There are many places in the American south that are accepting of Judaism, and not even in that weird eschatological/red cows sort of way. Those places are not in pit row at a NASCAR event. Just ask Jon Denning, NASCAR's token Jewish driver. Believe it or not, some people tried to convert Denning to Christianity. Some claiming that he'd maybe do even better as a Christian. But it wasn't just other drivers and fans, it was even people on his own crew who would "curse Jews and put down minorities." Denning was in the Whelen American series, which is the entry-level racing series sanctioned by NASCAR.


Despite starting 15 races with three top five finishes and seven top 10 finishes, Denning was unable to get sponsorship to continue racing. Until he can acquire sponsorship Denning has decided to fulfill rather than continue to break a stereotype about Jewish people by taking an internship at the New York Mercantile Exchange. This reminds us of the time that Murilee tried to convert Ray to Santeria, which most automotive journalists practice. [JTW]