OCTOBER 4, 2005

And NASCAR helps itself

While Formula 1 teams continue to fight with one another and the promotion of the sport remains at the bottom of the "to do" list, the NASCAR Nextel Cup continues to show the way in terms of promoting the sport, particularly to the much-needed new generations.

Following an involvement in the recent Herbie movie, NASCAR is now in the process of helping Will Ferrell shoot a new comedy movie to be called "High, Wide and Handsome", a send-up of the sport and its fans. Ferrell, known for work on Saturday Night Live, will play the lead role, a character which appears to be based on a comic-version of Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the script his dominance will be challenged by a French Formula 1 star played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

The NASCAR scene threw itself into the task with enthusiasm last weekend at Talladega with cars bearing sponsorship messages for some weird and wonderful invented companies, notably "Julio's Thongs for Men".