Round and Round They Go

Racing Fans Follow Sport Via Queers4Gears

“Gay NASCAR fans” for many sounds like a spoof, like a vegetarian redneck or a tolerant terrorist. But unlike Hairy Jerry’s, the gay Yeti bar that is rumored to be found deep in the Canadian wilderness, gay NASCAR fans really do exist . They can be found at racing events across the country as well as at their online habitat, Queers4Gears.com. If after visiting the site you’re still not convinced, consider “Nasbian” – a word coined to describe Lesbians who love NASCAR (and presumably straight women who won’t give out their phone numbers at races). How could that word exist if there weren’t at least a few women who love women and NASCAR?

My ambivalent response to the gay NASCAR fan phenomenon turned out to be rather common, at least in the large gay-themed metropolis where I did my highly unscientific poling. I asked several gay men if they were NASCAR fans and got mostly blanks stares in return. The responses ranged from, “Watching a car go round and round in a circle doesn’t float my boat” to “I’m not even sure what it is.”

On a more positive note one adorable bearded gentleman did indicate that “Their drivers are hot.” (Which turns out to be true on several levels as the temperature in racing cars can reach 120 degrees … and Patrick Dempsey likes to race.) One man went so far as to deny the very existence of this admittedly elusive species: “There’s no such thing as a gay NASCAR fan.” It could be that I was just looking in the wrong part of the country, as racing tends to be more popular in the South. Since NASCAR ranks second only to football in TV viewing popularity, statistically it stands to reason that at least some of those race lovers must be gay.

Michael Myers, who operates Q4G, has said on more than one occasion that “NASCAR has more fans who are accepting of me being gay than gays have been accepting of me being a NASCAR fan.” Myers has continued to be pleasantly surprised by NASCAR’s response to him and his site. He was granted press credentials without a fuss and has felt nothing but accepted by everyone in NASCAR media relations that he has come into contact with. “I know that being gay in the NASCAR thing is not traditional. … It may take them some time. But they have been ‘welcoming’ so far.”

On a more cynical note, it may be that NASCAR’s openness to fans of all sexual proclivities has less to do with tolerance and more to do with flagging ticket sales. (Attendance dropped in 14 out of 19 races in 2010.)

So if NASCAR can welcome gays why can’t gays welcome NASCAR? And why are gays such meanies to other gays who like NASCAR? It might be that some gays don’t like NASCAR fans because they think that the kind of person who likes NASCAR doesn’t like gays. “They’d like to run us over,” one gay man I spoke to said, while his comrades rattled off characteristics they associated with race fans: “bigots, rednecks, republicans, rich people, rich companies.” Rich companies do fuel professional racing, which is an extremely expensive sport to be involved in. Indeed, funding a racing season starts at around half a million dollars. Evan Darling, currently the only pro who has raced out of the closet, has struggled throughout his career to find the funds he needs to compete. “There is no support for out athletes and in this sport if you lose your sponsorship your career is over,” said Darling, who was hoping to benefit from the deep pockets of gay-friendly corporations, but so far he hasn’t had any luck finding sponsorship. After five years of struggle he is considering throwing in the towel. “I’m the first pro athlete to come out while I’m still in the sport,” he said. “I love the competition, but I also need to pay my bills.” Darling is dedicated to the sport and still hoping to find the support he needs to continue. He also loves men who look like truck drivers, which may be scaring off potential sponsors.

While always enjoying the thrill of fast cars driven by good-looking men, Myers also has bigger goals for Q4G. “There are as many misconceptions and stereotypes about NASCAR fans as there are about gay people. I hope in some small ways Queers4Gears can help to change that,” he says on the welcome page of his website. He is also dedicated to creating a place where gay NASCAR fans feel safe and welcomed, and it seems to be working with responses like, “Great site!! I thought I was the only gay NASCAR fan” and “Seeing sites like yours and Gaytona makes me realize I (and many others like myself) are not alone. Thank you so much!”

Whether they know it or not racing has lots of aspects that might appeal to the gay sports fan. Though Myers enjoys rooting for his favorite driver, he enjoys even more hating on the drivers he doesn’t like. Nobody enjoys being playfully hateful more than a gay man. Then there is the inherent drama, winners, losers, crashes and driving antics. It may not be Shakespeare on wheels, but there is certainly an arresting narrative arc. And if none of that grabs you, “I like to point out to potential gay fans – it is a bunch of young, really hot guys, driving fast and colorful cars,” said Myers.

Myers thinks that NASCAR is having trouble attracting new fans because the races are too long. The Indy 500 can take nearly four hours, which is a large chunk out of anyone’s Sunday. Myers finds more converts at the smaller tracks where the races are shorter and the cars are smaller, but the action is still fast and furious. “The races are over fast and there is a ton of action. After three hours they might have seen nine different races with nine types of cars. The tickets to these local tracks are cheap, too,” said Myers. The Q4G site features serious racing news and commentary as well as lighter gay-themed fare entitled “gaynalyses.” Currently the site has over 50,000 page views and is averaging over 2,000 unique visitors a month. Myers also wants to help queers of all orientations get a chance to enjoy live racing action, working with race promoters to score ticket discounts for Queers4Gears visitors to a November race at the Phoenix International Raceway.

To find out more about the wide world of NASCAR and the gays who love it visit www.queers4gears.com.