Hispanic Racing Team driving up fan appeal

Florida Today ^ | 7/14/02 | Carl Kotala

[Mean Spirited]

When Rudy Rodriguez talks about the kind of splash he and his cousin Mike Vasquez hope to make in the world of NASCAR, he isn't talking about a little rock-skipping ripple.

We're talking a Ricky Martin, Shakira and Enrique Iglesias cannonball kind of impact here.

[Mean Spirited]

Rodriguez and Vasquez are co-owners of the Hispanic Racing Team -- the first and only Hispanic-owned and sponsored team in the NASCAR family.

The Hispanic Racing Team? Aside from being a rather unimaginative name, I think their in-your-face style of trumpeting their culture, heritage, ethnicity, (whatever you want to call it), is unnecessary at best and provoking at worst. Why the necessity to make sure that everyone knows their team is Hispanic? To me, it mearly points out that they have more pride in being Hispanic than they do in being American! I mean if they just shut their pie holes and raced, I would at least respect them as racers.

Additionally, just think of what would happen if I were to start the WASP Race Team. I'd be called a bigot, a racist, and a whole lot more! Hmmm....the WASP RACE TEAM...kind of has a stinging ring to it, no?

We want to do to NASCAR what the Hispanic music industry has done to the (American) music industry...

Please...stop the insanity!

[exmoor]

VIVA LAS VEGAS !!!!!!!!!!!

[Mean Spirited]

Rodriguez said the possibility of having an all-Hispanic crew one day "would be a very nice dream," one that might be realized one day through NASCAR's diversity scholarship program.

"Absolutely, if the talent is there," Rodriguez said. "I only want the best talent. If that means a mixture, like it is now (that's fine). But . . . I could envision that in a couple of years."

These people are heralded for these comments, while I would be absolutely castigated if I made the same statement, save for substituting White for Hispanic.

[pnz1]

Felix Sabates owned a Winston Cup team for years. Wasn't he from Cuba originally?

[Mean Spirited]

Yes, I believe he was. Kyle Petty drove for him for a number of years. And I don't seem to recall him (Sabates) touting his Hispanic culture, heritage, or ethnicity (whatever you want to call it).

[pnz1]

We go to quite a few races, and I really don't care what ethnic background a driver has, as long as they can drive and aren't causing havoc on the track. I have my favorite driver's (who doesn't?) and one's I don't care so much for. Sorry though, I have to say I got pretty tired of the big deal they made about Shawna Robinson. Patty Moise drove in the Busch series for a long time and not such a big deal was made about her. Her husband drove a Busch car, also.

[bok]

We want to do to NASCAR what the Hispanic music industry has done to the (American) music industry...

In other words En Español.

Latin GRAMMY Awards http://grammy.com/awards/latin_grammy/

[Mean Spirited]

BUMP

[denydenydeny]

I see a lot of joke potential in this thread.

[Mean Spirited]

I see a lot of joke potential in this thread.

Fire away!

[myrabach]

Does NASCAR allow those furry dice??

[dynamitehack]

No dice...but the dingle balls are okay!

[Katya]

"Please...stop the insanity!"

Insane, my ass....this is brilliant marketing....the press will report it given their penchance for promoting minority issues. This will inturn increase their fan and merchandising buying base....and as most NASCAR fans are what the Manhattan intellegencia describes as Rightwing rednecks....we'll welcome the latin crowd in!

[Tancredo Fan]

Is this the driver?

[bok]

My point with the latin grammys is minorities can have award shows and other ethnic-centric activities apart from whites, but don't dare let white people have anything of the sort that would be r****t er wrong. Nothing wrong with hispanics wanting to own and race and but it's the conquering attitude i don't like.

[Charles Martel]

I see a lot of joke potential in this thread.

Yeah, but the old Hispanic/Grand Theft Auto joke is worn to a frazzle. ;-)

[ericthecurdog]

How many race tracks are in Aztlan? They should just wait a few years and start their own league!!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Automobiles going around in circles at 180MPH is does not impress me, LOL!

However if they launch a spacecraft into space, and it reaches eight miles a second to break free of the earth's gravitational pull, and then, once in space, reaches speeds of 25 MILES A SECOND with a crew of 7, then I will be impressed.

But going around a track at 180? I find that boring, unless they crash.

[Twodees]

Is their car sponsored by Bush's Beans?