1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: I guess what, Well, what's that? Ma? So I'm not 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: really into car racing, you know this? I mean I 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: have watched Talladega Nights. I'm also familiar with Pixars Cars 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Movie and Cars too, So actually know, I say that 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: basically I'm an expert, but I think you are an expert. 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: That's fair to say. But as we're looking into the 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: strange origins of NASCAR and F one this week, I 8 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: actually stumbled into this story about TLC's NASCAR Wives reality show. 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: Have you heard about this? I haven't. Was this like 10 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: Jersey Shore Real Housewives or what? Yeah? I mean that 11 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: was kind of the idea, but they wanted to play 12 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: on stereotypes and have all the usual drama you have 13 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: baked into these things. And the hope was that I 14 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: would appeal to all the NASCAR fans out there. But 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: they actually had to cancel the show because the wives 16 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: got along too well. Isn't that great? That actually kind 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: of makes me like NASCAR even more. I know, but 18 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: today's show is really for outsiders like us, Like what 19 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: makes NASCAR and F one racing so appealing? And why 20 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: do people bring their yachts to one type of car 21 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: race while families caravan to the other and that's what 22 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: today's shows all about. So let's dive in hei their 23 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson 24 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend man 25 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: guest Ticketer. And on the other side of the soundproof glass, 26 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: he's the only guy who wears driving gloves while seated 27 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: at a soundboard. That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: I mean, in all fairness to Tristan, his chair does 29 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: have wheels on it. That's a good point. I didn't 30 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: think about that well either way. It's it's nice when 31 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: he gets into the spirit of the day's topic. And 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 1: you know, as you might have guessed, for this episode, 33 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: we're headed off to the races and we're gonna take 34 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: a look at two of the world's most popular motor sports. 35 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: Now we're talking NASCAR and Formula One, But even though 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: those sports may seem similar on the surface, each one 37 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: has its own very distinct style, history and fan base. 38 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: So today we're going to break down the differences and 39 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: really try to get a sense of how these vastly 40 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: different racing institutions have managed to share the road For 41 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: I guess it's about seven decades now, so you know, 42 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: a few years back, I was chatting with our friend 43 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: Dan Riley, who has written some amazing stories on F 44 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: one for g Q, and one of the things he 45 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: told me was that when this F one champ came 46 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: to the US, he was actually taking selfies of himself 47 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: in Penn Station in New York City and no one 48 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: recognized him. He's like this insane superstar. And apparently the 49 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: TV audience for the races there is like five million viewers, 50 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: which is like five Super Bowls. I mean, I mean, 51 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: it's incredible. But in the US he's totally anonymous. Actually, 52 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: the other thing he told me was that Dan actually 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: got to send in the passenger seat as the driver 54 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: drove on an F one test course in Jersey City. 55 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: But he was driving a minivan, and he said he 56 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: was terrified, Like the driver knew exactly how to handle 57 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: all the curves and corners and straightways, but he was 58 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: in total control. But still a minivans shouldn't go that fast. 59 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: How that is terrifying. I can't say that I've ever 60 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: driven my minivan as fast as he was probably drying, 61 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: but you're right, I mean, they have such different audiences. 62 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: I actually remember going to Austin one year. I think 63 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: we were presenting it south By Southwest that year, and 64 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: I was talking to the clerk at the rental car 65 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: place and just made a comment just in passing that 66 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: South Buy has to be one of the worst times 67 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: of year for you, right, And he actually said, it's 68 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: nothing compared to when they have the F one races, 69 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 1: because you know, not only is there this insane crowd there, 70 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: but all these rich people just come in and buy 71 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: up all the houses so they have a place to party. 72 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: I was like, so what do they do with them 73 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: after that? And he said they actually just sell them 74 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: a couple of months later. Like the audience is just 75 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: that rich and it's kind of insane. But that's what 76 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: makes the comparison between the two sports so interesting. And 77 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: I didn't realize before this episode that NASCAR and F 78 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: one they actually pretty much came up together mid century. 79 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: And you know, NASCAR was officially incorporated in the US 80 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: and nine, and then Formula one was just a couple 81 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: of years later than that in Europe. That's crazy, Like 82 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: I never would have imagined that NASCAR was older than 83 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: Formula One, but It is interesting to think about those 84 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: like early post war years and how I guess like 85 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: the whole world was just itching to get back to 86 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: friendlier competitions, and I'm sure they were also curious to 87 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: see what some of the new technology could do when 88 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: it was put to more fun uses. Well, you know, 89 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of obvious stuff that's similar between the two, 90 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: But I do think we should probably talk about, you know, 91 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: what sets NASCAR and f one apart from each other 92 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: before we get too deep into their history. So for starters, 93 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: we definitely need to take a look at the cars themselves, 94 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: since that's ultimately where the biggest differences lie. So you know, 95 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: right off the bat, it's it's easy to tell enough 96 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: one car from a NASCAR just by the shape of 97 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: the car. You've got these nascars that look a little 98 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: bit more like the kind of car you see on 99 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: the road every day, you know, the boxy, more enclosed 100 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: kind of sedan type vehicle. And you know, I actually 101 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: think your car may even have the Giant Tide logo 102 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: on the front. I think, how great would it be if, 103 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: like Giant Cup, they started sponsoring people's daily commutes, Like 104 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: if teachers didn't have to pay for the gas to 105 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: go to work because it was all covered by folders 106 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: or something. It'd be great in factual the car design. 