I raced short track for 8 years (1/4 mile oval), it is way harder than you think. While it looks easy from the stands, once you are belted into the car it is a different world. I learned more on how to make a car handle, how to fix them quickly, how alignment affects driving in my first season than I did all my 35 years before then (drag, road rally, autocross). From my experience, road racers are more gentlemanly (word?) about racing...run your line and wait until someone makes a mistake, then you take the advantage and pass them. Oval track is more brutal, you take what you get and try to make that car dance in a line it doesn't want to dance. I had many people come up to me after a race "hey, why don't you stay lower, pass them higher, etc", my response was always polite but usually ended with "why don't you purchase a car and give it a whirl?". Since I am rambling I will share my first race experience. At Stateline Speedway they line you up for the heats/mains slowest in front, fastest in back. Of course being my first time I was on the outside pole (woo hoo, not the slowest). The flag drops and I jumped on it. I held my own into the first corner and thought, I am so close to the pole sitter, no one is coming through...WRONG! You would have though it was a freeway and I was standing in the slow lane...I was freightrained by nearly the whole field before the end of the second straight. I learned what close was that night and not too long later, I was part of the train! It took a few years but I also learned to lead the train my share of times. Passing a rookie was usually pretty easy if they held a decent line, a little tougher if they used the whole track (after a few laps of that you give them a little boost to the high side of the turn). Now passing an experienced racer could take multiple laps, inches at a time, a trying example of patience, and usually done on a line that isn't optimum. The blue/yellow flag does not mean "let them pass" it means "hold your line", you still need to have some skill to pass someone. You also learn how to be knocked around and knock people around without getting rattled. Done right it is almost invisible from the stands. There are times too when it is time to teach someone a lesson even if it means you will be repairing damage to your own car that week (the infamous drive thru move). I was never on the end of a tough lesson from another racer, but I gave a few. Man I could go on forever...I loved that sport! Family and money finally overpowered the fun factor and I sold the car and extras. A sad day indeed...I still have pictures from that day . Kenny
That above paragraph...Being part of it. I think that is what makes NASCAR fun. Sitting in the stands of a mile or larger track leaves me feeling completely detached from the race and I do not consider that a good time. I had the good fortune to spend a day in the hot pits at Phoenix last year and had the time of my life. Unfortunately, that is not something all the fans get to do. Getting to watch the car being worked on, getting right up to the cars and drivers, getting yelled at by a crew chief for taking pictures of the contents in the rear of the car.... , it was excellent. You really get to see what goes in to making a race team work, and even in NASCAR, it's tons of work and energy. Also, the cars are badass. When you are up close and one goes by you in the pits and they blip the throttle, you really feel it. Yup, good times. S.C.
I think of NASCAR like I think of baseball. It's fun if, by the time I'm in the bleachers, I'm already completely shitfaced.
Great post! I would love to try short track racing some day. (I did road racing for 15 years and believe short track/dirt/oval is just as challenging if not more.)
As a kid, I liked Nascar. Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty. Cale took a Camaro to LeMans, didn't finish, but had the balls to do it. Now I absolutely despise it. Nothing "Stock", nothing even remotely interesting. Worse yet are the fellow spectators. It's like sitting around a truck stop with a bunch of bare chested truck drivers and their buffet sow wives wearing halter tops picking their leg scabs with the salad bar forks. For every "southern belle" you see, you have to filter through 750 Walmart shopping trolls. That "southern belle" is usually just some retired meth addict stripper who's full set of teeth left years ago. Without all that plastic surgery dance money, she has a face too ugly even for her daddy to fuck. Not one driver can form a complete sentence, which is fine I guess, it's not like any of the fans in the stands ever read an interview the next day. MotoGP and Superbikes is where it's at. NOTHING trumps the Ducati poon, and the riders will race in the rain at the same fucking speeds the bass fishing butt fuckers all play follow the leader at. Formula One died when Senna did.
I had to watch motocross for quite some time to get into it and understand it. Well, I don't understand all of it...but I have the general principles. I have come to the conclusion that American's like Nascar simply because the entire race can be viewed in one or two camera pans. No need to keep track of a certain racer-they are all in one camera view. What part of motocross is most exciting? The first turn where all the bikes are in the same frame. I don't think most Americans, including me, really like having to keep track of each individual car or bike. F1, motocross, supercross-etc. Now NASCAR? Sit back and drink a beer. All the cars are there and no need to think much. That is a bit cynical on my part, but that is my conclusion. I can't think of many other striking differences. I guess Europeans are far more sophisticated in that respect. But then again, are they not usually known for their sophistication? There there is the fact one can park their winnebego right in the center of the track. Can't beat that American past time!
All the drivers nowadays are groomed and very commercial viable. They aren't the good ole boy variety anymore. All the newest stars are from out west and can speak just fine. Jimmie Johnson, the Busch Brothers, Gordon, Greg Biffle. None of them are southern boys. Just that douche Dale Earnhardt Jr who has done nothing in the last several years. This is also hilarious because it pisses off the southerners that their good ole boys are getting the shit kicked out of them by california trash. Hell with the money they make it NASCAR, it's utterly retarded to go road racing. They can make a ton more in NASCAR driving circles. MotoGP has sucked ass for a long time. Watching someone win by 25 seconds isn't entertaining. Superbike has been iffy this year. Last year it was awesome. Moto2 is by far the most entertaining series going right now without a doubt.
This. Lots of motor racing to me is fucking sad to watch, others are pretty exciting. I don't begrudge fans of any of it their taste, or the drivers their skill. It's not hard driving in a circle, just like it's not hard to drive down a 1/4 mile straightaway...but doing it better than the best in the sport all day every day? That's why they make millions, and fans like the particular brand. Watch what you like, and leave people to their interests.