Pic Of The Moment: Not An April Fool's Joke: NASCAR Slams Indiana's Anti-Gay Law

[EarlG]

NASCAR: Indiana law fosters intolerance, exclusion

Follow @demunderground

[SoapBox]

1. K & R

[underpants]

2. Well that was a turn to the left

[FarPoint]

3. Talk is cheap.... nice to hear but then what?

Are they going to boycott? Actions like a boycott can be powerful.

[busterbrown]

23. I am not a NASCAR fan by any means.

But this is huge.. The fact that they are pushing back against Indiana’s anti-LGBT bill is huge.
Only because millions of their fans will sense something is really up.. Most of Nascar’s fans are truly Right Wing oriented and probably know little about whats going on in Indiana..

This will have them thinking about it... not necessarily positively, but it’s a half inch of progress in there world.. Thats huge..

[PatrynXX]

29. haven't been a big fan since we lost Dale

Dale was the man. albeit he probably would be mad at Nascar for this. so I'm a bit shocked then again it's insane what Pence did. I thought Republicans were pro big biz.. oops

[FarPoint]

32. I see your reasoning.

I so hope the NASCAR fans understand the impact. Yes, it is moving in the correct direction.

[Abbraxus]

24. I see what you did there... nice metaphor!

I am just ashamed I understood it.

[7962]

43. And here we have today's WINNER!!!!

[SwankyXomb]

4. Then cancel the Brickyard 400 on July 26

Either you have the courage of your convictions, or you don't.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. And why can't WalMart shutter all it's Indiana stores?

They too expressed reservations with the law but seem reluctant to commit to such a degree.

AT&T could end telecom services with the entire state and Exxon could stop selling gasoline there or we'll boycott them. Such is the courage of convictions.

[niyad]

5. how many women race the nascar circuit?

[RoccoR5955]

6. Right now...

In the Main division, the Sprint Cup, there is one. That would be Danica Patrick.
I don't know how many there are in lower divisions, but I do know that in the local NASCAR tracks, the ones that you NEVER see on TV there are young women racing. Granted not a lot of them, but they are there.

[niyad]

13. that is good to know. I had heard of danica, didn't know if there were others.

[DeSwiss]

17. Quite a few:

List of female NASCAR drivers

List of female Formula One drivers

List of female Indianapolis 500 drivers

List of female 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers

[niyad]

19. great, thanks for the list.

[RoccoR5955]

20. Great list, however

NASCAR is one organization. I thought that the person who asked was asking specifically for active NASCAR women drivers.
I always knew that motorsports were open to women. And as much as I hate to beat a dead horse, the list is for the top divisions of those racing organizations. Lower divisions have more women racing, and racing today. Heck the Sports Car Club of America has so many women driving, it's not funny.
And let me include that I know many a NASCAR fan, and many a motorsport fan who is NOT conservative. Yes, I can even name them.
I have been a motorsport fan since I was a little kid, and the only racing you could watch were highlights of the Indy 500 on the ABC Wide World of Sports on the weekend AFTER the race!

[ag_dude]

10. More than the PGA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, and NBA combined.

Women are segregated into separate leagues in virtually every other professional sport.

If you're trying to throw a stone about gender equality you probably shouldn't throw it at the only top tier sport that actually allows men and women to compete with each other directly.

[niyad]

12. wasn't throwing stones, just wondering. I know all the sports you mentioned keep

women in separate leagues.

[ag_dude]

14. I guess I don't see what the point of your question was then.

[niyad]

15. information

[ag_dude]

16. Oh, sure, I get it.

Just a random question about the gender make up of NASCAR, that makes perfect sense.

Sorry to assume you were implying anything.

[7962]

44. Trust me, if one shows she can win at other levels, they'll put her in a car

Because every team needs to win to stay in business.
I would really LOVE to see Danica win one under green!!

