With Talladega Nights ' The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Disney/PIXAR's Cars opening in theaters soon, plus the celebration of NASCAR Day around the corner, stock car racing is certainly in the limelight this time of year.
However, Ohio students have mixed feelings on racing. People range from deep fans, to casual fans, to not fans at all.
Graduate student Andrew Zusman feels a rooted connection to the sport. He owns NASCAR-themed apparel and paraphernalia. He also has a television subscription service called In-Car, which is six additional channels that broadcast during the race, showing individual cars from cameras inside or on the car and broadcast drivers' radios.
I'm not a big fan of sportscasters...so it's nice to flip to a channel
still watch the race and just get a more realistic view of what's going on Zusman said, adding that it is simply more exciting to watch. You can see they're doin' 180 (mph) six inches off the next guy's bumper.
Zusman is also involved in a NASCAR fantasy league with some friends of his. He said it helps to enjoy the sport because it gives him more drivers to watch instead of just his favorites, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Stewart.
Sophomore Colleen Muldoon said that she was in a similar type of pool competition once. She, unlike Zusman, is what many call a casual fan.
I've grown up with cars. I've been going to car shows since I was two. It's a lot of fun Muldoon said. She said she wants to learn how to drive a race car after she graduates.
I have a great admiration for (the drivers') skills and being able to drive at such a fast speed for such a great length
she said.
Though she is interested and respects the sport and even has a favorite driver (Earnhardt, Jr.), she said she just doesn't have time to watch a full race every weekend.
The populace of the area seems to be fairly die-hard NASCAR fans, Muldoon observed, and she accredits that to the informal atmosphere of Athens.
It relates to everyday people
she said.
Muldoon does think that the stereotype of fans being hicks is not 100 percent accurate. Likewise, Zusman said that he does not believe as many people think of NASCAR as a redneck sport as in the past, but it is still an overdone pigeonhole.
I think there was a time
maybe even just 10 years ago
when the sport was uniquely Southern and had the good-ole-boy following
but I think that that has changed
he said.
There are beginning to be races in several large urban areas, which Zusman said is part of the sport trying to cater to a new fan base.
The recent addition of the Chase for the Nextel Cup
a play-off system of sorts, helps the activity fit in with what people expect of sports, and it has helped NASCAR gain new and different viewers, he said.
Though he is familiar with the Chase and thinks it adds to the importance of each race, senior Mike Kayle does not care to follow NASCAR. The repetitiveness of watching 43 cars circle a track hundreds of times is what Kayle thinks deters many people from viewing the races regularly.
I just can't bring myself to watch a four-hour race when I can see all the best parts on 'Sportscenter' anyway
he said.
To get people more interested in NASCAR, Kayle suggested starting teams from certain cities, similar to other sports.
Shoot
