I'm watching today because I find the road courses a lot more interesting than the usual oval. Sorry, should have made it a poll. If a mod. wants to add a poll, feel free.
Huh? Are you watching these jokers? They're in the dirt more than a $2 pig. I'm no Michael Schumacher, but lord, these guys stink on a road course (in those cars, of course) -Daniel
ABSOLUTELY! I think they should run at least a half-dozen road courses each year, and they could have a series-within-a-series and crown an annual road-course champion. At the very least they should have one road-course race in the southeast (Road Atlanta?). Remember that for a series that touts its heritage, that NASCAR's real heritage is on the road, with moonshiners being chased by revenue agents back in the '40s. They had to accelerate, brake, upshift, downshift, and turn left or right, and they became the original drivers of NASCAR at its inception.
NASCAR is nothing more than a "low tech conga line".....and F1 is merely the high tech version. Two of the most boring types of racing in the world....live or on TV in my opinion. So...NO is my answer.
Well, I do feel that they drive a bit more... what's the right word - wrecklessly? badly? - certainly, it seems that contact from other drivers is less frowned upon than in other racing championships.
Yes, wathed today! Pretty good race actually. I would have rather watched F1 (like to watch the best) but did enjoy some passing.
Absolutely not... The only thing that is a bigger farce of NASCAR on high banked ovals is the complete farce NASCAR is on the road courses! Holy crap, how can anyone justify these events as legitimate races? I vowed after last year's complete farce of a race at Watkins Glen that I would never watch another NASCAR race on any road course. NASCAR makes a complete sham out of road racing taking half hour caution periods for simple spins into the grass which, in any other series on the face of the planet, would be little more than a local yellow. Generally speaking, these yellows are displayed particularly when the driver that NASCAR or the televising network has been showcasing the entire race week needs an assist and is in a spot to get this new "free pass" they are making such a big deal over lately. If you want to waste a complete day watching this sham of a sport that is bringing mentality level of racing fans down to that of the average WWF fan, go right ahead. Fortunately, there are better things to do with valuable time than waste it thinking NASCAR is anything but a scripted sham of a sport. That goes for their little lap dogs, GrandAm, too! BHW
The thing that really burns me about these NASCAR races on road courses is how they build up the "legitimacy" of the races by bringing in "road course specialists" like Ron Fellows, Boris Said and Scott Pruett to create interest in the event. For the life of me though, these drivers (some of whom I know personally) have to know they will never be allowed to win a NASCAR race outright as the reaction from the NASCAR community would be worse that what Mario Andretti experienced when he won the Daytona 500 in 1969 (where he was intentionally held in the pits by his team so his team mate could win. When he in fact won, none of the team joined him in victory lane because he was from Pennsylvania and foreign born). The complaints are always the same, the outsiders hired the take part in the road course events skew the championship points and the moment one of these drivers take the lead, another one of these "phantom yellows" comes out because someone spotted "debris" somewhere and the next thing you know the leader is "caught out" by the yellow so the hot shoe of the week may reassume the lead. Someone puts a tire off and kicks up some grass and dust onto the track? Deal with it just like every other legitimate series in the world. Do not throw a half hour, full course caution so the field may be "reset". It's also a shame to see a great talent like Jeff Gordon wasted so badly in NASCAR. Were I Bernie Ecclestone, I would be bending over backwards to get this guy an F-1 ride by any means possible. NASCAR is little more than the celebration of an uneducated culture and were the real racing media to get off their collective fat asses and expose them for what they really are, the series would tumble like a house of cards. BHW
No I wouldn't watch them. And if Tony George thinks his open-wheeled NASCAR variant (IRL) would stimulate interest if they did road courses, I wouldn't watch them either. Andy
It doesn't matter what type of vehicle is running the road course. It could be semi-trucks and I would still find it interesting. So yes, I would watch NASCAR more if they had more road courses.
