Our embattled governor took a Sunday trip to Watkins Glen — it's most of the way to Rochester, just west of Ithaca — to see the NASCAR races, and he ended up spending nearly nine hours at the track. Friends and foes alike were surprised to see him there, serving as grand marshal and seeming to enjoy himself immensely. As the Times puts it, it’s not exactly the sport of an "Upper East Sider with the Princeton and Harvard education and the reputation for a hyperkinetic braininess" (ed. note: wha?). But his NASCAR cred is real — he’s a longtime Jeff Gordon fan, knows the ins and outs of different national tracks, and can correctly use words like "restrictor plates" and "carburetor" (ed. note, again: wha?). As surprised as we city folk may be that our urbane gov might be riveted by stock cars, an upstate NASCAR fan raises an even better question: "What’s NASCAR doing putting a Democrat on TV?" Indeed. Next thing you know, there'll be Republicans on PBS.

Spitzer in His Element at NASCAR Race [NYT]
Related: NASCAR Guv [NYM]