[Jeff Higgins]

I wouldn't sell the NASCAR boys too short on their "'60's technology". They spin those old push-rod V-8's up to just over 9,000 rpm on everything but the restrictor plate tracks, and they make them last 500 miles while doing it. An ALMS GT2 911 spins up in the mid-8,000 range with dual overhead cams and four valve per cylinder, not to mention a much shorter stroke and a perfectly balanced boxer layout. The NASCAR V-8 gets around 800 hp, or over 2 hp per cubic inch, and still uses a single four barrel carburator.

Even at 3,400 pounds these cars handle extremely well. You won't see a more rigid chassis on any other form of race car. The brakes are right up there with any other series, and they put more rubber on the ground than most. Their only real weak point in the chassis is that live rear axle, but that doesn't seem to be that big of a detriment.

Road and Track this month has a comparrison between a GT2 ALMS 911 and a CGT. I think a more interesting one would be between the race car they had and a Nextel Cup car. I wonder how close that would be.

Nextel Cup still runs a couple of road courses, don't they? I think Sears Point and Watkins Glenn. Do they run the same layout as the ALMS series, or does ALMS even run these tracks? Anyone have any solid lap times from the same venues to compare?