NASCAR on TV

[pscot]

Am I really the only guy in the country who doesn't get it?

[phaseolus]

1. It has its moments.

As an engineer, I find certain parts of the spectacle interesting. And some things - like the finish of this year's Daytona 500, with that guy crossing the finish line upside-down, backwards, and on fire - are thrilling to watch. And I am happy when my favorite, the one driver with a college degree, does well.

I can't see myself sitting through a whole race, though.

[mikeargo]

2. You couldn't pay me to go

And there's a NASCAR track ten minutes from my house.

[nascar55]

3. Some like it

and some dont. I get it.

[Rosemary2205]

7. Exactly

I get it AND I like it. Not as much as Braves baseball but.........

[Retired AF Dem]

11. I have been rooting for the Braves this weekend

against the Brewers. Hasn't done much good though there is some hope today. A Cubs fan.

[Rosemary2205]

16. Braves are now winning 5-4 bottom of the 8th.

Ned Yost got ejected. - Don't give up hope.

[Retired AF Dem]

29. I give thanks to your Braves (ATL 7 MIL 4)

For giving the Cubs a little more breathing room from the Brewers.

[Bitwit1234]

4. My dead husband used to love

to go to stock car races. Much of the same. I went a couple of times and couldn't stand it. It is only a place where most go to drink beer and show they are manly......some women like it but the must be manly also.

[DemGa]

5. Yeah man, that track up the road from my house

is a sea of campers and Confederate flags on race day; yee haww!!

Go! Go! number whoever!!

[TahitiNut]

6. How insulting! Hamsters are far more interesting and intelligent!

Sheesh!

:silly:

[Lint Head]

8. It promotes the military industrial complex. Watch a race and die

for Bush. The National Guard, Army and Marines have sponsored cars. What a great paint scheme. I can see it now. A blood red car, flames on the hood, machine guns on the side with and the body parts of innocent civilians painted over the tires. The rockets red glare. Doesn't any of those idiots have a clue as to where those rockets land. :dem:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Watching machinery go around in circles is ever so interesting.

Right up there with watching paint dry or grass grow.

[NoPasaran]

10. Still more fun than watching golf

Since at least there's the prospect of fiery crashes.

[TheFarseer]

31. I must agree - golf sucks too N/T

[BlooInBloo]

12. It's hick, but I love driving hard, so watching road races can be fun. Ovals are boring...

... despite some of the intricacies they have. Short-narrow ovals are a lil funner, but that's more for the trainwreck-value.

[TomInTib]

17. I am a fool for horsepower and torque.

I will watch anything that goes really fast.

A few years back, I drove an ARCA car at Texas Motor Speedway. A 'winger friend of mine owns a few cars and let me drive one on a timing day.

[cherokeeprogressive]

13. Don't like it? Don't watch it.

And save your uppity notions of what people should like and what they shouldn't to yourself. Who the fuck gave you the right to judge ANYONE by what they enjoy?

"I'm better than nearly everyone else because of my choices concerning entertainment and how I spend my time" should be your sig line.

[Retired AF Dem]

15. You find a lot of that

around here.

[pscot]

18. If this were 1957 I might concede your point and move on

But considering certain new features of our existence, like global warming and peak oil, I think I'll stick to my guns. Now I gotta go change my sig line.

[taterguy]

19. So what forms of entertainment are acceptable?

Seriously, most movie theaters, football stadiums and other places where large numbers of people gather are in very un-bike friendly locations.

If I want to go for a good hike I have to get in a car to drive there.

Where do you draw the line and why?

[pscot]

21. If you can't draw the line at an event

where 100,000 people gather in Winnebagos for the express purpose of watching 50 daredevils dash madly around a track consuming mass quantities of fossil fuels, we are well and truly screwn.

I used to think that I was cool
Running 'round on fossil fuel
But now I see what I was doin'
Was drivin' down the road to ruin.

