nascar race

[can whlvr 991]

so i thought i would start a thread on the new car in nascar after we started talking about it in terry,s thread about his bar,i thought it was very boring,no passing,single lane racing,i agree that they are watching the points but holy cow,i dont think i saw any 2 car passes,and the leader keept the lead for dozens of laps with no position changes,the 1 mile tracks better be more exciting or i may have to spend more time with the horses on sundays,well see at pheonix next sunday,lets hear your thoughts

[papaglide 541]

Even back in the day(late 80's early 90's) the super speedways were boring: drafting and all the single file follow the leader stuff. The restrictor plate crushed competition. Now with this new 6th generation crap oh boy! Might as well as give everyone a crate engine to go with their car! I have no idea what NASCAR was thinking when they spawned this monstrosity. I guess that they are just grasping for straws and trying to recapture the fan explosion that they experienced during the mid 90's by "evening" up the competition? The long time hardcore fans are becoming ever more critical and the casual fan is losing interest, looking for the next BIG thing. The sport is not growing anymore and they are losing spectators. What will NASCAR do next? Where is Harry Gant when you need him? Or D,i,c,k Trickle for that matter! ( the nickname for Richard is edited)

[squonk 39,144]

It's called NO INCENTIVE TO LEAD THE RACE!!!!

Change the point system to award drivers to lead laps. The cars aren't the problem. Nascar has gone soft with big paydays and fat driver contracts. In the old days guys battled for the lead because they hated the other guy and wanted to beat him the worst way. When Waltrip passed Cale, Cale's blood boiled. Buddy Baker had two speeds. Idle in the pits or wide open. It was go or blow. When they first downsized in the early 80's they had some of the most Ill-handling cars Nascar has ever seen. But they still ran door to door and swapped the lead every other lap. When you watch a Nationwise race you see more action. Why? Because they aren't paid as much and if they want to get paid like the big boys they have to have there car in front leading to get noticed by Penske or Roush as the next newest young gun. Stewart is about the only SC driver with the balls to the wall attitude today.

[MalMac 1,328]

I agree with everything that has been said. I am typically a open when guy and even it has got to the point of being boring except for sprints. Those guys just are not right. That's a whole other subject. NASCAR has done nothing but put a cookie cutter stamp on ever car and there is no more who can build a better mouse trap. There no racing anymore. Just pack or single file waiting for someone to hiccup or fart wrong then maybe a car might move up a spot. Very Very boring.

[baerpath 517]

I quit watching I can see a line of cars going nowhere any day of the week by driving into Boston at 7am.  Theres more lead changes and fender bumping too  LOL

[Ken B 3,116]

It's called NO INCENTIVE TO LEAD THE RACE!!!!

Change the point system to award drivers to lead laps. The cars aren't the problem. Nascar has gone soft with big paydays and fat driver contracts. In the old days guys battled for the lead because they hated the other guy and wanted to beat him the worst way. When Waltrip passed Cale, Cale's blood boiled. Buddy Baker had two speeds. Idle in the pits or wide open. It was go or blow. When they first downsized in the early 80's they had some of the most Ill-handling cars Nascar has ever seen. But they still ran door to door and swapped the lead every other lap. When you watch a Nationwise race you see more action. Why? Because they aren't paid as much and if they want to get paid like the big boys they have to have there car in front leading to get noticed by Penske or Roush as the next newest young gun. Stewart is about the only SC driver with the balls to the wall attitude today.

 THANK YOU!!!!! I agree with every single thing you said Mike from start to finish! Love him or hate him Tony Stewart is the modern day Earnhardt and I happen to to be a big fan of both. Sr. will always be my guy.

I miss the good ole days that is for sure, when the drivers were men with balz and when a race car had a serious resemblance to its street version. Lets not forget the SPONSORS. It cost so much money to run just a mid pack car these days. The sponsors need to pony up so much money it ain't even funny, and with all the money they have invested they want something in return. The sponsors own these drivers now, its sad. I think Nascar is trying to please the sponsors more than anyone these days, its so pathetic. Its a big domino effect, no sponsors =no race teams.

I'm tired of Talledega and Daytona and the drivers HATE those tracks. Give me Charlotte, Bristol, Martinsville or Darlington. And bring back North Wilkesboro!

