Rednecks of NASCAR

[RogerDuke]

Hey Garrett (or anybody else who wants to chime in)

I was having a discussion with my NASCAR friend earlier this week and the subject came up about how I struggle to find a driver to really get excited about. If only someone would get an orange 01 car, or even any colored 01 car, I would probably become a bigger more entusiastic fan.

Being the biggest and most knowledgable Dale Jr fan I know, he pointed something out I never considered. Dale has southern boy roots just like the Duke boys and fewer and fewer of these guys do. Back in the early days of NASCAR almost all the top drivers were rednecks like me. (although being from northern Pennsylvania I'm not exactly southern). Now, most of the drivers have no ties with NASCAR's redneck roots and many of them have little appreciation for those roots.

All this made me think. Maybe I should become a Dale Jr fan. Can you think of anybody else who represents the southern origin of NASCAR better than Dale. For that matter, how many real rednecks are even racing in NASCAR anymore?

[RogerDuke]

After rereading the last post that I wrote yesterday it might not have been a good idea to write "Many of them have little appreciation for those roots."

After further consideration I realize they probably do have an appreciation for those roots. What I should have said is that they don't have a connection to those roots.

I talked to a second knowledgable NASCAR person today about this subject and he agreed that all the big name new drivers aren't rooted in the origins of the southern race culture.

All this being considered, I have decided to start being a Dale Jr fan. I apologize for being wishy washy on this subject but since I can't find a driver with a Dukes connection, I guess I should be a fan of the person who is the most like the Dukes, and that appears to be Dale.

When I tried to follow NASCAR several years ago I picked Jimmie Johnson as my favorite. Later that year he won his first championship and then went on to win 5 more. So, maybe now that I'm a Dale fan he'll win at Daytona. In fact I'm predicting he'll win and break his long streak of not coming in first place. Just for fun, I'm predicting JJ will finish second.

[HossC]

If only someone would get an orange 01 car, or even any colored 01 car, I would probably become a bigger more entusiastic fan.

Jamie McMurray drives the #1 car, but his car's red (and there's no '0'). David Reutimann drives the '00' car, but it's not blue with flames up the front. There were at least two orange cars in last Sunday's race. Joey Logano and Robby Gordon even managed to hit each other at one point.

The drivers seem to be from all over the US (and Australia and Colombia), but I know very little about their personalities/backgrounds. Maybe Garrett can nominate a redneck or two amongst them.

[Garrett Duke]

Well Roger I find it insulting that you don't think Gordon represents the south or of it's roots...or that he don't appreciate it all. (HA HA) He may be from California (just as JJ) and then moved to Indiana (where Stewart is from), but he's been racing since he was five years old...

As for Duke related drivers...the closest one I can think of is Ryan Newman. I don't know exactly where he is from, but do know he lives in North Carolina. He lives just miles down the road from James Best...James Best told me last year that Newman would be his favorite driver. Best contributes to Newman's dog charity that he has.

Then again, James Best also helped Gordon with his video game...

As for redneck drivers...perhaps Jr is the closest redneck. But there is still some southern drivers out there. David Ragen is from Peachtree Georgia. Denny Hamlin is from Virginia. David Reutimann is from Florida.

Jamie McMurray drives the number one car as Hoss pointed out and sometimes his car is orangish red. Jamie McMurray is from Joplin Mo...his home town just got blown away in that horrible torndado. They showed him going back and looking at his old neighborhood...very sad. Luckily him and his family no longer live there, but still horrible for those that do live there. So sad and scary!

Carl Edwards is from Missouri. Clint Bowyer is from Emporia Kansas. Mark Martin is from Arkansas. Busch brothers are from Las Vegas Nevada. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Robby Gordon are from California. Kasey Kahne is from Washington. Matt Kenseth is from Wisconsin. Better yet...Landon Cassill is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa! . Trevor Bayne is from Knoxville TNN (as is Kenny Chesney!)

As for Jr winning this weekend...I'd be more than happy to see him win Saturday night...my NASCAR fantasy team could use his win. Plus it would be good to see him win (if Gordon or Johnson don't get the win.) I believe his day coming real soon where he breaks his winnless streak with Gordon's old cars, old crew cheif, and crew.

Hope I helped you Roger on your quest to find your perfect driver...though still don't know what is wrong with Gordon. Or Jimmie Johnson for that matter. LOL.

