Nascar's future

Netspeed · 09-27-2007, 01:25 PM

Did anyone catch the Speedtv article where Lowe's Motorspeedway president Humpy Wheeler talked about the future in 2032? All-weather track surface that's impervious to rain, voice-recognition ticketing system, carbon-fiber car bodies, and (get this) and vacuum/magnetic/laser system to remove track debris! I guess he missed out on this new thing called "fuel injection". Supposedly it's the greatest thing! What's next.....linked computers so we can all communicate?

sammyg2 · 09-27-2007, 01:40 PM

bilt in keggars, ash trays, and oxygen bottles installed in every seat

dd74 · 09-27-2007, 01:43 PM

"Humpy." Now that's a name!

GDSOB · GDSOB's Garage

Next thing you know F1 drivers will be coming over here to drive the stockers...

dd74 · 09-27-2007, 01:51 PM

What gets me is NASCAR's season is sooooo dammmnnn looonnngg. From basically February to Thanksgiving, they're racing.

Now, if the France family (or whomever) could include more road courses in NASCAR, I'd be a committed fan. It's cool seeing those monsters wheel around at Infineon or Watkins Glen.

Joeaksa · 09-27-2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74

What gets me is NASCAR's season is sooooo dammmnnn looonnngg.

And sooooo stupppppiiiiiiiddddddd...

dd74 · 09-27-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

And sooooo stupppppiiiiiiiddddddd...

Stupid? What's stupid about NASCAR?

scottmandue · 09-27-2007, 02:15 PM

What they need is to add a couple of lesbian drivers and mount rocket launchers on the cars... maybe lop the heads off the ten last place finishers and throw them into the crowd.

In the future all racing will be NASCAR

sammyg2 · 09-27-2007, 02:16 PM

MMMM, it's supposed to be a STOCK CAR but it doesn't resemble anything on a show room floor.
Often times the people involved with nascar act as if they belong on WWF instead of in motorsports.
"Some" of the nascar fans I know are good ole boys who "love a good wreck" and tend to be unsophisticated when it comes to motorsport and sportscar racing.

Netspeed · 09-27-2007, 02:22 PM

When I read that he said "laser" to remove the debris, all I could think of was Dr. Evil saying "LASER"....

Rearden · 09-27-2007, 02:30 PM

It's great to see real racers like JPM and JV come to NASCAR. So they can race. For a racer, it really must be boring to drive around in F1 cars -- where nobody passes and the finishing order is determined Saturday during qualifying.

I used to bash NASCAR when I was younger, back when I thought it was "sophisticated" to favor European things. But F1 is in a crisis right now. I hope they can figure out a way to let the racers race again.

jmshepard · 09-27-2007, 03:01 PM

F1 would have more passing if the cars were spec, a yellow caution flag came out for every piece of paper on the track and the cars were encouraged to shunt each other during the course of a race.

Nostril Cheese · 09-27-2007, 03:11 PM

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

Why is F1 boring? Sure, there are few passes in F1 but when a pass occurs it actually means something. In NASCAR there are passes and repasses every stinking lap. Then on the 200th lap, they're still all running in the same big 50-car herd they started out as. The passes mean absolutely nothing, except on the last 5 laps or so.

When NASCAR were actually basing their cars on street versions rather than the dumbed-down tube-frame template body spec racers of today, there was a lot of interesting variety and ingenuity from the factories.

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

Also note the sponsors on the older cars. It 's the car manufacturer themselves. They were in the game to sell cars, not to sell Viagara and beer.

p911dad · p911dad's Garage

One positive thing I will say about the NASCAR fans and the off track action at the Glen is that crowd definitely has a lot of fun. I have done the camping thing with my brother and a few of our buds in his RV down in the "bog" during the race week and that race must surely cause a beer shortage elsewhere in upstate NY. It is nothing like the clannish SCCA bunch(a small bunch for sure), or even the Rolex crowd. A few years ago I awoke at the crack of dawn and all I could see from the camper door was beer cans glinting in the sun between the RV's, and all I could hear was sounds of snoring and farting in the distance. Bravo NASCAR fans

Rearden · 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

Also note the sponsors on the older cars. It 's the car manufacturer themselves. They were in the game to sell cars, not to sell Viagara and beer.

It's not the 60s anymore. F1 is in the game to sell cellphone plans and cigarettes.

And passing really doesn't mean anything, anyway. It's just a sport. But if you've ever been on a racetrack, it's more fun to be passing people and being passed than it is to be in a parade. Ask JV and JPM.

So far in 2007, there have literally been one (Malaysia, first lap Alonso passed Massa) or two (something may have happened at the GP of Europe) passes for the lead. Fortunately, the FIA is very aware of the problem and is trying to figure out what to do about it. The status quo is not interesting to the drivers or the spectators.

Joeaksa · 09-27-2007, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74

Stupid? What's stupid about NASCAR?

Look at Jmshepard's comment above. They are absolute idiots, bumping each other off of the track, driving in circles and acting like this is real racing.

Please tell me any other form of professional car racing where its allowed to bump a competitor off of the track and win? Sorry but this is more like professional wrestling than car racing...

Netspeed · 09-28-2007, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Look at Jmshepard's comment above. They are absolute idiots, bumping each other off of the track, driving in circles and acting like this is real racing.

Please tell me any other form of professional car racing where its allowed to bump a competitor off of the track and win? Sorry but this is more like professional wrestling than car racing...

I agree....it's become more about the drivers (Nascar wanted it that way) because Nascar knows the cars are all spec series and the fans don't care about "Chevrolet" or "Ford". I put them in quotes because they really aren't the cars from the factory.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Best way I've heard it put it this:

"I can get all the excitement of NASCAR by watching my dog chase his tail".

If NASCAR ever actually starts making attendees shave their backs, or at least wear shirts, I'll consider attending. Maybe. On a bet. If I'm drunk. And stoned.

Unfortunately NASCAR has been hijacked by rednecks and that makes it something to avoid at all costs, far as I'm concerned.