Part II Militarizing NASCAR Nation

Abstract

The history of petroleum overdependence (as a resource fueling broader systems of capital accumulation) and widespread anxieties over its global scarcity foregrounds both concerns for the state of twenty-first century American empire and the geopolitical militarism it necessitates. The “Global War on Terror” espoused by George W. Bush and his acolytes obscures the commercial and corporate interests that lie in part behind these movements: the tactical procurement of world oil reserves; the protection of existing domestic capital markets; and the establishment of global capital markets through acts of privatization and deregulation (Harvey, 2003, 2005; Klein, 2007; Phillips, 2006; Rutledge, 2005).

NASCAR has draped itself even more in the American flag since the tragedies of 9/11 and the outbreak of war in Iraq in March 2003. At racetracks today, during the prerace rituals there are always multiple representatives of the American armed services on display, always a military color guard carrying the flag, and a military fly-over during the national anthem. Patriotism is one of the values NASCAR tries to emulate for its fans and arouse in its fans—those in person, those listening on the radio, and those watching the race on television.

—Hugenberg & Hugenberg (2008, p. 648)