Hadn’t Heard This About NASCAR

You will recall all the noise about state Rep. Larry Seaquist’s “junky cars” comment about ISC, which was received like Jeff Gordon in Talladega.

Members of the House Homeland Security Committeeseem concerned about something more serious than that thing on blocks in your neighbor’s yard.

Getting a hepatitis shot is standard procedure for travelers to parts of Africa and Asia, but some congressional aides were instructed to get immunized before going to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord and the racetrack in Talladega, Ala. . . .

Staff who organized the trips advised the NASCAR-bound aides to get a range of vaccines before attending — hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and influenza.

A Republican congressman from North Carolina was none too happy about the precautions.

“I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and as the representative for Concord, N.C., I feel compelled to ask why the heck the committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown,” (Robin) Hayes said in an Oct. 5 letter to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the Homeland Security panel.

At one of the speedways the news was met with a laugh:

Lauri Wilks, vice president of communications for Speedway Motorsports, which owns Lowe’s Motor Speedway and other tracks, said Wednesday that immunizations aren’t needed for the race.

“There’s no health risk that we know of,” she said, laughing. “We have never had any disease outbreak during one of our weekends.”

No disease outbreak, sure, but only if you don’t count . . . oh I better not go there.

Turns out the recommendation was because the visitors were going to hospitals and other health care facilities on the trip. The only diseases common at NASCAR tracks are . . . again, I better shut up.