Overheard on the Daytona 500
- Thread starter clwill
- Start date
StockersRock
Nitro Member
6 more laps would've gained him about $80,000 more.
mw6789
Nitro Member
Course last I heard, it costs what---$20 Million or so to run a year in Nextel Cup. TF and FC are high, but I dont believe they have reached that high just yet.
Justin@NRE
Nitro Member
I also laughed my ass off when I heard "NASCAR is one of the most fan accessible sports." Yeah, after you pay $300/person to get to a fence where you hope your favorite driver walks by on the other side.
I've been to just about every type of motorsports race there is, including lawn mower races...lol.. F1 cars definitely take the cake on LOUD after NHRA.. But here's where they shine... In most forms of big track roundy round, or road course, or rally racing.. The courses/tracks are so large, you're almost better off watching on TV. Anyone who has ever been to a big track NASCAR event or Indy 500 can tell you, you can really only see about 1/4 of the track at most unless you have some special seat. So you sit and wait for cars to come bombing in front of you about every 40-100 seconds. Even at those races, TV doesn't do the speed justice. First time I saw Indycars blasting past me on the front straight at the 500 at 230mph, I was amazed. They were BLURS! TV slows the action down so you can keep track and follow, which is why those forms of motorsports translate to TV so well. You see more! I'd almost rather watch everything else on TV because I can crank up the volume and get close to being there without leaving the comfort of my recliner or couch.
Now NHRA is a visceral experience. 99.99% of everyone involved from fans, crews, drivers, workers, all got hooked on the sport the first time they heard/felt a blown nitro car thunder down the track. Even our 2nd, 3rd and 4th quickest classes are louder and nastier sounding than most other forms of motorsports. Everything happens so fast, TV helps in case you miss something, but NHRA gets shorted twice on TV.. TV slows the action down, so you don't get the speed effects and you don't get the full punch in the chest of noise or smell the VHT, burning rubber or get your eyes burned and breath stolen by alcohol and nitro.. I will say, one of my favorite shots ever that does help translate how quick these cars really are is the on-car shot facing backwards towards the crew on the starting line. Even standing behind em at the starting line I don't see them move that quick anymore.. but that on car gave me a whole new appreciation.
Can't find the ESPN example, but here's one of the Freeman's Elite Motorsports Pro Stocker.. Skip to 3:00 to see the launch.
NHRA Pro Stock REC_0001.AVI - YouTube
I've been to just about every type of motorsports race there is, including lawn mower races...lol.. F1 cars definitely take the cake on LOUD after NHRA.. But here's where they shine... In most forms of big track roundy round, or road course, or rally racing.. The courses/tracks are so large, you're almost better off watching on TV. Anyone who has ever been to a big track NASCAR event or Indy 500 can tell you, you can really only see about 1/4 of the track at most unless you have some special seat. So you sit and wait for cars to come bombing in front of you about every 40-100 seconds. Even at those races, TV doesn't do the speed justice. First time I saw Indycars blasting past me on the front straight at the 500 at 230mph, I was amazed. They were BLURS! TV slows the action down so you can keep track and follow, which is why those forms of motorsports translate to TV so well. You see more! I'd almost rather watch everything else on TV because I can crank up the volume and get close to being there without leaving the comfort of my recliner or couch.
Now NHRA is a visceral experience. 99.99% of everyone involved from fans, crews, drivers, workers, all got hooked on the sport the first time they heard/felt a blown nitro car thunder down the track. Even our 2nd, 3rd and 4th quickest classes are louder and nastier sounding than most other forms of motorsports. Everything happens so fast, TV helps in case you miss something, but NHRA gets shorted twice on TV.. TV slows the action down, so you don't get the speed effects and you don't get the full punch in the chest of noise or smell the VHT, burning rubber or get your eyes burned and breath stolen by alcohol and nitro.. I will say, one of my favorite shots ever that does help translate how quick these cars really are is the on-car shot facing backwards towards the crew on the starting line. Even standing behind em at the starting line I don't see them move that quick anymore.. but that on car gave me a whole new appreciation.
Can't find the ESPN example, but here's one of the Freeman's Elite Motorsports Pro Stocker.. Skip to 3:00 to see the launch.
NHRA Pro Stock REC_0001.AVI - YouTube
mick
Nitro Member
every so often you see a tv camera on top row of bleachers about mid-track,
and pans from start to finish; IMO this also provides a good sense of speed.
should bolt the camera to the bleachers so the camera vibrates as
cars go past.....wonder if this would look amateurish? or also help to convey
the visceral experience?
and pans from start to finish; IMO this also provides a good sense of speed.
should bolt the camera to the bleachers so the camera vibrates as
cars go past.....wonder if this would look amateurish? or also help to convey
the visceral experience?
I've seen plenty of drag races and several open wheel (Indycar) races in person. Looks like similar skill / ability sets (quicker than average reaction times, exceptional eye sight, big b***s, etc.) but different application and techniques.
And I don't have Daytona on the DVR so I can't review, I thought at the time the 'offending' statement was made in context of motorsports, not NASCAR exclusively.
Yup...and it's NHRA that seems to want to mirror NASCAR more than anything! Pro Stock Truck, the Countdown!
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I have said it a thousand times, if the Chase for the Cup truly worked for NASCAR, they would do it in the Nationwide and Truck series too. NASCAR will wait til everyone gets bored with it (or ratings really sag or Brian France gets run off) and then switch back to a standard points format with a big media blitz of course.
So I guess we will have to wait until that happens to see any change at NHRA LOL. (not holding my breath)
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I've seen plenty of drag races and several open wheel (Indycar) races in person. Looks like similar skill / ability sets (quicker than average reaction times, exceptional eye sight, big b***s, etc.) but different application and techniques.
The eyesight comment is not to be taken lightly. 10 years ago or so, some university in the Big10 (I wanna say Wisconsin or Minnesota) did a study of elite athletes hand-eye coordination. The top of the list was a mid pack F1 driver (I wanna say it was Eddie Irvine), and he shattered their scale(imagine if they got someone good at the time like Hakkinen or Schumacher). Golfers were surprisingly high on the list, as were NFL wide receivers (Randy Moss was way up the list) and baseball players (ever try to hit a curveball LOL).
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
They should do that study again now....what with the young drivers all practicing on video games......
If Kurt Busch can do it, I bet Danica could no problem!
jackass
Nitro Member
Drag racing has another very popular female on the rise... this past weekend at Rockingham Dragway during the ADRL event... i walked past Lizzy Musi's pits and the line for her autograph was freaking huge.... male, female and kids.... LOTS of little girls... some knew her from racing.... some knew her form the news footage form going over the wall at Bristol... and some just thought she was a "cutie"...lol... of hte little girls i saw in line... they were wearing driving suits and were there racing JR Dragsters........
I've been at a few races within unintentional earshot of Lizzy ... she is very colorful. Two totally different times I told my wife "I didn't know what drag racing was when Shirley Muldowny (sorry sp probably) was big, but I bet that is as close as you are going to get today."
Hearing/Reading some of her dad's war stories makes me think the apple didn't fall very far from the tree.
Hearing/Reading some of her dad's war stories makes me think the apple didn't fall very far from the tree.
