Racing to the Moon: NASCAR in Space! (Mark Howell)

This presentation examines the 2023 alliance between Leidos, the international high-tech engineering firm, and NASCAR to build a “Next Gen” Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The paper looks at the adaptation of motorsports culture by the aerospace industry as space exploration grows more privatized and commercialized. Additionally, the presentation looks at the history of NASA’s LRV program and how astronauts saw their rovers through the context of automobile racing. Both Leidos Dynetics and NASCAR are relying on particular language, imagery, and historic legacies to justify their partnership while trying to earn NASA’s new LRV contract.

Dr. Mark D. Howell has been involved with motosports his entire life. As a teenager, he tagged along with the NASCAR Modified pit crew of Brett Bodine, who raced out of Howell’s hometown of Dallas, PA. He earned a BA and MA from Penn State, and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. His dissertation evolved into From Moonshine to Madison Avenue:  A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, published by The Popular Press/University of Wisconsin Press in 1997. Howell is professor of communications at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. He lives with his wife and son (and two dogs) in the village of Suttons Bay on Lake Michigan.

This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family - and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.

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00:00 Introduction and Sponsors

00:22 Meet Dr. Mark D Howell

01:02 NASCAR and Space Exploration

03:17 Leidos and NASCAR Partnership

06:28 Next Gen Car and Lunar Terrain Vehicle

12:46 Historical Context and NASA's LRV Program

24:43 Q&A Session

30:21 Closing Remarks and Sponsors