[taterguy]

22. That doesn't answer my question

I'd like to know before I did something that screwed up the planet if it was ok with you

[Retired AF Dem]

24. How about some of the folks that preach the most about

global warming flying in their private jets, limos and living in mansions. Where do they draw the line? A mans actions always count more than their words. I have a hard time listening to anybody when it comes to global warming when they burn more fuel in a month than I will in a decade.

[JuniperLea]

61. Oh please...

People still need to get from place to place. That's hardly the same as wasting a precious commodity and emitting toxins to get nowhere.

[CRF450]

27. The gas used in motorsports is barley noticable compared to what we as a whole use everyday

Besides, most of them use ethonal or alchohal. Recreational motorsports like what I'm involved in usually use fossil fuels.

[A HERETIC I AM]

33. The only major motorsports classes that run alcohol fuels.....

are Indy car (The IRL), Champ Car (Formerly CART) and Top Fuel Drag Racers.

All three of the major NASCAR series (Nextel Cup, Busch Series and Trucks) run Gasoline.

Formula 1 Runs Gasoline.

For the record, i think threads like this are ridiculous. I am not a fan of NASCAR racing at all even though i was in the business in years past. But complaining about how much fuel they burn is ridiculous as you point out, it is a drop in the bucket of the nations daily usage.

[jmowreader]

34. Top Fuel runs only 15 percent methanol

The NHRA allows drivers to run maximum 85 percent nitromethane (made by reacting nitric acid with propane), 15 percent methanol.

IndyCar and Champ Car run methanol with just a little gasoline (to help moderate the alcohol's corrosive properties).

Also...Monster Trucks all burn methanol.

I'd love to see a series that ran on diesel. Maybe NASCAR trucks?

[A HERETIC I AM]

36. The Audi's in the ALMS run Diesel and IMSA rules allow all three fuels,

This car has won the Le Mans 24 hours and the Sebring 12 hours.

Here's a .pdf of the IMSA fuel regs;

http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/alms/bulletins/bulletin%2007-04.pdf

When i was working in the CART/Indy car world series in the 90's, there was no gasoline added to the Methanol they used. I have not kept up with the regs, so perhaps they are, as you say, adding a bit of gas to the mix these days but the primary reason for not using gasoline in that series is safety. Alcohol fires can be put out with water.

[CRF450]

38. Thats a badass car, I wish I could have it!!

But my Trans Am is fast enough for street use lol.

[jmowreader]

39. I think they mostly add gasoline for safety

You can extinguish an alcohol fire with water, if you can see it. Remember in the old days of Indy, where they ran straight methanol and everyone worried about the "invisible fire"?

Throw a touch of gasoline in the mix, not much mind you, and you'll be able to see the flames.

I didn't know about the IMSA diesels...then again, IMSA isn't a huge series in America. The contractors of America would love to see Duramaxes and PowerStrokes (Dodge couldn't play in that series because the Dodge diesel is an inline six, not a V-8 like the other two) go round 'n' round.

[Lance_Boyle]

53. Isn't there a racing league for trucks?

I could swear I've seen semi-trucks doing repetitive left-hand turns on the teevee before. But then those are racing trucks, and maybe don't share the diesel powerplant with their on-road brethren?

There's at least one semi that can be seen vying for a diesel land-speed record on the salt flats from time to time. Which is vastly more entertaining to me than the repetitive left-hand turns.

[BlackVelvet04]

44. Thank you.....

I'm so sick of this shit.

[JuniperLea]

60. Ouch! Love it or leave it!!! ugh...

I think you missed the gist here... I think the bottom line is wasting a precious commodity whilst emitting global warming causing toxins into the air, in the name of entertainment.

[JitterbugPerfume]

14. some people like it

and I guess that is ok .

Not everyone sits around with a book in their nose and classical music on the stereo like I do for fun.

live and let live

except for ONE LITTLE THING--the damage they do to the environment has to be huge

[LanternWaste]

20. Funny. I feel the same way about South Park, console gaming, and I-Pods...

Funny. I feel the same way about South Park, console gaming, and I-Pods...

"Am I really the only guy in the country who doesn't get it?"

