VERY early NASCAR predictions

[NYGiantsGuy]

We did a random drawing at work and i got stuck with Carl Edwards. Do I have any shot of getting my money back?

[jaskc78]

who's carl edwards? hahaha.

[High_Side]

I predict that they will go fast - and turn left. Moto-GP or World Superbike IS racing

[Wrider]

OMG THEY'RE TURNING LEFT AGAIN! And who could have possibly predicted that, what will they do after this straightaway?!?!?!

[HYPERR]

I'm not against the oval track racing per se.

The problem with NASCAR is that time stood still for them. They still use 1950s technology with OHV engines. When Toyota wanted to play, they had to build a OHV V8 from scratch as they haven't built a OHV engine in decades. F1 engines are 1/3 the size yet produces more HP.

The 3500 pound weight of the car is whole another thing. The stock car body concept was great back in the 50s and the 60s. They were based on bodystyles of cars that every car buff in the US wanted. GTOs, SS Chevelles, 442s, GSs, Chargers, Torinos, etc. American cars ruled back then. Now these NASCAR race cars are based on bodys of cars that no car buff wants.

[jaskc78]

dude, my grandma's taurus ROCKS!

[Wrider]

Yeah the problem is that they're limited to V8s of a certain displacement. 110 inch wheelbases, 4 speed manuals, and now they've REALLY taken the manufacturers' prowess out of the vehicles by requiring all of them to have a spec engine, a spec chassis, and spec tires. The only competitiveness now is the skill of the driver because they all have the same top speed, cornering capabilities, acceleration rates, and braking power.

[High_Side]

The only competitiveness now is the skill of the driver because they all have the same top speed, cornering capabilities, acceleration rates, and braking power.

To be fair, that is usually the recipe for great racing. However boring Nascar seems to me as a bike racing enthusiest, there must be something to it or it wouldn't be as popular as it is. As a bike riding enthusiest though I just can't possibly understand how it could be as good as the real thing (the two-wheel variety of racing)......

[Wrider]

The only competitiveness now is the skill of the driver because they all have the same top speed, cornering capabilities, acceleration rates, and braking power.

To be fair, that is usually the recipe for great racing. However boring Nascar seems to me as a bike racing enthusiest, there must be something to it or it wouldn't be as popular as it is. As a bike riding enthusiest though I just can't possibly understand how it could be as good as the real thing (the two-wheel variety of racing)......

Granted, but at the same time you have to keep in mind that it gained it's popularity when it was ACTUAL stock cars on dirt ovals. Now they've regulated all of the competitiveness out of the cars. Truly great racing is when there are advantages that certain vehicles have over other vehicles and the drivers' ability to take advantage of them.

[HYPERR]

The only competitiveness now is the skill of the driver because they all have the same top speed, cornering capabilities, acceleration rates, and braking power.

To be fair, that is usually the recipe for great racing. However boring Nascar seems to me as a bike racing enthusiest, there must be something to it or it wouldn't be as popular as it is. As a bike riding enthusiest though I just can't possibly understand how it could be as good as the real thing (the two-wheel variety of racing)......

They used to have a race with identical cars with identical engines, susp, brake, etc. It was called the IROC(International Race of Champions). They went belly up a couple of years ago.

As for popularity, it's mostly popular with US southerners. I live in Northeastern US and practically nobody here gives two sh!ts about it.

Of course you won't get any argument from me that bike races are 1000x more exciting. That being said, auto races are much more exciting live than on TV. On TV, watching NASAR is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Take a sport like Hockey which loses a lot of excitement going from live to TV, multiply that loss by 100x and that is about how much autorace loses by going on TV.