[dhshivers]

Gotta love it.

Sure, April Fools' Day comes but once a year, and some silly stories have been making the rounds. (Stairmasters in the NYC subway? Brad and Angelina married? Really? No.) But one thing is now clear: Keep the jokes away from NASCAR.

All Car and Driver magazine tried to do was drive a little levity into the auto industry bailout with a prank. The serious publication ran a joke story that announced that Obama had ordered Chevrolet and Dodge out of NASCAR if they wanted to keep their federal funds. For a brief web-fueled moment, NASCAR fans had to imagine a future of cheering on Japanese cars. Or worse, French ones. The horror.

Immediately, the Internet went crazy, with searches on "obama nascar" accelerating in Search and zooming across Twitter. Although the story was clearly marked a hoax, Car and Driver eventually pulled the fake story and apologized for going "too far."

Not to worry, NASCAR fans: Nobody's pulling out of NASCAR. Yet. As Automobile magazine's blog noted nervously, "Let's just hope that the auto task force doesn't read this and get any ideas."

[markwemple]

Didn't realize that NASCAR fans could read, let alone use the 'net.

[smdubovsky]

Originally Posted by markwemple

didn't realize that nascar fans could read, let alone use the 'net.

lolz

[Trak Ratt]

Curious how much "factory" $$$ flow to NASCAR anyway. Chassis and bodies aren't factory and I doubt if much of the motors beyound block and heads ever even saw a factory loading dock.

[John Clay]

Originally Posted by Trak Ratt

Curious how much "factory" $$$ flow to NASCAR anyway. Chassis and bodies aren't factory and I doubt if much of the motors beyound block and heads ever even saw a factory loading dock.

Factory $$$ does not equal factory parts.

[Trak Ratt]

Originally Posted by John Clay

Factory $$$ does not equal factory parts.

Totally agree, but putting the "Bowtie" emblem on your aluminum bodied, tube frame, carbed "chevy" could mean you paid them for the honor! Just wondering the level of sponsorship NASCAR boys enjoy these days? Back in the day when chevy pulled out of race’n like nixon’s dad should have the bowtie was a no-show for years.

[dhshivers]

I've had that conversation about the cars with some NASCAR folks and normally they did not believe me. The only thing that is factory are the maybe the decals.

[markwemple]

I'm not sure if any of the engine components are from the manufacturer. To call it stock car racing is like calling WWE wrestling.

[dhshivers]

Originally Posted by markwemple

I'm not sure if any of the engine components are from the manufacturer. To call it stock car racing is like calling WWE wrestling.

Roger that. There are none.

[Trak Ratt]

Originally Posted by markwemple

To call it stock car racing is like calling WWE wrestling.

It is “stock car” racing but as defined by NASCAR. Their rules define and describe every aspect of car design and performance. Maybe it would be better to call it “NASCAR Spec Racing?” NASCAR is a racing juggernaut that found early on that the key to success was to design circuits that allowed just about every spectator a ring side seat. Not a new idea as many other race organizations have the same business model. They just do it really well.

I’m reminded of a line from the show West Wing and I paraphrase; “it’s not that you don’t like NASCAR, you don’t like the people that like NASCAR!”