NASCAR Nation (18 page)

When I see kids in the pits looking at the drivers and the cars, I may see wonder in their eyes, but it's not hero worship; it's the car, the colors, the excitement of the track. They're overwhelmed and excited by everything that's going on. These kids are really more interested in the cars and excitement than the drivers themselves. Kids will have a great time with their families at the races and develop a love for the track. They learn to be part of a great community while acquiring an interest in a sport that they'll be able to share with their children. It's not about idolizing heroes – it's about being a part of a community and cultivating a passion for racing that can be shared among generations. The races are a great place for families to spend time together. Kids are more likely to find heroes not on the track, but right beside them in the stands.

Oddly enough, it's the parents and adults who often place the NASCAR drivers on a pedestal. They relate to them and admire them, often because drivers are closer in age to adult fans. A lot of them have families and responsibilities, and they're role models for adults. These drivers aren't raw athletes or meat-heads. You probably won't turn on the TV to see one of these drivers standing in his underwear for a
commercial. However, you
will
see them spending time with their kids and with their families. It's only once they put on that uniform and get in the car that they turn into action heroes.

Physically, these heroes aren't always what you'd expect. Martin, who is over fifty, actually has a better physique than most drivers because he exercises and eats well. He takes extremely good care of himself and looks great because of it. There is a value placed on physical fitness in NASCAR, but it's not anywhere near as strenuous as it is in other sports. Even physically speaking, these drivers are more similar to their fans. The average driver body type isn't phenomenally different from the average guy on the street. What matters is whether the drivers are skilled or not. Drivers don't have to be the strongest men or have a certain type of body. Nobody is concerned with how much they can bench at the gym or if they've got washboard abs – that's just not a part of the game.

There's something very American about a sport that offers everyone an opportunity to be involved, no matter what they look like. As an equal opportunity sport, it gives everybody hope. Someone who is five foot seven doesn't have to be discouraged from trying the sport. Being small might even help; it may mean that it's easier to fit inside the car comfortably for long hours, adding less weight to the car in general, and overall helping its speed.

After speaking to female fans, I know that many women find drivers attractive for their ability more than their physique. It's the spirit and confidence that these drivers exude on the track that make them sexy. And the male fans relate to drivers. They can see themselves out there in the driver's seat. In America, even the little guy can feel like a big shot behind the wheel. This isn't to say that the men of NASCAR are physically undesirable and are over-compensating. It simply explains the hero fantasy that draws both men and women to these drivers, men who may not have all the physical qualifications that a basketball player has but are hero-worthy in many other ways.

NASCAR drivers are heroes because of who they are, not because of how they look or how much money they have. They're a part of real America. The all-American values that have made this country into what it is today beating strong in the hearts of NASCAR fans and drivers alike. NASCAR is a community. It's a community that honors its fans just as much as its drivers. These drivers may be making millions, but that's not the reason why they're heroes. A respect for country, a moral compass, and talent coupled with humility are what turn a NASCAR driver into an American legend.

Drivers come from backgrounds that have instilled in them values and morals that prevent them from losing touch with who they are and why they're here.
Their gentlemen's code of conduct and healthy sense of competition are noble and heroic. The rest of America, especially American business, could learn a lot from the way these athletes compete. It's not just about competing; it's about racing. Sure, drivers look like superheroes in full gear and uniform; they take risks every time they race and are faster than a speeding bullet. But the true mark of a hero at a NASCAR race isn't in their outfit, their skill, or their paycheck – it's in their heart.

The
real
heroes on the track are the military men and women who come to the track, the hard-working parents who take their family to NASCAR sporting events on the weekends, and the many fans who work to make this country what it is during the week. They may not have the biggest houses or the finest automobiles, but they're the ones who are contributing to American society and making this nation great. Those are the real American heroes, and NASCAR honors them.

A
merica is great. Magnificent and almost overwhelmingly large, it is one of the biggest countries in the world. Its diverse landscape stretches from sea to shining sea, from the Appalachian Mountains to the redwood forests, from the plains of South Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico. The varied landscape bears witness to the size and diversity of this nation.

The culture and people are just as varied as
landscape. A Texas steak is very different than a New York rib eye, and a southern home-cooked meal is very different than a South Beach diet dish. At times, depending on the locale, the United States can be traditional to the point of being starkly conservative. In other places in the United States, tradition is quickly traded for advancement and progress.

And, if there is ever doubt as to the America's strength, visit New York and the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. These are the people who control America's wealth and money. The energy of the city, the buildings that literally scrape the sky, and the constant flow of suits on Wall Street – they're all still there.

However, over the last several years, this country's financial security has come into question. Suddenly, it's become evident that the money that America invested was being poorly managed. Wall Street is where the money is; it's where it's traded and transferred so that hopefully it can be better invested in the business world. It's there so American business has the resources it needs to compete and continue to run like clockwork. Whether it was laziness, greed, or irresponsibility that caused the economic crisis, it's hard to say. As a country, we are all trying to learn where we went wrong and how we can best manage our resources in order to become better competitors in the future. Our country has not experienced a
financial crisis such as this since the Great Depression – this is new for all of us, and we are, as a result, being forced to learn how to endure.

NASCAR is not exempt from the current economic climate. Fortunately, NASCAR has proven itself resilient in times of turmoil. After half a century of success in business, there's a lot that the American business and financial world can learn from NASCAR and the way it has handled itself. There is no test greater than the test of time. NASCAR may be old-fashioned in many respects, but it's these homegrown all-American values that have kept NASCAR on track financially and in the sports world for decades. These values are what our country desperately needs in an era when businesses exchange sustainable practices for short-sighted success. We need business practices that are guided by the morals that have kept NASCAR in business for over sixty years. We need tips, guidance, and an overall strategy for how to
endure
.

