By 'Celebrim'. Excerpted from some intelligent discussions and comments in "NBC Into the Pits," as the commenters discuss the depth and breadth of NASCAR's support in America, and the interesting (and revealing) incomprehension of so many journalists.

Europeans tend to be rather dismissive of NASCAR, being rather enamored with Grand Prix, F1, Supermoto, Rally, and a bunch of other things Americans don't have and don't pay attention to. I'm not a fan either way, and I find both the road race and the oval track equally boring and I don't want to start up that fight mainly because I don't really have a bone in it.

But after several years of trying to get get Europeans to understand the attraction of NASCAR and failing, and of trying to get Europeans to accept that NASCAR is a civilized sport and failing I have finally come up with a method which works.

Like most explanations that work, it's very simple. In fact, it involves only three words.

You show the European a picture of Bristol Motor Speedway, and then you say, "American Circus Maximus."

Then the light goes on.