What's the Deal with NASCAR?

[VimyJ]

OK, it has some reasonable competition and some great pile ups and wipe outs. But nothing except driving in a circle? And technology from the 60's? Show me the crashes. That's all I want to see. And what is stock about these cars? Headlight decals? LOL!

[TurboKA37]

i agree

[catty]

lol same and turboka i dont like salt either

[SmithSR]

The idea is to keep costs down. Make the racing affordable for the teams, and use factory names to keep the American feel of V8 racing alive.. This according to Dave Despain, Speed Channel

"Formula One demands $200million budgets to develop microscopic advances within an insanely rigid rules structure"--Brock Yates, C&D March '04

The idea of "old iron" technology doesn't really appeal to me.. which is why I'm usually tuned in to F1 or MotoGP(GP1) on speed channel, and not the 19 hours per day of NASCAR coverage.

I never really cared for or understood why NASCAR is the way it is until I heard the way Dave Despain explained it. There's more there, you just need to devote some time to learn about it and how the series operates. It makes sense too.

For research and enjoyment, you should read every editorial in Car&Driver. They touch on this subject from time to time.

[InstantRice]

i tried watching for 3 minutes and it was like an eternity... I cant understand the appeal

[AZhitman]

Hate it.

Hard to cheer for a manufacturer when NOTHING on the cars is available in your local dealership.

Chassis are all built by the same few shops, engines are all old-tech that aren't even available in current cars, and for the love of God, who wants to watch a TAURUS racing an INTREPID? :rolleyes

Whatever happened to "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday"?

[Onizuka]

and for the love of God, who wants to watch a TAURUS racing an INTREPID? :rolleyes

I do, but only if its a real taurus and a real intrepid and not on a circle track. Watching real cars duke it out is so much more entertaining.

[JESTER]

I watch it on occasion. Use to get into it big time until I realized there are other/better forms of racing. I have gotten into the ralley races. Love watching the Subaru guys. Also, AMA and World Superbike. Great stuff.

But, yeah, watching guys driving around in a big loop for two or three hours doesnt do it for me like it use to when I was little.

[SmithSR]

Hitman, odd you should mention the old adage...

This from the current C&D:

[Axel Grungy]

yeah ive never been to keen on nascar racing. is it a requirement to be a southern redneck to be a driver?? i know theres actually alot involved and not just redneck racing, but its sooooo boring unless someone crashes. i will take indy/grandprix anyday over nascar.

[JESTER]

Not a requirment at all. There are quiet a few of you northeners in there now days. Just the only ones that win are southern.

[hudy]

I think the hood, roof, and rear decklid are factory parts.

[TurboKA37]

its pretty much just entertaining the fans with the high speeds and occasional crashes. sure it takes alot of skill to race those cars at such high speeds but as a spectator i get tired of watching them go around the same circle for hours only to see a new opponent grab the lead every 10 minutes or so. i see much more entertainment in rally races. i think there is so much more danger involved with rally and the cars actually represent the production model.

[Nathan]

The best part of Nascar is the fans...nowhere else can you see such a terrifying collection of wife beaters and rednecks It's really quite amusing. I keep intending to go to a Nascar race and do nothing but take pictures of the fans, a documentary of Nascar fans of sorts.

edit: I misspelled fans...yeah, I'm a tool.

[VimyJ]

It's an excuse for a big drunk. The more caution flags the drunker they get. I bet no one there can even name the winner by the time the race is over. Can't imagine being in the crowd for one of those races. Anyone ever been in a crowd of 200K drunk rednecks? Hell on earth I bet. Is there betting? The portapotties stacked end on end would probably reach the moon.

Where can I get some of those head light decals?

[lessthanjakejohn]

I agree with the comment aboce "Tried watching it for a few minutes and seemed like eternity..."

I hear that the cars have around 800 hp? Thats pretty damn good for the budgets their working on if you ask me...

edit: then again, thats with blocks from the 60s and no supercharging.

[MaineExport]

I agree with the comment aboce "Tried watching it for a few minutes and seemed like eternity..."

I hear that the cars have around 800 hp? Thats pretty damn good for the budgets their working on if you ask me...

edit: then again, thats with blocks from the 60s and no supercharging.

