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Re: F1 and Nascar

To: MGLIST <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: F1 and Nascar
From: Kevin Smith <ksmith40@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 23:49:51 -0500
I really shouldn't jump into this off-topic subject, but I feel long 
winded tonight so here goesl.

A few points:

1. NASCAR races two road tracks per year:  Watkins Glen and Sonoma 
(Infineon Raceway).  Every year, some teams pull in the "ringers" like 
Boris Said and Ron Fellows and every year those guys come up short to 
the usual "round-trackers".  Would [insert your favorite F1 driver 
here] do any better?

2. Much of the difficulty in Winston Cup racing is the fact that the 
car is so powerful.  Braking though corners while maintaining speed and 
without spinning the wheels or getting the car loose (oversteer) can't 
be easy.  Often, when someone loses a cylinder, they make better time 
in the corners than guys with normally running engines, but they do get 
blown away in the straights.

3. The pit crews work together as a team with pinpoint precision with 
little better than shadetree equipment.  They use a floor jack, have 
five lug nuts per wheel, fuel the cars manually via handheld tanks, and 
can't cross the pit wall until the car reaches the pit stall.  They 
still manage to often knock off stops in 14 seconds or less, which is 
impressive in itself.

Much of the attraction of NASCAR is what I call "High School Football 
Appeal".  Joe Sikspak played High School football and thus, he can 
(somehow) relate the the truly gifted players he sees on TV on Sunday 
afternoon.  LIkewise, Joe had a HotRod El Camino with Astroturf in the 
bed that he used to "race" around town to try and impress Suzy 
Freebush.  Likewise, he can (somehow) relate to the gifted (and the 
ungifted) drivers he sees on Sunday afternoon, and he can definitely 
relate to the pit crews.  What Joe can't get interested in is guys 
stuffed into a wedge looking thing with wheels and a big wing slicing 
though the streets of some city he knows he will never see.  He knows 
they are driving fast and he likes that, but it's very similar to how 
he feels when he watches rugby: He likes the "kill the guy with the 
ball" aspect, but the mauls and scrums leave him a bit confused.

Personally, I think the open wheel stuff is tougher racing, but the way 
it's presented on TV, it isn't compelling to watch.  It's also too 
international.  I find myself pulling for whoever is from North 
America.  Whereas in NASCAR, I can cheer for a guy from my home state.

On the other hand, NASCAR should lose the "baseball rules" and race in 
the rain.  Their rain policy is probably the weakest thing about 
NASCAR.  Goodyear doesn't make treaded racing tires?

Kevin

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