Ross

I kept watching Speed Channel after the sports-car race was over, and it's a Busch Series race on some Mexican road course.

Watching the second-tier NASCAR guys try to get around a road course is actually pretty funny. What's funnier are the excuses that the announcers keep coming up with, every time one of these guys spins into the dirt. "Looks like the track is awful slick out there!" or "Maybe that's a bad batch of tires!"

giff74

Ya, there is nothing quite as funny as watching oval drivers try to do a few laps on a road course. I like watching NASCAR in general, but events like this one show just how limited their skills are. However, at a NASCAR event at least you know the top positions will be in shouting distance of one another unlike F1 and some other events where first place and second place cant even see each other.

Sean O'Gorman

Yeah, hilarious.

Selected laptimes from final practice:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">4 #18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet The Home Depot/Vigoro 102.278 88.629 -0.538

7 #33 Ron Fellows Chevrolet Kevin Harvick, Inc. 102.062 88.817 -0.726
8 #66 Jorge Goeters Ford Scotiabank Inverlat/Xtreme Gel 102.052 88.825 -0.734

11 #157 Adrian Fernandez Chevrolet Lowe's 101.696 89.136 -1.045

13 #9 Boris Said Dodge Ingersoll Rand 101.588 89.231 -1.140

16 #11 Paul Menard Chevrolet Menards/Hot Shot 101.389 89.406 -1.315

19 #10 John Andretti* Ford Freedom Roads/Camping World 101.108 89.655 -1.564

22 #38 Anthony Foyt* Dodge Great Clips 101.040 89.715 -1.624

24 #15 Michel Jourdain Jr. Ford Roshfrans Oil/Canel's 100.905 89.835 -1.744

26 #4 Paul Tracy Dodge GEICO/Brymak 100.853 89.881 -1.790</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmm, how many road races has J.J. Yeley done before? How many have those other guys done before? I seriously doubt anyone who runs up front on an oval in an 800 hp, 3400 lb stock car with narrow tires and no aerodynamic aids is going to have much trouble on a road course. Wasn't it Martin Truex Jr who won this race last year? I don't think he had ever even raced on a road course prior to that.

1GreyTeg

Damn I only Tivo'd The Grand Am race

Ross

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sean O’Gorman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I seriously doubt anyone who runs up front on an oval in an 800 hp, 3400 lb stock car with narrow tires and no aerodynamic aids is going to have much trouble on a road course. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The front-runners of any series are going to be good drivers, obviously. Don't blow what I said out of proportion. But a lot of roundy-rounders don't know how to handle road courses, which is why guys like Boris Said end up in these races.

Vracer111

I'll only watch "NASCAR" if it IS on a Roadcourse... roundy-round kills my brain cells! Qualifying at Mexico has been great to watch so far...minus the commentation. It would be fun to try and qualify with one of those behemoths that eat up tires!

Ross

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vracer111 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll only watch "NASCAR" if it IS on a Roadcourse... roundy-round kills my brain cells! Qualifying at Mexico has been great to watch so far...minus the commentation. It would be fun to try and qualify with one of those behemoths that eat up tires! </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure that NASCAR is a blast to watch in person. But on TV it eats. Road racing isn't much better, truthfully, I disdain those outside shots. I like to watch the race video-game style, but that's no good for sponsors.

Racerboy03

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sean O’Gorman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah, hilarious.

Selected laptimes from final practice:

Hmm, how many road races has J.J. Yeley done before? How many have those other guys done before? I seriously doubt anyone who runs up front on an oval in an 800 hp, 3400 lb stock car with narrow tires and no aerodynamic aids is going to have much trouble on a road course. Wasn't it Martin Truex Jr who won this race last year? I don't think he had ever even raced on a road course prior to that.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Actually Truex had previous experience in the Busch North series where they raced at Lime Rock and The Glen. The Nascar drivers have gotten better in the past few years, a lot of them go to Skippy or Bondurant and spend testing time up at VIR (one reason they call a turn there "nascar").

Formula Racing

I dont like this ringer rule.. I think its bullshit quite honestly!

