Ryan's Thought of the Day

[rydwhite]

Hello NICO members.

My thought of the day deals with F1 vs Nascar/IRL.

There seem to be many people who dislike Nascar and the IRL, but love F1 and vice versa, those who like Nascar and the IRL and disdain F1. I just wanted to voice some arguments for both sides and let you all discuss. I know there have been threads like this before, but they always tend to turn out to be Nascar hating threads. Maybe we can make this one a little more balanced.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE NOT ALL MY OPINIONS, THESE ARE ARGUMENTS TAKEN FROM OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.

Why some people like Nascar and the IRL over F1.

1. Nascar has American drivers who we can relate to. They are simply people like us, from the same background as we are. F1 has all foreign drivers and are mostly inaccessible to the public.

2. Nascar and IRL may race only on ovals, but there is action non-stop, the cars bump and draft, and crash regularly, which of course we all love. Sometimes there is even a photo finish or finishes that are closer than a quarter of a second. The racing is close and the entire field can finish within 20 seconds of the leader. Whereas in F1, the race is spread out and often the winner is 20 or 30 seconds ahead of second place. After the first turn the race is pretty much over and there is nearly no passing. it can get very boring to watch.

3. You never know who is going to win. In Nascar there are about 20-30 people who could legitimately win any given race. In the IRL there are 5-10 people who could win any race. In F1 it is a pretty sure bet that the same one person will win and if not then his teammate will win.

4. There are races nearly every weekend. There are racetracks throughout the country meaning that you could attend several races a year without going bankrupt because of travel. In F1 the races are scattered all over the world and their are only 2 races in North America.

5. All the races are televised. Most of them are on regular broadcast TV. Otherwise they are showed on major cable channels. F1 races are broadcast on Speedvision which many people do not get and they are often broadcast live early in the morning when everyone is still sleeping because of the time difference.

Why some people like F1 over Nascar/IRL.

1. Unsurmounted technology. The technology involved in F1 is the best in the world and unsurpassed. Each team spends tons of money to make their cars faster and handle better than their competitors. Nascar and IRL, while they have some very fine technology; it does not dare rival the highly engineered machines of F1.

2. The excitement of the start of the race. Where else can you see 20 cars all going for the same spot in a turn at the same time from standing start. It is one of the most exciting moments in all of motor sports. The start defines the race in F1. In Nascar/IRL there is a rolling start, which is often boring because the cars just stay in line and the start doesn't really matter because of everything else that goes on in the race.

3. There is national pride in F1. The drivers represent their country and the constructors represent a country. F1 brings people from all over the world together. Nearly all Nascar drivers are American. The US is the only place that really cares about Nascar. The IRL is more diverse, but there is little national pride at stake for the fans. Nascar brings drunken rednecks together.

4. They race on road courses and even in the streets of Monaco. Road racing is much more difficult that oval racing because there are so many different corners that you must hit correctly. Ovals are pretty, it's always a 4 left turns and that's it. Not as much driving skill is needed.

5. F1 races are shorter. They last 2 hours max and will race in any condition including rain. Nascar/IRL races take 3 sometimes 4 hours and are often rain delayed and postponed.

OK, so there are a few arguments for and against each style of racing. I am a fan of all three. I enjoy aspects of each and will gladly attend any Nascar, IRL or F1 race. Good thing I live in Indy where all three race at the same place. I appreciate what each is and the history behind it. What I can't understand is why there are so many people who bash one or the other. You should each respect the other form of racing, even if you don't prefer to watch or attend the races, you should still respect what they are. You should also respect and understand the fan base of each for their passion even if you do not agree with it.

Now, what does everyone else think about the arguments above? I am sure that I missed things and some may not agree with what is said, but that is why this is open to debate. please talk amongst yourselves.

[Hijacker]

I am a fan of all type of racing, so it's always been hard for me to argue for or against a style of racing. I watch F1, I watch NASCAR, I watch WRC, and if I can catch it, I'll watch IRL.

