| artsyguy |
This is the longest month in sports if you are into auto racing...Other than the Superbowl and a sorta cool hockey game yesterday, nothing yanks my crank like racing! Only 24 days before the Daytona Rolex road race, and F1 and Champcars just won't get started
soon enough for me! Does Ferall ever talk about road racing or does he just give lip service to NASCAR occasionally?
Are there any gear heads that listen to Scotty???? |
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| eclipse_dw |
Yes, I enjoy road racing! I always watch the Rolex 24, but I must admit, I used to like the IMSA GT Championship cars back in the 90's a lot more. I'm really hoping that this years Champ car season will shape up to be interesting, now that Sébastien Bourdais has gone back to F1. Speaking of F1, last season was one of the most entertaining seasons in years! Wasn't it great having 3 drivers run for the championship in the final race! Well, if your interesting in talking about motor sports, I enjoy just about everything - AMA Superbikes, Moto GP, Offshore Boat Racing, all forms of Road Racing, and occasionally Neckcar.
Do you watch road racing on tv, or do you attend any tracks (if so, which ones?) I'm really looking forward to getting season passes to Laguna Seca Raceway here in California. :D |
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| arealviking |
:rolleyes:
Is this REALLY a Sport?
I mean C'mon guys... they're driving in a CIRCLE! :p
Maybe you could do your own road race...
-Drive to the store.
-Pickup your wifes tampons, pretzels & chocolates.
-Go to the next store pickup a girlie magazine & BJ dvd.
-Get Gas & Smokes.
-Drive by the local park and see if anybody needs a beer run.
-Stop by your last & only friend who still has a pool table.
-Shoot Pool & take his last $4.
-Drive by your home and repeat steps 4 & 5
Time It and Get Back to Me! :cool:
-ARV |
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| KingOfAllWhites |
:lol:
great post arv |
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| artsyguy |
Quote: Originally posted by arealviking
:rolleyes:
Is this REALLY a Sport?
I mean C'mon guys... they're driving in a CIRCLE! :p
Maybe you could do your own road race...
-Drive to the store.
-Pickup your wifes tampons, pretzels & chocolates.
-Go to the next store pickup a girlie magazine & BJ dvd.
-Get Gas & Smokes.
-Drive by the local park and see if anybody needs a beer run.
-Stop by your last & only friend who still has a pool table.
-Shoot Pool & take his last $4.
-Drive by your home and repeat steps 4 & 5
Time It and Get Back to Me! :cool:
-ARV |
Not a bad idea, but I can't afford the gas like the real race teams burn :-)
As for auto racing being a sport, you either get it or you don't. I come from the Ernest Hemmingway school who said, "The only sports are mountain climbing, bull fighting, and auto racing...everything else is just "games". The danger aspect is what makes the "sport" more intense than ANYTHING. Face it, if a player drops a pass during the Superbowl, the worst that can happen is the team looses a game and the player still gets paid. Not really a big deal in the grand scheme of life. If a driver loses concentration for an eye blink, he could loose his life. No comparison, IMHO. Football players don't loose up to 15 lbs in a game. A racer battling huge G-Loads, wearing a triple layer fire suit, gloves, and head balaclava and full face helmet driving a road race in the heat of Florida, Mexico, Spain, or the humidity of Houston does. Physical conditioning is a requirement for performance and more importantly concentration that keeps the driver alive. Don't get me wrong....I respect what any pro level athlete can do and the physical element that is required for peak performance. I just like the intensity and edge that goes along with auto racing at the highest professional levels that seriously lacks in stick and ball sports. I will admit I understand why some people might not understand oval track racing, but that is mostly because they don't understand things like car setup and pit strategies. It is easy to spot the naysayers, because the first thing they always say is that it's "cars driving in a circle". Which isn't true since there is just as much road racing that takes place as oval tracks. Different skill level, different equipment, different physical conditioning, and different strategies all make for a fantastic sport that is fan and very family friendly. And no, we race fans don't go to the races, to see drivers hurt. We go to watch them push the envelope and gather it all together. It is the danger element that makes racing the thrill that it is since most of us can relate to driving a car, but not too many of us have the ability to throw a 95MPH fast ball, or shoot 3 pointers all day long. However, those of us who do drive cars know that we couldn't drive over 200MPH for 3 hours without getting into really deep doo-doo.... |
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| artsyguy |
Quote: Originally posted by eclipse_dw
Yes, I enjoy road racing! I always watch the Rolex 24, but I must admit, I used to like the IMSA GT Championship cars back in the 90's a lot more. I'm really hoping that this years Champ car season will shape up to be interesting, now that Sébastien Bourdais has gone back to F1. Speaking of F1, last season was one of the most entertaining seasons in years! Wasn't it great having 3 drivers run for the championship in the final race! Well, if your interesting in talking about motor sports, I enjoy just about everything - AMA Superbikes, Moto GP, Offshore Boat Racing, all forms of Road Racing, and occasionally Neckcar.