I would tune in sometimes if there were a) more road courses and b) more engine manufacturers involved. Then again, I'd really prefer just watching GT class stuff with real cars and worldwide mfr's.
I don't mind NASCAR on road courses. Roush will tell you that a NASCAR is a very poor handling car that the crew has to make driveable week in and week out. What I don't understand is why Indy/Cart cars even bother with ovals.
They ought to give those guys some real brakes and sticky tires and see what they could do. Cripes, those guys brake earlier than a vintage Corvette and did you see Tony Stewart slide for 150 yards going sideways at just over 110 mph? No grip whatsoever. If those guys are running the same tires at 190mph on Superspeedways, they're real drivers for sure. They look like late 1970s Minnesota ice racers out there except the Saab Sonnets were faster looking. I remember an interview with Dale Earnhart, Jr. at the Daytona 24 hour this year. He said that the only reason he was doing so well (running second in a prototype) was that the rain was an equalizer; he was used to braking early in Nascar and that the rain made it imperative that the prototypes braked a lot earlier than they would in the dry with their comparatively tremendous braking power. I enjoyed watching the race and I'm not a Nascar follower or fan.
Barton, I know your have a book deal of some sort with Tom K. and are a huge ALMS follower but why are you knocking Grand Am. It's not a direct competitor to ALMS and there are at least three of us here on Ferrarichat (Myself, J. Seagal, and one other) that race in Grand Am (or in my case plan to). Why are you knocking Grand Am? Because it's owned by the same people who own NASCAR? Just trying to understand your perspective. ALMS is a great series but it's way too costly for most privateer teams. Regarding NASCAR, I agree that the people who own it run it like WWF (for maximum entertainment) but don't knock the talent IT'S WORLD CLASS at the front of the grid (see my posts from the archives) Regards, Jon P. Kofod www.flatoutracing.net PS: The NASCAR issue was debated on these threads (you will find my opinion there) http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/251280/6452.html http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/14/267472.html
Coupla things: Yes, I'd watch more NASCAR if there were more road courses. I love that stuff, and loved today's race, notwithstanding what I call the Wimpy Manufactured Yellows. Very entertaining to see these guys rassle 3,500 pound cars all over a tough track! And yes, some of them are truly gifted drivers, as evidenced amply today. Love Grand Am. Sorry to see J. Segal crash out in a recent race as the pace car came out... Today, some friends (S. Olsen, T. Probert, J. Munson) did OK at Mid-Ogio on their BMW 330i.
I don't know the politics of NASCAR you all are discussing. Yes, I would watch it more if they were more road races like today. Except there is too much tapping the rear to spin a guy out. Some of this has to be intentional strategy. I don't know of a different race car that you could get away with this so easy. The cars need to be designed so there is damage to the rear car there is less incentive. Hey, how about an automatic 4 sec. brake application if your bumper taps. I think I'm on to something............lol
NASCAR is a pathetic form of motor racing and the only improvement they can make is to disolve and disband itself. This is not going to happen so I take solice in the fact the 99% of NASCAR fans will never know what real racing is about.
Sounds like the bashers didn't watch the race. Of course, it's easy to be critical of that which one doesn't understand.... Nascar does use local yellows and made a serious attempt to avoid throwing the flags, Scott Pruett got legitimately beat by Gordon, as did Said. Hustling those big cars around that track takes talent, period. There's no 'free pass' rule on the road courses. As far as the rubbing goes, I've seen that same behaviour in almost all the full-bodied classes. Have you ever watched German Touring Car, or V8 Supercars? I'd love to see more road courses in Nascar, they are the must-watch races for me.
1972 (Winston Cup, I believe) was when I last watched (NASCAR, NEXTEL CUP, the France family whatever). As far as what NEXTEL CUP produces, I have but the slightest interest. What an opera. They ought to have them in skirts and necklaces. Please, someone, tear up the script and start it all over.
Can somebody give a heads-up next time NASCAR races on a road course? I never follow any of this stuff, but wouldn't mind catch a road course race.
