First off lemme say this.. if NASCAR cranks your teuck then that's fine with me.

I read this over at Autoextremeist.com It's an interesting point of view regarding nascar and detroit.

I agree with the write on just about all of it.

Detroit: It's Time to Pull the Plug on NASCAR


Not posting this to rile anyone up so just chill if it bugs you. It's just one guys opinion.

 

Read it last week. Good article. Good topic for discussion. I've been reading/posting the posts on BON about the same subject. (I have a different name on BON - IMSA-XJR9)

Love to talk racing!!

 

heheh i figured that was you at bon

I'm not a big nascar guy at all...I really think it's nothing more than a watered down "I can rattle off my sponsors faster than you" fest.

I know that probably irks 90% of america..but lets face it in the grand sceme of things Nascar is about run it's course for usefulness.

I wont even go into driver talent in Nascar vs other racing disaplines.

America...sweeping generalization warning.....has a fanatical devotion to Nascar. Of course i live in the middle of it or so it seems here in florida were saying Nascar is useless is akin saying something about a mafia bosses mother. Your gonna get your butt beat.

I remeber hearing an interview with a nascar driver that was running a road course. He was asked what will be the hardest part about this race and he replied "making right turns". I know he was joking but man it's as if Nascar is striving to make it boring.

Ok I'm getting off my soapbox

 

NASCAR is alright but I mean, I can't sit there and watch it for three hours in a row. If my father had his way, thats all that would be on TV. Oh, some Clint Eastwood and John Wayne movies would be thrown in.

 

mustangman i think we must be brothers

 

That guy really has a bee in his bonnet, doesn't he.

While I understand his misgivings, I cannot say that I am entirely impressed with F1 either.
I have been an F1 fan all my life, but in the last few years (since Senna died, funny how they do not mention Razzenburger in the same sentence, he died at the same circuit on the same weekend), the FIA have taken all the tension and suspense out of it. The have made the teams use tires with grooves in them in an attempt to slow them down. All of the circuits have been made "Safer" i.e chicanes in the middle of fast straights (again to slow the cars), and you cannot pass on most of the circuits.
I have a lot of respect for the drivers, but if I wanted to watch a load of cars playing follow my leader around I would go and watch my local motorway in rush hour!
The most exciting driving around at the moment is BTCC British Touring Car Championship. The cars are the same ones you see on the road (tweeked up though!) and the racing is intense. It might not be as quick as Nascar / F1 but there is more action. There are at least 3 crashes a meeting! They also race three times in the same day, teo races with compulsory pit stops and a shorter "Sprint" race, where they do not come into the pits at all.

Just my 2c worth........

(Spot the GM vehicles on the front row.........)

 

I persoanlly think the most exciting driving is Aussie V-8 Supercars and WRC rally racing. But hey that's me....I do enjoy the Brit touring car though as well.

 

I'm a fan of the SPEED World Challenge racing.
A good mix of cars, (that actually look like their street versions--brand identification not like NASCAR), and close racing in both classes.
(John Young does race an older Saleen SR, but not much factory support.)

GTO, Cadillac, Vette, and Viper are already there from the domestic market, Ford should back a Mustang/Cobra team.






(Pontiac is already racing the GTO.)

 

That is the American equivalent of BTCC, or is it the other way round.... :P


I can see from the pictures, they are racing on proper tracks rather than ovals??

BTW, what power do the Audi's put out and what engine are they running??

 

JGS... Not sure which came first.
Similar to BTCC, and races are held on road race tracks or street courses.
None of that left turn only stuff.

Audi is using a 4.2 liter V8 with power estimated to be about 500hp.
(Plus the RS6 just got a 50 lbs weight addition and rpm reduction because of their success.)

Here's a link to the World Challenge series: SCCA-WC

 

I'm not going to get in my NASCAR rant at present time, but I will soon.

Volvo will be entering the SPEED GT series with the S60R next race. They were suppose to be entered at Mid-Ohio, but they weren't.

When I saw the '05 in Cincinnati Keith the Ford Engineer said they had no present plans to enter the '05 in a series with factory effort, however he did say that Ford is considering offering '05 bodies with built in factory rollcages so private entries could use the '05 shell until a factory effort is sustained. He said that Ford wanted to get the Volvo program off the ground in SPEED GT before they concentrated on the '05.

JGS-remeber the Volvo 850 wagons that raced in the BTCC? I loved those cars!!

Also I concur with BM that the Aussie V8 series is my favorite with SPEED GT a close second. How I do miss IMSA GTO/GTU/GTP racing!!

Long live the XJR9!!

 

Nascar has followed the pace of professional wrestling. They had a good thing, made some money, and screwed it up. Now, it is about as exiting as watching grass grow. I gave up nascar several years ago, after they started making the cars the same. I watch World rally. Now thats entertainment. Bring back Group B!!!!

 

You mean this?

In a five word review, Top Gear called the Volvo 850 T-5 a "Five star rocket powered wardrobe"

I love remeniscing!

 

The SPEED World Challenge is pretty cool... but I mean, the GTO out there with a Viper?

 

Speed doesn't show enough Aussie V-8's as far as I'm concerend =o(