FOR THE WIN

Why NASCAR fans love 'Talladega Nights'

Michelle R. Martinelli

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Even though the Will Ferrell movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby came out 11 years ago, NASCAR fans still talk about it and celebrate it at Talladega Superspeedway.

They love the NASCAR movie, despite the ridiculous exaggerations about the culture and drivers for the sake of comedy.

"It's just funny," said Kim, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania resident who's been coming to Talladega races for eight years. "Back in the day, there was some truth to it, and they just elaborated it for comedy. I'm sure some of that stuff has happened. Any true NASCAR fan can relate."

Between the cameos from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray and Darrell Waltrip and Ferrell's catchy, over-the-top one-liners, fans seem to have embraced everything about the movie.

A group of NASCAR fans from Jonesboro, Arkansas even have a Power Hour drinking game where after each minute for an hour, their music is interrupted by a quote from the movie - like "I'm not sure what to do with my hands," "Dear tiny, infant Jesus" and "I'm too drunk to taste this chicken."

The 2006 movie also encouraged some people to learn more about NASCAR.

" Talladega Nights is hilarious, and I know people it got into NASCAR," said Summer from Pensacola, Florida. "It made more people want to come to Talladega after they saw the movie because they had to come check it out."

Plus, everyone loves an absurdly hysterical Will Ferrell movie, right?

"What do you not like about it?" Dave from Houston asked. "Will Ferrell can make a pile of dog (expletive) on a lawn funny."