NASCAR comes out of closet - admits love for guns

FORT WORTH, Texas - Not sure the NASCAR fan base is going to be OK with this, but Texas Motor Speedway is officially in bed with the National Rifle Association. That relationship could be a big adjustment for the three NASCAR fans who are in favor of more stringent gun control laws.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at TMS will be sponsored by the late Charleton Heston's baby - the "NRA 500" will be April 13 at TMS.

That title beat out the other options such as, "From My Cold Dead Hands 500" and the "Suck It Michael Moore Twin 250s".

No word on whether fans can bring their own shotgun or AK-47 on race day.

"The NRA has been invovled in the sport for several years and a partner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. for many years in various aspects, and this race entitlement is just another extension of that business relationship," TMS general manager Eddie Gossage said in a statement.

I had no idea of the NRA's involvement with Speedway Motorsports. But it could explain Jimmie Johnson's dominance in this sport - the guy was packin' and probably just flashed his piece on the final laps to ensure all of those wins.

Sadly, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre was unable to attend Monday's media day at TMS for this exciting announcement. He said in a video message:

"The NRA 500 is the latest announcement in the long history of a growing partnership between the NRA, Speedway Motorsports and the NASCAR community. NRA members and NASCAR fans love their country and everything that is good and right about America. We salute our flag ... volunteer in our churches and communities ... cherish our families ... and WE LOVE RACING!"

LaPierre did an OK job of meeting his minimums on making statements.
Guns? Check
Country? Check
Racing? Check
Church? Check
Flag? Check
Troops? Whiff
Hate President Obama? Whiff

 

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Adding another IndyCar race to Texas could spell an end to the series at TMS

Even though NASCAR's track attendance and TV ratings are down relative to their almost absurd zenith about 10 years ago, that relative lag has not created any type of genuine momentum for open wheel racing to fill in.

The IndyCar series may offer compelling racing, but in terms of mainstream appeal it has not been able to register outside of the Indianapolis 500, which much like the Kentucky Derby remains more of a cultural event than it does a sporting one.

Regardless, the IndyCar series is trying to grow and establish a wider footprint, especially in the great state a' Texas. The Shell Penzoil Grand Prix of Houston is slated to start in October of 2013.

What the IndyCar series is doing by adding this second race in Texas is a dangerous risk, and it could be a beginning of the end of this open wheel race at Texas Motor Speedway.

TMS has had the IndyCar race to itself for the entire region for more than a decade, and despite that fact interest in the event remains just OK. Despite numerous unique attempts to inject some interest in the event, most notably the twin races last year, it has never has gained any real traction. It is no secret track president Eddie Gossage's relationship with the open wheel series has been ... uneasy. Selling IndyCar to the race fans of FW/d is not an easy pitch, and IndyCar's ways of doing things aren't necessarily alligned with Gossage.

By the sounds of this article in the Houston Chronicle, Gossage and IndyCar are not on the same page in regards to market research. IndyCar believes there is enough of a market to support two races. Gossage does not agree. Read between the lines and it sounds like Gossage is saying that there isn't wide interest for this series here, and to add another event will split what is a decimal-point market.

IndyCar could be saying that the Houston event is a road course, which will draw people because it's a different racing experience.

Adding another race, even though it's months apart from the TMS June event, could finally be enough for Gossage to pull out of IndyCar.

Personally, I like the series and open wheel racing. I grew up on it. It's faster. It's exciting. But for about 10,000 reasons the sport has become niche. The rub is that both Gossage is right about potentially splitting a small audience, and IndyCar is right trying to grow it with another event.

@MacEngelProf
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