Angry in the Great White North

a heat-seeking missile in the Conservative arsenal

NASCAR racing is in the spotlight in Canada because of the sponsorship of Pierre Bourque's car by the Conservative Party of Canada. Many observers have ridiculed the move, focusing on the "redneck" reputation of the sport's fanbase.

Maybe the Conservatives aren't sophisticated enough to be embarrassed. But helpfully, there seems to be no shortage of busybodies on Canada's left only too happy to explain why we all should be ashamed. Consider the NDP's Judy Wasylycia-Leis strained efforts during an interview with Charles Adler to tie NASCAR to George W Bush, because we all know just how ashamed that would make us all feel:

On the day after Jack Layton's hissy fit about the Conservative Party's choice to sponsor NASCAR, his finance critic, Judy Wasylycia-Leis joined me on the Corus Radio Network program, "Adler on Line."

"Why did the Tories take a page out of George Bush's playbook?" I asked the Honourable Member whether she was serious in tying yet one more issue to George W. Bush. But that only encouraged her to blather on about how NASCAR is an American sport, one that burns too much leaded gasoline (for the record: Nascar doesn't use leaded gas) and attracts too few Canadian viewers. When asked why the Tories would take their cues on advertising from the NDP, she responded with, "Why should they take their cues from George Bush?"

One can choose to believe that the NDP's problem with NASCAR advertising is that it promotes an activity which damages the planet. But isn't it more likely the NDP is simply trying again to rev up it's base of voters by driving anti-Americanism, the oldest political clunker of all.

Well, if Americans like George W Bush like NASCAR (and I don't know that he does), then Canadians ought not to have anything to do with it.

Oh heck, if any Americans from the South like NASCAR, then NASCAR can't possibly have any redeeming values.

But the fact is, NASCAR runs a clean sport, to the point of severely punishing unsportsmanlike behaviour, as well as having no tolerance for drug use. Consider the case of Shane Hmiel:

Shane Hmiel has proven to be one of the more controversial drivers in NASCAR, having had failed two separate drug tests and openly insulting other drivers in interviews. In 2003, he was suspended for failing a drug test indefinitely but was reinstated in 2004, provided he comply with random drug tests. In his return to the Busch Series, he got into a very heated incident with Dale Jarrett during the Sharpie 250 at Bristol. When Jarrett leaned into Hmiel's window to complain about being spun out by Hmiel he said "you'll get yours", he made an obscene gesture toward Jarrett that was captured on national television. Hmiel was fined $10,000 USD and docked 25 points in the standings for the incident. This and earlier incidents caused many fans to view Hmiel as a "disrespectful punk" as quoted by more than one veteran driver, including Jamie McMurray, Jason Keller, Jason Leffler. His NASCAR career was seemingly ended at Dover in 2005, when he failed his second drug test and was escorted from the garage by several NASCAR officials. After failing a third drug test in early 2006, Hmiel was banned from NASCAR for life.

Disrespectful punk? Maybe he's just misunderstood. Maybe if American socialists had gotten funding for a basketball court in his neighbourhood, Hmiel would have turned out quite differently. Probably some conservative's fault.

You can watch the Jarrett incident here. Note how NASCAR rules require drivers involved in accidents to go to hospital -- another aspect of responsibility:

With the NBA overrun with paternity suits, and Major League Baseball utterly unembarrassed by steroid drug use, and the NHL -- well, name a professional sport in which there is a player on each team called the "goon" -- and you have to look at NASCAR's stand against drug use as well as behaviour that demeans the sport as refreshing.

The trick to appreciating NASCAR's efforts, of course, is to gently nudge the likes of Judy Wasylycia-Leis out of the way. Try not to let her sputtering on the evils of America get in the way of an enjoyable afternoon of good clean competition.

And if Pierre Bourque is driving, sporting the Conservative Party logo, spare a moment to hope for a safe conclusion to his race, and a win too.

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