Hey Marswolf - Nascar

[Guest Voodoo_1]

Just wondering if you have heard any of the sweet sounds of the Nascar engines roaring around the speedway. I believe I remember you saying that you don't live very far from the track. Sure wish I was there this weekend! This is a historical weekend for Nascar as they be will racing in the new "Car of Tomorrow" for the first time. Should be a fun race to watch.

Any other Nascar fans out there? If so, who is your favorite driver?

I'm a fan of Kevin Harvick and have been for several years now. Was really happy to see him win the Daytona 500 even though it would have been nice for Mark Martin to have won it before his full retirement from Nascar.

Mars, with 160,000 fans and 43 teams packed into that one area for the weekend, I can only imagine what the traffic jams are like.

Nascar fans, enjoy the race!

[saintsfanbrian]

VooDoo - I like Kenseth. Can't stand Stewart or Hendrick's Racing pirates.

Harvick did good in Busch last year and okay in the cup, but I got tired of seeing the Happy Harvick show.

[Guest Voodoo_1]

Brian,

Kenseth is a very good driver and campionship contender for sure! Personally I enjoy looking at his wife more than I do him.

Right with you on the Hendrick boys, but their are (2) I always enjoy seeing put into the wall - The Busch brothers!

[SkWaShDeM]

I live close to the track, but I don't really like NASCAR, or the horde of fans that have come into town. For five years I've had the policy that I only leave my apartment during race weekends if absolutely necessary. Where I'm at, the traffic is worse than usual, but not bad. In downtown Johnson City, it's getting bad. Right now is probably insane. Going to see my girl in Bristol where she works at the Blue Circle on Thursday drove me insane due to all the campers trying to turn and slowing down traffic on the Parkway past BMS.

[Guest GlocKingTN]

I dont like Nascar either. Seems kinda pointless to me! But thats my .02!

[Guest salb3039]

I dont like Nascar either. Seems kinda pointless to me! But thats my .02!

Ditto. Make that .04

I am, happily enough, able to report that the NASCAR cafe here in Johnson City went out of business rather quickly. I don't think it lasted more than a couple years.

[Guest GlocKingTN]

Ditto. Make that .04

I am, happily enough, able to report that the NASCAR cafe here in Johnson City went out of business rather quickly. I don't think it lasted more than a couple years.

I knew there had to be someone else who DIDNT like Nascar. Somewhere! I dont down the sport or fans, its just not my cup of tea!

[SkWaShDeM]

$2 Billion into the local economy every year is why I want them to keep the racing alive in Bristol. (=

Otherwise, I wouldn't cry if BMS was closed.

[Marswolf]

I live 4 miles from the track as the crow flies. That's a three hour drive when the race is over.

I have a couple of ridges between me and the raceway. If I step out on my front porch, I can hear the cars then they are racing.

No way I'd get in that mob to see a race. Last one I actually went to was in the late 60s. I watch on TV.

[Guest salb3039]

They do something so much better at BMS.

Think, 1 mile roller derby track.

...or...

Colosseum for chariot races

[SkWaShDeM]

They do something so much better at BMS.

Think, 1 mile roller derby track.

...or...

Colosseum for chariot races

Better yet, put a full shooting facility in it's place. Skeet, trap, long and short range rifle, indoor pistol... Think about it. (=

[Guest db99wj]

Not a nascar fan either. If you wear nascar gear in Memphis, you could be showing an affiliation with a gang.....no joke.

[Marswolf]

Better yet, put a full shooting facility in it's place. Skeet, trap, long and short range rifle, indoor pistol... Think about it. (=

They have had a couple of gun related shows over there and they do shooting at the shows.

[Guest Archimedes]

NASCAR - Lots of left turns.

~Archi

[Guest Voodoo_1]

Not a nascar fan either. If you wear nascar gear in Memphis, you could be showing an affiliation with a gang.....no joke.

Are you kidding me!

I believe you are misinformed on this subject. Nascar has had the reputation, and still does, of being the white, redneck, good-ole boy of the south, largest spectator sport there is. There are as many Confederate Flags flown at a Nascar race as there are The Stars and Strips. Nascar has been working very hard to change this imagine, but with little success. I suggest that you just take 5 minutes of your time Sunday and watch the prerace show. When the camera scans the crowd of 160,000 fans, I don't believe you will see any gang-bangers there. I believe you have the Nascar gear mixed up with the NFL Oakland Raider football team gear.

[Branket]

Are you kidding me!