Do you watch road racing on tv, or do you attend any tracks (if so, which ones?) I'm really looking forward to getting season passes to Laguna Seca Raceway here in California. :D |
Eclipse,
I've never been to Laguna and would love to see a race there. The corkscrew is just SICK!!!!! I grew up near Watkins Glen and attended F1, CanAm, Endurance, Karts, NASCAR, TransAm, F-5000, and other open wheel series there and now that I live in Pittsburgh I go to Mid-Ohio, Michigan Int., Pocono, and even Indy. If it has wheels or a motor, I'm interested with my strongest interest in road racing being F1, ChampCar (though after this year I'm loosing my patience with the IRL v. ChampCar series war) , and Endurance races. |
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| ramblerx15 |
| Well, its not road racing, but Jan. 8 - 12, Tuesday through Saturday, is the Chili Bowl Nationals. 277 entries with a who's who of drivers, NASCAR, ChampCar, IRL, World of Outlaws, USAC, NHRA, are all represented. The championship finale is Sat. nite , live on HBO pay per view. An event like you have never seen before, midget racers, on an indoor dirt track. The tickets for this event sold out last August, but if you are near Tulsa, OK, pit passes are still available. www.chilibowl.com for more information. Makes the off season a little more tolerable! It is just too bad that the USGP has been dropped, Bernie is a money whore ! :p |
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| artsyguy |
The problem with these "all-star" races is that they usually are too one sided, favoring the driver that is used to the car and track and style of racing. The only good all-star races was the early IROC races where the cars were equally prepared and ran on BOTH road and ovals. The other problem is that nowdays it's tougher to get the BEST drivers because they have become so specialized and have team and sponsor contracts that won't allow them to participate in other series, or even take a run down the hill on skis for that matter.
The best times were in the late 60-s and early -mid 70's when a top driver could do pretty much a full season in IndyCars, Can-Am, Trans-AM and maybe even a couple of events in endurance or F1!
I'm showing my age... :( |
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| ramblerx15 |
Quote: Originally posted by artsyguy
I'm showing my age... :( |
The good old days, remember when the Indy 500 was a "run what you brung" race. That is the only way to save open wheel racing in the US, in my opinion. ;) |
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| eclipse_dw |
Quote: Originally posted by artsyguy
Eclipse,
I've never been to Laguna and would love to see a race there. The corkscrew is just SICK!!!!! I grew up near Watkins Glen and attended F1, CanAm, Endurance, Karts, NASCAR, TransAm, F-5000, and other open wheel series there and now that I live in Pittsburgh I go to Mid-Ohio, Michigan Int., Pocono, and even Indy. If it has wheels or a motor, I'm interested with my strongest interest in road racing being F1, ChampCar (though after this year I'm loosing my patience with the IRL v. ChampCar series war) , and Endurance races. |
Laguna Seca is definitely one of the best tracks on the West Coast. (Add to "to do list") :D
I'm really looking forward to the "2008 Monterey Festival of Speed," which features Champ Car World Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Cars! What a weekend it's going to be.......
