I love NASCAR, been on the bandwagon since 1985, I root for
Robby Gordon, John Andretti, Bill Elliott, and Jeff Gordon. I
don't really care for the "young guns".

 

thread moved to O.T.: A

 

yes
been on the bandwagon since 1990
and thanks to speed vision
i've gotten into WRC & other motor sports, as well

 

I enjoy some of the road courses, like watkins etc but not real big into the ovals....I tend to watch CART, Speed Touring and GT, ALMS, Grand Am, BTCC, Aussie Supercars, WRC, German Touring Cars, etc...just prefer the street and road courses to the ovals, though in person an oval is nice as you can see everything....I do think Bristol or Martinsville would be fun to attend.

 

I've followed NASCAR for 20 years or more, although I don't watch the races anymore on TV. Just too many other things I'd rather do on a nice Sunday afternoon. I can enjoy a good oval race occasionally, but I generally prefer open wheel or WRC any more.

The real eye opener was when I first started watching CART races, which would usually be on before the NASCAR race (long before IRL was a thought). After watching Indy cars whip around the track at well over 200 mph, the stock cars would look like they were crawling in slow motion.

I watched the WRC Sweden last night. Now that stuff is nuts. Those guys can drive and the whole event seems more laid back and friendly.

 

Sad day at Daytona as a track worker was struck and killed by a race car during a yellow flag on Sunday 2/8.

I was watching the coverage on SPEED, but they gave no indication of what was happening other than the race had been Red Flagged.

I know that a situation like this is difficult, but the lack of even basic information about what had happened before they went off the air was not appropiate IMHO.

 

>>I know that a situation like this is difficult, but the lack of even basic information about what had happened before they went off the air was not appropiate IMHO.

WOW! I was watching Speed off-on up to the WRC program and heard no mention of this.

 

>>Sad day at Daytona as a track worker was struck and killed by a race car during a yellow flag on Sunday 2/8.
>>
>>I was watching the coverage on SPEED, but they gave no indication of what was happening other than the race had been Red Flagged.
>>
>>I know that a situation like this is difficult, but the lack of even basic information about what had happened before they went off the air was not appropiate IMHO.


How tragic. To me its always a very sad day when someone dies during a race. However it is especially so when it is a track worker or fan, as these folk never thought they'd be risking their lives to support a motorcar race. F-1 (of which I'm truly FANatical) has had couple of very bad accidents involving track marshalls in the last three years (Italy, Australia and Japan spring to mind) including fatal ones. While it is important for fans to remember that their heros take a substantial risk every time they go out on the track, it is equally important to remember the heroic efforts of those who support them, and make motorsports possible.

 

I'll randonly tune into NASCAR once in a while, but my speed channel time is usually decidated to F1 or WRC. But I must admit, seeing a figure 8 school bus race, cannot be beat for entertainment value.

Tho I do hear Mr. Jeff Gordon had some interest in WRC a while back. So now we'll have "**** on" stickers for Gronholm and Solberg???

 

OK, I need your help, dearest fans of left-turns. Please help me understand the excitement of watching a NASCAR race. I'm so utterly prejudiced against them. I just can't understand "America's Most Widely Watched Sport" because it seems so boring to me. And please be aware: I am an Arkansan by birth; I am an auto enthusiast, and I love watching WRC and just about ANY form of road racing, but the left-turn-circuit leaves me cold. I was at the gym the other day watching Daytona time trials. I'm unclear as to why this qualifies as interesting, especially when I can't convince my cable operator to include the Paint Drying Network and the Grass Growing Network.

But all kidding aside, I would love to understand it, as it has so clearly found a place in the hearts of so many people.

 

IMO - the biggest thing that nascar has going for itself is the fact that the drivers are all or mostly americans...and they are people that are from their surroundings...for example Driver X is from Texas and Texans consider them their racer then....the drivers are people that average americans can relate to...not many people know or care to know about some columbian guy named Montoya and they can't relate to them.

Additionally the nature of closed wheel racing allows for alot of bumping, rubbing, and accidents which many people find exciting. Now this all takes place on a small area where most of the cars are fairly grouped together to make close racing (not because they are all equal - just the nature of ovals and their aero packages and restrictor plates.)

Most nascar fans are looking for entertainment, not neccessary the best or purest form of racing....now that is not a slam by any means against them, but they want to see entertainment and seeing their local boys up there bumping and rubbing all very close together is what many people enjoy to see.

 

I'll pretty much agree with Casey. It really is good racing, if not all that exciting from a "driving enthusiast" standpoint. There is a lot of passing and a lot of strategy involved. The pit stops, how many tires to change. Some of the best NASCAR races I've watched had no caution periods at all and went right down to the wire before you knew who was going to win. Compared to the "parade" aspect of a typical F-1 race, it's more entertaining - even without the crashes.

WRC, in comparison, reminds me a great deal of my own racing sport: Downhill Mtn Bike racing. A very techincal driving race against the clock. By nature, the drivers seem to be more supportive of each other. Travelling at hi speeds just inches from non-moving trees is very dear to my heart... and my shoulders...

 

I think an important aspect of the 'love of NASCAR' is the race cars look like the cars we drive (well not MINI people) every day. And the races resemble our daily highway commutes of fast bumper to bumper - lane changing - passing and drafting driving.

It's very easy to think you're Jeff Gordon in your Chevy blasting down I-90 passin' those *%#@*% Fords!

The exposure of the drivers and crews with in-car cams and radios, ect. Puts us right behind the wheel.

I don't relate to some 'good-looking, playboy F-1 driver in a car that is (is it a car?) a missle with wheels.

As a marketing guy....NASCAR is brilliant in it's marketing. Think about this....while NFL and MLB holds cities hostage to get the public to build their playing fields......NASCAR owners privately build their tracks.

And this year watch #88....he'll win the championship!

 

And one more thing....

In NASCAR racing, just saying the car number, NASCAR people know the driver's name, car make, major sponsors, and can find the car in a pac of wheel-to-wheel/nose-to-nose cars going over 200 mph on tha backstreach at Daytona.

Other than he drives a Ferrari and it's red, I can't tell you much about that Schumeleckler guy....

 

sunday, sunday. sunday
gentleman start your engines