Being a big driver fan, It pisses me off when my driver is benched for someone who specializes in each track.. Thats damn politics, not racing

Sean O'Gorman

And another driver with virtually no road racing experience ends up winning.

94accordsedan

And Kyle Busch can't drive.

fidracer

I can't stand the roundy-round stuff, but I try to watch the road races. Still, I usually get bored and channel hop away when they throw a full course yellow for five minutes after one car does a spin and continue. What's up with that?

Catch 22

These races would be a whole lot different if somebody would explain the concept of a local yellow to NASCAR.

That was ridiculous.

krshultz

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Racerboy03 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Nascar drivers have gotten better in the past few years, a lot of them go to Skippy or Bondurant and spend testing time up at VIR (one reason they call a turn there "nascar"). </TD></TR></TABLE>

From listening to the commentators, sounds like some of these guys have gone up to VIR with Boris Said in tow to get their learn on...

The NASCAR guys have gotten a lot better here in recent years, and some of them I'd put up against a "road course ringer" any day...given equal equipment of course. I know this is a controversial opinion around here, but I'll put Tony Stewart against Boris Said, or any of the SWC guys, any day, any track.

Besides, I figure I've got pretty good odds. If Tony can't beat Boris, he'll go a lap down just to crash him

1GreyTeg

There was enough carnage and full course yellows, I felt like I was watching several choice Speed World Challenge races from last season

It was entertaining for like the first hour, then it turned to hillbilly "boogity-boogity" & "Quicker than a grasshopper on a junebug" speak, and making loads of excuses for just about every friggen mistake. My wife who has not yet been on a road course commented that they were early apexing and unsettling the cars more than even she cared to watch in one sitting.

All the pretty colored cars and simple talk, umm ok, I can accept it. I even watched the whole thing albeit I TIVO'd through about 2 hours of commercials and those fangled Full course yellows for what was it 10 or 11 times?

Here's a nifty idea, why not give us a hint more technical info, some actual lap times and the split as opposed to saying "well that 9 car is about 2 seconds down" 10 laps in a row. How about just a bit more interesting facts than the mindless banter? Sorry, maybe that's too much for me to desire or for the average fan to digest.

But ya gotta hand it to them, they stuff the stands in our and other countries. They make the money and put on a show that loads of people like to see, smoke screens, cars going sideways and backwards, on fire and what was that turd doing pulling out in from of the #1 car was it after he spun and went off?

It might be popular, they are definitely better drivers than I ever hope to be. But it's annoying as hell to watch for me personally. Watching them butcher courses like Watkins Glen that is already dumbed down for them is like pulling all my teeth out with some rusty plyers then gargling with boiling bleach.

I'll skip it next time thanks. At least I got to see the Grand Am Daytona race before. Not nearly as exciting you say? OK, to each his own. But at least when they blow the first turn they don't argue with the car sending themselves careening into 5 others and then dousing the course and much of the racing line with all the cars vital fluids. And who is that poor outgunned fool in the Yellow Type R anyway?

I still like Boris. I think it's the hair and that he likes to scare pit girls by picking them up for photo Ops.

MaddMatt

There were a lot of no-driving sum beeches there in Mexico. I dozed on the couch while watching because I got bored with all the caution laps. Everytime I woke up, another caution. I think I saw 5 actual minutes of racing.

Evan55

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by giff74 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ya, there is nothing quite as funny as watching oval drivers try to do a few laps on a road course</TD></TR></TABLE>
funny?

A "Junior Varsity" Nascar driver whipped up on Adrian Fernandez, Ron Fellows, and Boris Said at this race last year. Just because they normally drive left in circles doesnt mean they cant turn the steering wheel right too.

Formula Racing

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">These races would be a whole lot different if somebody would explain the concept of a local yellow to NASCAR.

That was ridiculous.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Agreed. That was crazy!
I did like the fact a nascar boy and not a ringer did win!

Johnny Tran

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Watching the second-tier NASCAR guys try to get around a road course is actually pretty funny. </TD></TR></TABLE>



Its not as funny as watching some of you Honda fan-boys get around a road course. Believe me, nobody will be knocking on anyones doors around here for that 'second tier' job driving a racecar for a living (myself included).

