“A dark secret hid itself under my overt appreciation for barbecue and bluegrass: I know next to nothing about NASCAR.”

I loved sweet tea, fried chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches. I drove an American-made car and enjoyed old country music. I had a fishing license and drank domestic beer, preferably cheap, on a regular basis. I lived in Nashville, and to the outsider I was living a life in accordance with my geography.