It seems like anytime we write something even remotely negative about NASCAR, our inboxes and comments fill up with passionate (if poorly-spelled) defenses of the racing series and taking issue with any characterization of the sport, its drivers, or its fans as rural rednecks or anything less than totally awesome. We’re told about the sport’s mass appeal, its massive sponsorship contracts, and how it’s transcended its regional roots.

(Click, Click, Boom.)

Every time this happens, we start thinking that maybe the fans are right - maybe we should give NASCAR a second chance, a fair shake. After all, we heard the sport was introducing driver intro music this weekend in Bristol - just like a real sport! That’s what we thought, anyway. But then we actually saw the list of music, and we’re back at square one: what a bunch of white trash hillbillies.

OK, OK - that’s not entirely fair. But when the Black Eyed Peas and Kanye West are the most diverse pieces of music on the list, we’re not talking about any real cultural dynamism here. For the most part, the list reads like an Inland Empire high school student’s MP3 playlist circa 2001.

HAMPTONROADS.COM breathlessly compiled all the drivers’ music…read it and cringe:

Tony Stewart: Kid Rock’s “Bawitdaba”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”
Jimmie Johnson: AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”
Mark Martin: AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock”
Jeff Gordon: Rolling Stones‘ “Start Me Up”
Jeff Burton: Guns N’ Roses‘ “Welcome to the Jungle”
Carl Edwards: House of Pain’s “Jump Around”
Matt Kenseth: Godsmack’s “The Enemy”
Scott Speed: Black Eyed Peas‘ “Boom, Boom, Pow”
Kurt Busch: Cake’s “Going The Distance”
Kyle Busch: Kanye West’s “Amazing”
Kasey Kahne: Dierks Bentley’s “Life On The Run”
Michael Waltrip: Toby Keith’s “As Good As I Once Was”
Ryan Newman: Big & Rich’s “Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy”
Clint Bowyer: Elvis Presley’s “CC Rider”
Reed Sorenson: Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”
Denny Hamlin: Fabulous‘ “My Time”
Joey Logano: Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down”
AJ Allmendinger: “Going the Distance” by Cake
Marcos Ambrose: “Land Down Under” by Men at Work
John Andretti: Black Label Society’s “Fire it Up”
Greg Biffle: POD’s “Boom”
Dave Blaney: “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive
David Gilliland: Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff”
Robby Gordon: Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long”
Kevin Harvick: DMX’s “Party Up”
Sam Hornish Jr: “Fight for Your Right” by Beastie Boys
Bobby Labonte: “Chicken Fried” by Zack Brown Band
Terry Labonte: “Heartland” by George Strait
Jamie McMurray: AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long”
Casey Mears: “Animals” by Nickelback
Paul Menard: “Fire It Up” by Black Label Society
Juan Pablo Montoya: “All Star” by Smash Mouth
Joe Nemechek: “Life in the Fast Lane” by The Eagles
David Ragan: “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC
Tony Raines: “Bristol Speed” by Silvergun
David Reutimann: “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss
Elliott Sadler: “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss
Regan Smith: “Shoots & Ladders” by Korn
David Stremme: Kid Rock’s “Bawitdaba”
Martin Truex Jr.: “Sun Gonna Rise” by Citizen Cope
Brian Vickers: “This Town” by O.A.R.
Scott Wimmer: “Knight Rider” Theme Song

For the record, that’s five appearances from AC/DC, three from Kid Rock, and two separate instances of “Going The Distance.” But as horrifying as those numbers are, that doesn’t even begin to explain why the hell anyone with functional ears would want to listen to Limp Bizkit in 2009 - is Fred Durst even still alive? Do copies of their albums still exist somewhere? NASCAR, you blew it once again. Back to the laughingstock with you.