I believe you are misinformed on this subject. Nascar has had the reputation, and still does, of being the white, redneck, good-ole boy of the south, largest spectator sport there is. There are as many Confederate Flags flown at a Nascar race as there are The Stars and Strips. Nascar has been working very hard to change this imagine, but with little success. I suggest that you just take 5 minutes of your time Sunday and watch the prerace show. When the camera scans the crowd of 160,000 fans, I don't believe you will see any gang-bangers there. I believe you have the Nascar gear mixed up with the NFL Oakland Raider football team gear.

I'm sure the gang-bangers themselves aren't interested in any aspect of the sport, however the signs that they would use to show affiliation play easily into nascar apparel. The dominant color of a drivers car can just as easily be used to show gang affiliation as the color of a football team. Not to mention if they are clever enough it could even be the drivers number, or even one of their sponsors. The schema of nascar advertising plays well into gang related clothing for a variety of reasons, it doesn't mean that the person wearing it has to be a fan of the sport. Just my .02.

[Guest Voodoo_1]

I'm sure the gang-bangers themselves aren't interested in any aspect of the sport, however the signs that they would use to show affiliation play easily into nascar apparel. The dominant color of a drivers car can just as easily be used to show gang affiliation as the color of a football team. Not to mention if they are clever enough it could even be the drivers number, or even one of their sponsors. The schema of nascar advertising plays well into gang related clothing for a variety of reasons, it doesn't mean that the person wearing it has to be a fan of the sport. Just my .02.

So you are saying:

1.) All the colors of the color spetrum can be gang related?

2.) All numbers 00 - 99 can be gang related?

3.) Tony The Tiger (Kellogg's), Army, Lowes, ect. can be gang related?

4.) Basically any sports clothing, baseball, golf, shooting sports etc. can be gang related?

Sorry, I don't buy it!

[Branket]

So you are saying:

1.) All the colors of the color spetrum can be gang related?

2.) All numbers 00 - 99 can be gang related?

3.) Tony The Tiger (Kellogg's), Army, Lowes, ect. can be gang related?

4.) Basically any sports clothing, baseball, golf, shooting sports etc. can be gang related?

Sorry, I don't buy it!

I see no reason that a gang couldn't use any one of those things as a way to symbolize membership. They aren't just going to wear a shirt that says "I'M A MEMBER OF XXXXX STREET GANG!!!". They use subtle symbols that seem unsuspecting to the average observer. Maybe it's just because before I moved here I lived in Detroit, and maybe the scores of gangs there do things differently than they do in Memphis, but as far as my experience goes (and I'm admitting it is limited) I would see no reason why any of the listed objects would be off limits for a gang selecting a uniform.

[Guest salb3039]

So you are saying:

1.) All the colors of the color spetrum can be gang related?

2.) All numbers 00 - 99 can be gang related?

3.) Tony The Tiger (Kellogg's), Army, Lowes, ect. can be gang related?

4.) Basically any sports clothing, baseball, golf, shooting sports etc. can be gang related?

Sorry, I don't buy it!

Why couldn't they?

[Guest Voodoo_1]

Simply Amazing!

A friendly little thread discussing the race at Bristol Motor Speedway has turned into a pissing contest about what gangs wear or don't wear. Maybe you guys should start a thread discussing what gangs wear because some of us old timers may not be up to date.

[saintsfanbrian]

So you are saying:

1.) All the colors of the color spetrum can be gang related?

2.) All numbers 00 - 99 can be gang related?

3.) Tony The Tiger (Kellogg's), Army, Lowes, ect. can be gang related?

4.) Basically any sports clothing, baseball, golf, shooting sports etc. can be gang related?

Sorry, I don't buy it!

Actually the local news did an "expose" on it. Apparently, if you wear a Dale Earnhart jacket you are a member of the bloods. The 38 of Gilliland represents some other street gang 8-3 = 5 which is the number of points in the star in their symbol. I have to admit, I have seen a lot more people that looked as if they could be "gangsta's" wearing NASCAR apparel lately.

[Guest db99wj]

Are you kidding me!

I believe you are misinformed on this subject. Nascar has had the reputation, and still does, of being the white, redneck, good-ole boy of the south, largest spectator sport there is. There are as many Confederate Flags flown at a Nascar race as there are The Stars and Strips. Nascar has been working very hard to change this imagine, but with little success. I suggest that you just take 5 minutes of your time Sunday and watch the prerace show. When the camera scans the crowd of 160,000 fans, I don't believe you will see any gang-bangers there. I believe you have the Nascar gear mixed up with the NFL Oakland Raider football team gear.