[Scout]

54. hear, hear!

can't even stand to watch previews of stupid ass South Park, console gaming is BORING, and I don't have or need or have any interest in an i-pod...

i guess i'm not a good liberal :-(

[LanternWaste]

64. You're a wonderful liberal-- but you have good taste too!

You're a wonderful liberal-- but you have good taste too! :)

So if you ever come to TX (which by God-- there's never a good reason to come to TX), we'll get together, hang out and make fun of the I-Podders!!!

[CRF450]

68. i-Pods are overrated IMO

They hold alot, play movies and such but their sound quality sucks. I'm just happy with my JetAudio U2 2gig mp3 player. Since its flash based I can save any file on it, dont need any complicated sofware what so ever, I can listen to the radio, or record anything on a station, use it as voice recorder too, and it has a kick ass equalizer! I havent heard anything that sounds better!

[LanternWaste]

69. I'm more than satisfied with my...

I'm more than satisfied with my record player (turntable in the trendy lexicon?) and collection of LP's.

:)

[baldguy]

23. Second only to golf for entertainment value.

Or rather, the lack thereof.

[abq e streeter]

25. Bores the hell outta me

but , aside from legitimate environmental concerns, I gotta agree with the to each his (and her) own crowd. And while the stereotyping of fans has some truth to it, the only friend I have who's a big NASCAR fan is black, very left wing, and claims to have an IQ in the 170's (and I believe him, he's a seriously brilliant guy) .

[CRF450]

26. Screw NASCAR! Rally racing is the shit! And so is motorcross!

I'm a big motorsports fan since I trail ride on my dirtbike all the time. The only time I would whatch NASCAR is when they're on the road coarses, not the boring ovals.

[frylock]

28. particular appeal to the intellectually impaired..

and people wonder why dems are considered elitest assholes?

[Clark2008]

45. I'm betting my son is far smarter than the creep who

started this thread - and he's a huge NASCAR fan.

Oh - and he's 8 years old and certainly has better manners. He'd never pre-judge an entire group of people.

[Scout]

55. sorry you are so wrong ... my husband is not intellectually impaired...

and certainly not so rude as some in this thread.

[frylock]

65. i agree with you..

you may have meant to reply to the OP, because I too am a NASCAR fan, and I have grown sick and damn tired of being marginalized by a bunch of stick-up-thier-ass elitists.

[TheFarseer]

30. I just do not understand what people see in this

I am not anti-sports. I love football, basketball, baseball and others but I have no clue what is so interesting about this. It's pure repetition. 500 times around a track? Are you freaking kidding me? If people like crashes so much, why not just have pro-demolishion derby? That's actually kind of interesting. They could do it with Hummers and Tahoes to get those damn things off the road.

[Bombero1956]

62. repetition?

baseball.....hit ball with stick run around bases... repeat

basketball.....bounce ball and toss into cloth net....repeat

hockey...slide hard rubber puck on ice with wooden stick, put into net....repeat


football...run, throw ball to far end of field....repeat

[porphyrian]

32. Its only redeeming value is in its shine-running roots, if that's a redeeming value. - n/t

[Blue_Tires]

35. i'd rather watch F1

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. I'd rather watch paint dry.

:hi:

[The Vinyl Ripper]

40. As far as technology goes..

The cars are uninteresting, although they are tres' sophisticated.

Turning left all the time bores me.

The most interesting motorsport to me is motorcycle road racing, these guys take some incredible risks, sliding their knees on the pavement at near 200 mph..

Plus they turn left *and* right..

[A HERETIC I AM]

41. A 4-Barrel carbureted, pushrod engine is sophisticated?

4-speed manual transmissions? Rear ends that are basically the same design as a 1940's vintage Ford pickup rear end?

I agree with you 100% on motorcycle racing though. But there is more advanced technology in the first two rows of a Grand Prix cycle race than there is in the entire starting field of a NEXTEL Cup race.

Now THIS is a sophisticated race car:

And even that one, which is a year old is less sophisticated than current technology would allow. Back in the 90's when they were running active suspension, Formula One was unbelievable. There is still more cutting edge tech in that car than there is in an entire decades worth of NASCAR.

