Auto racing beware the rabbits

Way back in 2007 I made an observation about NASCAR, and the whole of auto racing. I mentioned that I was surprised that the "global warming" eco-freaks had yet to protest or address auto racing in any way. In fact I made a prediction

"Mark my words, it is quite possible that one day soon, some green political organization is going to suggest that all cars in the auto racing industry be replaced with hybrid vehicles. Actually, it will probably start with some super green nutcase (like a certain musician, who thinks everyone should use one square of tissue paper only) who will suggest that instead of racing cars fueled with a gas, races should be with solar cars or just bicycles. Imagine a Daytona 500 like that."

Well it's a bit less than 2 years later, and it seems that part of what I imagined is on it's first legs to start.

Yep, race cars made out of plants and fueled by chocolate. Sounds like a joke doesn't it? But it's not. Because in London a group of scientists have done it.

Called the WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car, it is claimed but unproven to reach speeds of 145 mph. It runs on used vegetable oils and chocolate factory refuse as a biomass fuel. It has a steering wheel made from carrots and wheels made of soybeans. It will be featured in the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Now there are 2 thoughts I have about this car. The first is what will happen when it is in a race. If this car finishes anywhere above dead last, you can be assured that there will be a huge cry for more to be built, and an end to all other styles of race cars. Monster Trucks will be replaced with monster cabbage, and NASCAR with broccoli inspired stock cars. It will be the example of green entertainment, and the prototype for everyday vehicles.

There is a good and bad to this of course. The good is the eco-fanatics dream. A world of vegetables and speed, or at least just vegetables. The bad might be the damage drivers will endure from cars that are not strong enough to be safe, or more flammable. And of course there ever present problem of rabbits.

But the more serious thought is something far more dangerous. Let's say this Willy Wonka inspired contraption works. Maybe even wins a race. And it inspires a slew of other vehicles and changes the entire auto racing industry. Even the personal vehicle industry (especially if President Obama continues on the path of privatizing the auto industry).

The result is that the cost of food will skyrocket. Most haven't noticed, and the major media has yet to seriously report that ethanol, especially corn-based ethanol as used in the U.S., drives up food prices. All the food we have costs about 10% more today just because of corn-ethanol. And that is rising.

Imagine cars made out of food, with engines fun on biomass derived from food. Of the hundreds of millions of cars just in the U.S. alone, with billions of gallons of fuel consumed. Of the thousands of race cars in the auto racing industry and the fuel they use. If the use of ethanol, which can't be bought by 95% of American citizens, has risen food prices 10% already what might this trend cost us?

Auto racing, NASCAR in particular in the U.S., is not going to go away. But this Wonka-mobile will start a trend, similar to what I imagined 2 years ago. So get ready. Things are about to change I think. And all the change may not be as fun, healthy, or affordable as some will claim.

Spain's Olympic basketball team - Racism in your face

It really just floors me. At a time when the world is looking at China, as they hold the Olympics, and seeing the mixing of every culture on the planet we still get to learn about how insensitive humanity can be.

Racism, and insults based solely in race, is neither an American invention nor one of the modern industrial era. But in the 21st Century we all would like to think that it might end soon, that we all would have learned enough about each other to know better. But we don’t. And it shows even as the world tries to unite for a ‘friendly’ athletic competition.

Many in the U.S. might not be familiar with the specific case I am speaking of. It deals with the Spanish basketball team and a photo they took before they start of the Olympics.



The insult is obvious. The intention, as stated by the team, was to have a light-hearted bit of fun. It didn’t happen.

“It's baffling that nobody involved in the picture -- from the photographers to the players -- even seemed to consider that this ad would be looked at negatively. Did it not occur to somebody that it might not be a good idea to mock an entire continent before the world's largest athletic competition that, by the way, happens to take place on that continent. Were they not aware of an invention called "the Internet" that allows pictures taken in Spain to be transmitted all over the world for the eyes of everyone?”

Seriously, I too cannot understand how no one found this to be insulting. But before I wanted to write on this ad, sponsored and organized by Seur - though Li-Ning Footwear (Li-Ning being the former Olympian that lit the Olympic flame) is also a sponsor of the team - I wanted to give Spain’s basketball team a chance to simply apologize.

