Just to input a different viewpoint to this discussion...
My objection to NASCAR, in particular, and increasingly to F1, is that it
seems to be oriented to spectacle rather than racing, and appears to be
massively micro-managed by the governing body in a totally arbitrary
fashion. Both organizations can, and do, determine winners and losers (and
cheaters) by selective enforcement and non-enforcement of arcane and highly
technical rules. In both circuits top speed and cornering performance are
limited by rulemakers rather than by the limits of automotive technology;
engine displacement, weight or size limits; designer ingenuity; team
budgets; or driver skill.
I don't know what the answer is -- obviously the days of truly unlimited
racing are long gone, never to return -- but when you get to the point of
tacking boards onto the bottom of multi-million dollar machines, and
grooving the tires in defiance of all motor racing experience -- it makes me
want to go watch a Formula Ford race.
We seem to have gotten completely away from the idea of designing cars to a
simple rule, lining them up, and seeing who's the quickest.
Totally IMO, of course...
on 3/5/01 1:20 PM, Chris Thompson at ct@cthompson.com wrote:
> I never got into auto racing. The most widely televised racing in the US are
> NASCAR and Indycar (Oh, and NASCAR Truck, for when Nascar isnt sexy enough,
> lets change the body shell to look vaguely like a truck).
>
> The problem is, "Drive Fast, Turn Left" bores the crap out of me. The
> technique is so ingrained they dont talk about passing on the left or the
> right, it's inside and outside.
>
> We really arent exposed to much racing in the F1 tradition, so, just as
> there are Americans crazy about soccer (or football, or futbol,
> whatever) when the rest of the country (me included) yawns, there's only a
> small percentage that really gets into F1.
>
> I did read an article in the Latest WIRED magazine about the inner workings
> of F1, from a guy who hung around Team McLaren and their finnish driver
> who's name I cant pronounce. It was intriguing, I had planned to watch a bit
> this weekend, but got tied up working on the house.
>
> I just think American abivalence to F1 comes from the fact that most people
> think that auto racing begins and ends at the oval track. No offense to
> Nascar fans, if that flips your switch, more power to ya, but it bores me,
> and pretty much every single person I know, to tears.
>
>
> On Mon, 05 Mar 2001, Dan DiBiase wrote:
>> I'm not a huge fan of racing, at least viewing it on TV. I have been to
>> sports car races at Watkins Glen (many years ago) and DO enjoy watching
>> some racing on TV (European Touring Car races, rallys). I get Speedvision
>> and will probably watch some F1 racing this year, just not going to go out
>> of my way (or lose a lot of sleep) to do so....
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> | Chris Thompson ct@cthompson.com |
> | 1973 MGB http://cthompson.com/mg/ |
> +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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