107 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: You know, I love boxing cars as a former Volvo 108 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: station Wagon driver, but F one racers are the ones 109 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: that look completely different than what you or I would drive, right, Yeah, 110 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: I mean there may be what most people would think 111 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: of when you're trying to picture a race car, and 112 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: they have that kind of that narrow open cockpit design 113 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: and the wheels that stick out to the sides, and 114 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: the big spoiler on the back, and overall they tend 115 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: to just look more sleek than their NASCAR counterparts. And 116 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: and that sleek design is actually crucial because in F 117 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: one racing, the aerodynamics that's really of equal importance to 118 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: the power of the engine. So everything about the car 119 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: is designed to minimize the drag and maximize the speed. 120 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: And this also means that Formula one cars tend to 121 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: be much lighter. So looking at it's about fift undred 122 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: pounds on average for an F one car, and that's 123 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: compared to over three thousand pounds for a typical NASCAR 124 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: so it's twice as heavy when you're talking about a 125 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: NASCAR that's funny, And I've actually read that like F 126 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: one drivers tend to be lighter, like they're like five 127 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: eight in size and and on the lighter side. But 128 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: like looking at that weight comparison, like my expectation would 129 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: be the F one cars will be faster than NASCAR cars, right, 130 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: well not really. I mean the lighter weight and sleeker 131 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: design of the F one racers means, you know, they 132 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: can actually achieve these high speeds with less powerful engines. 133 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: But they do tend to be a little bit faster 134 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: than nascars, and both kinds of vehicles top out in 135 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: the range or around two hundred miles an hour. But 136 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 1: you can actually push an F one to two hundred 137 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: five or even as high as two hundred fifteen miles 138 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: an hour without as much trouble. That's crazy, and that 139 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: is terrifying to me, like those sorts of speeds. But 140 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: you know what's funny, Like I was thinking about the 141 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: cars cars to actually pick, and I just assumed that 142 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: they made the F one cars in the NASCAR cars 143 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: about the same speed because it would appeal to American audiences. 144 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that it would be like factually accurate 145 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: that there's the same, but cars too is very factually 146 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: accurate of them. Credit well, Pixars great at that, Like 147 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: even up like that movie they actually used the number 148 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: of balloons that would lift that house, like theyd with engineers. 149 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: But that's pretty But I I do think there's something 150 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: that's like exponentially more dangerous about driving than anything else 151 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: we do in our day. And I can't imagine like 152 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: driving at two hundred or two hundred five miles per hour. 153 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: It just seems insane. Yeah, and you know, an F 154 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: one racing in particular, it was actually a pretty deadly 155 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: sport when it first started. In fact, just looking at 156 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: the numbers that there were thirteen drivers that were killed 157 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: in the first decade of Formula one races alone. And 158 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: but but thankfully, you know, these safety standards have been 159 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: greatly improved over the years. And actually no one has 160 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: died behind the wheel of an F one car since 161 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: n so we're talking decades now since there's been a fatality. 162 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: That's pretty impressive. I wouldn't have imagined that. And of course, 163 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: if we're going to talk about the danger aspect of 164 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: high speed motorsports, we should also talk about something that 165 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: goes hand in hand with it, which is the spectacle 166 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: it provides, right, because, like you said at the top 167 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: of the show, these are two of the biggest motor 168 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: sports in the world, both in terms of revenue and 169 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: in fan bases. All right, So I looked into this 170 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: on the Formula one side, and it really is an 171 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: international sport in terms of its audience. So you've got 172 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: twenty or so annual races that make up the Grand 173 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: Prix series, and those actually take place in nineteen different countries, 174 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: which is pretty remarkable, and you've got up to three 175 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: und thousand people gathering for a single event. Now, in 176 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: terms of overall viewership, that's what you mentioned earlier. You've 177 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: got nearly half a billion people that watch at least 178 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes of F one racing at some point during 179 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: any given season, and that's according to BBC's top Gear. 180 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: But you know, when you add up all the revenue 181 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: from ticket sales and advertising that F one industry makes 182 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: roughly about one and a half billion dollars a year, 183 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: which isn't too shabby. And okay, so F one racing 184 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: definitely has global appeal on its side. But here in 185 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: the US, there's no question that NASCAR reigns supreme. In fact, 186 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: about seventy five million American adults consider themselves NASCAR fans, 187 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 1: which is one in every three people, and of that 188 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: huge pool of fans, about three point five million crand 189 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: the cells into speedways around the country every year. Meanwhile, 190 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: NASCAR races are also broadcast to a hundred and fifty countries, 191 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: which helps drum up about three billion dollars in sponsorship money. Well, 192 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: I'm curious, like, did you get a sense for who 193 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: these fans are? I mean, and NASCAR fans tend to 194 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: be stereotyped pretty hard. I mean, you know, as people 195 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: from the rural South or mill America who are wide 196 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: and lower income. But I'm kind of hoping there's a 197 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: little more nuanced there than most people might guess. Yeah, 198 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: it's kind of interesting, and we'll talk about the statistics 199 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: in a second. But I know we've both driven to 200 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: the brickyard because we ended up on work trips in Indianapolis. 201 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: But you know, you're so close to Talladega and Birmingham. 