[RogerDuke]

Wow! Thanks for that response Garrett. That sure helped a lot but it also confused me even more. The thing that struck me most is that David Ragen is from Peachtree Georgia. I'm going to google him and learn more about him. Peachtree Georgia sounds like a place that could be just down the road from Hazzard. In fact, there was a Peachtree Lane on the show. I should check my notebook and see which episode it was on.

I wish I could settle down and pick a favorite. Hopefully I will soon. I don't like it when I'm indecisive.

Thanks again.

[Garrett Duke]

Wow! Thanks for that response Garrett. That sure helped a lot but it also confused me even more. The thing that struck me most is that David Ragen is from Peachtree Georgia. I'm going to google him and learn more about him. Peachtree Georgia sounds like a place that could be just down the road from Hazzard. In fact, there was a Peachtree Lane on the show. I should check my notebook and see which episode it was on.

I wish I could settle down and pick a favorite. Hopefully I will soon. I don't like it when I'm indecisive.

Thanks again.

You know Roger, I feel for you and others that find it difficult to find a driver to follow...if it took me this long to pick a favorite driver to follow, I'd have probably gave up on NASCAR all together. Then again, your method of researching the drivers before picking is probably a better way to do it than how I picked Gordon out as my favorite. LOL (I found his picture in a magazine of the best looking men or some odd title like that...reminder to all, I am a girl. Garrett is only my ID. . .HA HA. Saw his picture, saw he won championships and he drove a Chevy. My mind was set on him. Of course my reasonings behind liking him has greatly improved since then. . .)

Sorry...don't mean to confuse you any. David Ragen drives the number six UPS car and drives for Jack Rousch. He is a good and young driver. Almost won the Daytona 500, but at the last restart had passed too early and had been black flagged for it. Felt bad for him. He's a great driver and a nice guy. I am pretty sure it is Peachtree Georgia that he is from...though he don't look to be a redneck, then again, looks are deceiving.

Good luck with your quest, Roger. You'll have to let me know who you come up with as your final canidate...my final canidate is Jeff Gordon if you can't tell. HA HA. Then Jimmie Johnson. Then Jr.

[MaryAnne]

Whoever you root for Roger, do not - I repeat - DO NOT root for He Who Shall Not Be Named (tony stewart - ugh, I hated to even type that).

Do not root for him.

Do not.

Every opinion I have about He Who Shall Not Be Named can be summed up easily.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Dale Jr, however, yes root for him. Good choice!

As for the apparent loss of southern flavor for NASCAR...yeah, it seems a little more cosmopolitian now. There was a time when your biggest corporate sponsors were either booze or cigarettes. Rebel flags flew from nearly every camper and car at every track. Most of the tracks were in the south. Now it's spread out all over the country, cigarette sponsors are gone, booze is still hanging on, but the rebel flags are few and far between and we have the likes of Viagra as sponsors. ("Mommy, what does male enhancement mean?" Ahem....)

My brother and I joked that when Winston gave up the main sponsorship of the Cup race, that Koolaid shoulda stepped in. Then we'd have the Koolaid Cup.

Or Gerber (the baby food maker) coulda sponsored and we'd have the Sippy Cup.

Or the makers of paper cups, Dixie, coulda sponsored and we'd have..well, the Dixie Cup. Southern inference, however, not implied.

Or Maxwell House coulda sponsored and we'd have the Coffee Cup...

Awright, I better stop. LOL

[HossC]

Whoever you root for Roger, do not - I repeat - DO NOT root for He Who Shall Not Be Named ...

So MaryAnne, which car does Voldemort drive?.

[Garrett Duke]

Well MaryAnne...guess you don't like Tony Stewart very much. Am I right? LOL. Never was a fan of him either, but he has gotten better about his attitude. That is until last weekend when he spun out Brian Vickers for supposedly blocking him and now claims he will spin out anyone who blocks him...even Ryan Newman who is his own team mate as well as own Newman's car. Looks like the old smoke is back...which I really hope I am wrong about. Drivers wreck one another enough as it is than to have some help from the number fourteen car.

As for the sponsorship, sad to see Winston change, but think you're going over board in the brands. Gerber? I may work at a day care and all, but would like to think NASCAR would stand for a little more than just baby food and accessories. HA HA. Be better if the had a car part brands for a sponsor or something. Something that could represent NASCAR.

[RogerDuke]

It's official.

