[plus_c]

I think the business and marketing aspects are fascinating, but the racing itself...meh.

Although I seem to think that way about many forms of racing now that I've started autocrossing. I can't be just passively watching the TV anymore - I have to be involved!

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYTGuy /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's OK - she can look at the driver's butts, and comment on how nicely the outfits match the sponsors' colors, and we can look for Jesel Valve drive gear, and MSD ignition units, and worry about tire compounds.....AND WATCH THE SAME TV!

Have you visited our home while my Wife and daughter have been watching NASCAR? I hear those comments a lot!

My son and I had been NASCAR fans up until about 1998 or so, but after witnessing even more of the changes we kinda drifted away. We do discuss a lot of same mechanical stuff when working on his old race car(which; unfortunately, is no more.

)and his airboats. So that good stuff never dies!

 

[daycart1]

I've become less interested in NASCAR too.

One problem present in all motor racing is balancing parity (for "competition") against boring specs. I think NASCAR has gone too far in the direction of parity. F1 has a better balance in this respect, I think.

Another problem with NASCAR is the the TV presentation. In some ways it has gotten better with more cameras and all the computerized timing and scoring statistics. But the announcers spend too much time babbling instead of focusing on what is happening on the track. If a non-star driver goes to the garage, you might not hear about it for 50 laps--or maybe not at all. That would never have happened with the better announcers in the old days.

Lewis Hamilton's results are amazing--it will be VERY interesting to see whether he can hold on to the lead. The team dynamics at M-M will be the big story with Alonso the defending champ.

 

[daycart1]

Oh, I forgot, did anyone see the interview on the Daily Show? They did the driver of the Fructis car (is that Leffler?) and worked him over quite mercilessly for not having a manly sponsor.

 

[F107plus5]

Wow! Interesting!! We all seem to share just about the same views on motor racing in general and NASCAR in particular

...maybe it's not all that surprising after all!

Common sense seems to be rather common at Head-fi!!

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberoller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Please don't get me started on the whole Confederate flag issue. When southerners or those who wish to honor the Confederate flag stop using it as a device of intimidation, then I'll no longer have a problem with it. Drive down south on april,4 (the day Martin Luther King was murdered) and see how many Conferderate flags are flying high and proud and you'll get a good idea of the true meaning of the flag and why it is flown.

As I have to agree with the general population here on motor racing, so do I also have to agree with your feelings on the flag.

We haven't displayed our flag since the 80s, and the Wife very grudgingly and very unhappily removed her front license plate out of fear of seriously offending someone.

It's a shame when the media can get ahold of something and twist it all out of proportion to what it really was to the average citizen. For the sake of a few newspaper-selling headlines we've lost an important and popular symbol of our region, and a fun part of our heritage.

What hurts even more is that those who have since adopted it are playing into the wishes of the media and making it a self-fulfilling prophesy.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F107plus5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a shame when the media can get ahold of something and twist it all out of proportion to what it really was to the average citizen. For the sake of a few newspaper-selling headlines we've lost an important and popular symbol of our region, and a fun part of our heritage.

You really think it's a recent news media created problem? How many decades and which reporters twisted the meaning? Listen its history and I'm not in favor of eradicating that no matter the meaning, but wouldn't you say the Confederate battle flag was abused in meaning an awful long time ago? Hell you might be able to go way back, but surely the South politicized it long before the contempory press. After all how many Union battle flags do you know? What is the point of the South Will Raise Again belt buckles going back decades?

 

[Tuberoller]

I'm sorry about the whole flag thing. I hope we can return this thread to it's original intent.

I do enjoy watching F1 and the politics of F1 racing and team politics in the Mac camp. Alonso has never seemed too comfortable having Hamilton around and even casual observers pick up on the tension. This is fun to watch however.

I'm all set to jump on the Lewis Hamilton bandwagon. Perhaps we should start Team Hamilton F1.

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberoller /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sorry about the whole flag thing. I hope we can return this thread to it's original intent. I do enjoy watching F1 and the politics of F1 racing and team politics in the Mac camp. Alonso has never seemed too comfortable having Hamilton around and even casual observers pick up on the tension. This is fun to watch however. I'm all set to jump on the Lewis Hamilton bandwagon. Perhaps we should start Team Hamilton F1.

You're Sorry? YOU'RE SORRY!! I'm the dummy who mentioned it in the first place!!

I was thinking of all the older re-runs of NASCAR races over the years and noticing that the flag went away at the races just about the same time as major changes were happening with the vehicles. The flag is an interesting subject, but probably for a forum other than this.

....as if things weren't happing in NASCAR all along anyway.

Since what happened to Schumacher last year I've kinda(temporarily, I hope)parted ways with my lifelong favorite racing team, and I gotta admit, Hamilton has really gotten my attention. I missed Sundays race since the wife was firmly planted in NASCAR stuff, but noting how often Hamilton has been on the podium this year has been interesting to say the least!