202 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: Have you ever actually gone to a race. I've never 203 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: actually been to a race, and I've driven past Talladega 204 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: so many times. It's It's right in between the two 205 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: cities that I spend a lot of time in between, 206 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: you know, Birmingham where I'm from, in Atlanta, where offices are, 207 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: and every time I go buy they have these massive 208 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: flags that are flying nearby, and it's just such an 209 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: interesting place, and I've always wanted to go to a race. 210 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: But there is one thing that I observe every single 211 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: time I go by there, and I'm really curious to 212 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: look this up, but I think they might be on 213 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: the running for the largest gathering of porta potties in 214 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: the world. I mean, it is unbelievable. If you drive 215 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: by there on a race week, I swear it seems 216 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: like there are just thousands of these things out there. 217 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: So I kind of want to look into this at 218 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: some point, just to see if they might have that 219 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: claim to fame. I like that NASCAR, you know, followers 220 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: are just like you and me. They also use the 221 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: bathroom they too, you know, we're all alike, Mango. There's 222 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: so much that that makes us in common. So I 223 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: didn't find any statistics about that toilet situation you're talking about, 224 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: but I did find some statistics on NASCAR fans in 225 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: an Atlantic article and while some of the stereotypes we 226 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: commonly associated with NASCAR are borne out by the numbers, 227 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: some definitely aren't. So for instance, two political polling groups 228 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: found that of all American voters identified themselves NASCAR fans, 229 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: and sixty percent of those fans live outside the southeast US. 230 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: I definitely wouldn't have predicted that, So, like, of all 231 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: American voters are NASCAR fans, that is unbelievable. All right, 232 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: so it's maybe more geographically diverse than we might have thought. 233 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,959 Speaker 1: But what about other stuff like income and gender and ethnicity, 234 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: Like our NASCAR fans more diverse in those areas too, well, 235 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: yes and no, So the stereotype about most NASCAR fans 236 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,599 Speaker 1: being white is certainly true, and in fact, gorn to 237 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: Nielsen's data, NASCAR's audience actually has the highest share of 238 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: white people among all broadcast sports. It's a whopping percent, 239 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: like I couldn't believe. But that said, NASCAR also boasts 240 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: the highest share of female viewers. Thirty seven percent of 241 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: its audience is made up of women, And even in 242 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: terms of finance, like, there's a greater degree of variety 243 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: than we've been told. So, for example, of the voters 244 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: who self identify as NASCAR fans, forty two percent earned 245 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 1: between forty thousand and a hundred thousand a year, which 246 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: means like a good chunk of NASCAR fans are wealthier 247 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: than the average American. And to be frank like everyone 248 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 1: drivers have actually talked about it. They claimed they're envious 249 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: of some of the NASCAR audience because it's more of 250 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: a sport that families can watch together and instead of 251 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: something that feels like a little colder and just about status. 252 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 1: And even the drivers like they're more approachable. M well, 253 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: all right, So, so public opinion maybe a little off 254 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: base about NASCAR fans and in some ways, and I 255 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: guess pretty accurate in others. And I do like that 256 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: the sports styles itself is something made by and and 257 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: four ordinary people. I mean, you think about it, there's 258 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: no Lamborghinis or Ferraris in the sport, and in said 259 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: you're gonna find these cars by like Ford and General Motors, 260 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: And of course they've been modified after the facts that 261 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: they can hold their own on these races, but there's 262 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,719 Speaker 1: still somewhat of the level of familiarity there, and I 263 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: guess it does make the sport feel more approachable no kidding. 264 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: You know, I've never been to either NASCAR F one race, 265 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: and I'd actually love to go to both. But my 266 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: friend Jeremy once told me that you'd actually see Amish 267 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,079 Speaker 1: families come it over downs to watch races, and I 268 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: think that's kind of amazing, right, like something I never 269 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: would have guessed. But I also don't think you'd find 270 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,839 Speaker 1: the Amish going to F one racist, so right. I 271 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: knew you were talking about the wealth that would find Austin, 272 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: but I read this one article that said the yachts 273 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: people bring to Monaco or Belgium or wherever are a 274 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: hundred fifty million dollar boats, which is insanity, and you wonder, 275 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: like why they're dropping so much on a boat, and 276 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: the author's answer was, well, you need something to take 277 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: to your private islands. Yeah. I mean it makes a 278 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: good point. You got you gotta get there somehow, I know. 279 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: But like that audience feels like such a barrier of 280 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: entry to me. I mean, like Formula one just feels 281 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: as elitist as it gets. Yeah, I mean that that 282 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: sounds pretty accurate. And I've heard the sports compared, like 283 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: you know, like hot dogs versus or derves or sometimes 284 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: you know, beer versus champagne when you're thinking about the 285 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: difference between the two. So obviously I get the connection 286 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: between beer and NASCAR, but like champagne actually has a 287 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: connection with Formula one, right, oh definitely. I mean, you know, 288 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: the idea of popping champagne bottles has long been associated 289 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: with huge wins or winning championships and sports, and and 290 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: actually that act of celebration got it start from F 291 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: one racing. So this goes back to nineteen fifty. This 292 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: is when the first French Grand Prix was held in 293 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: the country's Champagne region, and naturally, because of where it 294 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,479 Speaker 1: was held, the winner of that year's race was presented 295 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: with this bottle of the regions trademark beverage. And actually 296 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: that's a custom that's still around the day. I mean, 297 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: that's a little like how a Federer won a milking 298 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: cow for a winning a tennis tournament in Switzerland. I think, 299 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: did that really happen? Yeah? You didn't know what to 300 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: do with it. I can I can imagine, like you 301 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: wanna pack it and take it on the plane or what, 302 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: But so so so the winner just emptied the bottle 303 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: into the crowds or something like that seems like something 304 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: that would have really ticked off the audience. Well not really. 