Nascar…

That's the point I was (badly) making. NASCAR is as artificial as F1. Both are ground up purpose built cars that bear little resemblance to what we get to buy in the showroom.

On the other hand, I got a few laps in a 2009 Jaguar XKR on the Monticello Motor Club's F1 track with an F1 instructor. That was fun.

Nice! I've had three Jags. The XKR is on my (next Jag) short list; although, after we got up close and personal with the new '10 XJ (Supercharged, not the "R" version, but the mid-range one) at the Seattle auto show yesterday, she says we "must" have one of those. :)
 
I've watched production car races. Not quite as exciting as watching purpose built race cars. I'm sure the one thing Arizona will bring back with him from the race is the unforgettable sight of a 750HP Nascar Car growling by on the pace laps revving and braking as they swerve. Something so cool about how raw they are. I can't even imagine how cool it would be to see a F1 car screaming by at 225! I don't think many people would show up at a Nascar race to see actual Fords and Chevy's from a showroom doing laps.

I am strictly talking from the spectator viewpoint. Now if I had the money to go racing on my own the viewpoint from behind the wheel would be totally different. A porsche 911 would be pretty damn cool.
 
I had the quickest lap time for the day in a SCCA event in 1986 in my completely stock, 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE, which I still own and occassionally drive. I competed against non-street legal cars with huge, sticky tires, 911's, 914's, and a wide variety of others. The RX-7 is balanced at 51/49 and has a really quick, responsive 80ci 13B engine in the old body style. It was a real sleeper then, and can be today as well.

In KC, Mo, they have vintage indy car races in a curvy park down town. Multi-hundred thousand dollar antiques scream around the corners sideways like they were vw's or something.
 
I'm a NASCAR fan....any engine that can turn 8 to 9 grand for 500 or so miles (and the F1's turn 18 grand) impresses me. I've never been to a race, but would like to experience 35 cars passing by at 190 + mph.

It may be a rediculous sport to some, but it employs a lot of people, and generates a ton of money.
 
I had the quickest lap time for the day in a SCCA event in 1986 in my completely stock, 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE,
Snopes said that wasn't true. :smt043. :grin:
 
Snopes said that wasn't true. :smt043. :grin:

Hey, they can't know that! It is true. The rest of the story is that it was the only lap in which I took out a cone - plus 2 second penalty : (
 
All I can say is WOW, what an experience! I can honestly say that I originally thought it was a bunch of cars going in an oval…not so.

We will be back in April for sure, it was truly a good time.

C-
 

Attachments

  • PIR.jpg
    PIR.jpg
    11.9 KB · Views: 238
  • PIR Wreck.jpg
    PIR Wreck.jpg
    46.3 KB · Views: 224
A ton of it!!!

However, only because the folks behind us were as well, otherwise I would have sat a bit more. I’m a tall lad, so I can imagine that it wouldn’t have been fun to be behind me if the circumstances were different. They happened to be standing on their seats, so it was all good.

I really do have a different perspective now, truly a cool experience!
 
Your pic shows my boy Smoke all caught up in a wreck :smt021
 

Attachments

  • smoke [640x480].JPG
    smoke [640x480].JPG
    77.6 KB · Views: 229
  • smoke2 [640x480].JPG
    smoke2 [640x480].JPG
    83.9 KB · Views: 225
I've been to dozens of NASCAR events at 6 or 8 different tracks. Jims comment about fully understanding what is going on (not just who is leading & who is in second) is dead on.

I agree that over the years the sport has become way too commercialized. The multi car teams have pretty much ruined the hopes of over half the field and that is not good. In fact in the long term it is very bad. It has and will continue to degrade to sport as a whole.

I do care that the cars have little or no resembelance to their namesakes. I can site a dozen current rules that take away from true racing and cram the event into a TV show. However, "pathetic" and "pro wresteling".... I have got to call you on this one Frank. Not true.
 
I go down to the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway every year and have a blast. Being there in person is a whole 'nother experience. Like Jim said, Headset and or earplugs are a must.
 
I agree that over the years the sport has become way too commercialized. The multi car teams have pretty much ruined the hopes of over half the field and that is not good. In fact in the long term it is very bad. It has and will continue to degrade to sport as a whole.

Kind of like baseball?
 
For you car enthusiasts, and it seems as though there are many on this forum, you HAVE to some day go to the Goodwood festival of speed in southern England. It has everything you've ever thought of: F1, Nascar (Richard Petty was driving the hill when we were there) , GT, rally, Vintage, exotic cars, planes, etc. All at speed...We went about 4 years ago, and it was one of the most memorable events I've ever been too.

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/site/content/festivalofspeed/Default.aspx
 
Last edited:
Kind of like baseball?
And Hockey, I went to a pro game a few yrs ago, I hadn't been to a pro game in like 25 or so yrs. Hockey, when I grew up, was 3-20 minute periods of intense skating. So, I'm watching the game, and all of a sudden, about 5 min's into the first period, the play stops, the skaters start skating around, the ref's pick up the puck, and I'm like wtf? Come to find out, it was a sched'd stop for commercials on the broadcast. Completely ruined the rest of the game for me. I haven't been to another pro game since. I go to college games and enjoy those now.

-VtSeaRay (former Habs fan)
 
For you car enthusiasts, and it seems as though there are many on this forum, you HAVE to some day go to the Goodwood festival of speed in southern England. It has everything you've ever thought of: F1, Nascar (Richard Petty was driving the hill when we were there) , GT, rally, Vintage, exotic cars, planes, etc. All at speed...We went about 4 years ago, and it was one of the most memorable events I've ever been too.

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/site/content/festivalofspeed/Default.aspx

But what about all of that gas? Imagine the carbon foorprint of a place like that - oh, nevermind.
 
nhra still dominates the left turning wonders.takes ball's to run over 300mph in less than 1/4 mile,takes endurance to race in a circle for hundreds of miles. a quote from don garlits.:thumbsup:
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,943
Messages
1,422,703
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top