Auto Racing and Firearms

J

Jeff Thomas

New member
I've always enjoyed auto racing, and now I wonder how many racers feel about firearms ownership, self defense, etc. Considering the necessary psychology of a successful racer (emphasis on safety, acceptance of risk and personal responsibility, striving for perfection, ...), I would think most auto racers would also be gun owners.

But, I have no idea. Certainly it varies by the individual, but do any of our members know how folks like Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Roger Penske, Dale Earnhardt, and others feel about firearms? Are any of them active in firearms sports or the politics of firearms?
 
Don't know about auto racing, but I spent a number of years racing motorcycles. Motocross, desert races, and hare scrambles primarily. Tried roundy-roundy dirt track once.



I imagine there are many similarities. You're trying to push the machine to the limit of controllability while keeping a close eye on the guy next to you and trying to map your line through the next corner. There's a lot going on and it happens very quickly. An error of judgement or an instant's inattention can cause a world of hurt!



I find shooting to be a no-stress sport by comparison. Safety is a primary concern; because you don't need to perform in a hurry you can give it a lot of attention. All I know is, motorcycles have beat me up way more than my rifles ever have!
 
Earnhardt & Waltrip are hunters. FWIW I raced sports cars from '56-'80, and then got into IPSC...Many SCCA types I've known were at least casual shooters/hunters.

Regards, Art
 
FWIW, Jackie Stewart is a world-class skeet shooter & motorcycle racer.

Clearly, in any sport where control at the edge is a consideration, there's got to be some crossover. I sail. Finding that point where the wind, water, and boat are perfectly balanced produces a resonance, a hummmmmmmmm. It's not unlike when you're in the 'zone' target shooting. It's a kind of disembodiment, yet one-ness. It's why I like them both, displaces the mundane and day-to-day mental clutter. Great escapism.

FWIW, I've found it with many mechanical venues - bicycles, cars, motorcycles - and some bodily, like swimming. When I usta swim distance, I could hear the drums, and when the beat was sweet, I could not be beat (even pulling three skiers -).

Yeah, there's synergy to be had there, Jeff. Most folks who appreciate fine hardware probably like guns, at least for the engineering. It's the social overhead that puts some off, but then again, some tree-huggers argue against auto racing as a waste of fossil fuels and a source of polution. I sometimes feel that feeding and housing them is a similar waste, but I'm feeling cynical today.

Everyone have anice weekend. M2
 
I believe the entire Unser family would be pro-gun, due to their open love for hunting and the outdoors. Then again, I can't read minds.... :)
 
I roadrace motorcycles and (not trying to be sexist) most of the racers are "guy's guy's," and many of them are hunters/shooters too.

I'm looking forward to doing some IDPA and/or IPSC this summer, and I hope to prove that a good racer has the makings of a good shooter.
 
Yesterday my wife and I took a “mini-vacation” to San Antonio. Went through
the Alamo again. It is still,... no,... it is an even greater, more emotional
experience every time I go. It is very, very hard to read Travis’ “Victory or
Death” letter without eyes getting misty and a large throat lump preventing all talk.
Got a copy of that letter. Gonna hang it here in the den for times when self-pity
dares approach....

Across the street from the Alamo is the “Cowboy Museum”. In the front window
is a model of ole number 43, Richard Petty’s blue Plymouth. The “Old Timer” who runs the museum has a picture of himself presenting a hand-made holster to Richard Petty. Old Timer says he has been to the Petty home and Lee, Richard, Kyle and the entire family are just as nice, polite, and as “good folk” as
anyone could ask for.

Old Timer and I shared quite a laugh that the Pettys apparently don’t drink - at least they didn’t when Old Timer was there. Rather funny when you realize NASCAR became the home for all the boys that used to run white lightning to the coast and sugar back home.

Guess these days, ole timers like Curt Turner just couldn’t compete. I’m sure he’d
have the nerve to drive flat out; but hangovers don’t make for good precision -
handling cars at 200 mph or handling guns.

Times change, I suppose....
 
Can't speak for anyone else, but in my experience most folks that enjoy a fast drive or ride are open to gun ownership also. Many of the guys I,ve met through sportbiking have turned out to be shooters. The funny coincidience is that the best local range happens to be on one of the best local riding roads. On a Sunday I can ride to and from the range and combine my two favorite activities.Might be a little hard to explain if I go down hard and the LEO on the scene finds a Glock and a Colt in my tank bag.
 
There seems to be a connection between cars & guns. If any of you saw the American Shooter show with the Bill Ruger interview you heard about his love of cars. Also Jim Scouten who also hosts Car & Driver TV on TNN mentioned his interest in both subjects and many other auto journalists who feel the same. Hot Rod magazine, well Peterson Publications, a few months back ran multi-page ads for Remington (I think) and highlighted shooting sports similarities to Nascar. Many dirvers were shown at shooting events and out hunting. This was good news to me, the more hgh profile poeple involved in shooting sports the better.
 
John Ross is a huge speed monster. I am actually muchmore jealous of his vehicle collection than I am his gun collection.

Jeff,

Go check out that lengthy post I put up early last month about celebrities and guns/hunting. I listed quite a few NASCAR guys.

Meanwhile, My company's racing team is sponsored by primarily Realtree and we have several other outdoors related sponsors. We display the cars at a lot of Shooting/hunting events with the vehicles (look for us next month in Ft. Lauderdale at the STC Nationals). WE always get a great response from hunter/shooters about the racing or at the track about the "outdoorsness" of our team. There is a huge cross-over in the demographics for both interests.

We haven't bothered to set up a new web site for 1999 yet, but you can see our old site at: http://www.catalystpro.com/race

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-Essayons
 
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