We took a big step with our trip to the 2008 Indy 500. Our two oldest daughters opted out after getting their fill at last year’s rain soaked run. We invited Erik and Sara Phillips, our good friends from church, to join us. We got together the month before to talk about the trip and our plans. OK, so it felt a little more like we told them our plans and expected them to follow them. I guess that’s the advantage of experience, right?

Paul Tracy, Champ Car's "Bad Boy", tried to find a home in the unified IndyCar Series. Is there room?

At the Salisbury House Automobile Classic, a 1967 Shelby-American GT500-E "Eleanor" was shown that had fewer than 150 miles on it; a trailered show car in the body of a high-performance pony car.

When it comes to racial, cultural or ethnic relations, there is no better unifying force than Christian faith. Jesus teaches us to love one another, even our enemies. We’re called to go into all the world and make disciples of all people. We bear the cross as our symbol of salvation and this egalitarianism.

But, is that enough?

In recent years, being a race fan in America has been synonymous to being a NASCAR fan. It's the NBA, NFL and MLB of auto racing (though, personally I think it's more like the NHL). Those “ball” sports machines are all-American; American sports with American athletes for American audiences. Each has an export version like CFL, WFL, Japanese baseball. But the core of the sport is American. NASCAR, though, is an attempt to American-ize a sport with a worldwide heritage.