NASCAR..I just dont get it

[afterburn 549]

Back in the day of the stock car you ( IF $$ were no object) could buy something close that was actually campaigned....Now NASCAR is not even a hybrid of a S. car, a breed of its own. I just dont get their following @ all !! What am I missing ?? Is everyone on the stands think they are seeing something close to what Detroit sells ??
I dont get it

[W Scott Shores]

No, NASCAR fans don't believe the cars they see on the track have much similarity to the car in their driveway. I used to root for John Paul's JLP-4 935 even though I knew most of it never saw Stuttgart.

NASCAR is close racing with a lot of passing. Nothing wrong with that.

[Mad Mike]

I agree, it is not about the cars in NASCAR. I have never owned an 800 BHP car myself; however, enjoy the fact that there is an 800 BHP car out there that is going 200 plus MPH.

[Mad Mike]

[i]I used to root for John Paul's JLP-4 935 even though I knew most of it never saw Stuttgart.

[/B]

I was privileged to see those cars as well. Not what you saw on the show room floor.

[onlycafe]

much more fun at the glen than on an oval track. would crawl over broken glass to see them run at lime rock.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by onlycafe
much more fun at the glen than on an oval track. would crawl over broken glass to see them run at lime rock.

And NASCAR added two more road coarses this year, so that you have... FIVE.

Nextel series:
6/24 Infineon Raceway
8/12 Watkins Glen

Busch series:
3/4 Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
8/4 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
8/11 Watkins Glen

I really dislike NASCAR, and was surprised when I read the comments on the NASCAR website by one fan: Ditch the road courses. If I wanted to watch follow-the-leader, I would turn on an F1 race.

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by afterburn 549
Back in the day of the stock car you ( IF $$ were no object) could buy something close that was actually campaigned....Now NASCAR is not even a hybrid of a S. car, a breed of its own. I just don't get their following @ all !! What am I missing ?? Is everyone on the stands think they are seeing something close to what Detroit sells ??
I don't get it

The shell of my old 1994 T-bird was the same shape as the T-bird they raced. The faster I went the more down-force the car had, over 45 MPH rain would not hit the rear window. I miss that car, too bad it started falling apart around 100K miles.

I don't see any similarity in the shape of the track car and street cars anymore.

[lendaddy]

You may be the only person in the world to ever "miss" their '94 T-bird

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by cashflyer
And NASCAR added two more road coarses this year, so that you have... FIVE.

Nextel series:
6/24 Infineon Raceway
8/12 Watkins Glen

Busch series:
3/4 Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
8/4 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
8/11 Watkins Glen

I really dislike NASCAR, and was surprised when I read the comments on the NASCAR website by one fan: Ditch the road courses. If I wanted to watch follow-the-leader, I would turn on an F1 race.

How come VIR has the NASCAR bend but NASCAR doesn't race there? Things that make you go hmmm.

[afterburn 549]

well i may never get it...........

[arcsine]

Think of it as a one-design racing class that allows modifications limited by a "box" rule aimed at keeping racing as close as possible but allowing tweaking.

Sailboat racing has done this to its' best success in the TransPac 52 fleet. Want more weight in the keel, gotta give up some mast height for example.

"The TP52 box rule is flexible so that ‘development is allowed in such factors as hull shape, foil shape, construction, interior, deck layout and rigging. However speed producing factors such as length, minimum displacement, maximum draft, and maximum sail area are strictly controlled."

Where NASCAR loses me is the pushrod and carbed engines (there has not been a carbed engine sold in the US since the mid-'80's), mostly only turning left and the development of a bunch of yahoo drivers with minimal race-craft. Toss in phantom yellow flags to keep things tight and the championship "chase" to drum up some interest and I am left with a racing series that has given up all sense of being a race series and exists only as an advertising venue.

[legion]

The pushrod engine thing comes from the fact when the series first started specing engines, they were all pushrod. None of the teams want to run anything else because that is where all of their tooling and expertise is. Keep in mind, Chevy still runs pushrod engines in ALMS.

