Nascar....
 

I wonder if our bailout money will go to prop up Nascar, or if they Big 3 will be forced to pull out their sponsorship like honda did in F1.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ascarmeans.jpg


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ascarsucks.jpg

Who gives a fuck about NASCRAP? :idk:

werd

Not
All
Southerners
Care
About
Racing

Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left! Go Fast! Turn Left!


Go Fast! oh fuck! We're at Watkins Glen! *Smash*

Hmm. I should have guessed this would turn into "nascar sucks" (which I do agree - its a pretty redneck sport but it draws a hell of alot more fans than AMA/motoGP here in teh states.)

I guess that wasnt the point of the original post.

:lol: Now that's funny !!

I live right in the middle of NASCAR country :idk: with a big track and several race shops nearby and know quite a few people in the business so it's hard for me not to somewhat keep up with it but I'm not a big fan and it's definitely not my favorite type of racing but I so usually keep up with the results.

Stock car racing is cool! NASCAR SUX! The whole organization is a whore for coporate sponsorship, media outlets, ect. It is so commercialised the competition has suffered for decades!

Won't matter much what happens to the big 3 though, independent teams are supported by commercial sponsorships and NASCAR is supported by the teams and a huge share of the merchandising and media. It will continue on in its bastardized, semi aborted form.:panic:

does the 25-30M a year the big three spend not count as commercial sponsorship? Not to mention all the parts/tech/etc they contribute.

I have to admit, I have been to a race. BORING.

I can see why NASCAR has a bigger following. Everyone drives a car so people can relate. Not everyone rides a bike. I bet if you compared the percentage of the people who drive that are NASCAR fans and the percentage of people who ride sport bikes that are AMA/WSK/MotoGP fans, I bet the numbers would be similar or slightly is favor of the riders.

Was mainly talking in the US - as MotoGP is pretty huge and draws crowds similar to nascar throughout the world. Wish AMA would do that here in the states.


I agree completely with Nascar being boring - which is why everyone sits in the stands and gets plowed. Once youve felt the rumble for the 10th lap - the remaining 490 lose their luster.


Im curious if nascar migrates into having more toyota/non-big 3 when there is pressure and oversight from the federal government on their spending. Given they made them sell their planes as they had their hand out - I wonder how many other "toys" of the biz they will have to get rid of.

Really it is a drop in the bucket...That 30 large is spread out among that manufacturers teams, so to each team it is a matter of contingency or picking up an add'l sponsor. You would be suprised how little the manufacturers contribute financially. Technically they contribute alot of engineering, wind tunnel time, ect, but Teams run on sponsorships primarily.

Without the technical contributions and attributes (which NASCAR has tried hard to limit or at least make equitable among manu's) the teams will just get on with R&D in house making them tighten their own budgets, seek more sponsor capitol, perhaps down size teams, which we re seeing already. But that is more of an economic threat caused by sponsors tightening up rather than just manufacturers.

Besides their teams employ hundreds and it is a business, so they are going to race something! Even if it is last years tech.

I don't watch the races either. HOWEVER, my husband works in the business. He was laid off several months ago.

So whatever your fucking opinion is of it - people are losing jobs there just like everywhere else.

Oh lookie what a cool smiley! :db:

Sad times we live in.

No shit...and no end in sight.

Definitely. I've been on standby all week with corporate security due to several executives being let go...just in case anyone freaks or has a medical emergency. It's really tough especially when you know the individual and they just had a major life changing experience placed in front of them. I don't mean the ones with a golden parachute either.

We were approched by a start up NASCAR team for a sponsorship a while back and it was $17 million for the first year. The boss declined. We did get involved with NASCAR but not by sponsoring a car or driver.

Well, Japanese auto makers aren't doing that great either, and Japan as a country is worse off than we are here. So I'm assuming by this logic that Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki should all drop their funding for all forms of motorcycle roadracing, dirt, drag, etc etc.

That would be the end of them

Honda did pull out of Formula 1 for 2009 saying that the global economy was making it difficult for them to apply the 100 M + into a racing budget. Of course this is a Honda factory team and not anything like a NASCAR team which isn't a true factory effort.

American Suzuki has put it's 2009 plans on hold citing economic problems and Honda and Kawasaki have failed to provide any details of how or when they will be involved. Although the economy is part of their logic, AMA Pro Roadracing being bought out and managed by the NASCAR affiliated Daytona Motorsports Group has some impact in their thinking.

MILK - so sorry to hear about your husband. I know alot of good people will suffer for the economy. That really isn't NASCARs fualt though...

I didn't say it was. They can't find a sponsor for next year. That is the reason. Although my husband's been out of work awhile, they just laid off the whole team for 3 weeks in a last ditch effort to find a sponsor before they shut their doors.

As I've said to my husband (not that he didn't already know), "Your career is someone else's hobby." That's the way it is with all sports, unfortunately. :idk:

Labonte ?

That really sux...sorry to hear

Bobby Hamilton Jr. Bobby actually paid for them to go to at least two of their last races. Around $120,000 a race I believe - I didn't ask though of course. My goodness don't we all wish we had that kind of cash laying around! He loved working there though and they treated their employees way better than a lot of other teams he's worked for. We are sad to see it end like this. :(

Being laid off when you work in racing is kind of normal. Teams change drivers, they bring their people... change crew chiefs, they bring their people..it goes on and on. Then of course sponsorship loss - that's a huge one.

He's been in racing 20 or so years and I am encouraging him to find a different career path. We shall see how that goes. He loves racing and it good at it and doesn't really want to change. With the economy like it is, he may not have a choice.

