DAYTONA BEACH. This city on Florida's west coast has been the headquarters for NASCAR since the stock car racing giant was first formed in 1948. "Some cities looked at us when we were startin' out as just a bunch moonshine-runnin' hillbillies," says NASCAR spokesman Darnell Peters. "Daytona Beach took the time to get to know us and realize we also do beer runs."
"Do you know where I can get a bus transfer?"
But NASCAR's incredible success is threatened by the same high gas prices that are pinching consumer wallets as the price of the special Sunoco 260 GTX unleaded fuel drivers use has now hit $6.25 a gallon. "I was thinkin' I was gonna have to cut back on the number of races I run this summer," says Martin Truex, Jr. "But I put a 4 x 6" note card up in the pits, and me and Robby Gordon are gonna car pool for a while and see how that works out."
"We're gonna bump draft Tony Stewart all the way down the back stretch."
Other drivers say they will use VOTRAN, Volusia County Public Transit System, to keep costs under control at Daytona Beach until gas prices recede. "We will make scheduled stops every four blocks, the same as with our regular routes," says Anna O'Neill, director of customer service for VOTRAN. "NASCAR drivers will be able to jockey for position within the bus as long as they are seated or standing behind the yellow line when we start up again."
Solar-powered Capri Sun #53 Charger
Ultimately, NASCAR's survival may depend on a shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, says Elise van der Hoef, an environmental activist who has never attended a stock car race but felt compelled to butt in anyway. "They could switch to solar-powered cars, which have attained top speeds of 40 miles per hour on a straightaway," she notes as she bites into a tofu and alfalfa sprout sandwich. "That should be enough excitement for anybody."
Looking to put some magic back in your marriage? Want to give your better hal####ift she'll never forget?
$3.90, plus tax.
All it takes is a trip to Home Depot, where you were going this weekend anyway, right? Why spend $200, $300 or more on a fancy gold necklace for your wife when you can make one from basic supplies that cost less than $15!
Log chain, $8.19, plus tax.
That's right--you can save as much $285, money that would be better spent on necessities such as beer, NFL Sunday Ticket or a tasteful Kasey Kahne lamp to decorate your den.
NASCAR Kasey Kahne lamp.
To create your unique one-of-a-kind DIY gold necklace, buy one (1) can of gold spray paint--Rust-Oleum is recommended for outdoor wear--and one (1) log chain of the desired length. Hang the chain from the heavy-duty internal steel spreader of a step ladder using medium gauge coated wire.
Stepladder Wire
After vigorously shaking the can for one (1) minute, spray the log chain with the gold paint. When paint dries, apply a second coating after removing chain and attaching other end to the steel spreader to achieve full coverage.
Comparable model--$300, depending on gold prices.
Voila! Your finished product will look as good as comparable gold necklaces sold in expensive stores. Top fashion designers agree--"fake" is the new "real".
And best of all--if she discovers your money-saving "trick", remind her--
Con Chapman is a Boston-area writer. He is the author of "The Year of the Gerbil: How the Yankees Won (and the Red Sox Lost) the Greatest Pennant Race Ever," a history of the 1978 AL East pennant race, and a number of plays, including "Number One Hockey Mom," "Please, Pope," and "What Mickey Belle Isle Told You," a trilogy about hockey (JAC Publishing). His work is available on Amazon Shorts (at 49 cents a dowload), and he writes on sports for Flak Magazine.
