QUOTE (Snoopy @ Jun 1 2005, 09:02 AM)
I'm no big racing fan, but methinks, Biggins, if you had to run a NASCAR race or build one of the cars you'd develop a respect for it at least enough to realize it is "real racing". Where do you race that it is more "real" -- or do you "fake race"? C'mon, be real, be fair.
NASCAR is real racing, but I just don't see it in the same way I see other forms of racing because its technology is consistently decades behind those in the road racing community. I have no hate for NASCAR because I still watch races every once in awhile, but I just have a little less respect for NASCAR than other serieses. Many great NASCAR drivers came from racing serieses with greater technology, BUT the drivers will make more in one NASCAR race finishing 25th than the would an entire season racing with SCCA WC or Grand Am... of course one would go to NASCAR.
NASCAR prides itself on being the stock car racing body of racing in the US, yet none of the cars raced are offered for sale in showrooms in the same platform as their NASCAR "race car" format. For example, the Dodge Charger is a 4 door RWD family sedan, the Ford Taurus is a 4 door FWD, and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a 2 door FWD touring coupe... All of the cars raced in NASCAR are RWD V8 2 door coupes with bodywork shaped to make it resemble a car sold in showrooms despite not having any aspects of the street car in the NASCAR race car.
My biggest pet peeve is that NASCAR's technology has not given any benefits to street cars and it functions solely as advertising. Racing and advertising go hand-in-hand; however, if you look at the IRL, Formula One, the WRC, SCCA WC, Grand Am Cup, and Le Mans series racing and their technologies are present in almost every vehicle made to this day. The first all wheel drive systems evolved from the WRC, high tech engines with complex timing systems (VTEC, VANOS, VVTi, etc.)and tiptronic transmissions came directly from Formula One and Le Mans race car technology. Manufacturers test suspension on their factory race cars with the SCCA WC and Grand Am Cup before they go into production on street vehicles.
As far as myself "real racing," I guess I cannot say that I do yet because the licensing requirements take 2-4 years. At this moment, I have only been able to do time trials because I do not have enough track days to earn proper SCCA, BMWCCA, and NASA licensing. Also, I've only have track experience at 2 tracks on multiple occasions (
VIR and
Summit Point). I have everything planned out to obtain my wheel-to-wheel racing license by Nov/Dec 2006 or Jan 2007 and start with the DC BMWCCA. The cost for my obsession is phenomenally high because the technology needed to be competitive is at least as much as that of NASCAR. This is what I do for fun as my expensive hobby/obsession. It is difficult to describe to one unfamiliar with racing, so I'm sorry if this reads like a book. I guess the "fake racing" to which you are referring is done on the Dual Highway on weekends?