Posted on 03/20/2006 5:29:43 PM PST by freepatriot32
NASCAR driver Bill Lester runs in his #23 Waste Management Dodge in his first Cup Series race during the NASCAR Golden Corral 500 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in Hampton, Ga., Monday, March 20, 2006. ">Lester, 45, is the first black driver to race in NASCAR's top series since Willy T. Ribbs in 1986. (AP Photo/John Amis)
rumour has it your a nascar fan so i thought id ping you to this thread :-)
nascar ping
"I represented myself," he said. "I'm doing this for myself and for my family.
Good answer!
This is one thing I like about racing you have to make it on your own merits....I wish him continued success.....
"Bill Lester was proud of his accomplishment, though a little embarrassed by all the attention.
"I'm looking forward to when it's about racing instead of race," he said."
I'm a long time NASCAR fan (Go!! Dale Junior!! Go!!), and I really respect this guy and his attitude. I hope to see him in the winners circle soon. I just wish that he were driving a Chevy as opposed to a crappy Dodge.
Too bad it's Dodge. He's still driving a garbage truck (car). How stereotypical of those NASCAR racists!/sarcasm for those of you in Rio Linda.
rumour has it your a nascar fan so i thought id ping you to this thread :-)
Thanks for the ping! Yes, huge NASCAR fan here. Huge Dale Junior fan here. :)
I saw the interviews they gave Lester. Pretty neat!
He drives a Toyota (truck)...so thats cool.
"He drives a Toyota (truck)...so thats cool."
This is one thing that's happening in NASCAR that I am completely opposed to. Toyotas or any other foreign brand just don't belong, in my opinion. I understand why they are being allowed, however. I just don't like it.
I dont mind.
+ I've always owned Toyotas.
I think it'll be good for the sport.
As for Bill Lester being newsworthy, unfortunately there's historical reasons for that. The last time a black man won a top-line NASCAR race, a white driver was announced as the winner so that ignorant racists wouldn't riot.
Whether or not that is relevant 40+ years later is open to debate, but historical fact is historical fact.
-Eric
He for all practical purposes finished dead last, those who finished behind him were the rolling wrecks. But I give him credit he made it without incident and given the hoopla over his entry that is a major accomplishment. He does have a great screen persona and he is a competent driver so I think he is a good choice for a second tier team to take on as a driver. It will be good when he can put the "diversity" crap behind him and get a little racier.
When it comes to the cars running in the Winston.....err....the Nextel Cup Series, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am a purist. Ford, Chrysler, or GM.....Toyota, Honda, BMW, Pugeot, Nissan, Mercedes, KIA, need not apply. They might have factories here, but they are NOT AMERICAN.
I'm not turing this into an argument so dont take it that way, I just have a couple questions/comments.
Isnt NASCAR about racing cars that you find on the street?
Sure in the beginning of the Winston cup there were only American cars but today the street is full of foreign mfcturers...whether they are built in the USA or not.
So why not give them a chance to compete?
I dont see it as that only USA cars are allowed...I see it as its based on what manufacturers have sedans driven on the street.
"I'm not turing this into an argument so dont take it that way, I just have a couple questions/comments.
Isnt NASCAR about racing cars that you find on the street?
Sure in the beginning of the Winston cup there were only American cars but today the street is full of foreign mfcturers...whether they are built in the USA or not.
So why not give them a chance to compete?
I dont see it as that only USA cars are allowed...I see it as its based on what manufacturers have sedans driven on the street."
As stated earlier: I am a "purist" of sorts. I remember when you could basically walk into a dealership and buy a car off the showroom floor and take it to the track and race.
I was very disappointed when Ford was allowed to run the Taurus in the Cup Series because there has never been a Taurus two-door. Same for the Intrepid/Charger, since they are also 4 door sedans.
If anything, I think that allowing foreign name plates should be restricted to a different series such as Busch or some such. That's just my opinion.
I'm a die-hard Chevy guy and will be for life. I've owned three "rice-grinders" and don't like them and wouldn't think about buying another. Again, that's just my opinion.
Along the same lines, I'm the kind of guy that would have a very difficult time voting for someone that "jumps" party affiliation. There are enough former members of the RAT party now in the GOP that I think that the GOP has been bastardized. Again, just my opinion.
ok, cool.
I look fwd to seeing what that Toyota Camry ("rice-grinder" as you say) can do.
:)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.