What do non-Americans think of NASCAR

I think oval racing can be exciting. but only if you know the drivers. imagine kimi and halimton going side by side with a few laps to go.
 
Oval racing is just boring for me, i've always maintained that they are amazing machines, but Formula 1 is more my style. Americans seem afraid of anything where one team can dominate again and again, they seem to want a close race every time, rather then the best the cars and drivers can put forward.

Its like my dad said of why he cant deal with soccer, the games are too low scoring and once one team makes a goal, that is probibly the only one you're going to see in that game,maybe a second one of its a good team. To a nation used to american football or especially basketball (in which scores in the triple-digits are not uncommon). Watching little dots run back and fourth on a big green square isnt exactly riveting.

Formula 1 (which i am actually a fan of) is much the same way, i knew going into it last year that the first 4 cars were going to be some combination of mclaren and ferarri, and knowing the result ahead of time kind of ruins it for us. Maybe thats why nascar is so popular, oval racing and identical cars means the race will be tight the whole way through, and that no team will be able to dominate race after race.
 
MattD1zzl3 said:
Formula 1 (which i am actually a fan of) is much the same way, i knew going into it last year that the first 4 cars were going to be some combination of mclaren and ferarri, and knowing the result ahead of time kind of ruins it for us. Maybe thats why nascar is so popular, oval racing and identical cars means the race will be tight the whole way through, and that no team will be able to dominate race after race.
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Knowing the result? Yeah, chances are it will be a McLaren or Ferrari victory, but the result was never a foregone conclusion. Both teams were as good as each other last season and it was a riveting fight for the title, down to the final race between three drivers. Thats how sport should be though - the cream rising to the top. I've never watched NASCAR but it seems very contrived to me. All those yellows seem a perfect opportunity to bunch the field back up and prevent anyone from pulling out a decent sized lead. No?
 
Red_Bull said:
Knowing the result? Yeah, chances are it will be a McLaren or Ferrari victory, but the result was never a foregone conclusion. Both teams were as good as each other last season and it was a riveting fight for the title, down to the final race between three drivers. Thats how sport should be though - the cream rising to the top. I've never watched NASCAR but it seems very contrived to me. All those yellows seem a perfect opportunity to bunch the field back up and prevent anyone from pulling out a decent sized lead. No?
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A yellow can upset the race when the first place driver has been running seconds ahead of the pack, but then someone with fresher tires gets a better restart and pulls in front.

There have been races that have seen the guy in first pull way ahead, somtimes winning, other times only to be pulled in by a yellow. An older Daytona 500 race I watched had Dale Earnhardt Sr. 30 seconds ahead of the next guy. Yellow flag after an accident, and as Earnhardt was pulling away on the last lap, he hit a peice of debris which punctured his tire and gave the win to some no-name who never won another race in his entire career. Yellows can make for an interesting race...

As for not having dominate teams, anyone familiar with NASCAR should be all to familiar with Hendrick Motorsports, Rousch Racing, and Richard Childress Racing. They are the Ferrari, Renault, and McLaren of NASCAR. Consistant drivers have consistant teams.
 
Just watched the end of that Montreal race. NASCAR rocks!!!! They need to quit doing ovals and concentrate on circuit racing. Sliding everywhere bashing into one another. Its like V8 Supercars and BTCC all rolled into one. Shame they didn't show Ambrose's post race interview.

That race was the worst behaviour from a racing driver on Robby Gordon's behalf I have EVER seen. Thankfully they talked and got over it but I can't believe he was allowed to continue racing.
 
Necx0 said:
That race was the worst behaviour from a racing driver on Robby Gordon's behalf I have EVER seen. Thankfully they talked and got over it but I can't believe he was allowed to continue racing.
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Robby Gordon has been an asshole for awhile now. nobody likes him. the only thing he's good at is offroad racing. but even that now is showing to be something he isn't good at. he didn't even finish Paris-to-Dakar this year.
 
Elmo187 said:
Robby Gordon has been an asshole for awhile now. nobody likes him. the only thing he's good at is off road racing. but even that now is showing to be something he isn't good at. he didn't even finish Paris-to-Dakar this year.
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This is what I don't like about NASCAR, "he didn't even finish Paris-to Dakar. . ." or in other words, "He didn't finish the longest, most grueling off road race ever conceived in a finicky purpose built race car. Nevermind, that most people don't succeed and a few even die." I respect NASCAR but have little for the fans. Too much bickering over drivers, standings, and even makes of car that are homologated to be all the same! Of course not all fans are this way, seems the more knowledgeable about cars and racing the better they are to talk to.

I can however see the draw, very few, "Road courses," offer a complete view of the track. And you don't need to know anything about cars or track racing to get caught up to speed (You ever heard the announcers?) Just jump in and your an expert. The drivers are undoubtedly talented, but as said it may as well be a complete different sport then road racing.

Plus, us LeMans and F1 series fans can be a bit biased and noninclusive can't we. :yes:
 
Twerp128 said:
This is what I don't like about NASCAR, "he didn't even finish Paris-to Dakar. . ." or in other words, "He didn't finish the longest, most grueling off road race ever conceived in a finicky purpose built race car. Nevermind, that most people don't succeed and a few even die." I respect NASCAR but have little for the fans. Too much bickering over drivers, standings, and even makes of car that are homologated to be all the same! Of course not all fans are this way, seems the more knowledgeable about cars and racing the better they are to talk to.
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wow, you've basically judged me for a 3 line post on an internet forum. in summary, you're saying that i'm a close minded NASCAR fan who has very little knowledge of cars or racing. did not know AT ALL that you could find out about somebody so quickly through just one post.
 
Simple racing for simple folk. That's what it's all about. But I need more substance.
 
