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Associated PressBobby Labonte's car will feature an ad for Passion of the Christ in the Daytona 500.
DAYTONA BEACH - When Bobby Labonte takes the green flag in Sunday's Daytona 500, he will be racing for victory - and the Lord.
The hood of Labonte's No.18 car is a movie plug - Passion of the Christ, coming soon to a theater near you - and some new-style proselytizing for the Gospel.
"It's a chance to get the word out," Labonte said about the ad on his car. "Someone who is curious about Jesus and has never been saved sees the race and says, "Hmmm, I'd like to see what that's about.' ... Maybe we can change their minds."
NASCAR racing and Christianity often have worked hand in hand, from infield services for drivers, crewmen and officials to the prerace invocation to the annual break in schedule for the Easter holiday.
Now comes a car promoting Passion of the Christ, a soon-to-be-released movie that has drawn lavish praise from conservative clergy, including the Rev. Billy Graham, but angry denouncements from Jewish groups fearing it will stir up anti-Semitism.
For Labonte, it was a no-brainer to plug Mel Gibson's film, especially since the movie focuses on the seminal event in the Christian faith - the crucifixion of Jesus.
Stock car racing is unapologetic about its ties to Christianity, which isn't surprising for a sport that grew up in the Bible Belt. But, mirroring NASCAR's attempts to diversify the good ol' boy image, word has gone out that all religions are welcome.
Hal Marchman, a retired Baptist minister who has given the prerace invocation since Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, always ends his prayer with "shalom and amen," incorporating the Hebrew word for "peace" into his Christian beliefs.
But it is not always easy for NASCAR to pull off the balancing act. Two years ago, Morgan Shepherd put a Jesus decal on the hood of his racing truck before a race in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR officials received complaints - "maybe it was the atheists," Shepherd said - and asked him to remove it. He complied, prompting a backlash from Christian fans.
A few weeks later, NASCAR told Shepherd he could put the logo back on his race vehicles. It has been there since.
From Shepherd's perspective, NASCAR's alliance with Christianity gives the sport a more wholesome, family-oriented image.
"I guarantee you're never going to see anything like what happened with Janet Jackson," said Shepherd, referring to the singer whose breast was exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show.