NASCAR at Watkins Glen

syam · 15 August 2007

hey all.

i was up a few nights ago watching highlights from the NASCAR roadcorse event at Watkins Glen...

besides the fact i never knew NASCAR held such roadcourse events, what do you think about the outcome?

tony stewert and jeff gordan both spun out in a tight corner (causing gordan to lose the race), completely by their own fault, or the fault of their cars. now since these two are considered at the top of their field, what does that really say about NASCAR?

now this begs the question whether the cars are even developed to take aggressive corners, or set up for tight cornering at all. ( i for one do not know anything about NASCAR regulations regarding their construction, or design), but i would imagine, with the amount of money that goes into these cars, and the high publicity that these drivers get, that they wouldn't be making mistakes like spinning out in a low speed corner after a high speed straight.

anyone know more about this? i am curious.

PhiAlpha44 · 15 August 2007

stop $hitting on NASCAR. Tony Stewart is my boy! :wink:
Seriously though. NASCAR on a road course has it's place and it has an audience. Personally I like watching these guys "wrestle" a car around a track that really isn't that graceful and really isn't set up for that kind of track. I'll just go ahead and put on my flame suit now, but I don't like all the technology of formula 1. I don't like all the traction control and stability control.... I like watching a guy control the traction out of a turn with his right foot. And that's what these guys are doing. If the cars had computers controlling everything you wouldn't see these spin outs. I just like knowing that whatever happens in that car, it was driver controlled.

syam · 15 August 2007

that's kinda what i was addressing.

i was wondering what these cars were primarily made to do...what i guess is that everything is set up for high speed stability and high speed cornering. the suspension setups, along with all the suspension components need to be changed quite a bit in order to accommodate transitions from high speed ovals to tight turned road courses.

and this, i guess would explain why on a hard braking zone and a tight turn, just a spec too much throttle would send cars spinning. i really wonder what the camber curves and motion ratios look like for these cars,along with static camber, caster/kingpin, scrub radius, cg, etc (i remember they all had to be built to a regulation or something...but each will probably differ in their own way)...and see how these cars would react under heavy loaded corners. my guess is the geometry wouldn't be very fitting for the application.

myopicpaideia · 16 August 2007

In F1's defense, they ARE getting rid of traction control for next season, which should make things MUCH more interesting...

I actually like watching the NASCAR road course weekends, it is great to see these drivers have to do something other than turn left and mash the throttle.

TyraNSX · 16 August 2007

PhiAlpha44 said:
stop $hitting on NASCAR. Tony Stewart is my boy! :wink:

That's only because your car is orange too!! :biggrin:

KooLaid · 18 August 2007

myopicpaideia said:
In F1's defense, they ARE getting rid of traction control for next season, which should make things MUCH more interesting...

I actually like watching the NASCAR road course weekends, it is great to see these drivers have to do something other than turn left and mash the throttle.

+1

It's the ONLY interesting Nascar to me. Montreal, Mexico City, Sears Point, Watkins Glen. That oval stuff bugs me. I can only watch the first few laps and the last 30 laps of an oval.

Montoya is my boy though. I've been following him since 1996. But so is Robby Gordon, who took my HS physics class around Laguna Seca in a 15 passenger van, and down the cork screw (which is one crazy feeling in a tipsy clumsy van) pissing off all the track crew (cleaning). Robby is a true fan's man, very much into showmanship to please his followers.

docjohn · 18 August 2007

nascar "stock" cars are pretty heavy for tube frame racecars,have smallish brakes for thier size,but have lots of hp and tons of mechanical grip due to the big slicks.Put that combo on a road course and you get what you get,sliding ,slipping- bumping fun.

Peter Mills · 21 August 2007

PhiAlpha44 said:
stop $hitting on NASCAR. Tony Stewart is my boy! :wink:
Seriously though. NASCAR on a road course has it's place and it has an audience. Personally I like watching these guys "wrestle" a car around a track that really isn't that graceful and really isn't set up for that kind of track. I'll just go ahead and put on my flame suit now, but I don't like all the technology of formula 1. I don't like all the traction control and stability control.... I like watching a guy control the traction out of a turn with his right foot. And that's what these guys are doing. If the cars had computers controlling everything you wouldn't see these spin outs. I just like knowing that whatever happens in that car, it was driver controlled.

PhiAlpha44:
Have you ever wondered why NASCAR is the only race organization that doesn't race in the rain. Maybe they rely too much on the car's mechanical grip and not enough on the driver's skill. Just a thought.

PhiAlpha44 · 31 August 2007

Probably because nobody wants to sit in the rain to watch a race... and Nascar is pretty fan friendly. I don't know. i think it would be fun to watch. They'd have to install wipers on all the cars.

myopicpaideia · 31 August 2007

PhiAlpha44 said:
Probably because nobody wants to sit in the rain to watch a race... and Nascar is pretty fan friendly. I don't know. i think it would be fun to watch. They'd have to install wipers on all the cars.

