I've become a fan of NASCAR recently.  Its interesting to look back at NASCAR's roots of stock cars running moonshine through southern counties.  But that was a long time ago, wasn't it?  Apparently not.  Just take a look at this article telling about what former driver Dean Combs has been up to.  The title itself, "Former NASCAR driver Dean Combs charged in moonshine bust," says it all.  The fact that his liquor still was "blown up" is priceless.  

Look ahead to whats going down in NASCAR in 09 here. 

Being new to the sport myself, I found this article to be extremely helpful in untying the knots around the redneck NASCAR mystique.  The more I dig into it the more I like it.  This of course is probably more owing to the fact that I am a generic thirtysomething with 4 kids and a minivan.  Not that such people are necessarily NASCAR fans, but such a station in life usually entails a certain amount of insecurity (since one's pride is left on the car lot when he drives off in a minivan) that only watching cool looking cars run in circles can mitigate. 

As it turns out, Kevin Spacey and that kid who sees dead people aren't the only ones paying it forward.  I realize this is an obscure reference, and one that is not really fresh on anyone's mind, but I need material and will snatch it from anywhere.  With that said, this really is a cool article about helping young racecar drivers.  Check it out.  

Well?  What do you think?  Is it a good idea?  Can mullets, mustaches and marlboros mix with taxis, traffic, and...I can't think of anything to complete the alliteration.  Jimmie Johnson points out what he thinks is the biggest challenge.  "If you had a race on Staten Island, you would be able to hear it in Central Park. I don't think that would go over too well."  Are you sure Jimmie?  I don't think the noise is the problem as much as the culture shock that New Yorkers will undergo when they see this guy.  

Read the article here.  

With superstar drivers getting most of the press, grizzled NASCAR vets like Larry Gunselman never see the light of the media day.  It was surprising then, when I ran across this article.  I have to be honest, I have never even thought about the life of a NASCAR driver, let alone the hardworking road warrior who never gets noticed and doesn't make a ton of money.  Thank God for this blue collar NASCAR driver who is a living reminder that all of us are not going to be president of the United States one day, or apparently anything better than 36th place, and that as a result the world is not going to end.