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It is not auto racing in general that is derided in the pages of progressive magazines or on progressive Web sites. It is the politics and attitudes of "NASCAR dads" that are the issue. The term is a shorthand applied to men of a certain demographic. Look it up at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascar_dad
You could just as well take issue with the term "soccer mom" because Americans hate soccer. You could, but you would be missing the point of the term just as badly as you do here.
Furthermore, Indy car racing is distinct from stock car racing (NASCAR is the acronym for the North American Stock Car Racing Association), Formula One, drag racing, sprint car racing, and probably some others I am forgetting, despite my youth in Texas, where all these forms of racing take place.
The point here is that Danica Patrick's victory is noteworthy because of the relationship of the Indy car series to the Indianapolis 500, a race that transcends its sport. You may not care about auto racing, but you tend to be aware of the running of the race and who the winner is. Similarly, even those who are not baseball fans tend to be aware of the World Series when it is being played.
