The Bachelor 2011 Spoilers: Brad Womack To Take Emily Maynard On Controversial NASCAR Date Tonight, Provides ‘Closure’

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In tonight’s episode of The Bachelor, Brad Womack will take Emily Maynard on a controversial NASCAR group date which has obviously raised quite a lot of controversy.

First reported by RealitySteve, tonight’s group date involves NASCAR time trials. Lisa wins the time trials, but because of it’s NASCAR theme, Brad worries about Emily the whole date and gives her the rose. After the time trials, they all went back to Aria for a pool party.

Even though the scene hasn’t aired yet, ABC has even allowed Emily Maynard to make a statement about the controversy.

“I know there has been a lot of talk and concern recently over the upcoming episode of The Bachelor with the NASCAR-themed group date,” Emily said on People.com. “Although I appreciate everyone’s concern, I ask that you reserve judgment until after you’ve seen the actual episode, because, as you’ll see, the experience actually helped me gain some closure.”

Host Chris Harrison also defended the date.

This date and season were set up before Emily was cast,” Harrison said. She ended up on the NASCAR date by happenstance. But we’re not stupid. We knew her story by that point so we had a choice to make. We could have told Brad or warned Emily. We chose to let the real-life drama play out … It forced Emily to face demons I don’t think she’s dealt with. It also forced Brad to learn the rest of the story … It was either going to blow up in their face with Brad realizing, “I can’t handle this. I can’t replace this guy,” and Emily realizing she’s not quite ready, or they would move through it.

Reality Steve also defended the decision, pointing out that Maynard had dated another racer even after her fiance’s death.

“This is being blown way out of proportion if you ask me. I don’t care what you think, what the media thinks, or what I think about putting Emily on the NASCAR date. If EMILY wasn’t bothered by it, then why the hell should we be? She’s the one involved. She’s the one who suffered the tragedy. People are getting their panties in a wad about something that doesn’t concern them. It’s not like Emily hasn’t been to a racetrack since Ricky’s death. Hell, the girl DATED Dale Earnhardt Jr after Ricky died, AND, she even had jobs in the NASCAR world since the death. So don’t sit here and say it’s wrong to put her on a NASCAR track for a date when, by all accounts, she was fine with it,” he writes.

Credit: People.com, Gina Carbone, RealitySteve

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.