Instead comments like this on from Jose Calderon were made

“We did it because we thought it was going to be something nice, something with no problem,” Calderon told Yahoo! Sports. “But somebody wants to talk about it. It is too much of a big deal with you guys (the media) and everybody talking about that.”

No problem? Too much of a big deal? Calderon plays for the Toronto Raptors, so imagine if the Raptors took a picture like this one, all in black face. Or doused in water exposing their backs to the camera. Or dressed with green and spilling beer. Or holding plates of spaghetti. In Spain there may not be a care about insulting 1/3 of the world, or any race and ethnicity, but the rest of the world clearly does not share those same feelings – at least most of the time.

Pau Gasol, who plays for the L.A. Lakers, offered a slightly more remorseful comment

“Some of us didn’t feel comfortable doing it just because to me it was a little clownish for our part to be doing that,” Gasol said. “But the sponsors insisted and insisted. I think it is just a bad idea I guess to do that, but it was never intended to be offensive or racist against anybody...

If anybody feels offended by it we totally apologize for it. We never meant anything offensive by it.”

It’s not much of an apology. I mean if he felt that bad about the photo, why be in it? Why not say something? Why not make a comment before or when the photo was published in La Marca?

Gasol said nothing, until the image hit the internet, and the backlash struck the team. That’s not caring about being offensive or racist, that’s covering your ass.

But before you start taking the side of Gasol keep in mind the last part of what he has to say about this

“If you put it in the wrong context and put it with the wrong people or a different kind of people, you could take it that way,” he said. “But not with our group and not with our people. I would find that a wrong read.”

Wrong context? Wrong people? The photo mocks anyone of Asian descent anywhere in the world. What context beyond that is there?

How many times have I heard the words, “I’m not a racist but…” or “I can’t be racist because I know a black person…” or “We’re not racists because we like this entertainer (or athlete)…”

Spain is known for its racist attitude, especially in sports. There are numerous comments that have been made by those in soccer (futbol), auto racing, and other sports. This is a low for that country, among a host of lows presented to the worlds on a regular basis.

Racist acts are not solely an American issue, but that does not make it a good thing nor acceptable. If Spain, and/or the Spanish basketball team, is embarrassed they should be. The world is in the 21st Century, and actions like this have no place in it.

Global warming vs NASCAR and Auto racing - 9.5.2007.2

Recently I was writing the post for Presidential Race Blog about the upcoming Republican presidential debate and I noticed something on TV. It was another item on global warming and that left me with a question. There is now a lot about carbon emissions and carbon offsets and whether global warming actually exists. I am hardly an expert in such matters. So I can't say whether or not global warming exists (though I tend to think not), but there is a big push to say that it's true. Either way, I have to wonder how long is it going to be until the global warming movement and the eco-happy individuals target NASCAR, Formula One, monster trucks, and all other forms of auto racing in general?

This may not be an issue yet, but it will be. And once the subject comes up it won't go away. Considering that, what is going to happen when we start hearing in commercials, reports, and individual pundits on television saying that auto racing, cannot be allowed. So far, the foothold of the global warming fanatics has yet to reach anything to do with the sports but there are signs they are gaining ground. You may have noticed recent commercials from the company E-surance detailing smog monsters and giant robots attacking the environment. That's a very mainstream statement, tying driving, smog, and the environment together. So far there has been no connection between auto racing, and harmful emissions.

This post may be a bit off the usual topic, but I wonder how the sport will be affected. I wonder how many of the fans are concerned. I wonder what people tell their kids who come home from school where they just learned that the ice caps are melting, because mom drove to get ice cream? Those same kids are bound to start asking about how bad Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Lewis Hamilton are for driving around a race track hundreds of times just to see who comes in first. What do the parents say? What will NASCAR, Formula One, monster trucks, and all the other auto racing organizations do?

I would suggest that if those organizations have not thought about this yet, they start. The reason being is that with the growth of global warming activists, legislation may come out that will directly affect this industry. Mark my words, it is quite possible that one day soon, some green political organization is going to suggest that all cars in the auto racing industry be replaced with hybrid vehicles. Actually, it will probably start with some super green nutcase (like a certain musician, who thinks everyone should use one square of tissue paper only) who will suggest that instead of racing cars fueled with a gas, races should be with solar cars or just bicycles. Imagine a Daytona 500 like that.

It's just a thought, and it's going to happen.

This is what I think what you think?