Unpopular Motorsport Opinions

  • Thread starter Liquid
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and I have never ever seen any other professional driver go turn-1-take-out and put in zero effort having an actual race...
I've always suspected this was not a accident from Di Grassi:



Shout out to Jack Nicholls for getting the 'its happened immediately' reference to Murray Walker in there.
 
I don't understand the (current) appeal of NASCAR. Like I could see the appeal of it if it raced at more road courses and featured cars that were closer to stock, but I also feel like an unfortunately sizable amount of what I need to know about NASCAR can be summed up with the right-wing refrain "Let's go Brandon!" I'd honestly far sooner catch a glimpse at the Daytona 24h than the Daytona 500.
 
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I don't understand the (current) appeal of NASCAR. Like I could see the appeal of it if it raced at more road courses and featured cars that were closer to stock,
Whether or not NASCAR is actually appealing aside, it's a different discipline in it's own machinery, which notionally adds to it's appeal in my view. The USA sees GT4 racing already, TCR racing, the various production classes in SCCA (or whatever it is now), and there's also the Trans-Am series in the USA for stock cars on road circuits, and Stock Car Brasil too. As much as is viable we need to make sure that series get to keep some kind of USP to set them apart. Since DTM became just another GT3 series in a country that already had a GT3 series, viewership has tanked. TCR UK gets a fraction of the audience that BTCC does. Series' need to be their own thing, not the same thing.

Just my two cents.
 
As much as is viable we need to make sure that series get to keep some kind of USP to set them apart. Since DTM became just another GT3 series in a country that already had a GT3 series, viewership has tanked. TCR UK gets a fraction of the audience that BTCC does. Series' need to be their own thing, not the same thing.

Just my two cents.
I can agree with that. It's just not the same with DTM since they lost the ability to compete with the GT500 cars from Super GT. But I think that's exactly what we need - relatively exclusive regulations that somehow can be eligible for competition in other series. Imagine NASCAR being heavily changed to basically be an American version of DTM Class One/GT500-spec Super GT, complete with a return of Dodge.
 
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Imagine NASCAR being heavily changed to basically be an American version of DTM Class One/GT500-spec Super GT, complete with a return of Dodge.
A NASCAR sanctioned North American class one series was set to happen at one stage, which might have been interesting, but it shouldn't be a change of the existing Cup or lower series... it should be in addition to.
 
A NASCAR sanctioned North American class one series was set to happen at one stage, which might have been interesting, but it shouldn't be a change of the existing Cup or lower series... it should be in addition to.
That might be a safer bet, yeah - if only to test the waters.
 
Unfortunately, Roland Ratzenberger is one of them. Died at the same time Senna did, and yet only Senna is recognized more. I should know, because I'm Brazilian, and while I do loved learning about Senna and agree with him being an inspiration and one of the best drivers of all time, other drivers also deserve such recognition because of their courage of racing in these crazy death traps.
Disagree with some parts. Roland would be all but forgotten if Senna had not crashed the following day. He is much more remembered and celebrated as a down to Earth guy who died following a dream than pretty much every other backmarker F1 driver killed on track.

Also think the Senna deification a bit too much and exhaustive most of the time. He was a dude full of flaws, but people turned him as an absolute hero who couldn't do wrong.
 
Yeah everyone always says 'Senna is remembered but everyone forgets about Ratzenberger' and I disagree with that. I think his being part of the Imola '94 story means people remember it much more than they would if it had happened in isolation. People tell his story regularly and that's good because he deserves to be celebrated. He made it the hard way then never really got the chance to live out his dreams.
 
I don't understand the (current) appeal of NASCAR. Like I could see the appeal of it if it raced at more road courses and featured cars that were closer to stock, but I also feel like an unfortunately sizable amount of what I need to know about NASCAR can be summed up with the right-wing refrain "Let's go Brandon!" I'd honestly far sooner catch a glimpse at the Daytona 24h than the Daytona 500.

This isn't really an unpopular opinion. If anything it's a popular opinion for many
 
I just wish there was a road course-only NASCAR series that used the Garage 56 spec car, with the Ford and Toyota also adapted, and featuring the best professional drivers from North America.

There'd never be anyone willing to develop that, or an audience for it, but I'd love to see a full grid of those Garage 56 cars so bad.
 
I just wish there was a road course-only NASCAR series that used the Garage 56 spec car, with the Ford and Toyota also adapted, and featuring the best professional drivers from North America.

