I'm pretty sure the goal is to present these guys as fringe extremists and outlaws rather than "normal" people who enjoy cars. Just like preppers, moonshiners, gun nuts, drug dealers and taboo freaks... The show's producers don't care about actually showing the racers in any sort of positive light, and they surely don't care about cars. They add the drama because they want non-car people to watch it even if it is fake "made-for-TV" kind of BS.