ASIDE from the hundreds of other ways in which people may be divided into two camps, such as cat people and non-cat people, Yankee fans and human beings, and so forth, the Western world is comprised of NASCAR fans and non-NASCAR fans. Those in the latter category wonder, to their astonishment, how millions of people can become wrapped up in watching mocked-up showroom vehicles drive at insane speeds on a circular track. Non-NASCAR people think those who watch races eagerly await colossal wrecks. Those with nothing else but stereotypes in their heads think the sport involves some sort of bizarre Southern ritual. However, none of these is true.
The tragedy that was the death of Dale Earnhardt during the final lap of Sunday's Daytona 500 race helps illustrate to non-believers the qualities that make NASCAR racing a legitimate sport. NASCAR involves skill. That skill involves the intricacies of hand-eye-foot coordination that allow the drivers to navigate vehicles at speeds of 190 miles per hour through traffic.
More importantly, NASCAR is about personalities. Unlike team sports, NASCAR fans connect with the individual participants in the races. With over 40 regular drivers in the circuit, NASCAR fans see numerous personalities, characteristics, stories and biographies. That each driver is accomplished and skillful is taken as a given. What separates each driver and his or her own unique fan base is the type of person each driver represents.
Dale Earnhardt was a complex mixture of determination and passion that drew immediate reactions from any person who ever saw him race.
Beyond anything else, Earnhardt wanted to win. If he had to use his driving abilities, he would do it. If he needed to tap someone to unsettle him, he'd do it. If winning required pushing somebody into the wall, he would do that as well. Such steely-eyed determination justly earned Earnhardt the nickname "The Intimidator." From his first Winston Cup title, the award for having the best overall season, fans quickly decided whether or not they wanted to get behind him. As he acquired six more season championships, the number of fans with differing views of the man grew.
Most interestingly, because of his personality, Earnhardt helped broaden the appeal of the sport beyond the South. Regardless of one's geographic location, every person who knew of Earnhardt's character knew someone like him in his or her life. Increased numbers began to watch racing.
Those who liked him oftentimes liked the take-no-prisoners attitude that he offered. Some liked associating themselves with a winner. Some probably privately toyed with the idea that, if they could just get in a race car, they could tap people out of the way in traffic and get paid for their efforts.
Those who hated Earnhardt throughout most of his career - myself among them - just wanted someone to win other than the bully. Some liked rooting for the underdog. Some wanted to see proof that the guy actually made mistakes.
Eventually, in the last three years, most fans began to like the elder Earnhardt, as they saw him take on the role of a father. Acting as one who wanted his son to earn the respect of others through his own work, Earnhardt gave his son a mobile home, some land and little else. As the Dale Earnhardt Jr. began to win races, one would often see the father grinning and hugging his son whenever he had an opportunity. The complexity of the driver grew in the eyes of the fans.
When Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 - the race that eluded him until three years ago - virtually nobody felt the guy was being rude as he made donuts in the infield grass. He finally achieved a goal in his life, and he felt like celebrating. People responded to that raw emotion and intensity throughout his career.
It's sad such emotion and intensity had to end Sunday. Neither God nor the Devil is supposed to die. For many fans, Earnhardt represented both ends of that spectrum.
NASCAR has 40 more stories of equal interest in every race. As an example, consider Michael Waltrip, the winner of the Daytona 500. The younger brother of racing legend Darrell Waltrip, Michael was known as NASCAR's biggest loser, having gone 463 races without a victory. As Waltrip celebrated in Victory Lane, he first thanked his car owner - Dale Earnhardt.
Fans grow attached to various aspects of all those personalities, the cars they drive and the sponsors they wear. That connection and interest sets NASCAR apart and makes it considerably more than just cars driving in circles. Because of fan interest and driver skill, NASCAR is a sport and one with more complexities than appear on its face.
(Seth Wood's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at swood@cavalierdaily.com.)
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