[libdem4life]

7. I welcome everyone and every company who at least takes a stand. Each one makes a difference,

especially in the NASCAR world. It forces people to look at their values...many of which were instilled early on and just parroted. And yes, some will continue to be bigoted, but now they have to admit it. Others, will look and change. To NASCAR, Thank you. More to come.

[hibbing]

8. Progress

Yes, you can slam them all you want about just making a statement, but to me this is big. The tide has turned in this country, I really believe it has. There will always be people behind the times and using religion as a justification for their bigotry.

Peace

[rhett o rick]

9. I think that everyone, other than the bigots, should wear a button declaring

"I am gay". See how the businesses would like that. If a business tried to discriminate, everyone should point to their button and say, "How about me". Seems to me the way this bill is written, a business could deny service to anyone they wanted to, using the justification that they "thought" the person was gay.

[DeSwiss]

11. That'd get the sewing circle yapping too.....

- But not a bad idea.......

[JohnnyRingo]

18. It's NASCAR!

NASCAR!! That can't be emphasized enough, but their name is already in caps.

The organization could have remained completely silent on the issue without raising so much as an eyebrow from a single percentage of it's fans, but this public shaming of the state's legislature is a tough one to ignore. Welcome to the 21st century race fans.

[RoccoR5955]

22. I am not certain,

But I do not know where you get the figure that a single percentage of NASCAR's fans are homosexual. I would bet that the number is much larger than you think. I have been to NASCAR races, and not just the premiere division races, but the little "home track" races that are often raced on little 1/4 mile tracks of dirt. It's a lot of fun. Admission is very reasonable, and the food is too. And I KNOW that there are people of all stripes, colors, genders, and perhaps even some space aliens that have attended these races!

[JohnnyRingo]

33. I'm not saying the sport has few gay fans.

I've seen Deliverance. I'm kidding of course, I know stock car racing crosses many social borders, though there seems to be a shortage of darker hued fans for whatever reason. Demographically speaking, at least one in ten seats should be occupied by an African American.

But NASCAR being NASCAR, I doubt many thought they would make such a public statement. It certainly took me by pleasant surprise.

[RoccoR5955]

39. This may be true,

but they are not discouraged. I know that in other sanctioning bodies like sports car club of America (SCCA) where there is more member participation, and there are branches in the whole country, there are darker hued folks, as you say. They are part of what makes SCCA successful. (Now you're gonna tell me that you never heard of SCCA) Needless to say, in the SCCA, members are not only participants, but they are volunteers at racing events. There's room for EVERYONE.
I know that there were only four drivers in all of NASCAR history, but that is changing. There's a kid in what NASCAR calls the Xfinity Series, who is currently running a strong 5th place in the standings. This kid shows promise. The Xfinity series may not be the Sprint Cup series, but it is one step below it, and where the young drivers start. Hopefully this kid, I think his name is Darrell, will do good.

Now let's look at other racing sanctioning bodies. There are literally drivers from all over the world. So for NASCAR to stick out their necks so to speak about this, to me is a welcome surprise at first, but not unexpected.

[JohnnyRingo]

49. I'm pretty familiar with motorsport.

I've been a fan of grassroots sports car racing since a kid in the '60, and I know it's been more or less integrated for a long time. Drag racing took a while longer, but the field is well represented these days, especially at the district level.

I'll make the point that NASCAR is the laggard for some reason. I honestly don't know why, but I suspect a long tradition of Dixie racism may play into it, and that's why I find this announcement noteworthy. Now that NASCAR is established in northern regions things may be changing.

[Abbraxus]

25. If anything kills this bill in Georgia...

this will certainly do it. Thanks NASCAR!

[7962]

45. As far as I know, the GA religious freedom bill has been tabled and probably done for

Only one day left in the session; tomorrow.

[d_legendary1]

26. So does this mean that the Indy 500 is going to be cancelled?

Or is this going to be lip service by yet another organization that denouces yet holds events in the state?

