by Christopher Cella

Created on: February 18, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

It is ignorant to think that high speed racing should be banned, just as it is to think football and baseball should be banned due to steroid usage. High speed racing is a sport that has immensely grown within recent years, and along with its rise in popularity it has increased its safety standards.

Any fan, or somebody watching a race for the first time, can appreciate how the drivers are capable of walking away from an accident resulting in speeds of over 180 mph. The reason they are able to do so is because of the countless hours the racing organizations have invested in in making sure the race cars are safe as well as the equipment a driver wears throughout the race.

It is ignorant that anybody would say racing promotes a message to young drivers that it is okay to drive fast. If that is the case, then MLB has promoted that in order to be a successful baseball player you must take steroids.

High speed racing has been occurring for over 60 years, and is quickly becoming a worldwide hit. While over 140 million people watched the Super Bowl in recent weeks, over 85 million people watched the Daytona 500, the biggest race on the NASCAR circuit.

Each year more and more viewers are tuning in to this sport. Whereas many ignorant people simply think NASCAR is nothing more than someone driving around in a circle for five hours, each week millions more are appreciating the sport for what it is- an art. Much like a game of chess, NASCAR, as does other racing associations, requires great strategy, patience, and execution. High speed racers need to be as mentally prepared for each race as they are phyiscally, considering they sit in a tight car that exceeds temperatures of over 150 degrees.

And along with the new forth popularity this sport is generating comes a huge amount of money that is being brought in due to ticket sales, apparel, etc. Races such as Daytona and Talladega will NEVER be banned because it would be a poor economical decision.

Blaming speeding on NASCAR racing is as ignorant as blaming video games for the violence we see on the news. It is time for people to take responsibility for their own actions, and not look to a sport or a form of entertainment as the scapegoat.

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