NASCAR??!!
to put it in context - as far as I know we only have one speedway across here (Rockingham Speedway, England), so we don't really see much of it, apart from late night showings on Channel 5. I can appreciate the difficulty of drafting cars at 150+mph (probably closer to 200mph) for 500 miles or so (ask anyone who's ever driven on the German autobahn!), but I just don't see how so many people can go so mad for it. As an engineer I can see how the race crew can have so much influence on the outcome - good tyre choice, correct camber, correct wheel sizes, good pit stops, correct fueling etc, but it's a bit basic as far as endurance testing goes, especially when you see production cars being tested into the ground in 24+hr drives on a high speed bowl. I suspect the most difficult thing for the driver is stopping themselves falling asleep - I mean, the view never changes, and the turns must be monotonous! Round and round, with only 2 corners, both in the same direction - I think I'd get bored after, oh, probably the second lap....
I saw a brilliant supermoto version on a modified mini-high speed bowl a few years ago - it was on a bicycle race bowl. They'd put in a track on the in-field, so everyone was racing on a figure of eight - much more interesting... since everyone seems more interested in the crashes in NASCAR, why don't they do that - make it into a figure of eight. If you wanted to avoid using the brakes, just make the track bigger..... just make sure you put plenty of protection in the cars.... it'd be awesome!!
I saw a brilliant supermoto version on a modified mini-high speed bowl a few years ago - it was on a bicycle race bowl. They'd put in a track on the in-field, so everyone was racing on a figure of eight - much more interesting... since everyone seems more interested in the crashes in NASCAR, why don't they do that - make it into a figure of eight. If you wanted to avoid using the brakes, just make the track bigger..... just make sure you put plenty of protection in the cars.... it'd be awesome!!
While the racing may be a little lame, not all NASCAR drivers are lame. Take Robby Gordon for instance. He races in the Dakar and does pretty good, won a stage this year which is no small feat considering VW and Mitsubishi kick *** in the Dakar. Robby and his Hummer made a decent showing with an 8th overall finish, not too bad considering the competition and the large percentage of teams that don't even finish because it is such a hellish race.
http://www.robbygordon.com/cms/publi...icle_837.shtml
He also races the Baja 1000 and does quite well there too. He won the 2006 race, no small feat either. RG also does some Indy car racing and is pretty well-rounded and a proven racer no matter the venue, but I reckon NASCAR most likely pays the bills.
http://www.robbygordon.com/cms/publi...icle_837.shtml
He also races the Baja 1000 and does quite well there too. He won the 2006 race, no small feat either. RG also does some Indy car racing and is pretty well-rounded and a proven racer no matter the venue, but I reckon NASCAR most likely pays the bills.