305 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: I mean the first time in F one racers sprayed 306 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: the crowd with the champagne happened. It was really more 307 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: like a decade later, I think it was in the sixties, 308 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: and and the locals were okay with it because you know, 309 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: this was actually a mistake. And so Nick Carvel had 310 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: this great article on it and g Q, and he 311 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: described the event this way, says, upon winning the twenty 312 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: four Hours of Laman in nineteen sixty six, Joe Sifford 313 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: accidentally sprayed the crowd as the bottle of champagne had 314 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: been sitting out in the sun, causing pressure to build 315 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: up inside the magnum. The next year, Californian racer Dan 316 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: Gurney deliberately copied Stiffer's gesture when he won the same race, 317 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: and a tradition was born, which is awesome, but like 318 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: a magnum, like that's two wine bottles right, Well, actually 319 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: it's even more nowadays. So currently F one winners receive 320 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: a full Jereboma champagne for the big win. So wait, 321 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: what's a jerivon? Well, it's actually the equivalent of four 322 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: standard wine bottles, so all the better to soak the crowd, 323 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: what I guess. But for anyone who wants to re 324 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: enact their favorite F one victories, the official champagne of 325 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: the league is the g h Mom cordon Rouge, so 326 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: you can score your own jereboma of it for about, yeah, 327 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: like four hundred bucks. So I can definitely see where 328 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: the NFL just sticks with buckets of Gatorade. But you know, 329 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: Formula one isn't the only motorsport with boozy roots, and 330 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: in fact, it is actually a strong case for thinking 331 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: of NASA car as an unintended product of the prohibbsion era. 332 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: You know, I've read something about this before, but I 333 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: didn't really get the full story. So do do you 334 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: mind just kind of walking us through this? Definitely, But 335 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: first let's take a quick break. You're listening to Part 336 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: Time Genius and we're talking about the ins and outs 337 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: of NASCAR, So I go, drinking and driving definitely don't 338 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: go well together. But you're actually saying there's a connection 339 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: between the two that somehow gave rise to NASCAR. Yeah, so, 340 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: decades before NASCAR came along, apple Achian bootleggers began running 341 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,359 Speaker 1: homemade whiskey up and down the East Coast during Prohibition, 342 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: and many of these guys were family farmers You'd fallen 343 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: on hard times and turned to moonshine as a way 344 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: to keep their heads above water. And of course, desperate 345 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: or not, what they were doing was very, very illegal, 346 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: so it helped to have a car that could make 347 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: some serious tracks whenever they crossed paths with federal agents. 348 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: So the biggest godsend for these bootleggers actually came from 349 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: Henry Ford in two and that's because that's the year 350 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: he debuted the V eight engine. This is kind of 351 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: a weird connection though, because it wasn't Ford a teetotaler. 352 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I actually think I've read that he made 353 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: all his employees take a temperance pledge just to work 354 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: in his factories, right, Yeah, so he wouldn't have been 355 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: too pleased to learn that his flagship engine was basically 356 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: driving the bootlegging business. But the V eight was perfect 357 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: for it, like it was fast enough to evade the 358 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: law and tough enough to withstand the strain of all 359 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: those mountain roads. And of course bootleggers didn't stop there 360 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: for added security. They actually started souping up their cars 361 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: with all these features straight out of like a speed 362 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: racer cartoon. What I mean, like, I'm imagining the ability 363 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: to like press a button and spray oil all over 364 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 1: the road or stuff like that. Yeah, so, I I 365 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: know you're joking, but I mean oil slicks, smoke screens, 366 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: you name it. Like they even rigged up that classic 367 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: gag where like a bucket of taxes spilled out onto 368 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: the road straight out of super Mariot cars. Seriously, except 369 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: like they were high tailing away from the cops. And also, 370 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: this is a little aside, but I remember this from 371 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: mental flass that when like bootleggers would be on the 372 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 1: run and have to flee their cars, they actually had 373 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: these shoes made that had hoofprints on them. So basically 374 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: they'd leave these deer tracks in the mud instead of 375 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: shoot prints. Isn't that like super crafty? It is crafty. 376 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: But I think we've got a little off track here, Like, 377 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,199 Speaker 1: so what does this have to do with NASCAR. Well 378 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: before provision even ended, some of the bootleggers had started 379 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: having these informal races, you know, just for kicks. That 380 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: does make sense. I mean, you've got all these tricked 381 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 1: out cars, it does seem like it'd be pretty tempting 382 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: to have some fun with them, exactly. And and then 383 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: in the nineteen thirties, like bootleggers started taking their moonshine 384 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: mobiles to the local racetracks and even county fairgrounds, and 385 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: that's where they really started to build an audience, and 386 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: eventually like tens of thousands of people would show up 387 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: to some of these races. All right, so this is 388 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: kind of like the birth of stock car racing in America. 389 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: But the actual formalized NASCAR league that does it also 390 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: have its ties with bootleggers. It does. So racing had 391 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: become an organized sport by the nineties, and most of 392 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: the people involved in it had connections to bootlegging in 393 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: one form and another. There's actually a great book about 394 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,719 Speaker 1: this called Real Nascar, and it talks about just how 395 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: much of the sport owes to moonshiners. So the author 396 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: rights quote. What most chroniclers of stock car racing and 397 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: NASCAR have failed to note is that a large percentage 398 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 1: of the early mechanics, car owners, promoters, and track owners 399 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: had deep ties to the illegal alcohol business. It would 400 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: not be an exaggeration to say that the sport was 401 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: built on the proceeds of the manufacturer transport and sales 402 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of cases of liquor, right, 403 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: I mean, that's amazing. So even if they weren't bootleggers themselves, 404 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: like the mechanics definitely knew they were working on bootleggers cars, 405 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: and similarly, all these track owners they were taking cuts 406 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: from illegal sales in exchange for use of their track. 