As for some of the tracks that you have attended, I'm very interested in going Indianapolis, but it's unfortunate that F1 isn't coming back to the states. :( |
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| BonswanaMiliken |
| I can't wait until Feb, go out to Pomona for Winternationals and smell some NITRO.. |
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| eclipse_dw |
Quote: Originally posted by BonswanaMiliken
I can't wait until Feb, go out to Pomona for Winternationals and smell some NITRO.. |
There are very few things in this world that are better than hearing a Top Fuel dragster during warm up..... :D |
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| Rammstein Musik |
Quote: Originally posted by arealviking
:rolleyes:
Is this REALLY a Sport?
I mean C'mon guys... they're driving in a CIRCLE! :p
Maybe you could do your own road race...
-Drive to the store.
-Pickup your wifes tampons, pretzels & chocolates.
-Go to the next store pickup a girlie magazine & BJ dvd.
-Get Gas & Smokes.
-Drive by the local park and see if anybody needs a beer run.
-Stop by your last & only friend who still has a pool table.
-Shoot Pool & take his last $4.
-Drive by your home and repeat steps 4 & 5
Time It and Get Back to Me! :cool:
-ARV |
this might be your best post ever. :p |
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| artsyguy |
Quote: Originally posted by eclipse_dw
There are very few things in this world that are better than hearing a Top Fuel dragster during warm up..... :D |
You ever notice when they interview top fuel racers right after their runs how they are shaking and gasping for breath? And they "only" are "working" for less than 5 seconds? This INTENSITY is what racing naysayers just don't get and never will. Next to a ride in the space shuttle, I can't think of anything on earth that would have the intensity of a top fueler or funny car sprint. |
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| artsyguy |
Quote: Originally posted by ramblerx15
The good old days, remember when the Indy 500 was a "run what you brung" race. That is the only way to save open wheel racing in the US, in my opinion. ;) |
No it isn't. What needs to be done is for the IRL and ChampCar to merge as one. We need the full spectrum road courses, ovals, street races(though we need fewer of those), AND Indy to be one. Both series are doing poorly individually and ChampCar even has to pay to get TV coverage. An influx of more American drivers would help as well, but that isn't as much of an issue (at least to me) as wanting to see the cream of the crop racing in any event. Currently you don't get that with the split of the series. If you could get rid of half the IRL starters and add half the ChampCar starters, you would have yourself a very competitive race with the best drivers anywhere.
It sickens me to think that when people think of Indy nowdays, they think of NASCAR racing instead of open wheels...
Say what you want to about NASCAR, but there is no doubt they know how to market and run the business of motorsports better
than anybody. |
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| ramblerx15 |
| I agree that IRL / ChampCar need to reunite, but its still just another kit car series. I like the idea of gaining an advantage by trying something new, or different. Since everybody has the same parts to start with, creative engineering is called cheating by nascar, etc. F1 is headed the same way, with the FIA rules restricting technical innovations, for the sake of cutting costs. If money was the problem, why does Toyota suck, with a $250+ million F1 budget? :p |
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| artsyguy |
Well you are right to a certain degree about the two series being spec car series. However, it is that way for cost containment even though it is FAR from cheap. Further, if the two orgs came together they could use just one car instead of two for the ChampCar teams that like to make the trip to Indy in May. Motorsports suffered big time with the pull out of tobacco advertising and there are simply less sponsors to go around for big time racing. Big sponsorship is what fuels R&D and multiple testing dates. I like innovation as much as the next person(The Can-Am series was the BEST example of limited rules), but really a full competitive starting field is more important. Also, in open wheel racing, the dependability of the engines is great now that the teams lease instead of own the engines. You just rarely see engines blow up anymore, which is good so you don't have only 7 cars finishing a race.
As for F1 Toyota sucking....I don't get that one either. I'd hate to be responsible for that team. Can you say hari-kari sword?? :D |
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| Sun Devil |
IMAGINE THIS!
Some people like a "sport" that others hate.
Clearly, those who hate baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, girls water polo, whatever are the morons. Or the auto racing fans. Or whatever that guy likes.
