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Will the NRA Continue to Sponsor NASCAR?
It’s been a question that’s been asked for years. Will the marriage continue to go the way of the Winston Cup?
Tomorrow is the Bass Pro Shops NRA 500. It will be the last Bristol night race, at least for the time being, that is not in the playoff field.
Instead, it is the last race of the regular season, with Clint Bowyer trying to hold on to his 16th place position in the points standings amidst challenges from Daniel Suarez and Jimmie Johnson.
Are there too many drivers in the playoff field? Are 16 drivers really worthy of competing for a championship if only nine have won races? There’s a legitimate chance Ryan Newman, 15th in the points standings, will qualify for the postseason with only one top five finish.
Aric Almirola most certainly will as he’s 11th in the points standings.
Should we have the playoffs at all? Do they weight 10 races greater than the other 26, thus the demise in NASCAR attendance?
But those questions could pale in comparison to the question of if the National Rifle Association will continue sponsorship of NASCAR races.
This column is neither an endorsement nor a criticism of the NRA. It is to wonder if, in the midst of shootings in El Paso, Dayton and seemingly a new location every week, if the…