407 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: That connection definitely goes much deeper than I would have expected. 408 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: So so what about the drivers though, Like, did any 409 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: bootleggers go on to become NASCAR drivers? Absolutely, And one 410 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: of the most famous is Junior Johnson, who came from 411 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: a long line of North Carolina bootleggers and went on 412 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: to become a NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner. 413 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: There's actually a great old story about him in Esquire, 414 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,640 Speaker 1: and he and plenty of other former Moonshiners were recruited 415 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: as drivers in the late forties by a fellow stock 416 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: car driver, this guy named Bill France, Sr. And France 417 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: actually became an important figure in all this. He started 418 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: promoting his drivers at different races in the Daytona Beach area, 419 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: but he was soon annoyed by how much the racing 420 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: rules varied from one event to another. So in December 421 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: of France actually called him meeting of all the top 422 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: stock car drivers and he got the mechanics and owners 423 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: to come in as well, and they all discussed how 424 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: to standardize the rules, and by the end of the meeting, 425 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 1: they agreed to form the National Association for Stock Car 426 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: Auto Racing, which is NASCAR. So that's what it stands for. Okay, yeah, definitely. 427 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: And and Bill France Senior became the first president of 428 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: NASCAR once the league was officially incorporated, this is in February. 429 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: Under his leadership, the sport began to distance itself from 430 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 1: its boot like roots, and they started going after corporate 431 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: sponsorships and you know, building a wider audience. And by 432 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: the time his son, Bill Frands Junior took over the 433 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: presidency in nineteen seventy two, NASCAR had become this incredibly 434 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,479 Speaker 1: popular regional sport in the South. But it was Bill Jr. 435 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: Who really made the sport huge. He had this three 436 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: decade run as president and that's when the sport transformed 437 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: into the multibillion dollar global industry. That that's what you 438 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 1: know that today. And I'm guessing like sponsorship probably played 439 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: the biggest role in this transition. Huh. Yeah. So the 440 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: turning point of that actually came in nineteen seventy and 441 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: that's when Junior Johnson approached the R. J. Reynolds tobacco company. 442 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: So Johnson had retired as a driver by this point, 443 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: but he stayed in the league as an owner, and 444 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: he hoped that the cigarette company might want to sponsor 445 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: his car in the upcoming season. So, I mean, why, 446 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: why would this be an unprecedented move? Was it just 447 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: that it was a tobacco company or what? So I 448 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 1: looked into this because I was confused about it too. 449 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,199 Speaker 1: But the thing is, like President Nixon had actually signed 450 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 1: a bill in April nineteen seventy that had banned all 451 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: cigarette advertising on TV beginning of the following year, So 452 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: Johnson knew the company would be looking for new ways 453 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: to spend its advertising budget the next year. And of course, 454 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: Johnson liked to live dangerously, you know, like cigarette advertising 455 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: didn't bother him at all. But R. J. Reynolds was 456 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: a long shot. Like until that point, most of NASCAR 457 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: sponsorships were limited to local or regional businesses, and a 458 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: company as big as R. J. Reynolds with would be 459 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,239 Speaker 1: like a huge win for the sport. But instead of 460 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: just sponsoring like one car, Reynolds decided to turn down 461 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: that offer and they put their money behind a hundred 462 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: thousand dollar championship series called the Winston Cup. It was 463 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: this super smart marketing move for them, and until two 464 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: thousand three it remained the top series in NASCAR until 465 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: it took on a new sponsor. It became the next 466 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: Heel Cup and then like it changed hands to the 467 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: Sprint Cup, and I think it's now like the Monster 468 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,959 Speaker 1: Energy Cup, the Monster Energy Cup. Well, you know, if 469 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: Booze and cigarettes acted as NASCAR's backbone for the first 470 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: what three or four decades of its existence, like how 471 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,439 Speaker 1: do we eventually get from the air two Tide and 472 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: Monster Energy drinks. So that change actually happened in the 473 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: mid eighties, and this is when Procter and Gamble decided 474 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: to sponsor a few cars with brands like Crisco and Folgers. 475 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: And this is when Tide comes into the mix as well. 476 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: And once other companies had heard how the logo branded 477 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: cars had boosted p ANDNG sales. They all decided to 478 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: throw their hats in the ring as well. So you know, 479 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: you fast forward thirty years and everything from like Cheerios 480 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: to spam too. Even the Cartoon Network is out a car. 481 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: It's amazing, and they've paid pretty handsomely for that honor. 482 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: Like I think of primary sponsorship, which is when the 483 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: logo is on the hood of a car and it's 484 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: also on the racing teams uniforms, that runs between ten 485 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: and twenty five million dollars. Wow, I mean, and so 486 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: is it worth it for these companies to spend that 487 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: much money? You know, you always ask these things, and 488 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: I looked into it. Put the market research bears out 489 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 1: like NASCAR fans are apparently three times more likely as 490 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: non fans to buy products from companies that sponsored their 491 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: sport of choice. And part of the reason is that 492 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: they're so attached to the drivers that they're also trashed 493 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: to the driver's sponsors. But another big part is just 494 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: how much exposure these brands get. So like the Las 495 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: Vegas Review Journal report that the average screen time for 496 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: a car's primary sponsor during a race, it's about twelve 497 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: and a half minutes. Like imagine how many millions of 498 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: dollars it would cost Eric commercial that long, and that 499 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: exposure only goes up if a sponsor's driver wins or 500 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: sadly Rex's car like in fact, a pr man for 501 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: the Richard Children's Racing team once told a reporter quote, 502 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: if you crash, crash fabulously, and make sure your logo 503 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: is not wrinkled up. So class all right, well speak 504 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: in which we should probably take some time now to 505 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: talk about the history of NASCAR is more posh counterpart. 