Welcome to the Frontstretch Five, a brand-new column for 2014! Each week, Amy Henderson takes a look at the racing, the drivers, and the storylines that drive NASCAR and produces a list of five people, places, things, and ideas that define the current state of our sport. In the latest edition, Amy’s taking a walk down memory lane with some of her favorite commercials featuring NASCAR drivers.
1. OK, I admit it…I have a real weakness for commercials featuring NASCAR drivers. I always have. Maybe it’s the way the drivers apparently live in their firesuits or otherwise have their car number emblazoned on everything, like they might forget or something. Maybe it’s the crazy situations they’re in…I don’t know why I like them, but I do. The ones here are just a few of my favorites, starting with this classic. If you have kids, or if you have parents, you can probably relate…
2. This one never fails to make me laugh. The escalation of this argument is just ridiculous, like a couple of big kids. Then again, consider the source…
3. Another ridiculous argument, made even funnier because the drivers aren’t even involved, and they don’t look like they want to be. They kind of eyeball each other, wondering is someone expects them to fight. The only thing the cans can agree on is that Mikey’s is old… sounds like more big kids.
4. The best part of this one? Jimmie’s snotty “welding, Chad.” Thank you, Captain Obvious…and who let him have a blowtorch?
5. Here we go with the car numbers. They’re on everything. Including, thanks to Newman, everyone’s face.
5 ½. And here’s the sequel, where Newman meets his match when the demented cosmetologist in Kasey Kahne comes out. Kurt Busch’s monk-style ring is especially stylin’.
About the author
Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.
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Gotta make room for any of the Mark ‘n Mikey commercials for Aarons, Amy. Especially the one where MM is polishing the headlight decals.