The Charlotte Observer reports that NASCAR chairman Brian France is fighting a doozy of a lawsuit involving his ex-wife, and his lawyers are going to "extraordinary" lengths to keep the case from the public. The Observer reports, "It's unclear exactly what the dispute involves, but the matter is being heard in family court and apparently involves domestic issues."

France filed a civil complaint in North Carolina against his ex-wife, Megan. I would tell you what it entails, but France's lawyers have managed to pervert the idea of open government. France's lawyers are seeking to bar the public from the courtroom as arguments in the case unfold. What is known is that a confidentiality agreement is at the heart of the case, and publicizing certain information "would cause huge adverse effects for Mr. France," according to lawyer Kary Watson.

France's lawyers say that giving access to one newspaper (The Observer) will cause the case to become a "public spectacle" that will harm their client, whom they then unwittingly likened to one of the Three Little Pigs. Said Watson, pointing to a reporter in the courtroom, "They're here; they want to know what is going on. The big, bad wolf is blowing at the door.”

I won't speculate about the details of the case, and frankly I don't care about the man's personal life, but I will point out, with my trademark understatement, that France's own NASCAR spent a good portion of 2009 publicly dragging driver Jeremy Mayfield's name through the mud. It did so using the nation's court systems, knowing full well the massive attention court documents would receive from the media.

So, who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?

(Sorry. Had to do it.)

NASCAR's Brian France fights to keep case quiet (That's Racin')