NASCAR: Checkered Flags Are Not All That Are Being Waved, p. 170-179

Jason W. Lee
Matt Bernthal
Warren A. Whisenant
Susan Mullane

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a powerful force in the world of sport. Each year, fans flock to race tracks across the country to witness the thunderous sounds and incredible sight of cars racing at speeds often in excess of 180 miles per hour. It is a sport that has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception in 1947. While NASCAR was born in the Southeastern United States and has a uniquely Southern history, it now has tracks all across the country. However, it is a sport that for a number of reasons retains a stereotype as a “redneck,” “good ol’ boy,” Southern sport, a stereotype that could hamper its ability to attract new, more demographically diverse fans, as well as some sponsors.