[NCTraveler]

28. Indy is a completely different business.

I believe the Brickyard is NASCAR's big race in the state. Along with a dozen or so other races in the "minors". And no, I highly doubt they will boycott. This is a great statement by an organization that has been embracing inclusion for a couple of decades.

[d_legendary1]

31. Thanks for the correction.

Got the brickyard and Indy car mixed up (sorry not an avid NASCAR viewer). I do admit that its up there with the NBA as far as inclusion goes. Now if only the NFL and MLB would follow suit.

[TxVietVet]

42. Indianapolis Raceway Park is on the West side.

It carries lots of motor sport activities.

[NCTraveler]

27. To all of my friends who have worked tirelessly on the issue of civil rights.

NASCAR's comment here is directly related to the amazing grassroots campaign you have been waging for decades and decades. This is absolute proof that your steadfast dedication is paying off. There is a long way to go but I truly hope each of you are able to sit back and understand how big what is going on now is. It isn't because of great leadership. It isn't because of a politician. It is because of you, a relentless grassroots campaign, and the millions in support of equality.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. How ever will the macho fans of NASCAR cope????

Oh.

Never mind.

[alp227]

34. The Free Republic meltdown (warning: the site actually allows "fag")

http://www.donotlink.com/edxb

[captainarizona]

35. I root for danica patrick so its better then nothing

They are trying to appeal to younger fans who like danica patrick bubba wallace and jeniffer jo cobb. Look up wendell scott to see how far nascar has come.

[Mopar151]

52. Nascar wants diversity for the same reason a short track promoter "discovered" Wendell Scott

A more diverse fan base puts more butts in the seats. If anything, Wendell made it harder for those who came after him - mostly because he was a tough act to follow! There are reasons that many of the sports icons speak highly of him - He was a brilliant mechanic and preparer, as well as a respected driver. Racin' is about desire, as much as talent and money - and in the "Illustrated Phrase Dictionary of Life" right there under "How Bad Do You Want It?" is a picture of Wendell next to a blue #34. Also note that the "rub rail" on this short track car seems to be the post of a road sign......

[blkmusclmachine]

36. Terrible for business and PR. Nobody wants to be associated with these 21st Century Jim Crow laws of

open bigotry and willful discrimination. Lawsuits a comin'. Bullets a flyin'. Reputations take a huge hit. Bad, bad, and worse.

[captainarizona]

37. give johanna long a ride

Many nascar sponsors appeal to women walmart target ect. They should be asked why they don't sponsor women drivers. Johanna long is trying to get a ride but it seems the car owners only want give rides to their young male relatives/

[captainarizona]

38. are roger penske and chip ganassi sexists?

They sure act like it never giving a woman driver a chance to drive for them and target sponsors gnassi.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

40. Old song comes to mind for some reason

[RoccoR5955]

41. And Indianapolis Motor Speedway tweeted back:

"IMS will continue to warmly welcome all who share our enthusiasm for racing." - IMS President @jdouglas4

And believe me when I tell you, as a lifelong motorsport fan, once it gets into your blood, it never gets out.

Personally, I want to see and hear what this new Formula E racing looks and sounds like. It's an all electric form of the Formula 1 racing, and could be the evolution of it into the future.

[7962]

46. Wow, that sounds pretty interesting! I'll look it up nt

[Cha]

47. When you've lost NASCAR, MoFOs.. time to FIX IT.

Mahalo EarlG!

[MADem]

48. TRANSLATION: You whackjobs in Indiana are NOT going to fuck with OUR bottom line!!!

Who cares, though, if the reasoning has a craven element--at least they're speaking up.

[Mopar151]

50. You are exactly right. They want no discrimination against anyone who can buy a ticket

Or watch a commercial, or buy a sponsor's product. Right or wrong, motorsports is quite aware of who pays it's bills - particularly in NASCAR, where the 200 mph billboards are big, and consumer product companies pay most of the tab.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

51. This is a good trend.

Maybe we can start pressuring other major corporations to join in against Indiana.

[Tarheel_Dem]

53. K&R