NASCAR embodies so much of what the United States is and what it should be. It's a competitive environment, but it's a healthy competitive environment. It's a tradition, but it welcomes technological advancement and progress. It respects its roots and stays down-to-earth, yet is one of the most successful and fastest growing motorsports in the world.

The United States thrives on capitalism and, like NASCAR, needs competition. Without competition, there would be no races and there would be no capitalism. Without capitalism, the U.S. economy would be irrevocably changed. Still, the competitive spirit in the business world has become extreme, showing itself to be corrupt. Between Enron, the Lehman Brothers loan scandal, and the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, the American people have watched helplessly as the financial industry gobbled up their hard-earned money as it pushed ahead. For every scandal America witnesses, we know that there are a dozen more hidden from public view.

In NASCAR, cheating used to be a part of the culture. It was out in the open. With time, NASCAR officials cracked down on violations, and now the sport is one of the best-regulated sports in the United States. Likewise, the American people and the U.S. government have a responsibility to check the power of the financial industry. We need to learn to crack down, NASCAR-style. If the business world was checked in the same way that NASCAR polices its teams and drivers, corruption wouldn't be able to run rampant. Americans and their money would be significantly safer, and we'd all be a lot happier as a result.

In NASCAR, they have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to issues such as drug use. It's not a violation of rights. If there's a driver whom they
suspect is using, they'll say, “We need to test you and we will, because it is a privilege to be a part of NASCAR.” That's why there are so few drivers partaking in illicit behavior. I give NASCAR a lot of credit in that department – they're concerned about doing what's right.

NASCAR handles things without pomp and press. The NASCAR executives try to take care of things in a private matter – close to home and behind closed doors. NASCAR handles itself well in tight situations because of the careful way in which they address issues. Whether it's driver drug use or an economic crisis, so far the sport has not seen a storm it cannot weather. I think that's mainly because they always keep two things in mind: their morals and their fans.

The healthy and admirably competitive atmosphere that is found on and off a NASCAR track is all too rare in our day and age. Teams will help each other if one is missing a needed part. I'm sometimes shocked at how helpful they will be. For them, it's not about winning. It's about racing; it's about the sport. Sure, everyone wants to win. But at the end of the day, if that's the only reason you're on the track, you're going to lose motivation. You're going to run out of fuel. It's not just about the finish line or the prize; it's about community.

In the American business world today, so many people only look at numbers and dollar signs. The
customer is second to the profit. Businesses are getting larger, less personal, more motivated by money, and less motivated by a desire to serve and be a productive part of a community. NASCAR has been so successful because it isn't solely concerned with profit. It's a sport that grew out of a family, which slowly grew into a much larger community. NASCAR was a small operation that developed, not due to cutthroat business tactics, but because people loved the sport. Today NASCAR is still a community, still a family-run business, and still guided by the all-American values that have kept it strong for over sixty years. This is the secret to how it has endured.

Like many things that endure, NASCAR embodies a strong element of tradition. Gearheads and fans watch the sport ritually every Sunday, go to certain races every year with their families, and make NASCAR a regular part of their lives. Yet although it's a tradition for thousands nationwide, NASCAR isn't necessarily a sport stuck in its ways, and it most certainly isn't a sport stuck in the past. The reason why it has been able to survive through all these years is because it has been able to change with the times. Adaptability is important for survival. NASCAR has grown technologically and economically to better function in a modern world. From taking Toyota on as a sponsor to developing new engineering and safety advancement for their vehicles, NASCAR has
proven that it can endure and adapt to the fluctuations of our fast-paced, ever-changing society.

It is this blend – NASCAR's ability to honor tradition while simultaneously advancing as a high-tech sport – that is the secret formula for how the sport has not only endured through tough times, but prospered. No matter how far it goes, it never gets too far ahead of itself. Despite everything, NASCAR respects its roots. The drivers may go from rags to riches, but they don't throw out their rags. The NASCAR community isn't a country club – you don't need money to join (even if you do need it to race). In fact, it'd probably help if you didn't have it and understood what it was to come home to watch a race after a hard week's work. It's a sport that stays down-to-earth, no matter what happens. NASCAR has certainly earned its fortune and bragging rights – it's one of the leading motorsports in the world – but it's determined to stay humble and accessible to its loyal fans. If it loses sight of its fans, it loses everything.

I connect to the NASCAR community in the same way many fans do: because I know what it is to live simply and with limited means. I have a deeply ingrained respect for the hard-working Americans that keep this country running. Even though I'm a successful sports broadcaster now, I came from modest beginnings. My father worked two jobs to support five kids. Life wasn't always easy given our family's
economic status, but it would have been even harder if we hadn't been able to rely on each other. It was our love for one another, our commitment to our own little nuclear community that gave us the strength to endure.

In the same way, NASCAR fans have that community. There's a lot our country can learn from that mentality. Even when times get rough and economic resources run thin, the thing to remember is that we still have each other. The intelligence, technology, good morale, and work ethic that built this country up aren't monetary – there's no price tag attached. Those are resources we can still find in each other. To play the blame game, let politics get in the way, or turn on each other would have been the worst thing to do during the economic crisis. It became more about realizing that it was time to work together as a society, rely on each other as a community, and tap into our human resources in order to endure these tough times. The true test of strength does not come when you are at your strongest, but when you are at your weakest. American society is being tested. In order to endure, we have to pull together and work with each other to find sustainable solutions.