[url=http://jalopnik.com/nascar-faces-gun-control-blowback-over-the-nra-500-472789495]I'm as sick of the the constant gun threads as the rest of you, but I just had to post this:[/url][quote]Politics and racing are always a volatile mix, and that is certainly true with this weekend's Sprint Cup race: the NRA 500 in Texas. That name and the controversy that goes with it threatens to overshadow the actual race itself. Some gun control proponents have gone so far as to argue that the race should not be broadcast on television. This is the first year the National Rifle Association has been the primary sponsor of a Sprint Cup race. In previous years, the event at Fort Worth's Texas Motor Speedway has been sponsored by Radio Shack, DirecTV and Samsung, among others. But the NRA made waves when they announced early last month that they would be the primary sponsor. This is not the first time they have been involved with NASCAR. Last year the organization sponsored a Nationwide Cup race in Atlanta. On any other year, it might seem like NASCAR and the NRA are a good fit. NASCAR has a tremendous Southern fanbase, and I'm sure many of those people also support gun rights. (There's also plenty of Southerners who support gun control, and non-Southern racing fans who are pro-gun. You get my drift.) It's also fitting that it takes place in famously gun-friendly Texas, whose leaders have been trying to woo Connecticut-based firearms manufacturer PTR Industries after that state passed strict gun control laws on the heels of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But because of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, this isn't any other year. The NRA has faced more criticism than possibly any other time in its history as Congress mulls the possibility of new gun control laws. [/quote][quote]NASCAR has received the brunt of the criticism, but it's important to remember here that sponsorship deals are made between the track and the sponsor, although NASCAR has the right to veto them if they see fit. Eddie Gossage, the president of the Texas Motor Speedway, told CBS Sports he actually hasn't heard much in the way of controversy over the race. He said the NRA's sponsorship is "not about politics. It's about sports marketing." Gossage has said that the deal for NRA sponsorship took place well before the Sandy Hook shooting, but that the announcement of it came after. He also said he doesn't expect any kind of drop in attendance for the race.[/quote] Thoughts?