So you are saying:

1.) All the colors of the color spetrum can be gang related?

2.) All numbers 00 - 99 can be gang related?

3.) Tony The Tiger (Kellogg's), Army, Lowes, ect. can be gang related?

4.) Basically any sports clothing, baseball, golf, shooting sports etc. can be gang related?

Sorry, I don't buy it!

Why couldn't they?

Simply Amazing!

A friendly little thread discussing the race at Bristol Motor Speedway has turned into a pissing contest about what gangs wear or don't wear. Maybe you guys should start a thread discussing what gangs wear because some of us old timers may not be up to date.

Actually the local news did an "expose" on it. Apparently, if you wear a Dale Earnhart jacket you are a member of the bloods. The 38 of Gilliland represents some other street gang 8-3 = 5 which is the number of points in the star in their symbol. I have to admit, I have seen a lot more people that looked as if they could be "gangsta's" wearing NASCAR apparel lately.

You don't have to buy it, if you have gangs in your city, you need to be aware of it. I've seen it in midtown Memphis. These types have come in to my bank branch in midtown, wearing NASCAR stuff, from hats to jackets and shirts. I also had a discussion with a former Gang Unit sheriffs Deputy who also confirmed it.

It is not that they are fans, as saintsfanbrian and others have said, they use it, and other things, to represent their respective gang.

Here is the link, http://wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?s=6116380

Here is the story:

Anna Marie Hartman reports

Gangs sporting a new look

var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Feb26,2007,9:01 AM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Feb 26, 2007 08:01 AM

It is one of America's most popular pastimes. But, while Nascar drivers are staying on track, gang members are spinning their wheels by using race wear to send secret messages.

"Sometimes it can mean things in gang language or it could just be a true fan," says Shelby County Investigator, Anthony Buckner. "I mean you wear a Nascar jacket that's as innocent as it can be."

But, in certain circles, its not about Nascar. Shelby County gang investigators have spotted a new and disturbing trend in gang wear- the use of Nascar clothing to signify gang affiliation.

Ask some of the people who drive the M and M 38 car and they can't tell you they're not a Nascar fan.

The nuance is in the number. The 38 on the M and M car for example: translation- three minus 8 is negative-5, which represents the 5 point star that identifies the street gang "People Nation".

Junior's Budweiser car: Sheriff's deputies say Bud equals Bloods-another gang.

"Of course the everyday lay person in the community, they don't realize what this means," says Shelby County gang investigator, James Pavatte.

While Nascar is the newest fashion fad, investigators find gang symbolism in many team and brand logos.

"Could mean one thing to a fan of a team but to a child it could be representing some type of gang or sending a message out," says Buckner.

Deputies decipher the Dallas Cowboys logo as an acronym for "Crips on the Westside Blasting on You Slobs".

Which means that the Crips are trying to send a message to the street organization, The Bloods.

The Duke logo means "Diciples Utilizing Knowledge Every Day." Adidas stands for "All day I Diss On Any Slobs."

Translating gang signs isn't as simple as spotting clothing and bandana colors anymore.

The newest way takes a message from the track to the streets, infringing on a loyal fan base that spans the country.

Buckner adds, "the gang members are just taking that product and using it in a way that it wasn't designed."

A fashion statement racing fans and police would like to see ride out of style as quickly as it rode in.

We asked local racing officials to comment on this story. The Vice President and General Manager of Memphis Motorsports Park realeased the following statement:

"We understand that this has been a local and national trend, unfortunately, both with collegiate and professional sports attire - not just NASCAR. On race weekends at our facility, the fans that sport NASCAR apparel, colors and driver numbers are doing what they have done for years - simply showing their support for 'their' favorite driver."

If you see something you interpret as evidence of a gang but you're not sure, you can report it on the Shelby County Sheriff's Department website.

They will research it and get back to you. You can also call them at 901-385-5186. Tips can be made anonymously both ways.

[Branket]

Simply Amazing!

A friendly little thread discussing the race at Bristol Motor Speedway has turned into a pissing contest about what gangs wear or don't wear. Maybe you guys should start a thread discussing what gangs wear because some of us old timers may not be up to date.

I apologize if either of my posts came off as angry or disgruntled. I certainly wasn't trying to turn anything into a "pissing contest", just trying to pass along some information. Sorry if I offended anyone, its hard (for me at least) to convey emotion through text.

[Marswolf]

Interesting stuff.