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LOL! Touche'
But they don't finish where they start.
very true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cry_havoc
I didnt talk down to anyone...
I just said i didnt understand the appeal since i dont understand it. Im a good driver so could i drive nascar? Surely there is more to it than knowing how yo drive at high speeds, making left turns, and being patient. That is why i asked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cry_havoc
Is there a strategy, other than knowing when to make a pit stop?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cry_havoc
Do you modify your own car? Can you put anything you want in it, or is it regulated? Also wouldnt you prefer if NASCAR had more twist and windy roads in it?
cry_havoc, please dont think i am talking down to you, but i will try to make this as simple as possible to hopefully make it fairly easy to understand.
first you say you are a good driver, but what standard are you using to make that claim? do you fully understand vehicle dynamics? do you know how to get the most out of your car in ALL conditions? do you understand how to drive your car at 9.5/10 for 480 miles, and then go to 10/10 for the last 20 miles? chances are you dont. you might have a good driving record as street driver, but motorsports driving is far more than being able to avoid accidents.
so lets talk strategy then. in any form of motorsports, except drag racing where you either go all out heads up racing, or you try to run on an index(super gas for instance has a set 9.90 second index where you try to beat the other driver to the finish line, and avoid going quicker that 9.90 seconds in the 1/4 mile, for instance), has a number of strategies the teams try to follow for an entire race. lets take the restrictor plate races at daytona and talladega for instance. one strategy is to try to run up front all race long, to avoid getting into the invariable wrecks in the race due to the racers being bunched up. other drivers will run fast enough to stay on the lead lap but tend to run in the back of the large packs to hopefully avoid teh big wrecks that happen.
the teams also try to balance the power output of the engines, and the fuel economy the cars get to maximize their time on the track. they also try to balance suspension and aero settings, tire pressures, etc. for best handling and tire wear. you also need to balance the history of how many caution flags each race has, and when they historically fall, with your pit strategy, to minimize the number of pit stops you have to make during the race.
as to the cars. at the upper levels of nascar, and other sanctioning bodies, you dont modify street cars to race, you actually build the race car from the ground up according to the rules for the class of racing you intend to compete in. for instance the nationwide series has different rules than the sprint cup series. get a hold of a rule book and read up as there are many rules covering just about everything in regards to the car.
as to whether i would prefer more road style courses, like infineon and watkins glenn, yes i would prefer a few more such courses, as i tend to prefer road racing to circle track, even though i cut my teeth in drag racing.
as to how to get started, there are many ways to get into the sport. start by going out to your local track and check out the racing there. the best investment is to get a pit pass that allows you to wander the pits so you can see the teams in action behind the scene and get a real feel for racing, as opposed to just sitting in the stands and watching the action. if the crews are not too busy you can ask them questions directly, most of them are always willing to help peak a new persons interest in the sport.
if you feel this is something you might want to actually get into, then see about getting one of the teams to let you help out either at the track or back at the shop, or both. be ready to start at the bottom though doing things like cleaning wheels after a race, running for parts, lunch, and being the gofer guy. as you gain experience, and if you prove to be valuable to the team, and are willing to stick with the effort, the team will start giving you more responsibility. understand one thing however, at the local or regional level, chances are you will NOT get paid. these guys are operating on a very limited budget, so most of not all the team members are volunteers.
if you feel this is something you really want to do, then you can look for teams at the next level who might hire you and actually pay you a small amount, but again you will likely start at the bottom and be the gofer guy again.
if you get to the point where you decide you want to drive, then attend one of the many driving schools that are operating these days, nascar has a few, scca has several, and then there are schools like the bondurant school of driving. you want to attend the race school portion.
then go get yourself a car, get a rule book for one of the lower classes and build the car to fit the rule book, and get out on the track and get your competition license.
granted this is a fairly drawn out process, but understand that most of the guys in the top classes have been racing, usually go carts, since they were 3-4 years of age, and they ALL worked their way to where they are.
cry_havoc, please dont think i am talking down to you, but i will try to make this as simple as possible to hopefully make it fairly easy to understand.
first you say you are a good driver, but what standard are you using to make that claim? do you fully understand vehicle dynamics? do you know how to get the most out of your car in ALL conditions? do you understand how to drive your car at 9.5/10 for 480 miles, and then go to 10/10 for the last 20 miles? chances are you dont. you might have a good driving record as street driver, but motorsports driving is far more than being able to avoid accidents.
