Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
In one of the most dramatic finishes of any sports championship, Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Sprint Series Championship today. The Championship is decided by winning points over a series of races. Before today’s race—the Ford 400 in Homestead, Florida—Carl Edwards led Stewart by three points. Amazingly, the top two drivers in terms of points, finished first and second in today's race, with Stewart winning and Edwards second. This put the two drivers into a tie in points. However, Stewart won the tie-breaker by winning the most races during the season.
One of my favorite aspects of NASCAR is that drivers and fans are not ashamed of the “corporatism”/”consumerism” that the left often denigrates. The drivers plaster their cars and uniforms with logos of companies that sponsor them. Fans of the drivers are often very loyal to the companies that sponsor their favorite drivers.
Stewart, with tongue in cheek, and making fun of his own consumerism/corporatism, was the star of one of the greatest television commercials of all time. Below is a video of the commercial. I’ve been a huge fan of Stewart, Burger King, Carrot Top, and Erik Estrada ever since.
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Dec '10
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
Tony Stewart is a throwback racer of the first order.
Very glad to see him win like he did.
In a field of 43 cars, he had to pass 74 to win that race.
Well struck indeed.
My favorite commercial is an Old Spice ad where he's pictured with two Russian models fawning over him. He says his schpeel (which, being an Old Spice commercial, is both nonsensical and hilarious), then takes a huge bite out of a giant turkey leg (that materialized out of nowhere), and ends with a big goofy grin and the whistling jingle. Priceless.
Edited on Nov 21, 2011 at 1:10amDec '10
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
Wow. Damned near six hours and not another reply in sight.
Am I the only other man on Ricochet who watches NASCAR racing?
I can understand being the only racer here, but nobody else even watches?
Gonna have to keep that in mind the next time someone reminds me about how representative their views are of what the rest of the "middle" thinks.
This stuff is our bread and butter out here in flyover country. You can't ALL be from the coasts, right?
Jul '10
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
I, too, love the ads plastered all over the place (even the camera shot underneath the car on the brakes are sponsored by someone). After the race in the Winner's Circle They immediately stack the hood with Coca-Cola or Beer..... I love it.
Also, NASCAR has the best pre-game/race build up in all of sports. Beginning with the Invocation, to Our National Anthem, the Fly-over, massive Military presence, and on to the four famous words I stand throughout its entirety.
Goosebumps every time.
May '11
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
The Ballad of Thunder Road
"Let me tell the story, I can tell it all
About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
His daddy made the whiskey, son, he drove the load
When his engine roared, they called the highway Thunder Road.
[...]
Blazing right through Knoxville, out on Kingston Pike,
Then right outside of Bearden, they made the fatal strike.
He left the road at 90; that’s all there is to say.
The devil got the moonshine and the mountain boy that day."
As I grew up in the 50's near Knoxville, I remember how the coolest guys all had their cars lowered in the rear. Why? To mimic the moonshiner's cars that rode low in the back because they were carrying 100+ gallons of 'shine.
NASCAR has its roots back there. Roots that grew from a willingness to ignore the "gummint" even to flaunt disdain for its stupider restrictions. NASCAR fans still take a fierce pride in their independence and are quick to acknowledge both the winners and losers of their races. They know a race where everyone wins is not worth running.
Jun '11
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
Very pleased to watch Smoke take it last night. Plus, it ended the reign of Jimmie J. Carl Edwards was so gracious in defeat too. Tony won half the races in the Chase so it ended as it should. Now to the off-season-- which lasts about a week and a half-- which will be largely devoted to Danica and her Cup series mentor... Tony Stewart.
Sep '11
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
CoolHand,
Racing cars? Gas-guzzling, earth-shaking, small-furry-animal-scaring auto-mobiles?
Philistine. The only real way to drive is the way God intended:
Dec '10
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
Heh. Yeah, the off season seems to get shorter every year.
I really hope the let Danica run a couple of full seasons in the Nationwide cars before they put her in too many Cup races.
She's still getting her sea legs in the tin-tops and the Cup cars are far and away harder to drive (longer wheelbase, heavier, more horsepower, same size tires, more aero sensitive, etc). Plus, the competition in the Cup series is brutal.
I think she'll get there eventually, but I don't think it serves her career very well to run half the Cup races next season, but finish 35th or wreck out of nearly all of them.
Speaking of wrecking out, if our luck holds out like it did last year, Milka Duno will stay in ARCA for the foreseeable future.
Dec '10
Re: Tony Stewart, Master Endorser and NASCAR Champion
John Murdoch:
I'm sorry sir, but there is something smelly and fly bitten in your vehicle where your engine should go. Please see to that.
EDIT: This one guzzled methanol, in copious quantities, I might add.
A race that was 10.5 miles in length took 19 gallons of methanol to run.
The exhaust burns your eyes if you set in it too long, but the smell is something you'll never forget.
Edited on Nov 21, 2011 at 1:13pm