Racing Needs to Change

"Milky" (jordanmielke) 12/22/2013 at 22:10 • Filed to: Nascar, DTM, SuperGT, Racing

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To be clear I'm not just talking about Nascar.

I think its fundamentally wrong that many car enthusiasts like myself couldn't care less about the majority of racing series. From follow-the-leader or as most people call it F1 (actually I guess I should say 'follow-Vettel') right down to the number of nation wide stock car series held throughout the world.

How the hell did we go from 'stock' car racing to this?

IMO we need to change all of it and get back to 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday' with real cars. Take a production car: strip, roll cage, suspension, wheels and tires. Thats it. It would give manufactures a reason to do something innovative again.

Personally I think if race cars actually resembled the cars you and I could go buy, I would be far more interested. Not to mention it would have to be cheaper, I don't know how it couldn't be. I personally hated how a few years ago Ford ran a Fusion and Chevy a Impala VS a Dodge Charger … Really? Like those are comparable.

This was a bit of a rant but here are some other cases that come to mind.

and because you put up with me have this sweet, sweet clip, filled with action.

…..

….. But then again Nascar is popular for some reason, so what do I know.

Manuél Ferrari > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:13

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Agree.

Car companies need to either use production cars in the racing series or turn the cars from NASCAR and DTM into street legal production cars :)

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:15

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Excuse me this is America. I think all the nascar drivers should drink bud light while racing, that'd spice it up

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:15

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We need a new Trans-Am series: Mustangs, Challengers, Camaros on small, tight American tracks. Throw in the Under 2.0L class with Fiestas, Sonics, and Darts and you have a proper racing series.

Milky > Manuél Ferrari 12/22/2013 at 22:20

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I would of never thought of that.

Krieger (@FSKrieger22) > Manuél Ferrari 12/22/2013 at 22:20

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That change of homoglation rules sounds fun (and really flammable).

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/22/2013 at 22:21

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The Continental Sports Car Challange. Pretty much is modern Trans-Am. It just doesn't have the exposer.

Manuél Ferrari > Krieger (@FSKrieger22) 12/22/2013 at 22:21

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Exactly :)

It's boring that Italian cars get to catch fire more than other cars.

Milky > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur 12/22/2013 at 22:23

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Ooooo good thought, that or

EDIT: was supposed to start @2:00, kinja hates me.

Manuél Ferrari > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:23

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I will trade my house for this car

48 Spoons > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:24

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Eh? There are a ton of racing series that use production "based" cars. WTCC, WRC, the GT classes of ALMS/USCC and WEC, Perrelli world challenge. I could keep going but I think that the majority of racing is actually like that, its just that the top tier series/most well known series tend to be something else. And personally I like having series with only purposed built race cars that aren't based on anything.

Also, if you want legit car you can buy with some suspension and tire mods, check out b-spec racing.

Milky > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/22/2013 at 22:28

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This 100% x 2 + 3

Aaron James > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:28

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That's lovely, everyone says that, but there is sports car racing here which is exactly what you and others say they want, but nobody goes, and nobody watches on TV. In fact the only way to keep Sports Car racing alive in America was for all sports car racing to merge into one series under NASCAR's Massive umbrella. You have had exactly what you're asking for for years, but nobody watches it. Why???? My frustration about it is not meant to be directed to you in particular, but lack of racing fans in general will Kill United SportsCar, then INDYCAR, and one day NASCAR for good, gone forever.

Milky > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 12/22/2013 at 22:30

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Exposer is key, who cares if no one sees it. I know SCCA has a lot of stuff like this, but I can't turn on the TV and watch it. I'm still a lazy american at heart.

Aaron James > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:31

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The main reason NASCARs look like they do is because of the Safety innovations implemented over the years to keep Drivers alive.

Milky > Manuél Ferrari 12/22/2013 at 22:34

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No doubt its a cool car

but I'd rather see a bunch of these swapping paint in a racing series.

Manuél Ferrari > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:36

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Me too. I'm just kidding anyways. The current DTM cars could never be street legal, especially at a price that was even close to attainable

feather-throttle-not-hair > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:37

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Personally I think it comes down to tires.

If tire compounds/widths were better regulated, we'd still have visible slip angles on Tarmac and race cars would look like they're going fast again on tv.

Milky > 48 Spoons 12/22/2013 at 22:41

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I was referring to the top tier stuff though. Yea there are some racing series like this, GT classes immediately come to mind. But none of them are that popular or easy to watch. Also IMO WRC hasn't qualified for like a decade or so.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 12/22/2013 at 22:43

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Love the Continental Sports Car Challenge, but the problem I find with it is that a lot of the road-going versions of the cars that race in the series are too expensive for the average fan to afford. IIRC, the last three or four winners have either driven M3's or 911's, and Aston Martins have raced in the series as well. The best part of the old Trans-Am Series was that all the cars featured were affordable for the majority of its fans, which made the racing more relevant to them.

Milky > Aaron James 12/22/2013 at 22:47

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I still love ALMS, so I guess I now love this united sportscar thing. But I'll speak for myself when I say I don't watch any racing because its hard as fuck to keep track of when its on and where!