Still sorry to hear MILK.

Thanks. :) Heck it seems like half the people on this site have at least one spouse whose been laid off recently. It's scary.

I work in a small state chartered bank. Sometimes my job seems like it is hanging by a thread. FDIC predicts 200 bank failures next year. If I could only find a job surfing the net and throwing out sarcastic comments I would be all set!

VS has an opening for a forum mod. You should apply. :dthumb:

Do they have Dental?

Just remember, I will harass you all day if you go work for them. :lol:

I hadn't even heard about that one. It's tough to change career paths after 20 or so years especially when you love what you're doing. Good luck to the both of you. The company I work for is laying off left and right and I've been here over 20 years as well and would hate to have to pound the pavement looking for a job anytime but especially these days.

Thanks for sharing and I hope he finds something. :dthumb:

Because it's the one sport where you can drink your ass off, be drunk as hell, and not really miss anything...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

**guzzle** Look, they're going in a circle...

See?

you left out sister kissing during crash clean ups :D

Japanese mfgs. use racing as R&D to constantly improve their sport and MX bikes. When is the last time you saw NASCAR technology "advancements" show up in their production cars?

The old "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage no longer holds much water, esp. since NASCAR cars bear such little resemblance to production cars these days.

cuz its the car of TOMORROW! its too advanced for us, we wont get it until just before skynet goes online

frankly, nascar to me, is a worthless sport. very little, if ANY of the tech used in that form of racing ever makes it to a production vehicle we the end consumers ever see, the go fast turn left and only left thing takes pretty much no real skill, just some brass balls. on a whole, its stupid and should go the way of the yugo.

or better yet, they should get the sponsors to invest in something other than merely 4 left turns, but rather repave the tracks and add a shit ton of right turns and hairpins to drift those bigblock V8 havin monsters around and actually showcase a little talent.

I'd love to see a racing series like nascar where they just toss unmodified fresh-off-the-line malibus, camry's, etc onto the racetrack and see how long they last pegged at the redline. ;)

Sounds like an idea for Top Gear to tackle!

They would fair better than you think drive train wise. To meet the warrantee requirements most proddy models come fairly de-tuned in order to make it to 100,000 miles plus trouble free. A new car has rev limiters and the same ignition/timing controls built in to its ECU to prevent it from running into the dangerous zone where it would suffer failure.

What would show up immediately is deficiency in the braking and handling departments. The brake fluid would boil and teh pads would over heat in a handful of full blast laps, and the suspension would over heat and lose damping properties fairly early on. And at a ridiculously slow lap pace.

OEM tires wouldn't make for much speed either although it would be fun watching drivers struggle to control sliding, bucking, under damped and poor handling cars without brakes!

there is such a thing as showroom stock racing its awesome probably my favorite kind of car racing....

http://www.grand-am.com/koni/

as much as im not a fan-its boring-i recognize the talent and skill involved, theres alot of shit you dont see or even know about unless you're a driver, or talk to one. picking lines, the draft, slingshotting, all the technical driving stuff is never discussed on tv.

To me it is like baseball. Boring to watch unless you have actually played the game and know what is going on in each players head as the game plays out. I never got to the big leagues but did drive dirt track cars for 5-6 years and I can see and understand a whole lot of what is happening that just isnt obvious to the regular spectator crowd.

I have also road raced motorcycles and much prefer the more complex challenges of road racing, but to say the circle track drivers aren't doing something complex and difficult just isn't fair, even if it is boring for the un-initiated to watch.

exactly-lately ive added nascar in addition to drag racing, on my defend list lol
drag racing is a harder sell sometimes, they just go straight, dont even turn left lol

I have an uncle in NHRA Div 5. He races dragsters that are a step below the Top Fuel class. I cannot believe all the work that goes into one pass. And the technology. And at those speeds it really is like a land locked missile launch. Driving skill, no, piloting skill and big balls. Yup after the initial effects of spectating the shock and awe wear off it is really boring. A great spectacle but not really satisfyiing unless your in the seat.

alcohol dragster im guessin? injected fuel or blown alcohol?

drag racing is honestly the only thing ill go watch on a regular basis-i understand more of the tech than the other sports. esp bike drags-love em

Blown alchie. It is really obscene. All in the name of consistency. Weather station for atmospheric changes, computer telemetry for anything traction or ECU control, engine/drivetrain related. Hour engine rebuilds, torque converter swaps, all for a moment of pure adrenaline. Then repacking chutes and doing it again? I thought roadracing a two stroke was complicated...

I agree with both of you 100 %.

It's definitely not my favorite type of racing but I do keep up with it somewhat since I live right in the middle of it and know several people in the business.

and its so fuckin worth it! i havent been insanely fast yet (speed cost money lol) but its a great feeling...10x better when the win light is on in your lane:dthumb:

I have tried it in street cars and had fun. Just not enough to make me wanna switch from roadracing.

My favorite part is after the last shift and your still door to door, pushing the accelerator with every muscle in your leg...Right then you would spend any amount of money for just a little more top end. Probably very addicting...

Most of my enjoyment comes from outbraking the car and getting sideways while trying to hit the return road though! Too much dirt track oval racing in my background:sorry:

ever run your bike?

Nope. All my race bikes have been middleweights and I didn't think they would thrill me in a straight line. I think I would do well though as my race starts usually net me a couple rows before turn one! Alot of guys just can't launch a bike for some reason and some of them seasoned racers??:idk: