The White Zone: There’s no defense for fans throwing objects on track

“The white-zone is for immediate loading and unloading…” and I need to unload on those of you who thought pelting the track with beer was a good idea.

Sitting in the stands this past Sunday, I had the unfortunate dishonor of watching grown adults pelting Talladega Superspeedway with cans of beer. I wasn’t even going to bring this up, but then I heard about a seven-year-old girl who got hit in the face with a full can of beer and had to get eight stitches.

I don’t care how angry you were with the finish Sunday and I even said that NASCAR should be embarrassed with the finish of the race, there is NO EXCUSE or justifying the actions of those of you who decided to act like idiots. If you want to act like stupid rednecks, you leave that crap at home or in the campgrounds! Actions like that give NASCAR fans the “stupid redneck” image I’ve fought against for years.

It was wrong when fans did it to Jeff Gordon in 2004, it was wrong when they did it again to Jeff Gordon in 2007 and it was wrong when they did a third time on Sunday.

Don’t even try to justify their actions in the comment section by saying “NASCAR screwed them out of a finish.” I don’t care. There is no justifiable reason to act like idiots and throw cans of beer on the track.

Thankfully, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Dave Moody even took the time to call out those people Monday on Sirius XM Speedway when a man called in to tell his story on his seven-year-old daughter getting hit in the face with a beer can and requiring stitches.

Those fans should also be ashamed of themselves because they just wasted perfectly good beer. There’s an old saying in the baseball world: You don’t throw things at players and you don’t waste beer. Unless you’re committed to finishing that can of beer, don’t buy that can of beer!

Now I understand perfectly that I’m talking about not even one percent of the people in attendance Sunday. Hell, I’m not even sure fans were throwing beer cans beyond those down towards turn 1. But we all need to call these people out and make it clear that we won’t tolerate this stupidity from fellow members of the NASCAR fanbase.

My plane is about to take off, so I must wrap this up. Until next time, I’ll leave you with this fact. Certain species of male butterflies produce scents that serve in attracting females during courtship.

*The opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Speedway Media.

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Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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