[tarcoleo 119]

Sunday at Daytona was a bore fest.  Apart from the lack of "racing" throughout the 500, there was the heavy load of TV advertising--

time spent in ads exceeded race coverage through most of the race.  If it weren't for Danica, I would not have watched the thing at all.

About the new cars, all NASCAR has succeeded in is creating identical 3500 lb. projectiles, all hurtling at near 200 mph.  Insuring driver

safety through car design and the Safer Barrier has come a long way--every driver involved in Saturday 's melee did walk away.

Seems that insuring the safety of paying fans has not had an equal priority compared with that of the safety of racing personnel inside

the cars and fences.  It is expected that that will change seeing the heavy liability of track owners and racing promoters who fail to provide

public safety.

[KATO 115]

Get rid of the restrictor plates ....period !!!!!

[Ken B 3,116]

Limit the cubes of the engines on the big tracks or ditch the big tracks. I can remember back in the day when there weren't restrictor plates. That could be boring just as well. You would usually have one or two cars break away from the pack  and the cars weren't as bunched together. That could be pretty boring as well. I think the cars are putting out way to much horsepower now to do away with the plates altogether, the speeds would be way higher than they are now and we'd probably have cars landing in the top row.

[VinsRJ 721]

NASCAR died IMO, from a car perspective, when the late 80's Monte SS / GM G-Body style went away. Just like any other sport.... like football (now less hitting), basketball (all individual show boating), baseball (big money/drugs/over the top owners) its evolved into something so far removed from the original that its fake....

 

Football = Big Hits, thats why I watch, you get hurt thats a job hazard, what did you think was going to happen?

BasketBall = is supposed to be full court press with ball movement, "Team" has no "I" in it.

Baseball = Heroes of a time gone by, but now we have records broken by drug addicts, and a commisioner who sleeps good at night

 

NASCAR = Cars are supposed to look like showroom cars and crash... you don't go to your local short track to watch the cars go round and round and round,(Sorry Kelly, LOL!)

Edited March 1, 2013 by VinsRJ

[Ken B 3,116]

I once went to a Nascar race at the Loudon New Hampshire track. Jeff Burton closed the field, he led every friggin lap from start too finish. If Earnhardt Sr. wasn't there fightin Burton tooth and nail on every caution trying to get his lap back it would have been the all time snooze fest! It wound up being an awesome race seeing Earnhardt Sr. and Burton fighting it out most of the day within an inch of each other lap after lap without touching each other. On that day that was the show. Man, Burton was dialed in on the money that day!

[can whlvr 991]

i quite agree with all of your opinions,david pearson was my hero when i was a kid,then good ol DW,aka jaws,when racing was a great sport

[roscoemi 245]

I used to be a fan until Big E died. Then the big tv contracts came in and the ex-racers who knew what they were talking about calling the race disappeared. The hollywood hotel and other stuff came in. It was no longer about the race, but the SHOW,made up drama and racing correctness. Almost scripted like a wrastling show. It got so I watched Daytona, Martinsville and Bristol. Didn't even bother with Daytona this year, may just forget NASCAR altogether. I do have old races on tape to dig out tho.

[6wheeler 586]

I liked it waaay back when the name Petty meant something and Earnhardt sr. was a punk with an attitude. I think they all raced for free beer and a chance to grope the trophy gal. Now THAT was racing. Now days, I would rather play with my toys outside than waste an afternoon watching a bunch of over-paid whiney brats play pocket pool and tell each other how pretty their jumpsuits are. I will take my local track on a Saturday night with the trailer and school bus races ANYTIME!!!!!!!

[Coadster32 793]

I agree that Nascar isn't what it used to be. "have at it boys" was just an attempt to attract more viewers. Superspeedways are tough to watch indeed. I like the Mid/Short-tracks myself. We used to go to Darlington, Bristol, Martinsville, We really enjoyed the racing there. We've also been to Daytona, Dover, New Hampshire, and Pocono. Most of the time, at those tracks, it was more about the experience, and not so much the race itself, (which is pretty sad). Camping, infield activities, and Pit row were alot of fun during practices and such. I still try to follow it, but do stray a bit.  

