Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past week, you know that the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby is today. NBC will be bringing you the two hours of pageantry and buildup, followed by two minutes of heart-pounding action. You know, just like your weekend plans. But with horses.

That’s obviously a pedestrian perspective from someone without a firsthand account of the festivities. Everyone that’s actually been to the derby says it’s awesome…in its own way. Read more…

We’re sure NASCAR executives trying to lock down deals with upscale advertisers will be pleased with the ORLANDO SENTINEL’s breakdown of the infield denizens attending this year’s Daytona 500:

John Parker, a St. Petersburg carpenter, and his friends sleep in tents and shower with water piped from a garbage can heated by a turkey fryer.

Hank Evitts, 48, of Leonardtown, Md., hangs a plastic deer head from a tiki bar at the front of his RV site. What startles passers-by is when the deer’s lips move and it starts talking to them — Evitts controls it through a wireless microphone.

(Vaguely NASCAR-related photo - more here)

Brilliant. Well, there’s at least one company that fits that air condition-free target demographic perfectly.

Our favorite part of the piece though involved a South Florida couple who, like many of their fellow NASCAR fans, is a little down on their luck. Read more…