Daytona 500 and Car Racing: A Personal Reflection

Photos

Looking at frontstretch grandstand from fan zone

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Videos

Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500

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The Daytona 500 got it start as the Great American Race after World War II. The USA was booming and recovering from the effects of The Great Depression and World War II. The USA started to have a feel good attitude with the advent of stars like Elvis Presley and Rock and Roll. It was inevitable that the same was going to happen to the automotive industry in spite of attempts by the state to ban Motor Sport Racing.

The Daytona 500 was born as a result of the efforts of NASCAR [The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Incorporated] and started its first race on the twenty second of February 1958 with the participation of fifty nine cars competing to win $67,650 [a big chunk of money in the late 1950's] after crossing two hundred laps. The actual winner of the first Daytona 500 was Lee Petty and history was made with the first Daytona 500 and the initiation of the Petty Racing Dynasty which continues to this day. Examples of the Petty Dynasty have been Richard Petty and Kyle Petty. There were other racing dynasties such as the Earnhardt and Waltrip Dynasty.

Many have criticized this hallowed game after the death of Dale Earnhardt but the people who see NASCAR and the Daytona 500 could have cared less. Daytona 500 has boasted a Who's Who of those who were Grand Marshall such as James Garner [Actor], George Wallace [Governor of Alabama from 1963 to 1967, 1971 to 1979, and 1983 to 1987], George Bush [The First George Bush of the Persian Gulf War], Richard Petty, John Travolta, Alejandro Orfila [Argentine Ambassador to the United States of America], George W. Bush [the current US President until January 2009 unless he is impeached before the 2008 Elections] and Nicholas Cage. The Daytona 500 have also included a Who's Who of those who sang the National Anthem of the United States of America such as the Osmond Brothers, Diamond Rio, Mariah Carey, Lee Ann Rimes, Vanessa Williams, and Fergie.

As I am writing about the Daytona 500 and how it heralds the beginning of spring, there are two hours left before the start of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Race for 2008. I would like to wish those who are participating the best of luck in this race in which people just go to have fun and enjoy a Motorsport Race.

I am a sportsman and I am a supporter of Motorsports  which includes NASCAR, Daytona, Talladega, and Indianapolis. The idea of banning Motorsports is a slap in the face to racing fans in the American Continent and the World. I would like to say that the idea of banning high speed car racing is also counterproductive, bans have never worked since people have a way to sidestep such bans. Remember the time when America prohibited drinking in the 1920‘s, and the embargo against Cuba ? The response was that people went to secret areas to drink during the 1920’s and even during the period of the embargo against Cuba, people went to Cuba via Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, and Spain. The same will apply to Motorsports in America.

There are people who like the thrills and excitement of Motorsports and people pay money to go to Daytona, Talladega, NASCAR, and even Homestead. It is almost a tradition in America during the Spring and Summer to go to the High Speed Car Races and now the politicians in the United States of America wants to take away such a tradition. It would never happen since a ban in America would trigger people to participate in the Paris to Dakar Car Race or even Car Races in other countries. A Ban on Motorsport Racing would also generate the effects of illegal and clandestine car races inside the United States for those who do not possess the economic means to go and participate in other countries.

When there were incidents of states banning Motorsports in states such as Ohio and Florida. In Ohio, [during the decades of the 1960’s even until the 1970‘s], people would go to an abandoned mound hill and practice drag car racing and enjoy themselves. There were also people who warned when the police would come so that those who were participating would leave before the police arrived. Many who participated or enjoyed the Motorsports in Ohio would actually lie to the State Police and say that they did not see anything. The Police could not do anything.

When Motorsport Racing was illegal in Florida  [with the exception of Daytona], there were the same incidence of people doing it on the streets. One incident was in February of 1995 before the sunrise. Four Teenagers in Two Cars went to do Drag Races using US 1 as a place to do the race. The result was that the cars crashed against each other and the poles resulting in total destruction of lives and car. In 1983, Florida was still affected by the illegal ban on High Speed Car Racing and my three favourite cousins [females] were with their boyfriends crossing US 1. My cousins and their boyfriends had the green light and there were three cars that speeded through a red light for their drag race and the accident ensued. The cars including the ones in which my cousins and their boyfriends were in looked like accordions. The only survivors were my cousins and their boyfriends. As a response for what has been happening, Florida had to legalize Motorsport Racing in other areas of the state. In fact, there is an abandoned strip which belongs to the city of Hialeah and it is loaned to those who want to enjoy Motorsport Races. Hialeah Florida did this in a supervised environment.

I participated in Motorsport Races in South Carolina, Ohio, and Venezuela and it was fun. Why take away all of the fun from the people?