Nascar... How bad do you got it?

[Guest]

Well, this years running of the Brickyard 400 has just concluded. I made a post in the general discussion segment on this forum, asking for you guys to state your pick as to which driver would win this coveted race.
I was pretty perplexed, as nary a vote was cast, so I want to find out how many Nascar fans we have here at T&TTT.

BTW I deleted the post when the checkered flag flew, so no cheating could take place.

[tdthinker]

I will watch it with my grandpa for fun but dont chose to watch it all the time. If I got tickets to go though I would shurely go!

[asianflava]

Never went to a "Race" but I used to live in Daytona and sometimes we would go there to watch them practice and test. Definitely cool to see. Since there is no paint on the cars it is fun trying to guess who it is. Back then the IMSA (when there was an IMSA) guys would practice, it was fun trying to guess what kind of car it was.

I don't watch much anymore (I'll still go if I have tickets), I prefer other forms of racing better (when I do watch). I used to watch NASCAR when I lived in NC. I was in a NASCAR pool at work. I really liked some of the drivers for their names like Dick Trickle and Buckshot Jones. I also like Tony Stewart even though he is a hot headed jerk sometimes. I like him because he can drive, NASCAR, IRL, Sprintcar, anything.

I'm interested to see how Toyota does in it's foray into NASCAR. I'll watch that on TV just out of curiosity.

[Guest]

Toyota got it's first win in Nascar (Truck Division) about two weeks ago.
I used to photograph Cup races for a magazine called Racing Wheels.
It all ended when I got married. (Hmmm... and now I'm divorced) It took quite a few years working my way up through the ranks to get to that level. (Sure abused a lot of equipment at a lot of old dirt tracks) It was hard to just walk away from it. The drivers were pretty nice as far as major sports figures go. Ken Schrader, the late Davey Allison and the late Alan Kulwicki were about the most down to earth guys you would ever meet. There were only two drivers at the time that I didn't car for; Dale Earnharndt Sr. (Sorry, I call em' like I see em) and Geoff Bodine. (He goes by Geoffery now) Those two individuals had quite the different demeanor away from the TV cameras and that really turned me off. Both of them did a lot for the sport, but I just don't care for people who treat others rudely and poorly. I've been told that Bodine's near fatal accident at Daytona a few years back really changed his outlook on life and his actions towards others. Ernie Irvan was my favorite driver back then. I shot B&W for the magazine and Kodachrome for myself.

[tdthinker]

I am into the drag races. There is nothing like the feeling of the cars thundering past you with blue flames shooting out of the sides. Nascar may have the loud shakey feeling but not the 8-10 foot flames! bye

[Chip]

I use to watch every race on Sun,, since racing has turned into wrestling on wheels,,its all ablut the money,,Nascar controls,Nascar tracks and restrictor plates,,and all Nascar money is controlled by 2 familys,,,I choose not to participate,,,now saturday night local bull ring,,,now thats racing,,not the big corp owned tracks,,bring back N Wilksboro,,Darlington,,etc etc,,,make it pure racing and Ill watch it,,lining the Wheelers and Smith's pocket,,nope,,I be building a tear,,
sorry for the rant,

chip

[Guest]

Chip,
That's not ranting, that's just stating your opinion. I know what you mean, everything was very intense when I was involved with it. (Everybody wanted a piece of my pie, so to speak) I walked away from it in 1992 and it has probably doubled in intensity now. I was sat down in the red trailer once (I think it's yellow and black now) and given a talking to by Dick Beattie, Mike Helton, and a few of the owners and driver's agents. There's some "big fish" in that sport.
I respect your opinion. I like that....Wrestlin' on Wheels by Nascar!

[tdthinker]

My grandpa has watched it since I can remember and I am shure he has watched it before I was born. I dont really know when nascar came around, I know alot of history in old off road racing but not really paved racing. I am shure someone knows.

[asianflava]

I use to watch every race on Sun,, since racing has turned into wrestling on wheels,,its all ablut the money,,Nascar controls,Nascar tracks and restrictor plates,,and all Nascar money is controlled by 2 familys,,,I choose not to participate,,,now saturday night local bull ring,,,now thats racing,,not the big corp owned tracks,,bring back N Wilksboro,,Darlington,,etc etc,,,make it pure racing and Ill watch it,,lining the Wheelers and Smith's pocket,,nope,,I be building a tear,,
sorry for the rant,

chip

I can agree with you, on some points. Bill Sr has always controlled the races so there would be close finishes. It seems that every time a new car is introduced that is more efficient in the wind tunnel, all the other teams scream and holler. I also just read a blurb in one of my mags. Rusty (I forgot exactly who) ran Talladega (I think) without a restrictor plate to see how it'd do. They figured that they could go faster with some tweaks but they also said it was too fast to race at those speeds. Restrictor plates are probably a necessary evil.

As far as tracks like N Wilkesboro I'll have to disagree there. I watched that race (when they used to race there) and it was so boring. Is there a straight on that track? Seems like there is more luck involved than actual driving skill. Too bad that the birthplace of NASCAR has hardly any races anymore.

[asianflava]

I use to watch every race on Sun,, since racing has turned into wrestling on wheels,,its all ablut the money,,Nascar controls,Nascar tracks and restrictor plates,,and all Nascar money is controlled by 2 familys,,,I choose not to participate,,,now saturday night local bull ring,,,now thats racing,,not the big corp owned tracks,,bring back N Wilksboro,,Darlington,,etc etc,,,make it pure racing and Ill watch it,,lining the Wheelers and Smith's pocket,,nope,,I be building a tear,,
sorry for the rant,

chip

I can agree with you, on some points. Bill Sr has always controlled the races so there would be close finishes. It seems that every time a new car is introduced that is more efficient in the wind tunnel, all the other teams scream and holler. I also just read a blurb in one of my mags. Rusty (I forgot exactly who) ran Talladega (I think) without a restrictor plate to see how it'd do. They figured that they could go faster with some tweaks but they also said it was too fast to race at those speeds. Restrictor plates are probably a necessary evil.

As far as tracks like N Wilkesboro I'll have to disagree there. I watched that race (when they used to race there) and it was so boring. Is there a straight on that track? Seems like there is more luck involved than actual driving skill. Too bad that the birthplace of NASCAR has hardly any races anymore.

[Guest]

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but this year Nascar has switched to a common template for all the car bodies. Yep, Rusty ran a test session at Talledega and I think it was something like 217 MPH. I hear that they are considering building a track configured just like Bristol except in a 3/4 mile version on Statten Island in NY.

[asianflava]

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but this year Nascar has switched to a common template for all the car bodies.

No, I did not notice

I hear that they are considering building a track configured just like Bristol except in a 3/4 mile version on Statten Island in NY.

So that they can make more money?

[Rick R]

NASA makes cars???

[Guest]

They used to, but they kept having a problem with thier drivers leaving them on the moon, so they closed down the plant.