NASCAR in the rain!!!

[dd74]

Whoa! Now this is something I've never seen. Right now on ESPN, In Montreal, the NASCAR guys are racing a road course, in the rain, on rain tires and with wipers on their windshields.

Check it out on ESPN. It's pretty cool!

[legion]

WWHAT!?

[Racerbvd]

I don't believe my eyes, it isn't even april

[Noah930]

Wow! Odd to see the windshield wiper. Notice how all the roadracing guys are up front: Carpentier, Pruett, Villeneuve, etc.

And who do they get to announce these races? I seriously think I could do a better job. One of 'em admits he's never heard of Andrew Ranger up until today. Now, ChampCar was relegated to minor-league status these past few years prior to its demise. But c'mon, you'd think guys who announce races for a living aren't so inbred that they don't follow, um, racing in general?! They should have a brief familiarity with the various names of people who race at the higher (and even middle) levels of auto racing--particularly in their own country. Grab a subscription to Racer magazine, fer chrissakes.

[DUK]

I'm doing a rain dance and hoping everything stays together.

Did I mention that's who I work for.

[dd74]

And one of the best parts: an Aussie is leading the Montreal race.

I like this NASCAR Nationwide series. They run it in Mexico. I think it was also mentioned that they run in Japan, where the drivers qualified in the rain.

[legion]

Yes, it is raining hard, but many of the people they are interviewing during the caution seem not prepared to handle rain and are lobbying for the race being called.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by legion

Yes, it is raining hard, but many of the people they are interviewing during the caution seem not prepared to handle rain and are lobbying for the race being called.

What a bunch of wusses I saw that too

Are there no real men in nascrap??

[legion]

I guess it's over!?

[DUK]

I hope it rains again next weekend at the Glen.

BTW- I could kill Marcos, although with Fellows strategy it really didn't matter.

I figured the vision thing would be the problem. We've worked on that for years at tests and still don't have a good way to keep from fogging up the inside of all the windows. Maybe if nascar would let us run side windows, we could seal everything and keep the moisture out. I'm not certain how the lemans or dp cars do it.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Duke Zink

I'm not certain how the lemans or dp cars do it.

Air conditioning. Heck, your cars already weigh nearly 2 tons. What's another 100 lbs of condensor/tubing/evaporator?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by legion

Yes, it is raining hard, but many of the people they are interviewing during the caution seem not prepared to handle rain and are lobbying for the race being called.

Notice that it was only those in the leading positions...points, you know. But watching the race? You gotta admit, conditions were getting pretty bad...even with rain tires. (edit) So ask yourselves, in all honesty...would the F-1 gentlemen have continued?

[Racerbvd]

[QUOTE=pwd72s;4097976]Notice that it was only those in the leading positions...points, you know. But watching the race? You gotta admit, conditions were getting pretty bad...even with rain tires. (edit) So ask yourselves, in all honesty...would the F-1 gentlemen have continued?[/QUOTE]

I've seen much worse at Sebring & Daytona.

[pwd72s]

I've never been to Sebring or Daytona...

[5axis]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Notice that it was only those in the leading positions...points, you know. But watching the race? You gotta admit, conditions were getting pretty bad...even with rain tires. (edit) So ask yourselves, in all honesty...would the F-1 gentlemen have continued?

We even do it with 2 fewer wheels, on machines that tip over and have no roll bars.

[Super_Dave_D]

Did you notice that they had a brake light as well?

I thought it was pretty cool and the drivers liked it too but the water was pooling up pretty deep. They were hydroplaning on caution laps.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D

Did you notice that they had a brake light as well?

I thought it was pretty cool and the drivers liked it too but the water was pooling up pretty deep. They were hydroplaning on caution laps.

I remember a few years ago, working the Daytona 24, our pit wasn't far from JRs, and I tell you, I have never seen a bigger cry-baby and it was only misting. He left an ever lasting thought in my mind, of course since he was having trouble driving, they ran under full course yellow most of the night.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D

Did you notice that they had a brake light as well?

I thought it was pretty cool and the drivers liked it too but the water was pooling up pretty deep. They were hydroplaning on caution laps.

Yes, I noticed the brake lights. I wonder if the teams came prepared for the weather all along - in other words, throughout the week. Those windshield wipers were fitted on fairly quickly. The rain tires were already there. Also, the announcers continually said "...never before in history..."

[DUK]

We've been trucking those tires around for about 8 years. They were built in 2000-2001 and other than a couple of times at the Glen and in Japan, this was the first time they were used in the race. I'm not positive, but I think the brake light is actually just a running light. And the wiper motor and arm, again, we've been putting them on the road course cars since 2000.

And other than the few "drivers" (wheel holders) that have experience in the rain, I'm sure they were whining up a storm.

[pwd72s]

Despite not being a road race specialist, Greg Biffle did okay...finished 8th IIRC.

Northwest natives learn rain driving at an early age...