Milky > Aaron James 12/22/2013 at 22:49

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Yea I know, but they did a shit job of it. Also didn't they do it to be cheap too? everybody uses the same design and all that.

Milky > Manuél Ferrari 12/22/2013 at 22:51

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Right, if were racing cars that costs a few hundred grand or more, give me some lambos or something cooler to look at!

Manuél Ferrari > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:53

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you made me think about the new lambo again. damn it.

must fight urge to sell kidney and/or rob a bank. having the new lambo in blue with straight pipes isn't that important. stop thinking about it

Aaron James > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:53

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Yeah, I'm sure that factored into it, common chassis and parts will lower the bill.

Milky > feather-throttle-not-hair 12/22/2013 at 22:53

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….. Prius tires on everything!!

But really I get what you're saying and that makes sense. When they look visibly on the edge its more entertaining, why I love rally so much.

Aaron James > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:56

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That is an issue, you'll only find SportsCars and even most INDYCAR races on the obscure NBCSports channel burried in the digital tiers of a high dollar cable subscription. I don't know if anything will get people back into watching auto racing in general. Which is sad, I love all forms of motorsport.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Milky 12/22/2013 at 22:59

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Yeah, I really think the average person has no idea that drivers are totally on the limit when they see them on tv. But nobody, layman or otherwise looks at a wrc car and thinks "that looks easy."

Milky > Manuél Ferrari 12/22/2013 at 23:04

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Let the urge take you over

Milky > Aaron James 12/22/2013 at 23:06

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True sad words sir.

Manuél Ferrari > Milky 12/22/2013 at 23:08

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flame shooting lambos are just sooo right

Dusty Ventures > Milky 12/22/2013 at 23:21

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Sadly true, though all WRC cars do start as road cars from the factory assembly line and maintain the stock chassis they don't much look like the original car once rally-prepped. At least the other rally series keep the cars recognizable.

Grindintosecond > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/22/2013 at 23:30

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I want to see either 2 liter n/a fwd compacts on big ovals without restrictions (a 200 mph focus) or city roadcourse fwd 2 liter boosted to high heaven econoboxes. Just horrible fwd smoke looking ffor exit grip. Yeah BTCC with big big boost and no tc. Excitement and honest real cars. That's production sell on monday stuff there.

Milky > Dusty Ventures 12/22/2013 at 23:42

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Now that is more like it. Is that the one that climbed some mountain in the rockies in record time?

Also because on topic.

Dusty Ventures > Milky 12/22/2013 at 23:52

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Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Makes Pike's Peak look like a cakewalk.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/23/2013 at 07:04

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May I remind you.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Milky 12/23/2013 at 07:19

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They used to air it on Speed.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 12/23/2013 at 08:12

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Crap, forgot about those... Keep in mind, though, according to HowStuffWorks , the top-spec 911 cost nearly $8700, which equates to about $52k in 2013 dollars, roughly 5/8ths the cost of a base 911 today. So it wasn't ludicrously expensive back then, at least adjusted for inflation, but your point is valid, considering the 1970 Boss 302 retailed for about half the contemporary 911. Still, though, it's a little strange to see $120k V8 Vantages racing alongside $40k Camaros.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Grindintosecond 12/23/2013 at 08:30

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I suggest Can-Am rules with the only stipulation being front-wheel-drive. Competitors would be losing arms left and right because of the torque-steer, Armco would need to be replaced after every race because of cars understeering into it, and tires would last 800 feet... it would be either the most hilarious or most tragic racing series ever.

willkinton247 > Milky 12/23/2013 at 09:02

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I actually agree here. I've often wondered if very basic homologation of engines and drivetrains could make the American car makers give us FR sedans. Dodge has the Charger, Chevy has the SS, Ford doesn't have one, but who knows?

Milky > willkinton247 12/23/2013 at 11:17

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Ford has the SHO, which has a traction advantage. But that would only help in every other kind of racing, except for a big ass circle.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Milky 12/23/2013 at 15:27

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"You wanna run that by me again, punk?" - Audi 5000 CS Turbo Quattro. Record setter on the talladega oval. AWD is an unfair advantage on the oval too you know.

Milky > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 12/23/2013 at 17:08

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Say whaaaat?! That obviously caught me completely off guard.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Milky 12/23/2013 at 17:16

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http://www.intendedacceleration.com/gallery.html

650hp on the stock block. Stock body and chassis save for some stabilizing aero. 206 mph average on the talladega oval - world record holder for AWD/4WD vehicles. That's right, an audi passenger sedan was technically the fastest thing that drove all 4 wheels on the talladega oval. And it was easily as fast as most of the other equipment on there too. Considering it weighed well over 3000 lbs and had very little in terms of aero development, not to mention a nearly stock ride height, I'd say they have AWD to thank for its stability.

TwoFortified > Milky 12/23/2013 at 19:18

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This x10000

Also

DAT

ARRRRRRRGH

THIRTY

TWO

Grindintosecond > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/24/2013 at 10:59

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Exactly. A pro at it would be challenged to get tire life, resist fatigue, and with all the power, a great speed on a straight. On an big daytona oval...why not a fwd...

dataPOG > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him 12/25/2013 at 11:21

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Wouldn't that be FVettel backwards?