SpeedTv is good for something!

[The Ruptured Duck]

Making fun of NASCAR fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDrWrYwIBB8

On the left is Robin Miller, American open wheel journalist, and on the right is Bob Varsha, commentator for the US broadcast of Formula 1.  If I had a nickel everytime I've heard those lines before from a mindless NASCAR fanatic.......

[The Ruptured Duck]

Nothing, really?

Did I insult some mindless NASCAR fans?

[Craig.]

the end is a classic

[ShaneG_old]

Ok, so if you were to breed those two into one, that would be me.
(Minus all the Junior B.S., I can't stand Dale Jr. )

Not all Nascar fans are red-necks, they just created it .
A small percentage of us did start out in open wheel and made an open spot in our hearts for this form of racing.  I'll watch bicycles race if it's the only racing on tv. 8-)

But honestly, is the Indy 500 really that popular in Europe? :-?  I always thought it to be a faster, backwards, Nascar race, with less wrecks. If you hate watching cars just drive in a circle (as seems to be the biggest complaint with Nascar) then the Indy 500 should just simply drive you to tears with boredom. :-?

Let them do the 500 on the road course there, that would be entertaining.

Monte Carlo Now that's a race 8-).

[Craig.]

To me the 500 is one of the highlights of the year, Its not so much the going round in circles, its the fact that its one of the toughest tracks on the calender. 225mph close behind another car into turns 1 and 2 takes tremendous skill with minimal downforce. My hope is one day something could be worked out so like the old days, the indy 500 would be part of the championship calender.
The road course is completely differant at indy now the F1 dropped it and the bikes picked it up.  And to be fair it was never the most difficult of tracks to begin with.

[ShaneG_old]

I'm not saying it isn't tough, I just don't understand how Nascar can be mindless, while Indy, which you must admit, that while faster(but not by much), are incredibly easier to drive than a stock car. Take the wing off that indy car and give it a spoiler.  Now go 225 around that corner. Inches from other cars.

 It's all good racing, no matter the vehicle in my eyes. Bike racing however, is insanity!  Special breed those guys. 8-)  I didn't know they raced at the Indy r.c. now.

[The Ruptured Duck]

Indy cars are NOT incredibly easier to drive.  No power steering + higher G loads in the corners.  At atlanta Nascar averages 195 mph , at Indy they are around 225 in qualifying trim (fastest ever was 239) and 30 mph makes a big difference in how you drive a car.  Get something strait bub nascar isnt about racing, its about entertainment.

I used to be a nascar fan, until i got bored and found F1, indy, le mans.

And you brought the redneck thing up, that commercial was more about nascar fans who think nascar is the only thing out there

[Craig.]

[quote]I'm not saying it isn't tough, I just don't understand how Nascar can be mindless, while Indy, which you must admit, that while faster(but not by much), are incredibly easier to drive than a stock car. Take the wing off that indy car and give it a spoiler.

[ShaneG_old]

[quote]Indy cars are NOT incredibly easier to drive.

[scalper_old]

I miss Bill Elliot. nascar in the 80's and early 90''s was my favorite time for Nascar

[The Ruptured Duck]

I miss Bill Elliot. nascar in the 80's and early 90''s was my favorite time for Nascar

I miss Dale Jarrett

Shane, you seem to miss the concept of what "G Loading" is.  True indycars are lighter, which makes them able to take turns faster (higher G's), however the weight of the driver is still the same, meaning the driver is subjected to more G loading.  Like Craig said, a stock car brakes going into the turn, which puts weight on the front wheels and makes it easier to turn despite the weight of the car.  Also a stock cars suspension is set up much more loose than an indycar or F1, the latter being the most stiffly sprung cars in the world.  This absorbs the effects of the bumps on the track, and when driving on a street circuit, road corse, or bumpy oval (TMS) an indycar or F1 driver will feel each bump in the road.  The steering wheel jerks, the balence of the car is upset, and the driver has to correct.

[ShaneG_old]

You need to watch these 'COTs' then. They ride around the oval on their bump stops pretty much the whole way around, and judging by the extreme amount of sawing I see the drivers doing on the steering wheels, I'd say they're correcting.

They have bumpy tracks too, it's just a shame that ISC keeps smoothing the tracks out, the killer turn 4 bumps at Texas and Lowes were real treats on last lap dash for the wins.

 I enjoy it all, not placing one over another, each has it's purpose and market, hell, even monster truck racing is fun to watch,(and even better to see in person. )

 When the Indy 500 comes on, I'll be glued to the tv, unless Marlboro sends us tickets again like last year, every year we get them for Kentucky, but last year they sent us Indy tickets. 8-)

[U4EA]

You need to watch these 'COTs' then. They ride around the oval on their bump stops pretty much the whole way around, and judging by the extreme amount of sawing I see the drivers doing on the steering wheels, I'd say they're correcting.

Ima thinkin', as are a few of my race buds, that bringing back bias tires for the COT(oday) would be a cool thing.

The 1990 Watkins Glen race where Earnhardt and Rusty were four wheel driftin' the living snot out of most all of the high(er) speed turns was a sight to behold!  IMHO!