L. RON HUBBARD UNDER THE HOOD!

Just like some major automaker "sneaking into" NASCAR through the back door, L. Ron Hubbard, the dead science fiction author who invented a religion and got lots of people to give him lots of money so they could be in it, too --- Is now a factor in the world's fastest-growing motorsport. Yes, NASCAR's first Scientology-sponsored race car is planned to enter an event at Los Angeles' Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night, June 7th.

If any sport can be said to "Spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ," it is NASCAR. Invocations, at the start of every race, generally delivered by a local pastor with some connection to the track, implore "Jesus Christ" to protect the racers and the fans and provide for a great day of racing. Other religions, it would appear, are "Not Welcome Here". NASCAR grandstands and infields also serve as museums of the Old South, as the "Stars and Bars", the traditional "Rebel" flag, fly in great numbers throughout the crowd, something NASCAR might grumble about privately but does nothing to stop publicly. It's still difficult for many to imagine NASCAR being serious about their ongoing "Diversity Program", when the symbol of the rebellion which broke apart the United States, assassinated a US President, killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and which was based on economic conditions determined by the free labor provided by Black slaves, is allowed to be freely displayed.

No word on whether or not Tom Cruise (who starred in the NASCAR film "Days of Thunder"), Isaac Hayes, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Chick Corea, Kirstie Alley, Nicole Kidman, Kelly Preston, Priscilla Presley or Lisa Presley or any of the other cult members will be part of the pit crew. Maybe founder L. Ron Hubbard will re-appear. But here's how the Associated Press is reporting the story, out of Charlotte, North Carolina:

  Race fans, let the couch-jumping begin.
   The Church of Scientology, the religion for which actor Tom Cruise crusades, will attempt to spread its "Ignite Your Potential" message into auto racing through sponsorship of a race car in one of NASCAR's lowest levels.
   Kenton Gray, a 35-year-old Californian, will attempt to make the field for a late model race Saturday night at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway. His No. 27 Ford Taurus will be sponsored by Bridge Publications, which publishes Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's bestseller "Dianetics."
   The hood of the car will say "Dianetics" on it, along with a volcano to mimic the book cover.
   Details of the sponsorship agreement were sketchy Wednesday.
   A woman who answered the phone at Freedom Motorsports, the team Gray founded, referred all calls to Bridge Publications. Danielle Methvin, spokeswoman for Bridge Publications, did not immediately return a call for comment. And there was no word if Cruise, who famously jumped on a couch during an Oprah Winfrey appearance last year, will be attending the race.
   NASCAR, for now, has no issue with the sponsorship.
  "The sponsorship at the weekly and regional touring level are made independent of NASCAR, unlike our three series on the national level," spokesman Jim Hunter said. "However, we would step in at any level if we deemed it to be in bad taste or bad for the sport. But in this case, we don't
think it is."
   According to Freedom Motorsports' web site, Gray announced the five-year sponsorship deal on May 6.
   "Dianetics is a book that helped me in many ways since I first read it many years ago," Gray said in a statement. "It helped me get better control over the obstacles I had to get through to reach goals I was passionate about. Its a great honor to have a sponsor relationship that's so directly related to my
making it this far."
   Will Gray use Scientology's gimmicky "E-meter" (photo) to help with his racing efforts?
   Scientology is not the first religion to make its way into racing.
   Morgan Shepherd has competed the past few years in the No. 89 Victory in Jesus Racing Ministries  car. NASCAR had to sign off on his paint scheme, and refused to let his first offering onto the track before finally agreeing to allow the message "Racing With Jesus" onto the hood of the car.
   And in 2004, Bobby Labonte drove the season-opening Daytona 500 in a car that advertised Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of The Christ."
   Still, NASCAR keeps a close eye on what it allows on its tracks.
   "When you get into philosophies and morals, that's a slippery slope," Hunter said. "But we do understand that NASCAR has broad national appeal, and we reach millions of people every week. Not all of our fans agree with some sponsorships, but they do understand that it is imperative for our cars to have sponsors in order to succeed.
   "Obviously, philosophically, everyone has different opinions."

Car Nut thought: It's going to be difficult, if not impossible, for NASCAR to keep Scientology out of the sport. NASCAR promotes both Christianity and encourages the memory of a violent attempted overthrow of the legitimate US government. How could they stop other organizations with "points of view" from becoming sponsors?