If you cant understand the difference in dynamics between piloting a3500#/700hp car on 10.5" tires around a track vs a Grand AM type vehicle, I cant help you...I would rather go explin it to a box of rocks, they are less dense.


Some of us make our living working in this sport, it gets old listening to the know-it-alls try to explain how easy it is to us. I hear it every time I leave the shop...now THAT gives me a headache.

/rant.

Catch 22

Some of those guys get to see a road course for the first time in their lives on national TV. Others are experienced road course people who get to do it for the first time in their lives in a car like that... On your TV.

If there's anybody here that could do that without looking like an ***... Raise your hand.
Then call Jack Roush. You are a racing God and he's dying to sign you.

Granted, there were some pretty buttheaded moves out there, but have you seen a Spec Miata race lately?
The NASCAR drivers road racing skill has vastly improved over the last couple of years. Many, if not all, of the top guys have taken schools or spent time in Grand Am to work on their skills. At the end of the day, "Road Course Ringers" are about to go out of style. Why? They keep not winning, thats why.

Scott, who finds alot of fault with NASCAR, but none of it involves driver skill.

tnord

i'm not saying i could do better but........

i only watched for about 15 minutes and probably saw no fewer than 4 people smack the wall in the exact same spot.

Kaan

iTrader: (3)

i dont mind the ovals... if its boring and drawn out... i just sleep till i hear the comentator or the "turn it up" promotion. generally the last half is more interesting than the first... because pit stops etc come into play.

and some of "us" need to watch it more for the pit strategy... since i saw some lack luster pitting going on at various enduros

if you look at the "real" nascar guys at the road courses... stewart, earnhart, gordon are all up front. they have all worked on their road course game... and its good to see them working on their skillz!

Ross

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Johnny Tran &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Its not as funny as watching some of you Honda fan-boys get around a road course. Believe me, nobody will be knocking on anyones doors around here for that 'second tier' job driving a racecar for a living (myself included).

If you cant understand the difference in dynamics between piloting a3500#/700hp car on 10.5" tires around a track vs a Grand AM type vehicle, I cant help you...I would rather go explin it to a box of rocks, they are less dense.


Some of us make our living working in this sport, it gets old listening to the know-it-alls try to explain how easy it is to us. I hear it every time I leave the shop...now THAT gives me a headache.

/rant.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Tran, don't you ever lighten up? I mean, come on...you're always taking stuff so seriously. I never hear you crack a joke or anything.

I understand those dudes can still drive, even if it's not in a straight line. And my use of the term "second-tier" wasn't derogatory, it's the truth. The Busch Series is NASCAR's second tier, is it not? Don't get so bent out of shape. I never said anything to the effect of "these guys suck." It's just legitimately entertaining to watch those cars go flying off-track every couple of laps as the guys try to adapt to turning right.

Sorry if I briefly lapsed into "Honda fan-boy" territory...I thought for a second I was on Honda-Tech.com. My apologies.

Johnny Tran

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Tran, don't you ever lighten up? I mean, come on...you're always taking stuff so seriously. I never hear you crack a joke or anything.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

apparently you havent read 98% of my posts on this site....or ever talked to me outside of the interweb

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
It's just legitimately entertaining to watch those cars go flying off-track every couple of laps as the guys try to adapt to turning right.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I must have watched a different race....I didnt see cars go off every couple of laps, but as long as you were entertained. I was entertained by the fact that the 'ringers' couldnt keep up with a 25 year old 'roundy-rounder'

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ross R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Sorry if I briefly lapsed into "Honda fan-boy" territory...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Appology accepted. Some of you just need to step back (or get slapped back) into reality once and awile and realize that the type-r is not gods gift to racing.

Catch 22

That race wasn't any worse than any Grand Am or WC race in terms of crashes and incidents. What makes it SEEM worse is that NASCAR throws a full course yellow for EVERYTHING.

Half of those yellows should have been locals or even debris flags.