Rubbin's Racin'

So, I'm writing a paper on NASCAR sponsorship, with a focus on controversial sponsors like alcohol and tobacco. So, with that in mind, I decided that I must immerse myself in the subject.

First stop, NASCAR.com. That website is fascinating. Probably one of the best corporate sports websites out there. It is accessible to both Nascar experts and neophytes. You can read about the history of the sport (or at least, the official history as endorsed by Nascar.) You can learn the basics, and then learn a bit more to familiarize yourself with the fastest-growing sport in North America. Plus, its the only sports website I've found with a business section, dedicated to outlining the financial aspects of NASCAR. To me, that is evidence that NASCAR is a much more corporate sport than the other major sports. If only I could get my ignorant professor to remove his sports blinders. But I digress. All the academics at my school are too ignorant to acknowledge the importance of studying sports isn't the point of this posting.

I then headed to my local Blockbuster, where I rented last years EA Sports offering, NASCAR 2005: Challenge For The Cup. With that, I began exploring the sport from a virtual perspective. I learned a few things, the most notable being that I can't drive worth a bit in a video game. So I had my roommate drive, while I made the business decisions. Thats all I really wanted anyway, to learn about the business side of the sport. Unfortunately, I discovered that owner mode is incredibly unsatisfying in the game. But, if nothing else, I was better informed about the drivers currently on the Nextel Cup circuit.

Armed with my new knowledge, I then proceeded to do what any person determined to master a new sport does. I signed up for Fantasy Nascar. I figured that this would give me a reason to become emotionally invested in the sport, by giving me certain racers to root for. Much like the other major sports, Nascar's fantasy sports section offers a number of different options, some of which involve paying money, but offer the opportunity to win more money. Being a poor student, I chose to go with the non-paying options.

Their Ultimate Fantasy League takes an interesting approach. They give you $100, and you have 24 hours to bid on 4 racers to compose your team. You and five other team owners all try to put together the best team you can, while not paying so much for one particular driver that you can't get three other good drivers to round out your team.

From there, I headed to the Weldon library to pick up some books for my paper. Right now, I'm working my way through Fixin' to Git by Jim Wright. Its a good book that takes an academic approach to the sport, while at the same time being written by an unabashed fan of NASCAR. Not only is it an enjoyable, informative read, but it also gives me hope that it is possible to write about sports, and to enjoy sports in an academic environment.

With my team in place, a fundamental knowledge of the basics, and a free afternoon, I sat down yesterday to watch the Daytona 500, the first race of the Nextel Cup season.

You know what?

It wasn't bad. It wasn't NFL action, but with my understanding of the intricacies of racing, I followed things rather well and got into it. The announcers were really good, giving viewers who may not know every detail about racing a good understanding of what they were seeing, while not being so basic that fans try to jab their eardrums out with a Q-tip. Or at least, I found their commentary to be good. They were certainly more enjoyable than Coach, or even Bob Cole and Harry Neale. Or just about any NFL commentator pairing.

I saw the leads change, I saw crashes and cautions, I saw drafting and pits. And I had fun. For me, the coolest part was the Doppler effect as the cars whipped past the cameras. Those boys are going damn fast.

It was an interesting experience, and one that I may have to repeat again sometime.

And oh yeah, my Ultimate Fantasy League team? Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Joe Nemechek, with Bobby Labonte on the bench. Thats right, the top two point getters for the day. Well, Newman finished third, but got a 5 point bonus to tie Casey Mears with 170. Needless to say, I won, even though my opponent had Tony Stewart. Either I'm more knowledgeable than I deserve to be, or I really lucked out.

I think Imma git me one a these.