An Alternate View On Southern Culture and Identity

I do not believe that a proper representation of the South can be offered by any single artifact. Even the typical Southern stereotypes are far ranging from well-mannered gentlemen and their southern belles to poor, fried chicken-loving, trailer park-dwelling rednecks. The artifact I chose to investigate is the (non)sport of NASCAR.

The history of NASCAR is uniquely Southern. During the days of Prohibition some men (called runners) drove fast cars in order to outdrive the law and deliver illicit stores of moonshine. When not on the road transporting liquor, informal races were held in order to determine who the fastest runner was. By the late 1940s these races had become an organized sport with standard rules for racing being established in 1947 in Daytona Beach, Florida. This was the birth and beginning of what would become the immensely popular sport of NASCAR.

The fans of NASCAR are incredibly loyal. The revenue generated by NASCAR merchandise sales is in the hundreds of millions. But NASCAR merchandise and extreme loyalty are not the only things fans sport while at the races; Confederate flags and Southern pride are also common sights. Although the Confederate flag has been banned from appearing on any NASCAR licensed product, the image is still seen regularly amidst the fans. Some people, like myself, question why some fans are so passionate about such a controversial symbol. Rebel flag supporters retort “it’s not hatred, it’s heritage.”

The NASCAR culture makes up an interesting facet of Southern identity. The history involved is uniquely Southern and evokes great Southern pride. However, NASCAR, like the South, is slowly becoming more national, even more global. Sixty percent of NASCAR fans live outside of the South. More and more raceways are being built in the north and exhibitions are taking place around the globe. The disappearing Southerness of NASCAR mirrors the disappearing sense of Southerness in general. The New South is in some instances hardly recognizable from the North. NASCAR, too, is gaining a greater diversity of followers. Both, however, have rich histories with proud and loyal people. This artifact is therefore an accurate representation of at least some facets of the South and Southern identity.

The above video plays the song White Knuckle Ride by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song is Southern Rock and is about the present love and nostalgia for racing cars. The inclusion of this artifact is appropriate because it emphasizes the importance of car racing in the South as well as the importance of remembering one's roots and where one came from.

Kristen Hannukainen