NASCAR Road Racing

[Johnny]

Sorry if i'm being off-topic, but for me the biggest "problem" with Nascar cars racing in road courses are the suspension, Weight, and the lack of downforce.

Don't know if it's true but i heard that the chassis used on the 2 road courses is very different from the one used on the ovals. is that true?

Anyway, my team boss like to say: "Nascar is an amazing championship... on Ovals".

 

[Johnny]

How could there possibly be fewer crashes on a non-oval? There are more opportunities for miss-direction.

I could see how it would spread them out more along the way, thus lowering the chances for a run-in. But you also get more lap traffic toward the end of the race.

What I would find more interesting than any of that would be for them to run multiple shorter races in a day and figure a way of running a point system. That way you don't end up with cars being minutes behind the leader. This could be done in any race car league. Instead of one race of 60+ laps, make it three races of 20 laps.

Brazilian V8 Stock Cars race on road courses only (used to race on Rio oval, but not anymore), and the normal number of cars out of the race is 8, 9 per race. (i'm counting accidents and mechanic problems as well). Be aware that the grid is full with 32 cars. So at least 23 finish. Plus the races have about 1 hour lenght (the max this year was 1 hour and 20min) , making the race more exciting.

 

[B.I.R.M._USA]

Sorry if i'm being off-topic, but for me the biggest "problem" with Nascar cars racing in road courses are the suspension, Weight, and the lack of downforce.

Don't know if it's true but i heard that the chassis used on the 2 road courses is very different from the one used on the ovals. is that true?

Anyway, my team boss like to say: "Nascar is an amazing championship... on Ovals".

The chassis is different by the way the weight bias is done. Its more central than the normal oval chassis along with more brake cooling ducts and some other differences. Even from oval to oval there are chassis differences. For instance, on the short oval of Bristol, the car is built to be a little more free, the bumpers are much stronger, and the body is a little more rigid around the wheels, but not too much. Even at Martinsville, a Bristol car can't be used because it's just so different. Yeah, they are both .5 mile ovals, but the tracks are way different. The banking at Bristol is steep at 36 degrees where as Martinsville is flat at 12 degrees. And the drivers can feel the difference in the builds, a guy can make the car 4 times and each car will feel different. Some say it has to do with the differences in the welds, even minute ones.

 

[Johnny]

The chassis is different by the way the weight bias is done. Its more central than the normal oval chassis along with more brake cooling ducts and some other differences. Even from oval to oval there are chassis differences. For instance, on the short oval of Bristol, the car is built to be a little more free, the bumpers are much stronger, and the body is a little more rigid around the wheels, but not too much. Even at Martinsville, a Bristol car can't be used because it's just so different. Yeah, they are both .5 mile ovals, but the tracks are way different. The banking at Bristol is steep at 36 degrees where as Martinsville is flat at 12 degrees. And the drivers can feel the difference in the builds, a guy can make the car 4 times and each car will feel different. Some say it has to do with the differences in the welds, even minute ones.

I imagined that too. Specially with oval differences. Talladega against Martinsville for instance. There's no way the same car can be used on both. Specially if you want to be in the front of the pack.

 

[JohnBM01]

Travesty or disgrace? he NASCAR Busch folks raced around Autodromo de Hermanos Rodriguez in the biggest-size city in the world- Mexico City, Mexico. Or for you Latin folk, Ciudad de Mexico. It was sad to see Adrian Fernandez spin out during his qualifying lap. He looked like he was going to make Mexico City explode with a great ovation. I think he's probably the biggest star racing down in Mexico City. But whereas one Mexican local didn't make pole, one did. Jorge G. (forget his last name) smoked the others. Those others? How about Ron Fellows, Boris Said, Robby Gordon, and might I add, Adrian Fernandez. No matter what you think of NASCAR, I think you should check out this race in Mexico City coming up.

 

[Blackbird.]

It's tomorrow correct?

 

[JohnBM01]

Well, my congratulations to Martin Truex Jr. for winning the race, but I really wanted Adrian Fernandez to win at home. But like many things in racing, it wasn't meant to be. It was a great turn out in Mexico, of course, I've seen only the second half of the race.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, if you really want to see stock cars on road courses, there's always the HSCRS (Historic Stock Car Racing Series) which tours with a GTP revival group and a few other Historic racing groups.

www.hscrs.com

Good 2005 schedule, too. Great selection of courses to give you a great view of these 3400lb behemoths sliding and bellowing around America's road courses.

Feb 18-20
Phoenix Int’l. Raceway

Mar. 12-13
Willow Springs

April 30 May 1
Thunderhill

June 24-26
California Speedway

July 8-10
Portland Historic

July 19-20
Laguna Seca

Sept. 10-11
Reno-Fernley

Oct 15-16
Infineon Raceway

Nov. 12-13
Willow Springs

 

[millencolin]

I think he's probably the biggest star racing down in Mexico City. Adrian Fernandez.

as of late, adrian's star had faded due to his defection from champcar to IRL, as mexico is a mad champcar nation. as for stockcars racing on road courses, ive watched a few now, and they dont look suited to it, they look to big. the race at autodromo wasnt very entertaining. i say leave the roads to v8supercars

sorry for the late reply, been away for a while

 

[JohnBM01]

And I may be away for a while with my faulty computer.

I don't think I've seen much action from Mexico City. For one thing, I wanted to see what it would be like for a Mexican driver to win in Mexico, beating the American racers. Want to see what kind of outburst or rampage would happen. So I guess the next road race isn't until a weekend or two after Le Mans, when Sears Point is the next stop.