Any business or organization naturally and constantly tries to push the envelope just a little more in order to grow more, to gain more. However, sometimes, these experiments go wrong. And NASCAR is no exception to this. One needs to look no further than their preseason portraits from 2008 involving Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCARCASM, a parody Twitter account, posted driver’s portraits from 14 years ago with a hilarious caption to the already funny photos – “2008 was the high-water mark for preseason portraits. Not sure if all of them were taken through the peephole of a hotel-room door but most were.”
2008 was the high-water mark for preseason portraits. Not sure if all of them were taken through the peephole of a hotel-room door but most were. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/WEg2zQmnLW
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) December 13, 2022
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But Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing owner and driver Brad Keselowski took the hilarious quotient of this even further with his response – “Preseason NASCAR media, every year- “How can we take the most awkward photos and videos that will haunt drivers for years to come?”
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR fans react to “most awkward photos”
After Keselowski’s ‘reaction’, NASCARCASM pointed out how “times change”, and how the current trend in NASCAR when it comes to driver portraits is “pretty straightforward” and “artistic.”
However, the former Penske driver’s tweet attracted the attention of one of the drivers from the portraits himself, Dale Earnhardt Jr, who wrote, “And then there’s the intentional gifs.”
Along with Junior, a bunch of NASCAR fans, some of whom didn’t hesitate in sharing what these portraits remind them of.
Be happy they didn’t go this far for that “awkward” photo…. pic.twitter.com/L1KyZ0nREF
— Patrick Kidd (@atsfksbuff) December 13, 2022
— SlickButter28 (@SlickButter28) December 13, 2022
— SlickButter28 (@SlickButter28) December 13, 2022
I feel like they’re trying to be alternative rock band album cover
— SKYBOX NASCAR (@SkyboxNascar) December 13, 2022
Those are boy band headshots
— Alex Giangreco (@five_music_kcmo) December 13, 2022
look like a bunch of murderers lol
— Hiredgun161 (@TurnandBurn6) December 13, 2022
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These days, NASCAR is still pushing the envelope in terms of marketing its product and its brand to its existing and new potential set of audiences. These days, practices such as the driver portraits from 2008 are pretty rare, as mentioned above.
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But as a fan, do you think NASCAR should bring back the old format of driver portraits, or are you satisfied with what’s offered right now?