The 2004 "Faster Pastor" dirt track race daily thread

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/racing_reverends

The Friday race, in its fourth year, lets ministers strut a bit of machismo while raising money for their churches. While most are complete beginners on the track, these 13 devout drivers say they won't be turning the other cheek when they compete for the checkered flag.

"It's like fans within any other sport — they're serious about their pastor winning," said the Rev. Rickey Rushing, a former drag racer who won each of the three previous Faster Pastor races. "I really like to win. I do my best and whatever turns out, turns out."


Local racers who normally compete at the raceway on Friday nights loan their cars — mostly battered '70s and '80s models with top speeds of about 85 mph — to the ministers and give them some rudimentary coaching.

There's no purse up for grabs, but churches that enter their pastors get to keep $6 of every $10 ticket they sell. Last year's race drew a crowd of nearly 3,000, Austad said.


But some churches have refused to embrace Faster Pastor, equating auto racing with sin as well as speed.


"They feel like if they come out here they're setting a bad example with the drinking and cussing and fighting," said the Rev. Larry Strickland, a Baptist minister and Oglethorpe's track chaplain. "We aren't out here to be a part of that. We're here to change parts of that."

[trof]

1. What's next? Nuns mud wrestling?

I'll buy a ticket.
;-)

[underpants]

2. This might explain some of the bad driving I have seen

The thing about us pastors is, if something were to happen to one of us, we all know where we're going," said the Rev. Jim Wilson.

:scared: