Any NASCAR fans out there?!

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Any NASCAR fans out there?!

November 04, 2007, 12:26:42 PM

Finished working on the van for today (just polishing and little jobs ready to sell it to replace with another Cougar!). It's just gone 5pm here, pitch black already and cold, so I'm settling down for the evening to watch the NASCAR in a couple of hours. We get most races live over here, on a channel dedicated to American sports.
I've been a Rusty Wallace fan for years, of course had to find a replacement when he retired, so have been supporting Tony Stewart for a while now. Doesn't look like he will win the championship this year though, every race makes it look as though it will be Gordon or Johnson....
Don't think I can support Tony next year though,as he will be driving a Toyota..... something about that just doesn't sit well with me. With NASCAR's history, it seems fundamental to me that they drive American cars.
Any other fans out there got an opinion on this?
Niki

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #1 – November 04, 2007, 12:49:03 PM

Agreed, although I can't stand Tony Stewart (the Instigator). I'm a Die Hard Penske fan (my Uncle was VP of Communications for 30+ years), even though they switched to Toyota. They go where the money goes, anymore it's a business before a race team. Looking at the history of Nascar, racing on beaches with cars right off of American car lots, I think the general consensus, even with the drivers, is that it is an American series, therefore American cars should be used. At the same time, look at other sports these days. I think the Yankees are 50% Chinese...

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #2 – November 04, 2007, 01:04:38 PM

I'm somewhat of a fan of NASCAR too, but...I got to ask, (and not to criticize or cause drama) but what to you constitutes an "American" car?
Toyota Camry's are made IN the U.S., by U.S. employees.....
where's your Chevy, Dodge, or Ford truck made at?
I can promise you most are not made inside our borders..

Not many of "our" vehicles are made here these days, and I agree that the economy and a ton of other reasons are to blame.
Personally...if I was a marketing/manufacturing buttstuffyst at one of the (former) "big three"...I'd be looking at toyota and seeing how and why their being beaten at their own game in their own backyard by the opposition.

Not saying that my next new car will be a Toyota, but I think it's more than obvious that to a lot of people, domestic cars suck, hence Toyota's success. You can't argue with that.
What me off the most is though, Toyota builds their cars, (at least the Camry) here....and they've been involved in wayyy more racing than Ford or Dodge ever has in Europe, Asia and other places....makes no sense from a business standpoint for them to NOT race in NASCAR. But that doesn't mean we've all gotta like it

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #3 – November 04, 2007, 03:58:30 PM

I'm sure you can imagine that living in the UK, we have a very different view of the US than you guys do. Us American car fanatics are besotted with the American Dream, even if it doesn't really exist any more.
The British motorbike industry suffered a similar indignity as the American car industry is going through now. There was a time when British bikes were considered the best in the world, now the industry barely exists. For some people as we all know, a mode of transport is much more than a way of getting from one point to another - it's a passion and a way of life. Some vehicles just give you that undefinable 'something', which really matters to me. You've probably guessed, I wouldn't make a good business person at all, but sadly money does seem to make the world go round (that and oil). I love older British bikes and American cars, which is why I still have a Triumph as well as the Astro. I guess for those of us not in the automotive industry it's got to be more about what makes you smile, rather than the amount of profit.
Niki :)

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #4 – November 04, 2007, 07:28:05 PM

Cool, how well known is nascar over there in the U.K.?
I've been a fan ever since I can remember. I'm pulling for Labonte as have since '95. Was a Bodine fan before that and an Allison fan before that.
I'm not too concerned with Toyota being there. That's mostly because the cars are all the same now as far as their template/body go. I just root for the driver as opposed to what make car they advertise for. Actually it was kind of funny this year. I went to Florida for the Daytona 500 and I've never seen so many Asians at a Nascar race in my life.

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #5 – November 04, 2007, 07:36:11 PM

Quote from: 5.0willgo;186215

I went to Florida for the Daytona 500 and I've never seen so many Asians at a Nascar race in my life.

Reckon they was rootin' for Yotas???

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #6 – November 04, 2007, 07:46:11 PM

Quote from: TurboCoupe50;186217

Reckon they was rootin' for Yotas???

Of course. They all had one of three jackets on. TRD, naturally; Mikey Waltrip, yota; David Reutimann, yota. They had no clue who Waltrip or Reutimann were but they were wearing the jackets. :giggle:

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #7 – November 04, 2007, 08:31:36 PM

IMO, NASCAR declined the day they started using restrictor plates. If they woulda simply kept the tracks smaller. However, I still am a fan, but haven't watched much at all the day Dale Jarrett left RYR.

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #8 – November 04, 2007, 09:34:07 PM

Nascar fan here good to see some brits are watching. Got my wife into it she’s British.
Though I’m a nascar fan I do watch most any motor sports. My favorite is the local circle track action(roots of nascar) I like “speed TVs” “on the edge”.

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #9 – November 04, 2007, 10:18:38 PM

Nascar started sucking when they made the restictions on the cars period.

Back when they raced stripped monte carlos and built their own motors and all of that

Now its just a competiton for the drivers ego. most if not all of the cars are built exactly the same. hell if i wanted to watch man vs man i'd go watch a track meet.

Cookie cutter racing. I dare you to throw a new car out there. :D

Sorry that was kind of a rant. soooo /end rant

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #10 – November 04, 2007, 11:37:05 PM

Back when racing was racing, you got the edge by innovating. Even in the '90s (CART Series) I remember Penske was running their own chassis, inventing things like the single-lug wheel, and the fuel fillers they still use today. In the old days guys would bring out the hot rods they worked on all week, and they found out who's was fastest. That's racing, because it's about what we all love -- the cars themselves. These days, all the cars are mechanically identical, making it primarily about the drivers. Watching 43 cars with 800 hp race would be almost the same as watching 43 cars with 200 hp race. I want to see that 427 Galaxie right off the lot that they drove to the track!

Any NASCAR fans out there?!

Reply #11 – November 05, 2007, 01:52:58 AM

I was a NASCAR fan, but those are no more cars than they are airplanes. To be NASCAR I consider what it was, just like everyone else has said, you spend all week building and drive it on sunday. Or you can go buy the car off of the lot and throw in an engine, and there you have a NASCAR worthy car. I lost interest in about 2003. My dad has been an Earnhardt fan before I was born, I'll snap pics of our basp00get for you guys. Every diecast made of him we have, and the same with Kyle Petty. My mom is a big fan of him. We had lifetime seats to the newer Kansas Speedway, but lost interest in the heat, and driving, and me and my younger brother growing up, me graduation High School two years ago, and family time at the Lake. They still watch it, I however have lost interest in what Racing has become and am still in love with what it was and should be.

I used to be an Ernie Irvan fan, and have since been a Tony Stewart fan.