[Kelly 1,028]

You want to watch real racing support your local track, go out fri. or sat night and catch a real race, dirt or pavement, the local guys can be fun to watch, people like to see rubbin, and crashes, when I run the local track on fun night, we run figure 8" with lots of contact, after a few years doing it the crowd knows me and my number, I get standing ovations when I enter, they know I don't pull punches, I hit hard and often, I know that is what people want to see, and the track owners love it when I drive hard, they are always asking me to come back, so get out and enjoy the smell of high octane fuel, rubber burning, dirt in your hair, support the local guys you can't feel the thunder sitting on the couch, I don't care how good your TV is, I know I enjoy driving the cars, and after the race signing autographs, and letting kids set in my car, it's a good feeling.  

 

Here is a night last year with the whole family, we do it all together, the kids can't even talk the next day after yelling so loud.

 

Sorry I got a little off topic, not really Nascar, I used to watch most every race but anymore not so much, I have better things to do, but I still cheer Tony Stewart on, and have for years and years. he stops by the local track most every year the week of the MI race, he even sets right in the stands with everyone else.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Kelly

[Coadster32 793]

Awesome story Kelly!!    Not off topic at all. I go to a local track a few times a year my-self. (Just as a spectator though). The local stuff is really fun indeed.

[squonk 39,144]

Stewart comes to our local track during Watkins Glen weekend and drives his sprint car. 2 years ago he flipped it when a tie rod broke. last year he darn near lapped the field in 35 laps.

[6wheeler 586]

I agree 100% Kelly. I have never raced on a track but I used to do demo derby and mud racing back in the day. Last year I got a big surprise though. My oldest son and I went to the friday nite races at our local paved track. I thought we were just going to watch the races and throw back a couple of coldies. Little did I know he had entered his Integra in the street class that they have there. The cars have to be street legal and have current plates on them. You have to show  registration and proof of insurance (although, no-one can make a claim for any damage done to their vehicles while racing) and fill out a form before they can race. He was out there with 13 cars and I'll be darned if he didn't win the race. It was down to him and another young man in a real nice Camaro. Coming out of the last turn, the Camaro guy kept cutting in on him so Dusty tapped him on the left rear and spun him out and won. I was a pretty proud papa to say the least. The other guy was kind of upset but, he told Dusty "hey, thats racin". I thought that was cool too. I told my son "it was fun, But now look you got a dented fender". He laughed and said, "Yeah, but I won $50 bucks and a fender is only $39 at U-Pull and $11 bucks should cover my gas. So, I win". Cool.  Nascar can't do that. I think all of the professional racing has kind of gone to pot. I used to go to Brainerd for the drag races too. But, it got to the point, if anybody else was going to win? John Force had to NOT be there. It kind of got old.

[roscoemi 245]

Nice Buick Kelly! That's the kind of racing I like. The P'Chop and me will be at our local track this year, he's old enough now!

[Ken B 3,116]

My best friend Kurt, (since 8 yrs old) used to race at Riverside park in Agawam Mass. That was a tough place to race and an even tougher place to win a race. Half the field didn't stand a chance and the other half of the field was made up of race teams with competitive cars that would gang up on you and wreck you if you were a threat to them. Kurts plan to win was simple, build a better and faster car than anyone else. He had no fear (most guys out there have no fear) but he could actually drive a race car and make good choices. The motors had to APPEAR stock. The motor was a fresh 355 runnin worked 202 fuelie heads and built to LAST. An HONEST 400 hp. Its amazing how you can hear ONE cars engine over 30 others but you can, it sounded EVIL! If you made it thru the figure 8's you made it into the feature. He had this car out once and he won both figure 8 and the feature race that night. Shortly after we lost the track to six flags (they put a Superman roller coaster where the track was) and Kurt died shortly after that. Hard to believe its been over 10 yrs. now. Those were the best times of my life. You can't tippy toe your way around the track to win one of these races and horsepower alone won't do it either. You need to have the entire package. I would love to watch you tear the track up Kelly.

[can whlvr 991]

i agree that the local track is cool,so lets see what tommorow brings,better be more exciting than last week or i think nascar is gonna loose lots of viewers