Here’s why NASCAR is like professional wrestling
Jeff Owens
Jeff Owens has been covering NASCAR since 1991 and began covering the circuit full time in 1993. He has been with Street & Smith's Sports Group since 1998.
NASCAR officials used to cringe when the sport was compared to professional wrestling.
A few years ago, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s latest promotion would have made their skin crawl.
With the help of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, the speedway is promoting the annual Sprint All-Star Race like it was a fight for the world heavyweight championship.
It has dubbed the event “The Backyard Brawl” and kicked off the campaign with a press conference that would make the WWE’s Vince McMahon proud.
With his trademark strut and famous “Wooooooooo!” Flair unveiled wrestling-style posters this week that feature NASCAR stars dressed up in wrestling garb. (The first 5,000 fans to buy a ringside seat get a limited-edition poster.)
According to the poster, Dale “Wahoo” Junior will be matched against Kevin “Baron Von” Harvick in a “bumper bashing beat down.”
Unfortunately, Flair, one of the best smack talkers in professional wrestling, doesn’t give Junior much of a chance.
“He lives in the biggest house on the best side of town. Unfortunately, he can’t win a race,” Flair said.
In other "matches," Kyle “Rowdy” Busch will square off against Tony “Smoke” Stewart in a “transmission submission match.”
Also on the “card” is a special “intercontinental roll cage match” featuring: Kurt “Vegas Violator” Busch; Clint “The Destroyer” Bowyer; Kasey “Night Train” Kahne; and Mark “The Kid” Martin.
Though NASCAR still hates comparisons to the scripted, sometimes-fake pro wrestling, the analogy often fits when drivers slam into each other, throw their helmets – and sometimes punches – and trade barbs on TV. All of that should be much more prevalent now that NASCAR is pushing its racing as a “contact sport” and urging drivers to mix it up more.
Fans have begged for years for NASCAR stars to be more colorful, show more personality and demonstrate a little raw emotion. They even like an occasional brawl or two.
Maybe it’s time NASCAR followed Charlotte Motor Speedway's lead and tried to be a bit more like professional wrestling.