506 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: But before we do that, let's take a quick break. 507 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Parts and Genius. All right, well, so what's 508 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:04,959 Speaker 1: the story behind Formula One? Like was it started by 509 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: smugglers or maybe some jewel thieves? You know, that might 510 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: be a nice story, but there's actually no criminal component 511 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: for this one. And instead what we get with Formula 512 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: one is a professional racing league that really gradually grew 513 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: from those pioneering car races in France. That these were 514 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: taking place back before nineteen hundred. I mean think about that, 515 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: these were the earliest days of motor racing. So explain 516 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: this to me, Like, if racing was that popular from 517 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: the start over there, why did it take so long 518 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: for FLYN to be formalized. Well, it's actually because the 519 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: beginning of World War Two. You know, you had European 520 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 1: racing that had continued growing in popularity through the early 521 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: decades of the twentieth century, and this was right up 522 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: until the Germans began to dominate in the nineteen thirties. 523 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: So although there were plans for an official Formula one championship, 524 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,919 Speaker 1: and they had already been discussed by this point, they 525 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: had to be set aside until after the war. So 526 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 1: once again there's a pesky world war that spoils are fun, 527 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: spoils all the fun. But you know, by nineteen forty six, 528 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: the term Formula one was formally defined and these plans 529 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: were put in motion for the Sports owned Drivers Championship. 530 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 1: Now it did take a few years to figure out 531 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: all the details, but it was in nineteen fifty that's 532 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: when the very first F one World Championship was finally held, 533 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: and this was at the Silverstone Circuit in England. Okay, 534 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,160 Speaker 1: so don't laugh, but you just mentioned that Formula one 535 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: was officially defined at one point, and it occurs to 536 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: me that I have no idea what the term really means, Like, 537 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: does it refer to a certain kind of fuel the 538 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: cars use, or maybe a certain kind of motor oil. 539 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: Good guesses, but but actually not accurate on that. And 540 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: I can't laugh at you because I didn't know this 541 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: either until I looked it up. But you know, the 542 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: formula and Formula one racing actually refers to the rules 543 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: that govern the car's design. So you go back to 544 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: the beginning on this. That formula was taken from the 545 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: pre war regulations that really pertained the engine's capacity, and 546 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: it was first known as Formula A. Now, over the years, 547 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: the formula has been tweaked a good bit and now 548 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: it counts for both like new technology and environmental concerns, 549 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: but it's still based on the car's engine. So, for example, 550 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: the current formulas built around this hybrid power unit that 551 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: actually includes the turbo charge V six engine, but it's 552 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: electrically assisted by this power generated from kinetic energy as well. 553 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: Oh wow, And and do most F one teams build 554 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 1: and modify their own engines like NASCAR teams. Also, this 555 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 1: is an aside, but I think it's funny that F 556 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: one is so fancy, like partially because I remember that 557 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: in that documentary about Senna, the driver, which is honestly 558 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: so good. The way he came up in F one 559 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: was by raising go carts like go carts feel so 560 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 1: everyk in the world. I know, I love that. It 561 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: definitely feels that way. But you know what's funny is 562 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: that unlike NASCAR, there there really isn't much room for 563 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: improvisation enough one, And I kind of wonder if the 564 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: improv part is is maybe that American influence on the sport. 565 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,639 Speaker 1: But instead you've got these eleven official F one teams 566 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: and they all get their power trains from one of 567 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: four engine manufacturers. So you've got Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes, Benz, 568 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: and Renault. And you know, even if a n F 569 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: one team doesn't build their own engine, they're still responsible 570 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: for much of the does sign of the car. And honestly, 571 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: I mean that's the part that seems to count for 572 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 1: the most in Formula one. Yeah. So, one thing I've 573 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: always heard about F one is the huge emphasis it 574 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 1: plays on like top of the line tech and this 575 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: efficient design. Like some people swear that the whole thing 576 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: is just this elaborate pet project of technicians and engineers 577 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: masquerading as a sport. It's almost like the racing is 578 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: secondary to these design teams getting to experiment and mess around. Well, 579 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I think for some there's probably a lot 580 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: of truth to that. You know, many long time fans 581 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: really think the focus on the car itself has long 582 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: since eclips the actual drivers. And this is something that 583 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: first started happening back as early as the seventies. And 584 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: these cars had steadily grown faster and more sleek since 585 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: those very early days of the sport and all the 586 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: r and D for this constant quest to reduce drag 587 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: and increase cornering speeds, it was starting to get super expensive, 588 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, so much so that by the seventies there 589 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: were really no private entries in this sport because it 590 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: was just so expensive. I mean, that's almost a shame. 591 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: I am curious though, like how much do these cars 592 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: actually cost? So it varies, of course, but a good 593 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,479 Speaker 1: rule of thumb is to take a team's entire racing 594 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: budget for a year and then cut that in half. 595 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: So for the top teams, we're talking about spending upwards 596 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: of two hundred and fifty million dollars on the sport 597 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: each year. Yeah, so that's about a hundred and twenty 598 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: five million of that that goes towards the car for 599 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: that season, And even the bottom teams are dropping huge 600 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: dollars on this, anywhere from like twenty to fifty million 601 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: dollars on average. I mean, that's insanity to me. So 602 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: why are these so expensive? Like, are the materials just 603 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: that price? Well, it's not so much the individual parts 604 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: that cost so much. It's actually, you know, the entire 605 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: labor force needed to design and develop and and build, 606 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: and then even beyond that, just to constantly modify the product. 