There'd never be anyone willing to develop that, or an audience for it, but I'd love to see a full grid of those Garage 56 cars so bad.
Sounds like you want a new IROC series, which I’m all for, as long as lime rock and Laguna Seca are on the calendar. It would be hard to get current drivers though. It would end up being retired guys like SRX ended up.
 
Sounds like you want a new IROC series, which I’m all for, as long as lime rock and Laguna Seca are on the calendar. It would be hard to get current drivers though. It would end up being retired guys like SRX ended up.
Or it sounds a lot like a IMSA GTO (80's-90's era) style series to me.
 
I know a lot of people love this track, but since I'm doing Super Formula here this week in iRacing, I need to bitch about it.

Sebring is a **** track, and needs to be completely repaved. The layout is good, but the novelty of the bumps has worn off. Maybe it was kind of cool back in the day, but it's almost 2025 ffs.
 
Great layout, but dang those bumps are getting too much, and the runoff at the final corner is deadly for such a fast exit.
 
Indycar can’t even race there because the bumps are larger than the ride height of the car. Meanwhile these cars can race around Toronto, it’s wild.
 

This video brings up the idea that NASCAR is rigged. (Not that I buy that because I don't.)

When Race Control or the Clerk of the Course can throw a full course caution, safety car, whatever you want to call it, and close down an entire racetrack, instead of controlling the situation very easily with a local yellow, that race and category is open to manipulation.

I used to be a Flag Marshall in full communication with Race Control either directly, or my relay.
As a result, I have been privy to essential Driver's Briefings, and compulsory Officials Briefings.
What was said at the meetings 30+ years ago, is very different to what I hear is said at those meetings these days.

Despite the advance of technology allowing the monitoring of a race to be better than ever, and better than our wildest dreams, the management of ANY situation requiring yellow flags has been dumbed down to one response fits all reaction.

Stalled car off the racing line? Safety Car
Car upside down in a sand trap? Safety Car

What could quite easily be managed with a local yellow, or even a full sector managed by double waved yellows, preceded by two yellow points, allowing the rest of the circuit to remain green AND racing unrestricted....
Nope. Safety Car. Full Course Yellow.

That may not help in NASCAR or other oval racing categories, but what fits there has been enforced on the rest of the world all in the name of safety.


WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!

I know everyone is entitled to their own views but this?

I would rather watch and listen to every race Murray called, before I could happily tolerate the current wanker. Croft over hypes beyong tolerance.
His call of the opening sequence of corners at COTA, was a new level.
I thought he'd popped an eyeball and was mid aneurysm!
 
When Race Control or the Clerk of the Course can throw a full course caution, safety car, whatever you want to call it, and close down an entire racetrack, instead of controlling the situation very easily with a local yellow, that race and category is open to manipulation.

I used to be a Flag Marshall in full communication with Race Control either directly, or my relay.
As a result, I have been privy to essential Driver's Briefings, and compulsory Officials Briefings.
What was said at the meetings 30+ years ago, is very different to what I hear is said at those meetings these days.

Despite the advance of technology allowing the monitoring of a race to be better than ever, and better than our wildest dreams, the management of ANY situation requiring yellow flags has been dumbed down to one response fits all reaction.

Stalled car off the racing line? Safety Car
Car upside down in a sand trap? Safety Car

What could quite easily be managed with a local yellow, or even a full sector managed by double waved yellows, preceded by two yellow points, allowing the rest of the circuit to remain green AND racing unrestricted....
Nope. Safety Car. Full Course Yellow.

That may not help in NASCAR or other oval racing categories, but what fits there has been enforced on the rest of the world all in the name of safety.


I would rather watch and listen to every race Murray called, before I could happily tolerate the current wanker. Croft over hypes beyong tolerance.
His call of the opening sequence of corners at COTA, was a new level.
I thought he'd popped an eyeball and was mid aneurysm!
I don't really follow NASCAR but I don't think it is rigged. I don't think any motorsport is rigged, certainly not intentionally, just look at Singapore 2008 and what that led to.

I grew up with Murray Walker's commentary and, though I accept he's not everyone's cup of tea, to see stuff like that written about him was borderline disrespectful in my eyes.
 
Wouldnt say rigged as in its fixed for someone to win but rigged as in fixed so anyone can win as long as you made it to the last few laps.

Before the Stages gimmick overcomplicated the scoring system. Debris Yellows were quite common often not even showing what caused the Debris Yellow. These Debris Yellows dropped down massively when Stages were introduced that did the job if buncing everyone together anyway.
 
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