Monday, March 03, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Joe Hawk

Waltrip's 'redneck' patriotism OK by me

Michael Waltrip had a statement to make Sunday, and it had nothing to do with his impromptu slide across the infield grass at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing a distant third to Matt Kenseth in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

That slide of his No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet was pure ... well, so we don't offend any of those 140,000 or so NASCAR Winston Cup fans in town over the weekend, let's allow the affable Southerner to explain:

"When you're a redneck, that grass is inviting," Waltrip said. "I thought, `What the heck. I'll just slide through it anyway.' "

The post-race comment on TV caused a chuckle in the speedway press room. But it was what Waltrip said next that caught my attention. The winner of the prestigious Daytona 500 two weeks ago had a pointed message for America.

"I would like to say, `God bless our president,' " Waltrip said. "I hope the whole country is behind him and supporting him ... praying for him. And (that) we're united as a country and stand behind the president.

"I've been wanting to say that for a week now."

Good for you, Michael Waltrip. That's something that needs to be said at this most difficult time in our nation's history. You and I apparently share the same "United we stand, divided we fall" patriotic mind-set.

Sure, there will be some who disagree with your comments, our sentiments. And that's OK.

Whether we're conservative or liberal, pro-war or anti-war against Iraq, we are, as Americans, allowed to freely speak our minds in this great country. And you did yours, Michael. Thank you.

At a time when you could've been grousing about not winning a race -- finishing 9.7 seconds behind Kenseth and six-tenths of a second behind second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- or going into the technical minutiae of why you didn't win, you took a moment to give a thumbs-up to a guy who has to be feeling a tremendous amount of pressure these days.

The pressure of engendering a safer, freer world.

"I just think we're a country and he's our leader," Waltrip, 39, of Owensboro, Ky., explained afterward. "We need to unite behind (President Bush) and support the decisions that he makes. Democrats and Republicans are all in Washington and, as a group, they're going to decide what is best for this country, and the president is just over the system.

"To turn your back on the flag or to protest at this time hurts my heart. I pray for the president and our country, and I just ask that people support the system and be behind him."

It likely comes as no surprise that Waltrip -- or NASCAR in general, with its deep American roots -- supports the president. The sport's race cars may be a Crayola crayons box of colors, but none stand out more proudly than red, white and blue.

During Sunday's elaborate prerace ceremony -- which included an appearance by Gen. Robert Fogelsong, the U.S. Air Force's second-in-command; a swearing-in of 25 recruits on the speedway's front stretch, right across Las Vegas Boulevard from Nellis Air Force Base; and a dramatic flyover by a split-ship of F-15s and F-16s from Nellis -- many fans stood and waved American flags they had brought with them.

Moreover, many of the volunteer workers at the speedway over the weekend were off-duty personnel from Nellis. The number was fewer than in past years, however, because many have been deployed to the Persian Gulf.

So you can see why the patriotism hit Waltrip a little more personally this week.

"I would venture to guess that people as a whole in our (racing) community feel that way," Waltrip said of his support for the president. "But I can't speak for them."

Oh, but you did, Michael.

Beautifully.

Joe Hawk can be reached at 387-2912 or jhawk@reviewjournal.com.