David Ragan is now my favorite driver.

Maybe it's an omen that he won his first race AFTER I stated rooting for him but he's now my favorite and I sure hope it stays that way since I'm the kind of person who absolutely hates to be wishy-washy. The Pirates, Steelers and Penguins have been my favorite teams my whole life. The MinnesotaTimberwolves have been my favorite team since they came into the NBA in 1989. I'm the kind of guy who sticks with things but I'm struggling with NASCAR.

Even though Ragan is now my favorite, if a Georgia driver with an orange 01 car enters the picture, my wishy washiness may come back. I hope that doesn't happen because I kinda like this David Ragan feller and wouldn't want to switch but...hey...I take my Dukes seriousely and I'm going with the most Duke-like driver and you don't get more Duke-like than Peachtree Georgia.

[Garrett Duke]

It's official.

David Ragan is now my favorite driver.

Maybe it's an omen that he won his first race AFTER I stated rooting for him but he's now my favorite and I sure hope it stays that way since I'm the kind of person who absolutely hates to be wishy-washy. The Pirates, Steelers and Penguins have been my favorite teams my whole life. The MinnesotaTimberwolves have been my favorite team since they came into the NBA in 1989. I'm the kind of guy who sticks with things but I'm struggling with NASCAR.

Even though Ragan is now my favorite, if a Georgia driver with an orange 01 car enters the picture, my wishy washiness may come back. I hope that doesn't happen because I kinda like this David Ragan feller and wouldn't want to switch but...hey...I take my Dukes seriousely and I'm going with the most Duke-like driver and you don't get more Duke-like than Peachtree Georgia.

Well Roger...know what you mean about not being wishy-washy. I'm the same way. Once I get a favorite, it stays a favorite (though took me a while to settle upon a favorite football team - go BEARS!!!!). The Cubs, Gordon, and Bears will always be my favorite teams...

You're just lucky that you didn't go with Tony Stewart...MA may not allow you on HNet if you chose him as your favorite.

As for you Hoss...you asked MA what car that certian driver drove, but hope y'all forgive me for answering. Figure MA don't like mentioning his name, she wouldn't care too much to talk about him either. Tony Stewart drives the number fourteen Office Depot car. (use to drive the number 20 Home Depot fan until he left to coown his own team.) He use to be on the top of disliked drivers as well, but he has seemed to change the past few years...but as I said earlier, his attitude seems to be returning to how he once was with his vow to turn people out if they block him. (Better not think of turning Gordon or Johnson...)

[HossC]

I knew who MA was talking about - I'd just never heard him referred to with the same sobriquet normally reserved for Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter.

Following on from MA's suggested NASCAR sponsors, maybe the Elvis Presley Estate could sponsor it:

Then they could call it the "I'm All Shook Cup" .

[MaryAnne]

Voldemort. ROFL. I'm glad tho' that Garrett answered what car he drives for those who don't know as I didn't want to go look it up. I, for the record, don't know what car he drives now (and don't really care LOL) but I knew he was no longer driving for Home Depot.

Which means I can now go into a Home Depot with a clear conscience.

And I love the "I'm All Shook Cup" KHEE!

Another idea would be if a enough rednecks get together to sponsor it, with a lot of beer, we could have the "Hick Cup."

[HossC]

I know Roger's not feeling the best at the moment, so I thought I'd cheer him up with his dream NASCAR team (apologies for mixing businesses from different seasons ). Now, how do we tell Jamie McMurray about the livery change?.

[MaryAnne]

HOSS!! I love it, I love it!! That is awesome!

Man, I would so love to see that car in a NASCAR race. I wonder if Warner Brothers would be interested in sponsoring a car... LOL

[Garrett Duke]

Great picture, Hoss! Would love to see The General out on the race track...and Jamie McMurray would probably enjoy to drive anything with four wheels, but he probably would have a problem having General Lee's name on the car and not his own.

Though I would love to see The General out on the race track, I doubt I could ever trade or give up Jeff Gordon as my favorite. Even for The General. Hope that don't make me a bad Dukes fan...General may have to take second to Gordon. Though if Bo or Luke was behind the wheel, I might have a problem.

[RogerDuke]

WOW! I can't stop smiling! I'm a little late finding this but now that I have I can't stop staring at it.....Thanks Hoss....to quote Rocky's trainer Mick "A definite ting ah beauty!"