fans. They watch the races, root for their favorite drivers, and interact with other fans via the popular social networking site.
I recently interviewed three African-American NASCAR fans I met on Twitter and asked them to share their thoughts and opinions about following the sport from their unique perspective. While they don't speak for all black fans, I hope you will find their answers as intriguing and insightful as I did.
My interview subjects are: Willie from Wisconsin, Jessica from North Carolina, and Marcy from California.
1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan and what attracted you to the sport?
A. Willie: 5 years. The fact that drivers have the chance to drive amazingly fast cars and the feuds.
B. Jessica: I have been a fan for 5 years. I was at a friend's house and he was watching a NASCAR race. The command had just been given and I heard the engines. I was hooked.
C. Marcy: Off and on starting in 1998, then diehard fan since 2000.
2.Who is your favorite driver and why?
A. Willie: Jeff Gordon because he's a winner and he is humble. He can drive on any track - super speedways, road courses and whatever else. He's just a great driver. Plus, the colors of the car back in the day were epic.
B. Jessica: My favorite is Carl Edwards. I love his racing style, personality, and of course the back flip.
C. Marcy: I am card-carrying member of Junior Nation. Dale Jr. just fits my style and personality. I like him as a driver and as a person. He's knowledgeable about the history of the sport and about the mechanics of the stock car and he's a great ambassador for the sport. I also root for Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, AJ Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, and Greg Biffle.
3. NASCAR is typically stereotyped as an all-white sport, including its fans. Are there more African-American NASCAR fans than most people think?
A. Willie: I believe there are more black American fans than the average NASCAR fan would believe. Personally, I do not know of any, but as I watch races I see black Americans in the stands. I actually saw a black pit crewman on one of the teams. On Twitter, I see a lot of young black Americans commenting on the race.
B. Jessica: I only know two other African-American fans, so I don't think so.
C. Marcy: I've never thought of NASCAR as being solely the domain of whites. I think there are many minority fans of NASCAR. At the track, NASCAR fans are NASCAR fans. Everyone cheers together. When I run into someone in a grocery store and they recognize my JR Nation or AMP hat they don't say, "Wow, a black chick likes NASCAR?" We talk about recent races, we talk about drivers we like and sometimes we even plan to meet up at future races. BINGO - instant comrades regardless of the team they root for. We're NASCAR fans and skin color doesn't matter. A friend asked me if there were other black people when I went to the Fontana race last October and I couldn't answer them because race wasn't on my radar at the race, fun was my goal. I hadn't even thought to take notice, but when I looked at my photos from Pit Road, from drivers introductions and from the grandstands there were loads of ethnic faces in the coward. Skin color is not and has never been my focus when I'm in a group of people.
4. Do you ever get teased by African-American friends or relatives about being a NASCAR fan? How do you respond?
A. Willie: Not really teased, more of a "why are you watching this and what do you like about NASCAR?" I just explain why I watch. Most black Americans cannot get into something until they see some representation of themselves on the screen. I could care less. Very similar to Tiger Woods in golf and Venus and Serena Williams in tennis. My friend actually sent me a picture of this white man at a NASCAR event with a t-shirt on that read: NNIN or something to that effect. That just let me know that some fans don't want black Americans in or at NASCAR events.
B. Jessica: All of the time. I always try and explain the sport, but it never works.
C. Marcy: My friends know my love of NASCAR is not to be joked about. My older sister and one of my older brothers tease my two nephews and me for being into NASCAR. They try to mock us with faux southern accents and such until we remind them that not too far back in our family's history we were southern. We just ignore them, tune them out and keep watching the races. However we've all noticed that my sister or brother will stop and watch a race with us. They are very inquisitive, which can get annoying when you're trying to hear what Dale is telling Lance over the radio and they want to know why it's okay to bump and run without getting penalized.
5. If you have attended NASCAR races in person, have you had any problems with white fans or witnessed any signs of racism?
A. Willie: Never went to an actual track or event. And it is because of some things I've seen.
B. Jessica: I have been to one NASCAR race. It was the Coke 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway and all of the fans were very nice. They all wanted to know how I started to like NASCAR.
C. Marcy: So far the only race I've gotten to attend was in October of 2009 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, the Pepsi 500. I sat in the Dale Jr. section of the stands (it was a special promotion by the track) and there was no bias or racism. It was a very mixed crowd everyone was just enjoying the race. Thinking back, the group next to us was Latino and in front of us was an Asian family. Every ethnicity was represented. After the race in the parking lot, everyone was just partying and tailgating together. There were total strangers sharing bratwursts and ragging on each other for how their driver did in the race. Race was only an issue if you wanted to make it an issue and no one I was with made it an issue. Here in San Francisco I wear my NASCAR hats when I'm out. I have had black people who I don't even know me tell me that NASCAR is racist. I ask if they have ever watched or attended a race and the answer is a universal "no". So how can you know that something is or isn't racist unless you see for yourself? I chalk their sentiments up to ignorance and false assumptions.
Coming next week: How does my panel feel about the lack of African-American drivers in NASCAR? Do they support the Driver Diversity Program? What can NASCAR do to attract more fans of color?
Check back here for those answers and more.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @nscrwriter
You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News
You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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