It's all subjective, and your opinions are meaningless. |
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| artsyguy |
| In the best Kirk Douglas voice....What are you saying????? :rolleyes: |
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| sppinach |
| The got plenty of snowmobile races up here. |
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| arealviking |
Quote: Originally posted by Sun Devil
IMAGINE THIS!
Some people like a "sport" that others hate.
Clearly, those who hate baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, girls water polo, whatever are the morons. Or the auto racing fans. Or whatever that guy likes.
It's all subjective, and your opinions are meaningless. |
Quote: Originally posted by Sun Devil
It's all subjective, and your opinions are meaningless. |
Heh heh heh... EXCEPT YOUR OPINION!!! :p
-ARV |
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| bml1969 |
Quote: Originally posted by eclipse_dw
There are very few things in this world that are better than hearing a Top Fuel dragster during warm up..... :D |
Damn Straight! I've Been To NASCAR Events @ Kansas Speedway, But Didn't Get The Rush Like A NHRA Event IMO. |
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| RiskyBzns |
Quote: Originally posted by bml1969
Damn Straight! I've Been To NASCAR Events @ Kansas Speedway, But Didn't Get The Rush Like A NHRA Event IMO. |
i was none to thrilled when they took away that 2nd date at topeka years ago. |
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| BubbaMark101 |
I've been a Football, Hockey, Baseball, and Wrestling fan since I can remember. I'm 28, and have seen them all at least 5 times each live. Except Hockey, which I've seen more than 200 games because of our local team.
I seen my first NASCAR race two years ago, and I was blown the fuck away. I never thought in a million years, that a sport where they just "drive in circles" would be the absolute most thrilling experience I'd ever seen! I almost shit myself when those guys ripped past me. I've seen NASCAR four times now, and needless to say, I'm hooked for life. For any haters, you HAVE to see it live, and your mind will change...I guarantee it. I was a hater before I seen it live, also.
So anyway, anyone that comes to MIS for the June and August races...I sit right on the start/finish line, row 40 every year now, and party at Kooters Kreakside the night before...Let's have a few beers. :D |
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| bml1969 |
Quote: Originally posted by RiskyBzns
i was none to thrilled when they took away that 2nd date at topeka years ago. |
Don't Remind Me. :bigangry: I Guess 1 Race Is Better Than None At All. Going To My 1st WinterNationals This Year. Can't Wait! :rock: |
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| eclipse_dw |
Quote: Originally posted by bml1969
Don't Remind Me. :bigangry: I Guess 1 Race Is Better Than None At All. Going To My 1st WinterNationals This Year. Can't Wait! :rock: |
Being from Nor*Cal, I generally try and go to Infineon Raceway for the Autolite Nationals, but it just sucks going to the track mid July and the temperatures are 105 degrees +. With that said, I decided to purchase my 4 day passes for the Winter Nationals and like everyone else, I can't wait for the 2008 season to start! :D Hopefully, Larry Dixon and the SkyTel crew will get it done this year. |
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| RiskyBzns |
Quote: Originally posted by bml1969
Don't Remind Me. :bigangry: I Guess 1 Race Is Better Than None At All. Going To My 1st WinterNationals This Year. Can't Wait! :rock: |
that's sweet as hell. i can remember back in day going to kcir and watching garlits, glidden, the snake, the mongoose, cha cha....now i'm really showing my age...but i swear i'm not that majorly old. lol |
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| stinkynutz |
Quote: Originally posted by BubbaMark101
I've been a Football, Hockey, Baseball, and Wrestling fan since I can remember. I'm 28, and have seen them all at least 5 times each live. Except Hockey, which I've seen more than 200 games because of our local team.
I seen my first NASCAR race two years ago, and I was blown the fuck away. I never thought in a million years, that a sport where they just "drive in circles" would be the absolute most thrilling experience I'd ever seen! I almost shit myself when those guys ripped past me. I've seen NASCAR four times now, and needless to say, I'm hooked for life. For any haters, you HAVE to see it live, and your mind will change...I guarantee it. I was a hater before I seen it live, also.