Actually the stupid thing about it is... on the bigger tracks they RESTRICT the horsepower on the engines. They can produce upwards of 800hp.... but it's simply not allowed. It's not too hard to make 500+ N/A hp with these engines. The "old tech" engines are now easily built beyond the "safe" limits of the "sport"

I give the drivers, teams, techs, and fans all the credit in the world. It makes them happy and I think that's great. It takes a lot of skill and talent to be a good NASCAR driver, and with all the restrictions they have to deal with... it takes a creative and talented team to win races. Because ACTUAL competition has been reduced to thousandths of a second, the strategy of the race has become more important than the car's performance.

Personally.... I find it PAINFUL to watch a NASCAR race... but I appreciate it and would never presume to judge those that do enjoy it.

[BB Turbo]

NASCAR is just boring, plain in simple. On occasion, on Sundays, my pops flips over to the channel (whichever one has NASCAR on, which, nowadays, seems like there are about 5 or 6 different channels with NASCAR coverage :\) and I just don't get it, the cars are ugly, the fans are ugly, the series it self is ugly. I hate NASCAR. Craftsman serires sucks too. The Toyota Tundra is getting owned.

[Mr1der]

I find a full race boring, but it's gotta a lot of tactic involved due to longer seat time and man good postion battles rock...

North Carolina!! ahem, sorry, gotta give props to the King.

[rydwhite]

NASCAR isn't bad. I prefer F1, but I watch NASCAR occasionally. I have gone to a few brickyard 400's and I must say that they are some of the most boring races I have ever been to. But to each their own I guess.

[crzycav86]

I don't really like NASCAR, but one day I found myself watching it. The race was about to end, and they were on their final lap. These two cars were fighting for first place, and they were neck and neck. Then the two cars hit each other on the side and they crossed the finish line together! One of the cars beat the other one by an inch or so. I thought it was great..... but I'm sure no other NASCAR race can get as exciting as that...

[strictlyJDM]

Craftsman serires sucks too. The Toyota Tundra is getting owned.

the tundra got second place in the first race of the season, another one took 8th

[Onizuka]

F1- technological automotive advancementWRC- modified factory carsNASCAR- Beer advertisment???

OMG, DID YOU HERE THIS YEAR THEY CHANGED THE LOWER AREODYNAMIC PLATE BY A 1/4 INCH?!?!?!?!?! Wow, its going to be so much different and more exciting than the last 30 years... :rolleyes

Nascar is bottom rung in my book.

[Mr1der]

I believe NASCAR led to a good bit of the safety requirements and devices used today, probably wrong, but they've developed a good bit of stuff.

[StrangeLove]

Alot of work goes into the creation of the cars, and the drivers are some of the best in the world...

The last 10 laps isn't too bad to watch...

[Rex]

... ok ... I'm a fan, have been for years, even run a Fantasy League.

I think it really is a "to each his own" (or her). For instance, I just can't watch Hockey, no interest whatsoever, but I'm sure it has it's points. I just don't get them.

Admittedly, you have to know alot of what makes the difference (strategy - tires, fuel, pits stops, etc) to get interested in it. And most of NASCAR (fans and drivers) don't care for the "Restrictor Plate" racing (Daytona & Talladega), but the wrecks make for great TV (ratings). The Plates were introduced as the cars started to approach lift off speeds. Bill Elliot holds the qualifying record at 212.809 mph. That speed is a "lap speed" on a 2.66 mile track in a full bodied car. The problem was if the cars wrecked, as they would go side-ways at that speed, flight was inevitable.

[Onizuka]

Nascar drivers are damn good, but they dont hold a flame to F1 drivers, who can go just as fast (if not faster - up to 225mph) and have to do more than modulate the throttle and turn left twice a lap.

All this "they are endurance drivers" is kind of a sad excuse if you ask me. Those races arent as long as 12-24hr races they have in europe, which involve plenty of fuel, tire and pit strategy. They even race in the rain.

To each his own is definatly right.

[Mr1der]

ever watch them run The Glen?

NASCAR is less car and even more driver then F1, not much, but still a little more.

It also requires a bit more skill too hold them steady at that speed, granted, aerodynamics are significantly better then a stock car, they're not up to par with the overgrown go carts:D

[Onizuka]

I used to be a big ol' nascar fan (my uncle lives right next to the bristol speedway and i visit him every once and a while). I still like it, Its just i feel cheated out of european style racing because so many people are holding on to nascar.

[Rex]

If you feel we (USA) has been cheated by not having other premier racing series, then send Tony George a Thank You card.

<my 2 cents>