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Post by Topcontender on Aug 1, 2003 9:55:59 GMT -5
Well this weekend marks the annual race of the Good ol boys here in Indianapolis. Since there is nothing to do in town I will do like everyone else and go to the race.
I was just wondering, if you had a chance would you go to a nascar race?
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Post by pabs on Aug 1, 2003 10:35:57 GMT -5
I think I would TC. I've watched the brickyard 400 and the daytona 500 on TV on several occasions. And I've caught glimpses of sears point and watkins glen. Road courses aren't as bad as ovals but still not really my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I think I would if given the opportunity.
Mind you, I've started getting interested in another form of stock car racing: Ascar. But that's only because there's a Colombian driver racing there. His name is Alejandro Lince and I think he's got lots of talent. He started pretty much the same way that JPM did but went to stocks instead of open-wheelers. He's won the same races in Colombia that JPM has. And one thing I like about his website: he actually takes the time to reply to messages in his forum. He tries to reply to everyone that sends him a question regarding anything and everything.
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Post by Wycco on Aug 1, 2003 12:08:35 GMT -5
If it were free- or cheap... Sure I might go take a look.
Otherwise, I don't think I would go spend a bunch of money on it.
I don't like NASCAR for several reasons:
1) I hate ovals- now watching them go round a street circuit might not be too bad. 2) NASCAR races last too long! What- arn't they about 4 hours or so? 1 hour is about the longest I can stay concentrated on anything... F1 races sometimes seem a wee bit long to me- I don't think I could stand a NASCAR race!
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Post by worthless on Aug 1, 2003 12:52:31 GMT -5
I know I'm going to catch hell for this, and the tiny shread of respect I once had (if I had any) will, instaneously, go straight out the window, but....what the hell... I enjoy all kinds of motorsports. Even (gasp in horror) nascar. I think if you look through the Budweiser, obnoxious fans, and ridiculous sponsorship deals (viagra?) you'll find the racing itself, really isn't that bad. Now if you hate ovals, well, then don't watch. You won't enjoy it. I never liked MotoGP until recently. In fact, I hated motorcycle racing. But recently I was reading through the Moto thread here on shamu and based of some of Henrik's posts I decided to give it another shot. And to my surprise I enjoyed it! So hey, you never know. Never hurts to keep an open mind (okay it hurts a little). I would, however, suggest that the Brickyard typically isn't all that exciting. The cars get spread out and the race can get rather dull. Nascar is a lot like the F1 in that it has increasingly become political. So the series isn't necessarily going to the best venues for racing. They are going to races based on demographics. So some facilities don't exactly produce great stock car races. Indy can be like that sometimes. Although I could be wrong....and usually am..... ...I'll gather my things quietly... ...my apologies.....
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Post by pabs on Aug 1, 2003 13:13:47 GMT -5
What's funny is that this thread is in the Sports other than motor racing section ;D Good job TC
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Post by Henrik on Aug 1, 2003 14:17:36 GMT -5
What's funny is that this thread is in the Sports other than motor racing section ;D Good job TC ROFL!! I was going to comment on that too. To answer your question TC, hell yeah I would go! Especially if I lived in Indianapolis like you. All motorsport experienced live is worth it. As to watching the whole race on TV, umm, no.
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Post by Wycco on Aug 1, 2003 14:51:03 GMT -5
Incidentally- we have a drag strip less than a mile from the home we've lived in the last *almost* 2 years.
I've never been to see the drag racing- I did go by once with my wife and a friend as a "spontaneous" idea on the way home from Greenville one night- but we couldn't get in because they only took cash- no cheques- no credit cards...etc...etc...etc- we only had about $4 between us and it was $5 a person to get in.
Since that time 3 people have been killed at the drag strip... all 3 were murders. 1 with a gun- 2 people were knocked-down by someone deliberately running into them with his car.
