Island Breath: NASCAR & the National Guard

SUBJECT: VICE PRESIDENT HAWKS NASCAR, PEPSI & THE MILITARY

SOURCE: JUAN WILSON juanwilson@mac.com

POSTED: 3 JUNE 2007 - 10:30am HST

The Race to Recruit

by Juan Wilson on 3 June 2007

I have not seen much of Vice President Cheney lately. I thought maybe he was still in his secret bunker consulting with cardiac specialists. Not so. What I have discovered is that he is speaking to large audiences throughout the US that just don't happen to include me.

Cheney has been quite active for the last few years doing promo tours for an alliance of American institutions that he sees as vital to America's future. They include The US Army, The National Guard, General Motors, Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola and NASCAR.

The following is a photo essay illustrates scenes from The Coca Cola 600 and Pepsi 400 NASCAR races.

Above, the Vice President's Secret Service motorcade arrives at the 2006 Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway and does a victory lap.

The Vice President shakes hands with the US Army racecar pit crew before the Daytona Pepsi 400 race.

Mr. Cheney gets up close and personal with a National Guard entry and receives guided tour by Winston (cigarette) Cup champion Darrell Waltrip prior to Pepsi 400.

National Guard troops guard a National Guard racecar on public display. And yes, you could meet with recruiters in an air conditioned trailer if you liked.

Above the fray, the Vice President enjoys a birds eye view of the festivities as the Pepsi 400 gets underway. This, obviously, is God's country.

The Vice President joins the Fox News sportscasters during the race to add some color and promote a victory for military NASCAR teams that was just not to be.

However, in the spring of 2007, in a partnership with General Motors, Casey Mears drove a National Guard NASCAR/GMAC entry to victory in the Coca Cola 600.

To celebrate, GMAC made a special car financing offer to those serving our country through the National Guard website. Thank God America's industry supports our troops.

I would suggest to Mr. Cheney that he might get more young recruits into the Army and National Guard if he offered neato paint jobs and popular logos on military equipment and uniforms, just like the ones that make NASCAR such a colorful and exciting affair.

What a country!

Note: Pepsi 400 Daytona images atwww.whitehouse.gov in 2007