Hey just wanted to let you know my track car blew up and I won't be racing this weekend after all so am off to California Speedway this weekend. Will they refund tickets if there is (God Forbid) a rain out? That would be fan friendly (Rememeber the tickets were refunded for the USGP, even though the event officially took place) Just starting another friendly war, alpha

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

comtec · 31 August 2007

myopicpaideia said:
Hey just wanted to let you know my track car blew up and I won't be racing this weekend after all so am off to California Speedway this weekend. Will they refund tickets if there is (God Forbid) a rain out? That would be fan friendly (Rememeber the tickets were refunded for the USGP, even though the event officially took place) Just starting another friendly war, alpha

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Sorry about your car but have a nice time at the track. As far as i know if there is a "rain out " the race will be run the following day. But if it's just a little rain the race will just be delayed.

Have Fun :smile:

PhiAlpha44 · 1 September 2007

myopicpaideia said:
Hey just wanted to let you know my track car blew up and I won't be racing this weekend after all so am off to California Speedway this weekend. Will they refund tickets if there is (God Forbid) a rain out? That would be fan friendly (Rememeber the tickets were refunded for the USGP, even though the event officially took place) Just starting another friendly war, alpha

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Bastard. :wink: Have fun at the race. Don't think they refund tickets, they just keep pushing the race back a day and the tickets are still good. Like at Michigan a few weeks back.

myopicpaideia · 4 September 2007

PhiAlpha44 said:
Bastard. :wink: Have fun at the race. Don't think they refund tickets, they just keep pushing the race back a day and the tickets are still good. Like at Michigan a few weeks back.

Update - Great race, my local boy Jimmy Johnson got the win, all he had to do was start to be a lock for The Chase, but winning it means that he is in top spot for the start of it as of now...two more good races and I'll be backing San Diego to take home the Cup for the second time running.

Anyway, it is true that NASCAR is a much more exciting spectacle live. TV really doesn't gather the essence. I was reminded of this on Sunday. I was also reminded of how different NASCAR is today than 20 years ago when I was 7 years old watching it. Corporate sponsors everywhere, you can't turn your head without seeing 50 different logos displayed out vying for your attention. We listened to the pre-race build up on Sirius satellite radio, and I couldn't believe that most of the talk was about sponsorship, and why was motorola allowed to be a sponsor, but not AT&T, etc...very wierd.

We got in free because there were a couple of women leaving before the start due to the heat. They licked their hand stamps, pressed them against our hands, and gave us their ticket stubs, winked, pulled up their tops and flashed us, and went off laughing. We couldn't believe our luck. We'd just saved $200.00!!!!

All in all a great time, it was really good to get back to a live race again as a spectator, whatever series it was...

PhiAlpha44 · 7 September 2007

myopicpaideia said:
Update - Great race, my local boy Jimmy Johnson got the win, all he had to do was start to be a lock for The Chase, but winning it means that he is in top spot for the start of it as of now...two more good races and I'll be backing San Diego to take home the Cup for the second time running.

Anyway, it is true that NASCAR is a much more exciting spectacle live. TV really doesn't gather the essence. I was reminded of this on Sunday. I was also reminded of how different NASCAR is today than 20 years ago when I was 7 years old watching it. Corporate sponsors everywhere, you can't turn your head without seeing 50 different logos displayed out vying for your attention. We listened to the pre-race build up on Sirius satellite radio, and I couldn't believe that most of the talk was about sponsorship, and why was motorola allowed to be a sponsor, but not AT&T, etc...very wierd.

We got in free because there were a couple of women leaving before the start due to the heat. They licked their hand stamps, pressed them against our hands, and gave us their ticket stubs, winked, pulled up their tops and flashed us, and went off laughing. We couldn't believe our luck. We'd just saved $200.00!!!!

All in all a great time, it was really good to get back to a live race again as a spectator, whatever series it was...

Wow, sounds like a good time.

comtec · 7 September 2007

myopicpaideia said:
They licked their hand stamps, pressed them against our hands, and gave us their ticket stubs, winked, pulled up their tops and flashed us, and went off laughing. We couldn't believe our luck. We'd just saved $200.00!!!!

Dude, you need to get your priorities straight.

They pulled up their tops but you seem more excited to save $200

:wink: .

myopicpaideia · 12 September 2007

comtec said:
Dude, you need to get your priorities straight.

They pulled up their tops but you seem more excited to save $200 :wink: .

Heh heh, well $200 can buy you a lot of toplessness, and more, across the border, 20 minutes from my house

syam · 6 August 2008

bringing back an old thread from the dead.

the NASCAR sprint car cup is once again at Watkin's Glen. Coverage will be on ESPN on Sunday. Should be a good race to watch.

the Rolex Sports Car Cup series will also be at the Glen, covered by SPEED on august 8th.

NASCAR at Watkins Glen

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