For me, NASCAR is a fun sport to watch because one of my best friends loves it. It gives us one more thing to talk about and when you get down to it, NASCAR isn't as boring as everyone says it is.

The american public loves NASCAR because of its roots. The sport started as a grassroots oriented stock car league (which was actually a race for moonshiners to test their trafficking vehicles before it went public). And it's a bunch of good ol' boys driving their cars that the people love. For example, look at Jeff Gordon. He's loved and hated equally. And I think that's because people don't see him as a good ol' boy. I think it was Jeff Foxworthy who said "people don't like him cause he annunciates". He doesn't follow the same background as Jr, Dale Jarret, Kyle Petty, Rusty Wallace, Sterling Marlin, etc.

Also, F1 isn't as popular because people haven't been exposed to it. And I feel it's because of its schedule. Only two races in North America really hamper the ability for one to go to a race every couple of weekends. Thankfully, it seems that F1 has settled on Indianappolis for a while, so maybe they'll get more exposure from that venue.

Another form of racing you left off was SCCA sponsored events. The first auto-x of the season in my region was attended by more bystanders than competitors, and we had over 130 competitors. Also, the class races that the SCCA hold are lots of fun to watch. I enjoyed watching the 24 hour marathon of Valvoline Runoffs. And I'll watch them again this year. But it all falls down to exposure as to how popular a sport is. NASCAR has done a good job of marketing itself whereas other forms of racing have really taken a low key approach to their marketing.

[Mr1der]

I can pronounce their names! YAY!!!

I just like racing, regardless, so long as it's got exciting battles for positions and hot chicks in Victory Lane, it's all gravy.

[skydragoness]

I like the point that Tenkawa brought up, there's plenty of grassroots motorsports out there available to anyone. Most are free to watch. SCCA is pretty big in its amount of competitors and fans but gets no publicity at all. SCCA ProRally, the Speed World Challenge, GT racing, Solo I and II, Karting, etc.

I dislike Nascar for what its become, it wasn't always so even or commercialized. Watch any of the Legends of Motorsports episodes on Speed and you can see how it used to be. Just regulations have evolved over the decades so that all the cars have to run the same specs, same suspension, same everything. It bored me when I was little, and it bores me now--I remember watching IRL more often.

[AZhitman]

I dislike NASCAR because you can't root for a manufacturer anymore.

Who wants to see a Taurus race a Lumina? GAH! :puke

All the frames are tubular, all the engines are built by aftermarket tuning shops, and there's not a SINGLE part on the car that is available on a current production vehicle... That's the bummer part for me.

Let's get back to the Junior Johnson days when the cars were gutted, hopped up stockers straight off the showroom floor.

p.s. BTW, anyone who thinks the NASCAR drivers of today are hilljacks is CONFUSED. Those guys are all from wealthy families, raised since childhood to BE race car drivers.

[skydragoness]

I dislike NASCAR because you can't root for a manufacturer anymore.

Who wants to see a Taurus race a Lumina? GAH! :puke

All the frames are tubular, all the engines are built by aftermarket tuning shops, and there's not a SINGLE part on the car that is available on a current production vehicle... That's the bummer part for me.

Let's get back to the Junior Johnson days when the cars were gutted, hopped up stockers straight off the showroom floor.

p.s. BTW, anyone who thinks the NASCAR drivers of today are hilljacks is CONFUSED. Those guys are all from wealthy families, raised since childhood to BE race car drivers.

Exactly! That's what they show on Speed on Legends of Motorsports, when it was manufacturers against other manufacturers, building the faster engine, having the best driver, etc. It's not about that anymore. It's just about marketing and the drivers that are stuck-up-celebrities than it is about the actual sport anymore.

[Mr1der]

yeah, Greg's pretty much right about the drivers.

except they're still hilljacks.

It's just that most are second gen drivers or beyond.

and if my kid wants to race go karts and work up to sprint and midget then whatever, more power to them.

I just hope I have enough cash to support the hobby:(