607 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: And at this massive amount of cash needed to keep 608 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: pace with the wealthier teams, it's actually really starting to 609 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,720 Speaker 1: affect the outcomes of the races. If you look at 610 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: the highest ranking teams in the league, they also happen 611 00:29:57,640 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: to be the ones with the most money. And then 612 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: on the other around of the spectrum, the last place 613 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: finishers are typically the poorest teams. And there's no coincidence 614 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: to that. So I remember hearing that the cash prizes 615 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: in Formula one are among the highest in all of 616 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: organized sports. So couldn't it just be that the winning 617 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: teams are the richest because they're the ones that just 618 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: keep getting all the prize money. Well, you know, if 619 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: all the teams were starting on even footing, that might 620 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: be the case. But in reality, I mean, there are 621 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,479 Speaker 1: different deals for different teams, and some of the longest 622 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: running ones get tens of millions of dollars just for 623 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 1: showing up to the race. It doesn't even matter if 624 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: they win, you know. And if you go back from 625 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: like Night one, all the way up to say two 626 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: thousand and thirteen, all the teams competed under the same 627 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,959 Speaker 1: financial deal. But then what you started to see happening, 628 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: like these car manufacturers and long running legacy teams, they 629 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: started angling for these special privileges and unique deals, and 630 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: and so the league finally cave to this pressure because 631 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: it was actually afraid these big names would just walk 632 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: away from the sport. So there was a really interesting 633 00:30:57,440 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: article in the New York Times, and it was pretty 634 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 1: insightful in the way that it looked at this. This 635 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: was back in two thousand and sixteen. And there's one 636 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: part that sums up the problem pretty nicely. And I'll 637 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: just read this to you. It says today, even among 638 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 1: the top teams, financial success does not correspond directly with 639 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: success on the track. Mercedes does not receive as much 640 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: money as Ferrari, the Italian team that's been around since 641 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: Formula One start in nineteen fifty, and that receives seventy 642 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: million dollars a year because of that legacy. Ferrari special 643 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: payment just for taking part is more than the total 644 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: earnings of the bottom five teams and last year, oh man, 645 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: I mean that's a little discouraging. And I do wonder 646 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: if the average F one fan knows about these dealings, right, Like, 647 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: it seems like the kind of thing that could really 648 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: turn people off the sport. Well, definitely, And it all 649 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: goes back to that sense that the cars are the 650 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,239 Speaker 1: true stars and F one not really the drivers. And 651 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: it's kind of a tough pill to swallow for a 652 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 1: lot of sports fans because there's so much of their 653 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: enjoyment that comes from reveling and human ability, So it 654 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: is kind of tough when they're treated as almost interchangeable 655 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 1: in the car itself is really the only constant. So 656 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: I I guess that makes sense, And I'd say that's 657 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,959 Speaker 1: only partially true, right, Like they're they're obvious stars at 658 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: the sport, and you read about the seven minute pit 659 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: stops where humans are making all these like microscopic changes 660 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: to tire pressure and alignment to like corner a specific 661 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: term better. But I do get your point right, Like 662 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: nobody watches tennis to see their favorite racket in action. 663 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, there's nothing more beautiful than a really 664 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: elegant racket. But you know what's funny is uh Andy 665 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: Roddick actually used to play with an old babble at racket, 666 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: but the company used to paint it to look like 667 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: a new model. It's so crazy playing with an old racket. 668 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: That's pretty weird. Yeah, because he just got accustomed to it, 669 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: all right. Well, back to what we were talking about here, 670 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: so that there's something I hope that the F one 671 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: League does take note of. And then this is for 672 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: the fans, like, because there's really a lot of skill 673 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: that goes into being a professional racer, and I don't 674 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: think most of us recognize that half as much as 675 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: we should. Really. Yeah. I found an Atlantic article that 676 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: was kind of written in defense of motorsports, and there 677 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: was one quote that really stuck with me. It was 678 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: about stock car racing, but I really think it applies 679 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: to all forms of motorsport, so I'm gonna pull it up. 680 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 1: It goes quote. The athletes who drive these cars, and 681 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 1: yes they are athletes even though they are sitting down, 682 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,959 Speaker 1: must possess steel nerves, quick reflexes, highly developed small motor skills, 683 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: and the mental acuity to develop elaborate plans for dominating 684 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: a track crowded with cars that could kill them. And 685 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: true fans understand the complexity of the sport and can 686 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: discuss in great detail the combination of skills crucial for success. Well, 687 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: that kind of feels like the perfect place to leave 688 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 1: our discussion. But I do have a few more racing 689 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: facts dying to share these, So what do you say? 690 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: We had to the fact of m H. So, I 691 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,239 Speaker 1: know people love to debate whether things like NASCAR are 692 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: actually sports, but I don't think there's any debating that 693 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: you have to be in good shape to withstand some 694 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: of what your body's experienced things. So I was looking 695 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: into some of the numbers, and first of all, the 696 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: temperature in the car and the NASCAR races often over 697 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: a hundred degrees and on turns the drivers are feeling 698 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: up to three g's of force on them. They means 699 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: three times the force of gravity. And also drivers are 700 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 1: losing up to ten pounds in sweat over the course 701 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: of a race. Ten pounds in sweat, Yeah, that's crazy. 