... Just for the record- I now avoid the dragstrip- it is an area of disrepute in our otherwise peacefull- low crime neighbourhood- and the cops are always being summoned down there for one thing or another- its only a matter of time before they shut that joint down!
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Post by Topcontender on Aug 1, 2003 18:39:50 GMT -5
ahhh someone moved it from the Sports section!!! ;D
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Post by Topcontender on Aug 4, 2003 10:27:48 GMT -5
did anyone see that race yesterday? That moron dale jarret came into the pits so fast that spun that car and ran over a pit crew man breaking the guys helmet. What pissed me offeven more was that Nascar didn't stop the race while the crewman was on the ground being put into an ambulance.
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Post by pabs on Aug 4, 2003 11:38:54 GMT -5
I went tubing yesterday so I didn't watch the race. But I am not sure that's reason enough to stop the race TC. If I recall correctly, the German GP in 94 wasn't stopped after the Vestappen fire was it?
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Post by julio_montoya on Aug 4, 2003 13:17:43 GMT -5
Even thoug i dont like nascar, i could see it as a good place to be drinking a lot of beers and seing the whole thing go down in front of your eyes. Since you can follow the hole thing whitout looking at the screens.
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Post by worthless on Aug 4, 2003 18:00:42 GMT -5
The crewman was released from the hospital today. He suffered no serious injuries and no broken bones. He's just reeeaaaalll sore. Scary moment, though.....
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Post by Topcontender on Aug 5, 2003 8:13:18 GMT -5
Yeah it was spooky as hell seeing it live. I tuned into the dale jarret race freq after it happened to get an idea of what happened, but he was not talking. It was just spooky seeing a car pull a 180, slam into a crewman, and seeing the mass hysteria. Everyone thought the guy was dead, and when the IMS safety crew said that he was really banged up and that his helmet was snapped in 2 from the wreck, it just seemed right to stop the race until this was figured out.
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Post by Senninha on Aug 5, 2003 8:40:21 GMT -5
I answered "Sure, why not just once!", but I suppose if we include ASCAR, I've already been. Mind, I only saw ASCAR when it supported CART at Rockingham, and I found it a bit dull - in saying that, I don't like ovals at all AND being more into single seaters than tin tops it figures that I'm not over excited about either NASCAR/ASCAR. If I was on holiday in the US I would definitely go to a NASCAR race close by, if only for the experience, provided it wasn't too expensive (how much is motorsport over there - CART isn't too bad I know), but I've notyet returned to Rockingham for ASCAR since I went for the CART, there's usually something more tempting on elsewhere that's closer (and I don't like Rockingham much anyway!!!). I've seen Eurocars too - they look just like NASCARs but race on normal road courses in the UK (they changed their name to something else a few years back, but I forget what - something like V-sports???). Forgive my memory Pabs, but about Alejandro Lince - didn't he start in open wheel? I'm sure I remember him either in FRenault in 1998/99, or FVauxhall (Junior) 1998 - I think he 'raced' (and I use that term loosely - he was slow!) Pizzonia one year at Donington. I will consult my programmes when I get the chance. Can I also add that I seriously considered visiting ASCAR when Nicolas Minassian was racing in it (with some other big names also), but their dates were not on the right weekends, and F3/FR/FF/BTCC/GT/FIA championships took priority over them! In saying that, I've never been to a drag race (though have considered, but see reasons above regarding priorities (!)) or a hillclimb (despite the fact that Harewood Hillclimb course is very close to home - again, F3 priorities!!) - Hillclimb is first on the list also!!!
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Post by Henrik on Aug 5, 2003 9:31:42 GMT -5
Senninha,
I would think that ASCAR race at Rockingham was not the ideal example of what such racing can be. I remember the day very well, with all the delays the CART race had, they had to end it early because the sun was setting. Then they held the ASCAR race, in freezing cold weather and the crowd leaving. On top of that there were hardly any cars in the race.
I can imagine that a NASCAR race with some 40 odd cars and a crowd of 250'000 people would be very different, and an experience I would love to try.
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