NASCAR Fans

Its ok to come out of the closet as the racing season is about to start.

The second part of the Speed Weeks trilogy.

Ford v Chevy v Dodge v Toyota, no wait thats next year.

Racing is a sport the rest of them are just games, I think it was Hemingway that said it after viewing a prewar Grand Prix in Europe where the men were fat and the tires are skinny.

Daytona 500, my best guess would be a Ford, the #88 or a dark horse,
the #21 of Kenny Schraeder.

Let the excitement begin!

George Carlin would disagree with Hemingway. Carlin says it's not a sport if it's another activity, and he says auto racing isn't a sport because it's transportation. He also says that hockey isn't a sport because it's transportation mixed with boxing (which he also says isn't a sport but I forget why).

Does that mean...

The Veg said:

George Carlin would disagree with Hemingway. Carlin says it's not a sport if it's another activity, and he says auto racing isn't a sport because it's transportation. He also says that hockey isn't a sport because it's transportation mixed with boxing (which he also says isn't a sport but I forget why).

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Does that mean your are a NASCAR fan and a Carlin fan too?

NASCAR in 6 days

The Veg said:

George Carlin would disagree with Hemingway. Carlin says it's not a sport if it's another activity, and he says auto racing isn't a sport because it's transportation. He also says that hockey isn't a sport because it's transportation mixed with boxing (which he also says isn't a sport but I forget why).

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I would disagree with George on both counts. Love NASCAR racing, not so much the IRL/CART stuff and definitely not F1 (not enough passing - first guy to turn one is usually wins the race).

Personally, I cheer for Michael Waltrip (55). However, I don't think he has the gear to get the win in the Daytona 500 this year. Hopefully, he can get things together well enough to stay in the top 35 in points so he can race every week.

Second choice would be the 38 (Sadler) or the 21 (Schrader). Overall, so long as it is not a Roush or Hendrick car, I will be quite happy.

As for hockey, I have always said that every game ever developed is a silly game - hocky being the least silly of them all. Go Habs Go!!!!

NASCAR...I feel a nap coming on.

If it's getting close to time for the Daytona 500, that means Daytona Bike Week is not far behind.

part 3

barryg said:

If it's getting close to time for the Daytona 500, that means Daytona Bike Week is not far behind.

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Yeah that is the third part of the trilogy of Speed Weeks.

I've been there for bike week in '92, '94, and '99 that was all the loud Harleys I could stand. There was a lot of neat old iron on the roads too though.

I'm definitely a Carlin fan but the only NASCAR I can even stand to think about is the old-school stuff, back when it was the chosen race of Alabama trailer-trash and not a pageant of corporate sponsorship and media-hype gone wild. But even then, I much prefer races that turn both ways.

I remember a stand-up comic whose name eludes me talking about how his southern friends took him to a NASCAR race once. He said that as far as he coule tell, the point of the whole thing was to sit there and get drunk and then every time your favourite driver goes by you stand up and hold up your cup and scream "WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Years ago I was into F1. I got to go to the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in 1988. I won't tell the whole story but it was really REALLY fun, even though I could only afford the ticket for the Ostkurve- which means not being able to see most of the course as the Ostkurve is out a ways through the trees. But the action was still pretty fun, and the highlight of the festive atmosphere was probably a group of screaming, rain-soaked English race fans huddling together wrapped in a huge Union Jack to which had been sewn some crudely hand-cut letters that spelled MANSELL GIVES PIQUET THE HUMP.

I also used to watch Le Mans coverage at a young age.

Camping on the infield during the 1st part of the Trilogy - the Rolex 24 hours - is the absolute bomb. Used to love it when the Porsche 962 was lighting up the night with exhause flameups going into every corner for 24 hours. The new cars are also very interesting with chassis and engine combinations, and this year's star-studded field of drivers. Interesting at night to watch the carbon fiber brake disks glow red-hot. Gotta love it. Slight hijack - I appologize.....I like Nascar too.

Yeah Buddy! Mark Martin is back for another season, OLD GUYS RULE!
Oh, and I like G. Carlin, Lewis Black and that Hemmingway fella too...

Stuff2C said:

NASCAR...I feel a nap coming on.

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No kidding!! I guess it's easier to follow these races as there is just one way its going around in circles ad nauseum. F1 is in the technical aspect a little more interesting although the Indy flop turned me off completely too. Now ralley racing on the other hand....... Just no coverage in the US to speak off

Stuff2C said:

NASCAR...I feel a nap coming on.

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as a moderator i'm supposed to be pretty non-judgemental........

but.............as greg says:

[moderator hat = off] DITTO! [moderator hat = on]

Make of this what you will...

http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2005/10/31/scene_daily16.html

John
Recovering NASCAR fan

Back in the day when I kept up with that kind of racing the cars had 426, 427, and 428 ci engines and had areo type nose front ends, and fast back rear ends, with big wings. The straight away speeds on the big ovals could be well over 200 mph.

any one can win

barryg said:

Back in the day when I kept up with that kind of racing the cars had 426, 427, and 428 ci engines and had areo type nose front ends, and fast back rear ends, with big wings. The straight away speeds on the big ovals could be well over 200 mph.

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Unlike F1 or CART, or IRL, in NASCAR any one of 15 drivers on 10 teams can win on any track, the mixture of venues from road courses to 1/2 mile oval bull rings to 2 1/2 mile super speedways lets everyone be competive at some tracks.
Qualifying is often spread between fractions of a second back to 30th place or even more!
Go team!