702 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: I was actually looking at some of this too, And 703 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: it's not only these things, but like a driver's heart 704 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: rate typically stays between like hundred and twenty and a 705 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,880 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty beats per minute throughout the race. Now 706 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 1: we're talking three hours from any of these races, and 707 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: so that's actually about the same as a serious marathon 708 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,360 Speaker 1: runner over that period of time. And and I realized 709 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: this is about f one. But some of the drivers 710 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: can actually go two minutes without blinking. That's how intense 711 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: their concentration is. That's amazing. So here's a funny one. 712 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: I saw a fact that drivers in the major NASCAR 713 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: races all have to pass physicals and a drug test, 714 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: and I guess there's some sort of vetting process, but 715 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 1: one thing they're not required to show is a driver's license. 716 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 1: So technically you can have someone like tearing up the 717 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: tracks and nearly like two hundred miles per hour who 718 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:05,399 Speaker 1: actually wouldn't be able to drive to the grocery store 719 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,399 Speaker 1: after the race. I love the idea that that could 720 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,240 Speaker 1: possibly happen. Well, so I've often wondered about the beating 721 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,759 Speaker 1: that the car parts take during the races and how 722 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 1: long these parts last. Did you know the F one 723 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 1: car engines actually only last a couple of hours before 724 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,840 Speaker 1: they just blow entirely. Like, that's a little bit shorter 725 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: than the fifteen to twenty years most of us expected 726 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: of our own car engines. And also, not surprisingly, the 727 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 1: tires only last about sixty or so miles in each race. 728 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: And that's incredible. Did you know there are actually no 729 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 1: air bags in Formula one cars? Wait? What is it 730 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: just like to add an extra element of danger or No, 731 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: it just turns out that there's so many other safety 732 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: mechanisms that are more effective at keeping the drivers safe. 733 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: So I mean, it would be nearly impossible for a 734 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: driver to be ejected from the car because of how 735 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: well they're strapped in, like the crazy protective helmets and 736 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 1: the five point harnesses which keep the drivers from slamming 737 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 1: into the front of the car, which is really the 738 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 1: main point of an air bag. And all this on 739 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: top of the fact that the driver is inside a 740 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 1: survival cell that's designed to protect them in the vent 741 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: of a crash. All right, Well, here's another one I 742 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: found so there are small planes that take off at 743 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: slower speeds than you'd find an F one car traveling 744 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 1: during a race. The aerodynamic science involved in creating that 745 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:17,879 Speaker 1: downward force, you know, to keep them on the track. 746 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,719 Speaker 1: It's actually pretty amazing. And by the way, F one 747 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: cars can go from zero to a hundred miles per 748 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: hour back to zero and about four seconds. What that's ridiculous. 749 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,080 Speaker 1: So as it heads up, Well, one thing you do 750 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 1: not want to take with you to a race, if 751 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,279 Speaker 1: you get a chance to sit on the infield, is 752 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: shelled peanuts. And there are many superstitions in racing, like 753 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: apparently green cars are bad luck, but one of the 754 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 1: weirdest is this one around peanut halls. So there's an 755 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: article in Snopes that claims that the tradition possibly dates 756 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 1: back to a race in n seven where peanut shells 757 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: were found in a few cars that all happened to 758 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: crash in the race. And there are a few other 759 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: stories that have contributed to this. But trust me, don't 760 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: bring those shelled peanuts. I know you love to crack 761 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,839 Speaker 1: over the baseball games, right, Well, I've got to tell 762 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: you about my favorite NASCAR driver of all time and 763 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 1: that's Dick Trickle. I mean, his name alone is pretty 764 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: great and horrible at the same time. But so Dick 765 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 1: loves smoking so much that he drilled a hole in 766 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: his helmet so that he could smoke through his headgear. 767 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: And he even had a cigarette lighter installed into his 768 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 1: car because he didn't want to bother his pit crew 769 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: every time for all light. That's pretty great. So I 770 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 1: think you have to take home the prize with that one. 771 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 1: Thank you know. I think we did a pretty good 772 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: job in this episode of like debunking some of the 773 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: stereotypes and then we just came right back to it 774 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: with that last fact. But I'll take the victory either way. 775 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: I know we're both that much more excited to try 776 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: to get to a race. You know, we probably should 777 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 1: have come up with a contest like the listener that 778 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,319 Speaker 1: gives us the best fact. We would actually come to 779 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: visit them and then they could pay for us to 780 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: go to a NASCAR race. Doesn't it seem reasonable to me? 781 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 1: Or let us get on your yacht and then we'll 782 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: go to a Formula One race together. But either way, 783 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: if we forgot some great facts, and I know we 784 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: did about either NASCAR or Formula one or any other 785 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: type of racing. We'd love to hear from you as always. 786 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: You can email us part Time Genius at how stuff 787 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: Works dot com. You can also call us on our 788 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:12,240 Speaker 1: seven fact hotline that's one eight four four pt Genius, 789 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 1: or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. We always 790 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: love hearing from you, but thanks so much for listening. 791 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 792 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several 793 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 794 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,479 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Christa McNeil does the editing thing. Noel 795 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: Brown made the theme song and does the mixy mixy 796 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 1: sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gabeluesier 797 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: is our lead researcher, with support from the research Army 798 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 1: including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve 799 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 1: Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 800 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 801 00:38:57,640 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 802 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for us. Do we do? 803 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:03,239 Speaker 1: We forget Jason Jason, who