 

[Hermitt]

I lost interest in nascar about 4 or 5 years ago. I still would like to see Mark Martin win a championship before he retires tho.

I've always been a huge fan of NHRA tho. there is just something about walking through the pits while the mechanics are rebuilding the engines in between rounds and there is nothing.. absolutely nothing that can match the exhaliration <sp> of standing about 60 to 80 feet forward of the starting line when 7000 horsepower literally rattles your eyeballs in your head as they roar past!!!

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermitt /img/forum/go_quote.gif I lost interest in nascar about 4 or 5 years ago. I still would like to see Mark Martin win a championship before he retires tho. I've always been a huge fan of NHRA tho. there is just something about walking through the pits while the mechanics are rebuilding the engines in between rounds and there is nothing.. absolutely nothing that can match the exhaliration <sp> of standing about 60 to 80 feet forward of the starting line when 7000 horsepower literally rattles your eyeballs in your head as they roar past!!!

My son is a great drag racing fan...so was the wife and I until a few years ago when some of our favorite drivers and teams gave it up and the fun sorta subsided when we didn't get to the strip with them all that often.

Anyway our son gave us his old coffee table...he got a huge drag slick at Gainsville a few weeks back and decided it would go good in his livingroom!

When we first started going, the quickest rails were doing about 180MPH, in the high eights.

Like NASCAR; times have changed.

I've never forgiven Mark Martin. When he was running the #60 Busch car he was sponsored by Winn-Dixie super markets, and his picture and that of his car was plastered all over Winn-Dixie brand products....now they're gone.

But Hey! He was one of the first NASCAR guys to get an airplane with two of "my" engines, and he could then fly himself around!

But yeah; Mark is cool, even if he is now a "Chevy" guy.

 

[Hermitt]

I live about 30 miles from Sears Point (now Infineon) Raceway. I got John Force's autograph on a cap when he was working on, I believe his 10th championship. It's very common to just walk up to stars like Kenny Bernstein or Schumacher and get their autographs

This is one fast track where you often see over 320 MPH in the low 4s

It's ludicris....

 

[oicdn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberoller /img/forum/go_quote.gif By salary I mean as paid by his primary employer (team). MJ's actual salary in 1998 as paid to him by the Chicago Bulls was 36 Million. This was before the hard salary cap of the current NBA. Tiger Woods isn't salaried and Schumacher's salary was tied to his points standing. He earned 31.4 million in his best year. Note that I'm talking salaries and not winnings or endorsements. As far as MotoGP goes. I love it myself........But. I like Superbike racing best. Superbike rules dictate that the rides but be fully production based and all factory built or issued parts have "fully availability". Which means anybody with the cash can build a Superbike (at least in intent). You and I couldn't get a GP bike if God signed a consent form. Besides, MotoGP bikes use ABS, traction control, and electronic feedback adjustable suspensions (self-adjusting while on-track). I hate when tech lessens the impact of rider/driver skill and talent.

I also hate that tech stuff. But what it does is trickle down (slowly) to the masses. I personally think it's bunk, but GP before all the crap was awesome.

I just can't watch any motorcycle racing after watching eve a 125cc GP race....everybody looks so unsmooth. Even Mladin and Spies look wack. The only reason I watch AMA is because MV is competing. And I have to support MV Agusta, lol.

 

[KYTGuy]

I have an LP I use for system response testing that has exhaust notes of various motorcycles at the Isle of Man TT Races, recorded in the Early 60s...complete with announcer on PA system, during the actual race...

...the MV Agusta V-8 at full chat, then downshifting approaching crygg ny baa turn raises goose-bumps every time I play it, and if I play it in a store on a speaker system, all the gear-heads gravitate to the room I am in... it is magical !! Norton Manx for comparo, too!

Also have recordings of Top Fuelers/ old F1 cars, and so on for fun, too. Makes everybody in High-end rooms smile!!

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYTGuy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have an LP I use for system response testing that has exhaust notes of various motorcycles at the Isle of Man TT Races, recorded in the Early 60s...complete with announcer on PA system, during the actual race... ...the MV Agusta V-8 at full chat, then downshifting approaching crygg ny baa turn raises goose-bumps every time I play it, and if I play it in a store on a speaker system, all the gear-heads gravitate to the room I am in... it is magical !! Norton Manx for comparo, too! Also have recordings of Top Fuelers/ old F1 cars, and so on for fun, too. Makes everybody in High-end rooms smile!!

Ah; the Isle of Man TT. The tyres on my bike are Dunlop TT100s. First tyres to lap at over 100MPH. I like to think of my bike as a direct desendant of "Slippery Sam"!

I bought the old dear back in late '73. Still looks and runs great! Even today!

....'74 Triumph Trident. Sounds wicked with the 3 into 1 exhaust!

Hey; 12.7 was quick back then! But it would do other things the Japanese super bikes wouldn't do; like handle!

Didn't save the company from going out of business though.