So anyway, anyone that comes to MIS for the June and August races...I sit right on the start/finish line, row 40 every year now, and party at Kooters Kreakside the night before...Let's have a few beers. :D |
See you in August!! :beer: |
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| bml1969 |
Quote: Originally posted by RiskyBzns
that's sweet as hell. i can remember back in day going to kcir and watching garlits, glidden, the snake, the mongoose, cha cha....now i'm really showing my age...but i swear i'm not that majorly old. lol |
Nice. My Uncle (Who Got Me Into NHRA) Used To Tell Me Stories Of KCIR, My Dad (Who Had Friends That Raced, Not A Huge Fan) Used To Take Him To The Races Back Then & Going Right Up On The Track During Burnouts, No Barriers. No Ear Protection & Them Ringing For A Week, But Didn't Complain About It Or He Would Have Been Allowed To Go Back. The Good Ole' Days. |
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| BubbaMark101 |
Quote: Originally posted by stinkynutz
See you in August!! :beer: |
Hell yeah, brother.:beer: |
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| meetthemets |
Quote: Originally posted by eclipse_dw
Yes, I enjoy road racing! I always watch the Rolex 24, but I must admit, I used to like the IMSA GT Championship cars back in the 90's a lot more. |
Agreed, I loved watching IMSA racing. The cars that race at the Rolex 24 are shit now, they're not even the ALMS cars. They all look the same. I uploaded some old IMSA videos to YouTube incase you are interested.
http://www.youtube.com/tjh420 |
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| artsyguy |
| IMSA Camel GT prototypes were the best! The Porsche 962's, Toyotas, Nissans, and Jags really tore it up and lapped tracks at nearly ChampCar speed averages. They were the closet things to the old Can-Am series which was always remain my favorite series. Something to be said about no engine size restriction made for some very fast (though often lopsided finishes) racing. Mark Donahue in the Penske Porsches was always my favorite driver and I'm very sad that he lost his life too early. To this day, I think he is probably one of the top 10 racers to ever strap on a helmet. |
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| artsyguy |
Thanks for the youtube link! I attended that race at the Glen! Al Holbert and Derek Bell were pretty much unbeatable that year.
Brings back great memories :) |
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| meetthemets |
| I was there too. Went to quite a few races at Lime Rock in CT as well. |
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| artsyguy |
| If you are from Atlanta, how many times have you been to Road Atlanta? I was in Brasselton last January and drove by the track and wanted to just go in and look around but security wouldn't let me :mad: I've always wanted to attend an event there. I stayed at some winery just a couple miles down the road that had a pretty decent hotel but shitty wine :D |
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| meetthemets |
Never been there. I've only lived here for about 6 years. I've always wanted to check out the Petit LeMans but always have something going on that weekend. I will make it one day.
The winery is called Chateau Elan. |
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| ShockedScott |
:) Winternat's! Hell yeah!
Good to see other motorsports fans here. Drag racing and roadracing (particularly motorcycle) my passion.
Thanks for the 'Glen vid and the Can-Am/Trans-Am memory jolt. Those WERE the days... |
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| eclipse_dw |
Quote: Originally posted by ShockedScott
:) Winternat's! Hell yeah!
Good to see other motorsports fans here. Drag racing and roadracing (particularly motorcycle) my passion.
Thanks for the 'Glen vid and the Can-Am/Trans-Am memory jolt. Those WERE the days... |
What kind of motorcycle racing do you watch? - Moto GP, World Superbikes, AMA Superbikes??? |
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| ShockedScott |
Eclipse (I'm supposing you have one?), MotoGp/250, World SuperBike/SuperSport, and AMA by default.
Go to speedtv.com ("Motorcycle News" from the dropdown) and read Dennis Noye's AMA analysis. There's a chance 'our' dying series can be saved. I hope so.
My real love though is motorcycle drag racing. If you've not seen/heard/felt a Top Fuel Motorcycle closeup, do it. 5.80 sec @ 240 mph. Body-rush...... :D |
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| meetthemets |
| Anybody watching the Rolex 24 at Daytona? While these cars aren't up to par with those that raced back in the 80's and 90's, I still love watching this race. Speed has something crazy like 15 hours of coverage this year. |
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