What does this NASCAR fan do during a slow race week?

He finally breaks down and watches Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

I know it’s 7 months after the release date and probably a year after the initial non-stop promoting began, but I’m unusually resistant to most comedies. While everyone else is laughing, I’m looking at the clock wondering how much longer until the movie ends.

The movie was, eehh, alright. I’m actually gonna watch it again as a form of therapy to break through my hard anti-comedy shell. Until last night, I’ve never watched a Will Ferrell movie all the way through. My first complete Adam Sandler movie was Click earlier this year. But, for the sake of my comedy loving wife and kids, I’m gonna soldier on.

SayWA!?!

As a lifelong stock-car racing fan, I’m used to the stereotypes portrayed in Hollywood movies towards my ilk. But, I’m wondering if there is something in the great state of Washington that fosters extreme stereotyping of NASCAR fans?

We have a dear, sweet friend that lives close to Texas Motor Speedway (for my reference that’s about 10 minutes, since we live about 20 minutes from TMS) and she won’t even leave the house on race weekends. Her minds-eye is filled with visions of drunkenness and teen/adult debauchery running rampant. Her pet name for NASCAR is ‘NAStyCAR”.

She is from Washington.

If you haven’t read the diatribe spewing out of 2 of Washington state’s representatives towards NASCAR and the recent entourage (Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip & Greg Biffle) encouraging them to consider building a track in Kitsap county Washington, hold on to your ‘Wonder Bread’ ball cap.

Washington state representative Larry Seaquist states, “These people are not the kind of people you would want living next door to you, they’d be the ones with the junky cars in the front yard and would try to slip around the law.â€?

Washington state House Speaker Frank Chopp, referred to Richard Petty as “that guy who got picked up for a DUI.”

Chopp later said he “wasn’t sure” Petty was the guy he was thinking of. He apologized and called the remark “inappropriate and wrong.”

David Poole has a succinct writeup of the story. Plus, there is a lively debate at the Kitsap County newspaper blog.”