Having agreed with Marco (Matrix) for a long time that 'Nascar sucks', I find it hard to believe that someone with talent and opportunity would abandon open wheel racing in a sophisticated venue to go bumping and grinding in generic bumper cars and think s/he is racing.

Seriously, though, I don't really understand the attraction. Is money really that eclipsing? Is Bruno more exciting than Popeye?

Is a retiring Schummi next? Do the Chinese have plans to enter into Nascar racing?

 

 

Oh good (seriously): somebody mentioned NASCAR, which reminded me to ask this question (and I don't mean to hijack the thread; this will just expand it a bit).

[Personally, I'd rather see these drivers stay on road circuit series, by the way.]

So. Whenever I watch a NASCAR race, it sure looks to me as if the cars are all identical except for painted-on headlights/grilles/etc, which paint (or maybe decals or other surface stick-ons) makes them appear to be the brands they are called by. But the size, body shapes, aerodynamic features and so on look far more standardized than the corresponding street cars do.

Am I seeing things, or am I right about this? Thanks, HPH

 

I guess you have to go where the money is. Im not a big NASCAR fan, but the orginazation is loaded with money.

 

You are correct sir. The templates they use are designed to level the playing field as much as possible so you end up with Fords, Chevys, and Dodges that look a lot like each other yet very little like the makes and models they're supposed to be.

With the introduction later this year of the Car of Tomorrow they'll be even more similar to each other.

NASCAR seems to me more and more like the WWF every year. Lots of hype and a little entertainment.

 

There is probably more money in F1 for the top drivers, but maybe not for the drivers in the middle of the pack. Anyway, JPM was out of a ride. He could probably have gotten on at one of the lower-teir teams, but he would have had no chance for any wins.

On the other hand, there was Gnassi, with whom he has an Indy win and a series championship. And NASCAR is one of the more competitive series around. Also, the racing fits his agressive style. I think it's a good move for him.

 

Danica's case seems to be different. Looks like she is trying to put pressure on her or someone else's IRL team to give her a competitive ride that she can win with. She compares Nascar racing cars to the go-carts she grew up on; but hey, they were open wheel vehicles, too. I guess there has always been a lot of cross-over between open wheel and Nascar, so all of this is really nothing new. Still, NASCAR sucks!

 

NASCAR has spent a great deal of time and money under the direction of the France kids to become mainstream. They have all but abandoned the old "backwoods tracks" to be located in or near all metropolitan areas except NYC, and they are trying like hell to get there (Staten Island is their target).

NASCAR is also working at exporting their brand of racing outside of the US. JPM and Danica see the handwriting, and what it is saying is: If you want to race here the future is in NASCAR. Open-wheel has trouble filling a venue with the exception of Indy. Perhaps, that's the fault of King Tony with a little Kevin K. tossed in, but that's the reality. ALMS probably has five people and me watching on TV.

Like they say, if you want to get rich follow the money and the real money at the moment is in NASCAR.

As far as all the cars looking alike, it's not that far afield from IRL, two chassis and 1 motor. If you look at any spec series the cars all tend to look alike after a period of time.

That all said, I am not a real fan of NASCAR, but I will ocassionally watch a bit.

But having spent many years in sales and marketing, I have great respect for their business model.

 

She probably just wants to win and stay in the spotlight. She has a better chance in NASCAR than anywhere else.

 

That's my situation, too -- I mostly see it when I'm channel surfing. And that's why I had that simple question above (Thanks, Raymo!).

What I do find interesting, in a "Ooh, they taught the hippo to dance" sort of way, are the two(?) NASCAR road races. Golly, those cars can turn right after all! It's almost amusing to watch them lumbering around the same tracks that you see Porsches and their competition gracefully gliding around.

But NASCAR is big bucks. F1 is, too, but it's smaller scale (when do you see that many cars in an F1 race?) and the endorsements possibilities don't seem so available. I bet the switches by drivers are all money-driven. HPH