Twerp128 said:
This is what I don't like about NASCAR, "he didn't even finish Paris-to Dakar. . ." or in other words, "He didn't finish the longest, most grueling off road race ever conceived in a finicky purpose built race car. Nevermind, that most people don't succeed and a few even die." I respect NASCAR but have little for the fans. Too much bickering over drivers, standings, and even makes of car that are homologated to be all the same! Of course not all fans are this way, seems the more knowledgeable about cars and racing the better they are to talk to.
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That bolded part. Just take a stroll through the F1 Forums here and you'll see the same thing.

Though, to be honest, we could all do with a little less Robby Gordon.
 
YF19pilot said:
your comment about stock cars running away when they see a "real corner":

https://pic.armedcats.net/2007/12/19/johnson2Ejpglarge.jpg
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You know that wheels leaving the ground is a bad thing in racing, right? It's what badly set-up and/or badly driven cars do. It's not indicitive of good cornering.

Anyway, the reason I don't care to watch more than a single lap of Nascar is that it's all meaningless. You see two drivers swapping their positions twice a lap in the same places every lap. When someone makes a pass in F1, or gains time in WRC, it's obvious that it's due to superior technique or machinery.
 
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Professional motorcycle racing has just as much if not more passing than NASCAR but I dont see you guys bagging on that.

Different strokes for different folks, boys. The only thing that annoys me, as a race fan, is that the serieses (?) that lack viewership lack money and therefore have a hard time. Most NASCAR fans dont really realize that there is more racing than just NASCAR.

But most NASCAR fans are not racing fans. They are NASCAR fans. Most WWF fans are not wrestling fans, they are WWF fans. It's about the show, not the sport. The sport is a vehicle for the show. NASCAR is, in a lot of ways, a lowest common denominator not in the sense that it's primitive and juvenile, but in the sense that it all about mass appeal and bringing in money from people taht wouldnt necessarily enjoy racing.

Any true race fan that watches NASCAR can appreciate any other type of racing even if tehy have a preference. But you cant say a true NASCAR fan can do the same, because there is a huge difference between those who like NASCAR because it's racing and those who like it because it is NASCAR.
 
Yes, it sucks and all. But what is baffling to me is it that a lot of F1 drivers actually like NASCAR! :huh: Just look at JPM, Villeneuve and Speed! I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the 2008 grid will somehow end up in NASCAR!
 
Nascar can be fun to watch. Yeah, the tracks usually suck, but the racing is very good. There is almost no point in making bets on a winner, because it's so close. In F1 you can pretty much accurately guess the winner within 2 or 3 choices.
 
i dont like it, its not my cup of tea. but i can understand why ppl love it.
 
POWERRR!! said:
Yes, it sucks and all. But what is baffling to me is it that a lot of F1 drivers actually like NASCAR! :huh: Just look at JPM, Villeneuve and Speed! I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the 2008 grid will somehow end up in NASCAR!
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They only "like" it because it's how someone who's no longer (or never really was) good enough for Formula 1 can earn the highest amount of money possible. NASCAR for F1 drivers is like the equivalent of the Qatar league (and MLS these days) for old footballers, it has nothing to do with it being a good competition at all, it's just the best way to squeeze as much money as they can out of the end of their career when they can no longer play in a higher quality competition for similar money.
 
squirtle said:
They only "like" it because it's how someone who's no longer (or never really was) good enough for Formula 1 can earn the highest amount of money possible. NASCAR for F1 drivers is like the equivalent of the Qatar league (and MLS these days) for old footballers, it has nothing to do with it being a good competition at all, it's just the best way to squeeze as much money as they can out of the end of their career when they can no longer play in a higher quality competition for similar money.
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so you're practically saying NASCAR is inferior to F1 because it has higher quality competition?

talk about close-minded.
 
Elmo187 said:
so you're practically saying NASCAR is inferior to F1 because it has higher quality competition?

talk about close-minded.
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I never said why it's inferior. I don't really like F1 much at all, but NASCAR certainly is inferior for a variety of reasons that I can't be bothered listing as many others have already done so. I just said that that the likes of Villeneuve and Montoya aren't going to NASCAR because it's super great, they're going because they were pretty much kicked out of F1 for no longer being good enough and NASCAR is the next best place for them to earn big money. It's not as if 5 years ago either of them would have even considered NASCAR for a second, but after their F1 careers pretty much went to crap it was the most obvious choice for financial reasons.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ralf was in NASCAR at some level in 2008, because just like those two he's no longer wanted by any F1 teams and is a reasonably big name so he could earn far better money there than in any other series.

Forget about calling me close-minded, you're simply naive if you think that 95% of the reason that these guys are going to NASCAR isn't for money.
 
4 left turns.

Repeat as necessary.

Not really my thing :(

I'm sure there is quite a bit of skill involved to eke out the best lap time or whatever, but i don't think it can be compared to road circuits where even if the race is boring, watching the drivers find the best lines through the corners and judging the apexes etc is very fascinating.
 
Now am i right in saying that not all nascar is on ovals, i seem to remember seening some that wasn't (but could be wrong and don't care that much about it)

Now my personal opinion is that its a bit naff, i don't like or appreciate oval racing and personally think it takes less skill to do than circuit (not that they don't have lots of skill, just need to use less) and its more bravery than anything...

as to passing, well yeah its there, but to me its a bunch of cars in a line, all slipstreaming they guy in front gets it wrong by 5mm or the guy behind does a bit of a grind or punt, the guy in front looses a tinny bit of speed and 5 cars go buy... then that just keeps happenening all race long, its not really overtaking its just sitting in a queue... about as exciting as queing at teh bank...

just my opinion thats all...
 
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