[Jim Richards]

Originally posted by cashflyer
...and was surprised when I read the comments on the NASCAR website by one fan: Ditch the road courses. If I wanted to watch follow-the-leader, I would turn on an F1 race.

ROFL! Sadly, the Nastycar fan is right. Thankfully not all road racing is as boring as F1.

[BK911]

I never liked nascar until I watched a couple of races out of boredom. I find it easier to watch than Grand Am or ALMS races; whoever is in front is winning. The fans sitting in the stands can see the entire track and know what's going on. ALMS you can see a corner, two if you're really lucky. Driving is the exact opposite, I'd much rather be on a road course. Just MHO of course.

[hatpix]

Originally posted by arcsine
....and I am left with a racing series that has given up all sense of being a race series and exists only as an advertising venue.

Give the man a cigar.

[Aerkuld]

Originally posted by arcsine
[BWhere NASCAR loses me is the pushrod and carbed engines (there has not been a carbed engine sold in the US since the mid-'80's) ... [/B]

Oh-oh, another NASCAR thread...

Carbed engines are supposedly only allowed to minimize cheating. NASCAR, quite rightly, say it would be virtually impossible to police electronic injection systems to prevent traction control. That said it is widely believed that traction control is being run in some way (probably be changing ingition timing) while using carburettors for the fuelling. So what's that worth?
It does add the 'low tech' image to NASCAR, but I have to say that isn't really fair. It is starting to get more analytical and the level of engineering is increasing dramatically. I suppose it just isn't that visible. Think about it though; to get a pushrod engine, running a carburetor revving to around 10 to 11k rpm, developing 800+ bhp, and still running a 500 mile race is pretty good going.

I don't think there is much to get in NASCAR, it is more entertainment than racing IMO. A lot of 'fans' probably go to watch the wrecks, which are practically guaranteed.

[DUK]

Don't worry afterburn, We work in the sport and still don't get it. BTW our new sloagan is "Can't wait to say 'Remember that car of tomorrow thing"

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by afterburn 549
well i may never get it...........

You don't have to. If you don't like it, don't watch.

[Manny Alban]

Originally posted by VaSteve
How come VIR has the NASCAR bend but NASCAR doesn't race there? Things that make you go hmmm.

From what I understand, one of the NASCAR regulars in the 70's wrecked there during a trans am race and thus the corner was named Nascar bend. I also know that many Nascar teams test there. A few years back, the teams that finished in the top ten had all tested at VIR.

I used to hate Nascar until I drove Lowes Motor Speedway in my Porsche. It was then I realized that it wasn't just driving in circles. I think the fact that Nascar drivers do really well at the Rolex 24 speaks volumes. What also impressed me was that during the autograph sessions, they stayed longer than many of the sports car regulars. In fact, Kyle Petty stayed to sign autographs and take pictures while they were cleaning up the tables and chairs.

[nota]

once nastycar was a good thing
it brought us hemi's sideoiler's and mystery motors
that the factorys had to sell [mostly at a loss ] to joe fan
on monday to race on sundays

saddly there is no stock left in the tube frame cars
that use motors we can't buy in a show room
driving wheels on the wrong ends from ''stock''
and the show is like the WWF or whatever thats now called
with the same fan base

btw the nastycar ''family'' screwed homestead in the track deal
we had a 4 corner indy copy that their ''pro's'' couldnot drive!!
they called it a 4 cornered "ROAD COURSE" like that was a bad thing and made the track redue the corners TWICE to get the current banked no skill configuration and made the city/track pay the bills so now the taxpaided for track gets no return
on it's investment as all funds go to nastycar

WORSE they killed the promisted drag strip
that was to be part of the complex
to get the kids off the streets and on a safe track
but as nastycar wants no other non owned races at ''their'' tracks so local kids street race and die