If you dislike NASCAR

[BigMike]

Michael Schumacher Driving Style. MUST SEE THIS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk2p2nRK-p4

Amazing Audi R8 Hillclimb. MUST SEE THIS:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6184680728064832823&hl=undefined

Pikes Peak Peugeot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PTNcU_MNUw

Rally on Pavement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRzf3DBpYQ

Rally on Dirt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZPOe2FbOVA

Michael Schumacher record breaking pole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dQsA_3sg1U
"A slight tweak on the brake balance at 190 and it really pays off handsomly"



That is why NASCAR sucks in my opinion. Because there are other cars/sports like those.

[kneedownnate]

You said it sister!  I'd watch it at sears point, but no roundy round for me.  I like road coarse, but rally takes great skill.

[topar]

:turtle3:Yeah but can they take a 22R with 5.29's  OK I will catch them in an hour or two give or take a month

[sloyota]

off road truck racing and rally cars do it for me.
this rock racing also seem's really cool,just dont see enough of it.

[Wermz84]

I love rally racing.. 

[BUBBA]

I love rally racing.. 

me too,I just wish they'd have a truck class

Could you imagine a lowered 4wd tacoma tearin it up along the courses.That would be sweet.

[Wermz84]

me too,I just wish they'd have a truck class

Could you imagine a lowered 4wd tacoma tearin it up along the courses.That would be sweet.

That would be soooo sweet!!

[red]

offroad trucks, rally, and rock crawling are what i like, in nascar nothing special because all they do is go in an oval over and over and over and over...takes very little skill.

[blackdiamond]

It is difficult to top rally racing.  I had the opportunity growing up to see the Pikes Peak Hill Climb many times.  I think I saw the top 5 fastest overall finishes in history in person.  Rod Millen is responsible for three or four of them in his Pikes Peak Celica and Tocoma.  Ironically, his best time was in the original Celica with a standard 5 speed.  The Tacoma had push button sequential shifting that mathematically should have saved him 40+ seconds, but the road surface never was the same.  It amazes me that more people don't die during the race.

There is Class 8 Semi Racing at Pikes Peak and "stock" trucks so the class is available.

Personally, I enjoy watching NASCAR at times.  If you have ever had someone on your bumper at 140+ mph, which I have, then consider bumping, drafting and the number of cars running in groups it is fairly impressive.  I will admit that it isn't the most exciting form of racing to watch, but discounting the skill of NASCAR is like saying that golf is easy because it isn't exciting to watch.  If you have followed the story of the F1 driver that is switching to NASCAR you will find that he is planning to race both NEXTEL and BUSH series races to gain experience in hopes of being competitive in a couple of seasons.  He isn't expecting to walk in and take the championship simply because he is from F1.

Why don't more people complain about IRL?  Has anyone noticed that the majority of the original drivers were the ones that couldn't compete in CART, yet they got to race at the Indy 500.  In my opinion, they ruined indy racing in the US.

[Hottrod81]

If you don't like Nascar, then you might be considered un-American.  A lot more technology and skill go into it then one might think.  We will see how hard it really is when Juan Pablo Montoya moves over the NASCAR next year.  If I had to predict, Montoya will have a hard time staying in the top 30 in points and he has won several race in Formula One.

[BigMike]

So I guess if I don't own a gun that also makes me un-American?

I think its ironic that "Americans" are such great athletes yet the only driver we have in F1 today is Scott Speed, who crashes out nearly every F1 race.

I am sure that maybe a few NASCAR drivers could compete in F1, but even they openly admit that NASCAR is "not hard"

Boy am I relieved that the #1 Auto sport in America is "not hard" when compared to other Auto sports. heh, I was almost worried to be called an American!



PS. If you have not noticed yet, I am willingly and openly hacking on NASCAR here. I have always wanted to be vocal about it. If you ever get a chance to travel outside of North America, lets see how many people you proudly announce your NASCAR loyalship to. HA! WHAMO! When I was in Japan I got asked many questions about Soccer. You have no idea how embarrassing it is to not know anything about the world that we "live in." I guess it's the American way

[unclejpl4x4]

.................................... wow  i tho i would never see such a HATE thread about another automotive sport.

Reading this just lowered my > insert big word here I'm just a dum redneck<

[jimbo74]

nascar has actually brought a lot of medical advances into the emergency medical field.... anyone ever heard of the KED (Kendrick Extrication Device)

[unclejpl4x4]

and all the charities 
http://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=183&srcid=-2

[abnormaltoy]

I like a lot of different racing...cars or bikes, makes no difference. Trouble is I hate Nascar. I hope you were joking about the un-American thing. I liked Nascar when I was a kid, back when it really was "stock" car racing. The constant whining from one team to another about spoilers, deck heights, etc. just makes me want to hurl.
Formula 1 is real racing, a car set up that takes...actual balance, driver reflexes and technology. Nascar is to Formula 1 as a splitting maul is to a scalpel.
The reason (IMHO) Nascar is so popular, is a bunch of beer swilling goobers can "watch" it with out the inconvenience of having to pay attention. There's not a dimes worth of difference between the 1st lap and the 250th. When Nascar does have a "road" race, it's...like some big fat guy trying to learn how to use roller blades, ungainly and unbalanced. I'd like to see a "stock" car hit the chicane at Hockenheim doing 120.
I will give the crews credit for being able to get such good, reliable power from a push rod 350 with a restrictor plate...but the F1 teams are getting 575hp out of a 2.4 liter v8 turning 19,000 rpm. Let me stress that...19,000!!! Just the valve events are enough to boggle the mind. F1 cars and drivers are THE cutting edge of technology in metallurgy, ceramics and composites. Nascar is the state of the advertising art. Hell, I'd rather watch a baseball game or a Lawrence Welk marathon that watch a race at Talladega.
If you think I'm ranting now...don't even ask me to compare motorcycle racing to Nascar...even the bikes race in the rain.
In short...Nascar is like "Pro" wrestling with wheels, but with none of the chicks. It's line dancing for those without the coordination to...line dance!

On to soccer...I think the only reason it has gained the popularity it has here in the States is because there are so many single mothers who don't understand how important battle is to the developing male. 90 minutes and 2 points, C'mon!

[blackdiamond]

BigMike,

Keep in mind that I am not a huge NASCAR fan, but I enjoy watching them race on a slow Sunday along with an NHRA race every once in a while.

I would never disagree that F1 racing is significantly more difficult than NASCAR and requires both more driver skill and physical strength due to the G-forces, but NASCAR has its own set of required skills.  Is there any form of racing where drivers normally run 500 miles with 130 track temperatures?  NASCAR drivers have amazing endurance and have been known to lose 10 lbs or more during a long hot race.

I know that endurance racing can last 24 hours, but I'm not sure what the intervals are for switching drivers.  

Just to keep the discussion warmed up I post the following three questions for consideration:

(1) Is turning right really that much more difficult than turning left?

Note: NASCAR drivers do turn right coming out of the pit stalls.  

(2) Is it more difficult to race in drafting packs at the edge of control or to drive in a single file line waiting for that one place where a pass is possible?

Note: Remember that Formula 1 went to the grooved tires increase the ability of the best drivers to win.  The cars were handling so tighty that nobody could pass.  Also, Michael S. is no longer winning every race, even though he is reguarded as the best driver in the world, because his car is behind in technology.  It seems that the cars that qualify at the front stay at the front because passing is nearly impossible.

(3) Is racing more exciting when it is nearly impossible for a car at the back of the pack to get to the front or when it is possible for a driver to work his way to the front multiple times?

I attended a BUSCH race when Dale Jr. and Tony Stuart were still racing and Dale Jr. came from the tail end of the pack twice and was halfway up the third time when the race ended.  I was amazed in person at how close he was to spinning every time he came around turn 4 (1 mile oval in Colorado Springs), one out of four laps the tail was hanging out a bit.

Again, I'm certainly not opposed to F1, and I'm not saying NASCAR is better, just that it is more difficult that most people realize.

[jimbo74]

hehe, not qutie sure on the stock car thing, but ford never made a 2 door taurus.....

[blackdiamond]

The reason (IMHO) Nascar is so popular, is a bunch of beer swilling goobers can "watch" it with out the inconvenience of having to pay attention.

I will give the crews credit for being able to get such good, reliable power from a push rod 350 with a restrictor plate...but the F1 teams are getting 575hp out of a 2.4 liter v8 turning 19,000 rpm. Let me stress that...19,000!!! Just the valve events are enough to boggle the mind. F1 cars and drivers are THE cutting edge of technology in metallurgy, ceramics and composites.

I forgot to mention that NASCAR is turning into a daytime SOAP and that sickens me, but so is the UFC.  

Keep in mind that the money spent on F1 car developement is astronomical compared to NASCAR.  I think I remember reading that Ferrari spent close to 20 million in development alone trying to get Michael a car that was strong enough to keep up with the less skilled drivers.

By the way, "Let me stress that...19,000!!!," was that pun intended?

[abnormaltoy]

Blackdiamond:

#1. No, turning right is no harder than turning left...doing both is harder than either!

#2.  I've drafted across west Texas in my old Ford Probe. I'd say I see as much passing in F1 as in Nascar...but I haven't seen or been to a Nascar event since I left Nashville. The difficulty in passing is part of the game.

#3. I've seen some charges from the back over the years, probably not as many as in Nascar. It's probably a lot easier to pass when you know the guy ahead of you is going to turn left just ahead.

Pun? I didn't intend one nor will I verify the existence of said pun.

[blackdiamond]

Pun? I didn't intend one nor will I verify the existence of said pun.

You've been caught!

19,000 rpm causes all kinds of stress!

#3 I think the "racing line" in F1 is well known as well.  The difficulty in passing mostly comes from tightness of the tracks in my opinion.  They just have to block in a few limited areas.

Is the IRL series better, the same or worse than NASCAR?  They have higher tech cars, but still only go left. 

[abnormaltoy]

OK...I knew the "stress" thing was there! Honest.

I agree, instead of racing on an 8 lane freeway F1 races on a two lane...there are one or two wide spots in the road. Most passing takes place at under breaking (from 180 down to 30) or at the exit of a corner leading on to the main straight.

IRL is just as boring...when it was CART it had more road courses. Elkhart Lake was always a good race. I was just thinking...Sprint cars and Speedway bikes are about the only loop de loop racing I like. Before you ask...yes, I enjoy NHRA and IHRA, no turns, just raw bowel movement inducing power!

Another thought...like toilets flushing...does Nascar go the other way in Australia?

[blackdiamond]

Another thought...like toilets flushing...does Nascar go the other way in Australia?

There is no way to tell.  The domestic "stock" cars can't get that far from the dealer.

Any thoughts on the Toyota Camery joining NASCAR.  I'm not sure how well a front wheel drive 4 cyl will do. 

[abnormaltoy]

There is no way to tell.  The domestic "stock" cars can't get that far from the dealer.

Any thoughts on the Toyota Camery joining NASCAR.  I'm not sure how well a front wheel drive 4 cyl will do. 

Along with the Taurus you mentioned...it'll fit right in.

[BigMike]

ahh just what I was waiting for. PROVOCATIVE! Took 11 replies to finally get there

.................................... wow  i tho i would never see such a HATE thread about another automotive sport.

[blackdiamond]

ahh just what I was waiting for. PROVOCATIVE! Took 11 replies to finally get there

I'm going to keep my eyes open to watch for NASCAR haters dumping old engine parts on my lawn or burning F1 into my grass. 

[abnormaltoy]

I'm going to keep my eyes open to watch for NASCAR haters dumping old engine parts on my lawn or burning F1 into my grass. 

I'd like for someone to drop of a Roush 427 at my apartment...that ought to liven up my Ranger. Most likely they'll just drop off their empty Bud cans.

[blackdiamond]

I'd like for someone to drop of a Roush 427 at my apartment...that ought to liven up my Ranger. Most likely they'll just drop off their empty Bud cans.

I have always said that the reason the south tends to have more "poor" people than the rest of the US is because NASCAR tickets are so expensive.  It is nearly a religion down there.



If they had a Roush 427 they would be racing. 

The motor I want is the Lingenfelter 427 twin turbo that they put in a Corvette and got 802 rwhp and 24 mpg on the highway.  The put the same motor in an AWD SUV and got 0-60 in about 4 seconds.  The production version is about 700 hp.

[Duffil]

Before you ask...yes, I enjoy NHRA and IHRA, no turns, just raw bowel movement inducing power!

Here is something I like to say:  "anyone can go fast in a straight line; it takes talent to turn left."
Apparently I am the only guy here who likes NASCAR.  I don't watch it religiously, but I do watch it. And, no, I am not a barrel-assed, three-toothed ignoramus, which seems to be the general consensus on the "NASCAR fan".
I have seen both NHRA and NASCAR at Sears Point.  I will give you the raw power thing.  I was standing about ten feet away from Kenny Bernstein's car and when they whacked the throttle, it literally blows you back two steps!

It is physical and it is tough, no matter what you say.  Consistency is a big thing in this type of racing.  I do not mean this is harder/tougher/better than any other type of racing, it's just how I feel. 

[Rocksurfer]

I like NASCAR


I like almost all motorsports that use recognizable vehicles as being something that you can buy at the dealer (kinda) and FYI it's not just going in circles. I'd like to see some of you strap in and give it a shot if it is sooooo easy. Not only do the drivers have to be in top condition and have nerves of steel but strategy can play an important roll in who finishes 1st.

[BUBBA]

I just don't see the excitement in F1. Pretty much every time I've ever watched a F1 race they are usually spread way out by the end of the first lap and the winner almost always has a tremendous lead when he crosses the finish line.Where's the racing,to me that's BORING.