so lets talk strategy then. in any form of motorsports, except drag racing where you either go all out heads up racing, or you try to run on an index(super gas for instance has a set 9.90 second index where you try to beat the other driver to the finish line, and avoid going quicker that 9.90 seconds in the 1/4 mile, for instance), has a number of strategies the teams try to follow for an entire race. lets take the restrictor plate races at daytona and talladega for instance. one strategy is to try to run up front all race long, to avoid getting into the invariable wrecks in the race due to the racers being bunched up. other drivers will run fast enough to stay on the lead lap but tend to run in the back of the large packs to hopefully avoid teh big wrecks that happen.
the teams also try to balance the power output of the engines, and the fuel economy the cars get to maximize their time on the track. they also try to balance suspension and aero settings, tire pressures, etc. for best handling and tire wear. you also need to balance the history of how many caution flags each race has, and when they historically fall, with your pit strategy, to minimize the number of pit stops you have to make during the race.
as to the cars. at the upper levels of nascar, and other sanctioning bodies, you dont modify street cars to race, you actually build the race car from the ground up according to the rules for the class of racing you intend to compete in. for instance the nationwide series has different rules than the sprint cup series. get a hold of a rule book and read up as there are many rules covering just about everything in regards to the car.
as to whether i would prefer more road style courses, like infineon and watkins glenn, yes i would prefer a few more such courses, as i tend to prefer road racing to circle track, even though i cut my teeth in drag racing.
as to how to get started, there are many ways to get into the sport. start by going out to your local track and check out the racing there. the best investment is to get a pit pass that allows you to wander the pits so you can see the teams in action behind the scene and get a real feel for racing, as opposed to just sitting in the stands and watching the action. if the crews are not too busy you can ask them questions directly, most of them are always willing to help peak a new persons interest in the sport.
if you feel this is something you might want to actually get into, then see about getting one of the teams to let you help out either at the track or back at the shop, or both. be ready to start at the bottom though doing things like cleaning wheels after a race, running for parts, lunch, and being the gofer guy. as you gain experience, and if you prove to be valuable to the team, and are willing to stick with the effort, the team will start giving you more responsibility. understand one thing however, at the local or regional level, chances are you will NOT get paid. these guys are operating on a very limited budget, so most of not all the team members are volunteers.
if you feel this is something you really want to do, then you can look for teams at the next level who might hire you and actually pay you a small amount, but again you will likely start at the bottom and be the gofer guy again.
if you get to the point where you decide you want to drive, then attend one of the many driving schools that are operating these days, nascar has a few, scca has several, and then there are schools like the bondurant school of driving. you want to attend the race school portion.
then go get yourself a car, get a rule book for one of the lower classes and build the car to fit the rule book, and get out on the track and get your competition license.
granted this is a fairly drawn out process, but understand that most of the guys in the top classes have been racing, usually go carts, since they were 3-4 years of age, and they ALL worked their way to where they are.
I can understand gearheads loving Nascar if each car was customized to be different. I also think more turns, sharper turns, right turns, windy roads, etc, would make it more exciting. Is every NASCAR race a circle, or do they have different tracks?
Hold on a minute, more turns, sharper turns, right turns, windy roads. Your talking F1 and we all know how exciting the racing is in F1.
cry_havoc, please dont think i am talking down to you, but i will try to make this as simple as possible to hopefully make it fairly easy to understand...
...granted this is a fairly drawn out process, but understand that most of the guys in the top classes have been racing, usually go carts, since they were 3-4 years of age, and they ALL worked their way to where they are.
Hold on a minute, more turns, sharper turns, right turns, windy roads. Your talking F1 and we all know how exciting the racing is in F1.
you know the difference between formula one road racing and nascar road racing right? if you tell an F1 driver that a particular corner is single file only, they will driver though the corner in single file. if you tell a nascar driver that corner is single file only, they will wreck their race cars trying to prove you wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gimme3steps
Great job. Thanks for taking the time.
thanks. i am always willing to get people interested in racing, if for nothing else but to get them to understand how racing improves the cars we drive on the streets.
anyway i have the skill for nascar but not the patience to drive the same route over and over while still maintining focus.
A paycheck of over 10 million a year can instill a lot of patients and focus!
Just a side note, if you are of driving age and don't have any on track experience yet, I'd say you might want to start out at NASCAR speed park. Probably make manager in 10 or so years. That will be your best bet with Nascar
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