Today, redemption is spelled P-A-I-G-E B-L-A-C-K, T-H-E F-O-R… sorry, I’m still stuck on Anchorman news. Paige Black is the former star of CMT’s “Sweet Home Alabama” – on which she was wooed by this hunk – but she was much more notably NASCAR’s Miss Sprint Cup who became momentarily famous in 2011 when her ex-boyfriend allegedly leaked nude pics of her online, because I’m told that there are some people who appreciate that kind of thing. Duke claimed at the time that she took the pictures six years earlier when she was a student at Clemson, and that they were meant to be a special, romantic thing between two young lovers.
The problem with that is college guys are a-holes and they’ll sell those pics the moment a girl breaks it off and especially if she becomes famous. I’m certainly not saying it’s right, it’s just a reality. But don’t worry about Duke, because two years later she has landed on her feet and she’s back in the good graces of NASCAR fans as the new Darlington Raceway “Lady in Black”.
“I am honored to be ‘The Lady in Black’ for Darlington Raceway. This is one of the most exciting opportunities I have ever had and definitely is the closest to my heart. I love Darlington Raceway,” said Duke. “I grew up going to races there with my dad and we always pass the track on the way to the beach. There is just something special about this track. It just reminds me of the good ole’ days…real, exciting racing!” (Via WISTV)
The name “Lady in Black” refers to an old nickname for the track, and now it means that Duke will wear a black fire suit and walk around waving to people. Having been to quite a few NASCAR races in my day and seen a braless woman trade her shirt for one cigarette, I’m not sure that fans are going to even pay attention to Duke. But everyone still loves a good comeback story!