[The Vinyl Ripper]

42. The application of the low tech stuff on the NASAR is very sophisticated.

It's low tech stuff but it's developed to the n'th degree.

[MindPilot]

51. And to call it a waste of fuel is not accurate.

The racing teams have a fixed amount of fuel for the race--IIRC it's 40 gallons--so they have to develop fuel-management techniques to get through the race. The technology that grows from that finds its way to your car.

There is probably more fuel used in the Iraq war in an hour than the entire season of all motorsports.

[KiraBS]

52. Now your talking.. love Formula One

and Rally Racing.. I have a huge crush of the late Aryton Senna and I liked Mika Hakkinen too. Environmentally bad but I love cars.

[BlackVelvet04]

43. Nothing one sided about this poll.

If you don't like NASCAR, don't watch it.

And you don't think football games, baseball games, etc. are environmentally unfriendly?

What about all the gas used to drive to those stadiums? What about all the trash produced from a single game? Or the fuel for the teams to travel?

You know what. Who needs this shit from "friends"?

Let me repeat....IF YOU DON'T FUCKING LIKE NASCAR DON'T WATCH IT.

I love how liberals are so tolerant and inclusive.

[CRF450]

46. From my observation its one of the many reasons why most people into motorsports are republicans

Because it seem as though many here look down on it as dangerous and environmentally unfriendly.

I'd love for us to switch to clean alternative sources of energy just like you all here but I'm not giving up dirtbiking just because it uses some fuel. Right now, their are no alternatives in it.

[frylock]

47. 99.99% of people who complain about the environmental impact of motorsport wouldn't have a prob..

jumping on a jet plane and flying to Europe.

[MindPilot]

48. Moreover, it seems like motorsports per se is not their problem

The elitists who like to denigrate NASCAR don't hate NASCAR so much as they hate the fans whom they paint with the "ignorant redneck" broadbrush. They never seem to worry much about NHRA, and even less about CART or F1.

NASCAR is simply their whipping boy, and slamming the fans gives them a little feeling of superiority.

[BlackVelvet04]

58. Yeah....

football fans painted blue with huge beer bellies hanging out are so much more superior.

[Kelly Rupert]

49. Why isn't there an "I enjoy NASCAR" option?

I think it's boring as hell, but it's kind of a one-sided poll.

[MindPilot]

50. Didn't you know? NASCAR is enjoyed only by beer-swilling

intellectually challenged white men too stupid to understand football.

[BlackVelvet04]

57. And football and baseball fans don't

swill beer at the games.

[BlackVelvet04]

59. Liberals aren't supposed to enjoy

NASCAR....only the much more intelligent game of football is allowed.

[pscot]

63. you know i did put one in

but then I lost it in the back and forth between preview and edit.

[JuniperLea]

56. When I was a kid, we had a drag strip on Terminal Island

Long Beach, CA. My dad would pile all us kids into his '57 Chevy, and we'd have a blast. Then there was the figure eight at JC Agajanians in Carson, "Where the 91 and 110 freeways COLLIDE!!!" Loved it! Demolition derby, with our without a buddy chained to you, school bus figure eight, holy mother of GOD! It was great! Loved going home and washing my face with a white washcloth to see just how much dirt, oil and rubber one face could collect. Loved stock car too.

Now... eh... guess I got it all out of my system. I don't get the same thrill out of crashes as I did back then. Same thing happened with The Three Stooges, and other, messy, slap-stick comedy. I think it all changed when I became a mom... and anyone who got hurt was another mother's child... and any mess that was made needed someone to clean it up, probably a mother...

[WildEyedLiberal]

66. Not getting it and calling people who enjoy it stupid are two different things

At least three of your poll options call NASCAR fans stupid, and then liberals wonder why lots of people won't vote for them. No one likes to be condescended to - not even "ignorant hick" NASCAR fans. :eyes:

[Initech]

67. To quote the great Lewis Black:

"You sit in traffic for four hours to go to a place to watch cars drive fast. Ah now I fucking get it! See that's what a car's SUPPOSED to do!"