Click above to view video after the jump
Driving a news van can be a real drag. Evidently so, as news crews from KDBC-TV and KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas took it literally during their coverage of opening night at El Paso Motorplex. In response to the crowd's wishes, both overweight vans -- packing a full assortment of electronic equipment and sporting satellite dishes on the roof -- staged at the tree. Reaction times were slow as both lumbered off the line, sans wheelspin, and hobbled down the quarter-mile strip. Neither news station posted slips, but the driver from KDBC-TV was let go for his performance (one has to assume the only thing he broke were the station rules). Lucky for us, video cameras caught all of the action.
CNN's Anderson Cooper reported the event in the video after the jump with this cynical lead-in: "What were they thinking?" His follow-up crack of, "...seriously, the folks in the van should have known better..." was only topped by the comment from his female co-host who blurted out, "I didn't realize it was legal anywhere to drag race... shows you I don't get out much." Doh! Turns out they thought the media face-off was in pour taste because a person had died in that area the previous night in what may have been an illegal street-racing incident.
It is, however, still legal to drag race on quarter- and eighth-mile tracks all over the country, and we think the impromptu event was a pretty cool publicity stunt for EP Motorplex. In fact, next time let's turn it up a notch with some big names going head-to-head for pinks. Are you listening CNN and FOX News? Thanks for the tip, Nick!
[Source: SouthWestDrags]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tragedy @ Mar 14th 2008 6:04PM
In "pour" taste? Poor, perhaps?
LoneWolf @ Mar 14th 2008 6:08PM
Very cool!
fuser197 @ Mar 14th 2008 6:16PM
Anderson Cooper is a tool and a douchebag.
Todd @ Mar 14th 2008 6:21PM
Video also marks in the history books the day that the last remaining molecule of journalistic integrity was lost by the media.
Fast forward 20 years "...I remember when they used to send so-called reporters to the actual locations of where news happened. They were supposed to gather the facts an then report them in in an unbiased way, never becoming part of the story itself, at least that's what they were taught to do..."
ugg.tryptophan @ Mar 14th 2008 10:52PM
thats a good quote, who is it from
joe @ Mar 14th 2008 6:23PM
How clueless can she be (especially for a news anchor)? How could anyone in the US seriously think drag racing was illegal everywhere? Did you know it is also legal to crush cars that you own with a monster truck in a stadium?
ugg.tryptophan @ Mar 14th 2008 10:52PM
people who deliver news are usually clueless about anything outside of politics
John Johnson @ Mar 14th 2008 6:25PM
I'm totally forwarding this to all of my local news stations. Let the race for channel superiority begin!
Dustin @ Mar 16th 2008 10:24PM
My favorite news channel's van could totally kick your favorite news channel van's ass
Carlos @ Mar 14th 2008 6:44PM
"Turns out they thought the media face-off was in pour taste because a person had died in that area the previous night in what may have been an illegal street-racing incident."
I live in El Paso and I was also there...lol. It didnt happen the way the Anderson made it seem. The news crews were there for the opening of the Metroplex, they were reporting on new venues to keep racing at the track and off the street... due to recent street racing deaths. The news crews were leaving and the only way to leave without having to wait in line was to go down the 1/4mile strip and exit using one of the track exits. As they were leaving, people started chanting... One of the dudes revved the news van and they lined up. It sucks one of the drivers got fired. ... never thought I'd see an El Paso story on Autoblog.
naggs @ Mar 14th 2008 7:35PM
nothing pisses me off more than reporters reporting something they know absolutely nothing about
madgamer @ Mar 14th 2008 8:06PM
I think it sucks that the driver got fired over it. You know the audience loved it and as slow as those vans are, it didn't likely break anything.
jgp @ Mar 14th 2008 8:26PM
Maybe the residents of El Paso can arrange an advertiser boycott of KDBC-TV until the driver is re-instated.
TwinTurbo3000GT @ Mar 14th 2008 8:31PM
wow that chick is dumb...
Herkimer @ Mar 14th 2008 8:49PM
Seriously???
WTF is wrong with that guy's boss?
In an era where street racing has been universally condemned by every media outlet -- I have never seen a better opportunity to raise awareness about track use. (Especially following the recent loss of life.) "Here kiddies, this is how racing *should* be done..."
Ad Agencies get lots of bucks to come up with noteworthy and salient publicity stunts -- these two yahoos did it spontaneously. They should get bonuses for all the extra press their stations are receiving.
WillDaThrill @ Mar 16th 2008 3:45PM
You have to look at it from the company's position. You just can't hire any ole yahoo off the streets and then catch him racing your news van to advertise for a track opening up for legal races. What if he flipped it or hurt someone? That's a lot of expensive equipment to loose for some ad stunt. The boss could have got some flack from that too, so he had to cover his ass intead of getting it chewed off, or possibly fired.
I do admit he went a little far by firing the guy. The whole crew was liable for that stunt so if they fired him they should fire the entire crew. At most he should have just reprimanded them, which would have covered it for both sides.
k.w.a @ Mar 14th 2008 8:57PM
maybe the guy who got fired was the guy in the white van... he got smoked! haha
studemax @ Mar 14th 2008 9:03PM
Listen to the video again, morons!
The station manager did NOT fire the guy, even though it was stupid.
Criminy!
The chick reporter should be fired IMO.
What an idiot.
Chevy Nick @ Mar 15th 2008 1:19PM
If you follow the comments on the original youtube post (link is posted a few comments down), someone claiming to be the driver of one of the vans says he was fired. I believe him, it got a bunch of coverage in west texas newspapers.
ugg.tryptophan @ Mar 14th 2008 10:52PM
i have yet to see one person die in any legal drag race, ive seen cars explode with drivers in them on a track who survive with few physical injuries (i.e. hamster on top gear). there going in straight line with barriers on both sides while weaeing protection, if your going to go fast thats pretty much the smartest way to do it.