NASCAR 2017

The rain delayed time wasn't going to work for me, missed it.

 

F1 vs NASCAR, when it comes to the top drivers, is like comparing a master of the Erhu, to a virtuoso with the Violin.

The Erhu when compared to a Violen is a more archaic instrument; it has a smaller range of available notes, yet requires more control of the notes that it possesses in order to master. To achieve the highest level in either, is an equal accomplishment, they each have their respective difficulties. A master of one, is not automatically a master of the other should you hand the opposing instrument to them to play.

The primary difference, is that F1 has one virtuoso, Alonso; and two really really greats that in time will also qualify. The remaining truly great driver's could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

In NASCAR, the top level runs far deeper into the field than in F1.

There are some basic qualities to be successful in NASCAR, that if you did an extended shoot out in a variety of cars, FF, 4WDF, 4WDR, FW, MR, and RR, on both street and race tires, I believe that 7 of the top 10 would be from NASCAR, and that the top three would not have a WDC or CUP champion within it. I'd pick Daniel Ricciardo to be the #1 result overall. Kurt Busch, would probably be the highest placing champion of either series.

I also think Ricciardo would have the best shot of making it in NASCAR. Verstappen, hasn't learned to control tire wear. Ricciardo, can keep the car at the reasonable limit of tire wear without exceeding it, and its necessary to NASCAR.

 

There lies one of the biggest problems with a NASCAR driver going to F1, the gap between the team's is quite large these days.

The F1 guys couldn't afford to equally compensate the top NASCAR driver's either.

Tire management, is quite the crucial skill in NASCAR. The plate track's are exceptions, those are a hard compound tire with a different make up. You may not notice it, as the top driver's are proficient enough at it to make it appear a non factor. Tire management is however, tied to both setup, and driving. At Phoenix last year, the fall race, Joey Logano had a short duration setup, and it payed off given the continual stream of yellows. I like to watch the whole races, rather than just the last few laps, so perhaps that is why I notice the tire management in play when others do not. Watch the lap time data on Atlanta this spring; the tires provided by good year for that track cannot withstand even one single lap at full grip before traction falls off.

His height and build is against him as it would compromise the car design; but Ryan Newman would be one of the best candidates based on his abilities to succeed in F1.

 

Atlanta is also very intensive on tires, as is Homestead. Its even evident at Charlotte.

Daytona, and Talledega, are the only two that come to mind immediately.

It's not the banking, its part of the formula requested by NASCAR, and at the plate tracks, NASCAR gives Good Year a different set of priorities. At those two tracks, NASCAR wants the tire to not really be a part of the equation.

 

You are trying to compare history when tire manufactures were trying to extract the most in competition with other tire manufacturers; to a time when NASCAR dictates non optimal design parameters regarding the linearity of grip asked/given, grip given from tire relative to grip available/temperature rise and temperature/grip available.

 

I can think of a few who's...

He's got fierce inner drive to compete. He will get in something somewhere. He's the type of guy that stays two hours past the end of a karting event to get down to my lap time. I know why he's out, and I hope he finds a spot to get back in somewhere else than NASCAR.(Unless NASCAW puts the R back in NASCAR again.)

 

Danica has a strong driving style of marks/points. It works in modern Indy Car, but not so great in NASCAR where you want to have a free-er driving style.

A strong gusting head wind up the back straight, and Danica still hits the brakes or lifts at about the same point; going into a corner with a head wind allows more braking, more turning, and you got to the turn with less speed that needs to be shaved.

She's fairly precise, just she lacks in the moment judgement that the top drivers possess. She can qualify fairly well, but over the steadily changing situation presented by the extended races in CUP, a drive by point thought process will continually leave performance on the table.

One other problem a drive by point driver gets into with NASCAR, is focusing too much on car placement puts additional heat into the tires, which means increased performance fall off over time. What happens, is a good NASCAR driver lets the car float a little with irregularities, they do not make corrections to try to force the car onto a set rail like path. A driver trying to drive too tight, instantly tries to get it back on path, and after the upset, the extra input puts them slightly farther down, which results in a need to go slightly father back up, repeat repeat. The better NASCAR drivers put in a smaller correction, and let the car float up a few inches from the desired path, this prevents heat build up in tires from sharp spikes into the redzone of a ratio of grip/heat generation. After whatever bump/gust knocked the car off path subsides, the smaller additional input will float the car back onto path.

With an Indycar driver, being able to do the same does make for faster lap times, but the speeds and cornering forces are such you can't really afford it, especially off a corner with an open tire brushing into a wall from letting it "Float" a little too much. I see the older guard of Indy car drivers pull this off when they were racing; but the new talent pool has moved to NASCAR. The current gen of Indy car driver's aren't as capable as the past generations. Those that really really have it get pulled by the deeper pockets of NASCAR.

The penalty of a wall brush in indy car is far higher than in NASCAR, so young Indy car drivers tend to focus more on placement/points when driving. Indy car also runs street circuits with inside/outside walls, placing the car on point is a critical skill on these tracks that isn't present in such a big way on a good deal of the NASCAR calendar.