If It Ain’t Rubbin;, It Ain’t Racin’: NASCAR, American Values, and Fandom
In American society, sports portray a massive importance in popular culture. Anyone interested in understanding why, recognizes the growing popularity of NASCAR. As I analyzed this journal article, the commentary was rapidly identified for a general audience. In reading the piece, spectators learn why the sport is growing and will continue to grow a reputation with diverse fans across the United States. NASCAR is suggested to be the fastest growing professional sports league in America, with a total fan base of seventy-five million people and growing. It’s the number two sport on television behind the NFL, and averages more than five million households tuning in per race.
Historically, the stereotype that fans are only southern, good old boys is quickly dispelled when attending any race. Parked in the infield of racetracks, license plates from all over the U.S. are present, and fans have become urbanites, well educated, middle-class professionals. Evidence of how loyal fans are, can be discovered driving down the highway. Vehicles display the number of favorite drivers on bumper stickers and others show the car number of their least-favorite driver with a big, thick line through it. According to the article, “Stock car racing fans are probably stereotyped more often than any human beings on earth. They are often dismissed as beer-drinking, Winston-smoking, cheeseburger eating, Republican-voting good old boys by people who have never been within a mile of a NASCAR race” (Hugenberg & Hugenberg, 2008, p. 636).
Females represent over 40% of the NASCAR fan base, counteracting the stereotype that racing is made up of mainly male followers. Through marketing, NASCAR seeks to attract female fans by their use of drivers as “sex symbols” or “objects-of-desire”. Another difficult issue that separates NASCAR from almost all other sports in the U.S. is a white fan base. People of color are underrepresented in the population of fans at the track, and NASCAR is addressing the problem to attract more diversified supporters.
NASCAR fans are dissimilar from fans of other professional sports in numerous ways. Fans are boundary spanners, not knowing any geographic boundaries and will follow a driver even if he changes the make of a racecar, changes teams, or moves from one driving circuit to another. In other sports, after players leave the fans’ favorite team, they are “the enemy” and will typically be booed and heckled upon their return. NASCAR wants the sport fans to remain fans and have capitalized on Americans’ attraction with technologies. Historically aligning themselves with some very traditional American values: patriotism, hard work, religion, the triumph of good over evil, and competition, to name a few. The emphasis on these values has not changed; in fact, one might argue that NASCAR’s arrangement with American patriotism has grown since the tragic events of 9/11.
However, we dispute another American value recently being emphasized to its fans, cooperation or teamwork. NASCAR is successful because it reflects an important American value: competing by doing an honest job of cooperating. Americans understand and appreciate teamwork as part of their daily personal/professional lives, adding magnitude to this value only makes NASCAR more appealing. Drivers cannot win alone on the track, they require the spirit of cooperation to be competitive, which is a defining difference compared to other professional sports.
NASCAR is essentially an all-American sport, from the cars to the drivers to fans in the stands. Fans today reflect a cross section of America from rural and suburban communities, male and female gender, and young to old. What do they have in common? All of them love the thunderous sound of fast cars driven side-by-side by regular guys from normal families.
References
Hugenberg, L., & Hugenberg, B. (2008). If It Ain't Rubbin', It Ain't Racin':
NASCAR, American Values, and Fandom. Journal of Popular Culture,
41(4), 635-657. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2008.00540.x
Brandi, I grew up in the South and believed the stereotype of NASCAR fans to be true because of what I saw and experienced down south. When I married my husband who was from New York and had attended law school in Washington DC, I was simply amazed that he loved NASCAR and INDY Car racing. It was then that I came to realize and appreciate that the sport was for more than beer drinking hicks who spoke with a very strong southern "twang" and who liked to party. My husband spoke of car types, engines, tires, the strategy, the drivers etc. I quickly came to love the sport as well. After attending many races both NASCAR and Indy, I also came to realize that not all fans were drunk and rowdy. I believe the sport is gaining a more reputable image everyday and is in fact growing quickly. While the sport is gaining popularity to equal football, I am still a #1 football fan and car racing comes second...oh well. Thank you for sharing your article with us.
ReplyDeleteBrandi, I think you did a good job analyzing this article because you hit upon some important facts about NASCAR racing and its popularity. I agree that NASCAR racing has no boundaries when it comes to culture because there are more and more women who are becoming fans. It is just not for men anymore. Even though I am not a sports fan, I don't mind watch NASCAR racing. I like the cars and competition of the race.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is I thought car racing was just for the southern men who wanted to get drunk and rowdy until I watched a race myself. Now I see that that it is more widespread than what I thought. Good article.
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree that NASCAR is definitely breaking down many barriers and stereotypes that it once had. I have known several people in high positions within organizations who would frequently go to NASCAR events.
Being into politics as I am, I also think there is a lot to be said for the spectrum of political views at NASCAR events. I think that because there is a stereotype of "Good ole' southern boy" many people believe that NASCAR watchers are staunch conservatives, but, again, many people that I know who are fans are quite the opposite.
Good analysis!
This was is very good! I agree that there is a stereotypeness where NASCAR is concerned. I grew up going to the different track with my father and cousins. I go now and remain an adamant fan.As far as the "good ole" southern boy thing. My family was from the south but my cousins are from up north. We Southerners are not staunchy we have a good time.
ReplyDeleteNASCAR is on every week in my house! i agree that fans follow their drivers wherever they go. I was a big fan of the #12 Alltel Dodge, Ryan Newman for years. This year he went with Tony Stewart when he started his own team and he is now the #39, drives for Chevy, and Has Hungry Man as his sponsor. It doesn't matter to me, he's still the one I root for. Great analysis!
ReplyDeleteBrandi, Well done. The article review seemed well formed and interesting. I noticed in my studies of rituals, that some reference came up about Sunday Race Day, and Football Day. I was wondering if you could've pulled some paralled references from the ritual studies to the race enviroment.
ReplyDeleteBrandi,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your article. NASCAR has grown so much, and I wonder if it would be the #1 televised sporting event if some of the races weren't on the same Sundays as football. I do believe that it is the #1 sport for people buying tickets to view it live. The stereotypes don't fit the drivers. Most of the drivers are in awesome shape, and being crammed inside that car for such a long period of time, shifting along is a workout for them! I think the stereotypes mostly represent NASCAR's fan base, which are known to be big beer drinker, but hey that's just part of the experience. R.I.P. #3 Dale Earnhart