Road race specialists at Sanoma

RACER X #99 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 06:08 PM

For all of you anti Nascar road racing fans out there please explain to me why the left turn only Nascar racers out qualify the road racers on their own track.
Fastest pure road racer Boris Said starts 10th behind a bunch of Nascar left turners.

Cranky

weendoggy · #2 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 06:12 PM

Because society always "blames", I'll say:
"It wasn't prepared to my style."
"I thought the surface was a little slick."
"Not enough seat time."
"I was just holding back for the race."

Gotta' love them good ol' boys.

DAVID GAGNARD · #3 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 06:41 PM

Good call Cranky,my favorite is starting 5th,go Bill........Those good ole boys can drive well on any track IMHO,this just proves it...........

As far as excuses go, they all have the same amount of practice time on the track to set up their cars and get the "feel" of the track,and also,this year the track confirguration has been changed quite a bit....so they are all starting off even so to speak......

David

Tom T. · #4 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 07:11 PM

All I know is that I'm gonna be there on Saturday for the Featherlite 200...should be fun.

TT

bmalone · #5 (**permalink**) 06-21-2002, 11:15 PM

In the past the RR specialists have generally qualified well. As David mentioned, perhaps the track config is different enough. And while the RR specialists have qualified well, they have not always finished so well. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, and even Rusty have always placed well here.

John McMahon · #6 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 06:51 AM

Yoo Hoo!!!!

There ain't nothing better than them "Left Turn" boys on a road course.

I never miss them when they run the Global Crossing race at Watkins Glen (well I guess that's cancelled now since their is NO MORE Global Crossing company).

I still remember good old Dale Jarret hauling ass down the front straight at the Glen and missing the line for turn 1! BAMMMMM Into the runoff.

I still remember 2 years ago, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon banging feneders thru the esses. Most folks know you can't do that!

RACER X #99 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 07:07 AM

JM,
Global Crossing might be gone but Nascar at the Glen will be there for a long time.

jrichard · #8 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 08:54 AM

It's simple, really. NASCAR LTO (left turn only) drivers are certainly more familiar with the heavy, understeering, high-center-of-gravity cars they drive. Most road racers (at least the open-wheel guys) are used to very light, very powerful, very low CG, rear engined cars that oversteer. Even Tony Stewart (Go Tony!) has said NASCARs are boats compared to CART or IRL cars, and Tony is a former IRL champ. I love NASCAR racing, but I don't think the RR specialists should be allowed, and I vote to keep NASCAR on ovals. I love NASCAR and the IRL because I just love the hi-speed oval racing. There is more passing on ovals, the pole means nothing, (it means everything in road racing) and, in my humble opinion, ovals are just more exciting.

And, since I'm on my soapbox this morning, I think NASCAR should eliminate restrictor plate racing, quit already with the different aero rules for different makes (car too slow? too much drag? change manufacturers! duh!) they should come to Texas at least twice a year (there was something like 165,000 people at TMS for the NASCAR race). okay, stick a fork in me, I'm done...

RACER X #99 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 09:02 AM

Jrichard,

Come on you tell me it isn't exciting watching those overweght stockcars slide all over the track.
As far as IRL goes (except for Indy) way too many fans come to the track discuised as an empty seat.

Go anybody driving a Blue Oval.

Cranky

a427sc · #10 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RACER X #99

(IRL) way too many fans come to the track discuised as an empty seat.

Nice line Cranky

Fez

jrichard · #11 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 09:36 AM

I have to agree with the IRL reply. Too many empty seats, but the racing is really very good. I think the difference between 1st and 2nd at TMS was .04 seconds- inches, really. With the looming demise of CART (both Honda and Toyota are going to the IRL) I hope to see fewer empties at the IRL races. No doubt IRL isn't the draw of NASCAR, but it is good racing. I think the IRL draw at TMS was 80,000, slightly less than half of the NASCAR crowd. No wonder Tony chose to drive NASCAR. I guess the lack of brand-identification really hurts non-stock car racing here in the USA. If more people knew that chevy provides most of the engines for IRL racing maybe we could get a few rednecks to show up. Interestingly, the Chevy ads for their (ugh) Monte Carlo try to draw similarity between the car in the showroom and the car on the track. What a joke. At least Ford doesn't try to sell a FWD Taurus by insulting the intelligence of the consumer by advertising their NASCAR wins...oops, there was the soapbox again.

And yes, I do like to see the Stockers sliding around the road courses, but they only do it twice a year, so they're not so good at it. I know a lot of the drivers HATE the road courses (Sterling being the most vocal, as usual). Still, I'll watch the race. I can't help it if I'm a NASCAR fan...

bmalone · #12 (**permalink**) 06-22-2002, 09:39 AM

Jrichard, that's funny about the mfg. comparison to what they sell and what they race. You're right, at least Ford has the common sense to stay away from that comparison. Don't see too many rear-wheel drive Tauruses running aroung in public.

jrichard · #13 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 02:38 PM

watching the Sonoma race is quite entertaining, except I went to the bathroom and missed whatever happened to Tony Stewart who was leading...now he's 25th. What happened?

bmalone · #14 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 04:15 PM

Ford power wins again!

RACER X #99 · #15 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 05:42 PM

Bill,
Ford power+old driver+left turner=win on roadcourse. Too bad for Jerry Nadeau the race was his until his rear went out.

Cranky

Pete C · #16 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 05:44 PM

Cranky,
They made the track left turn friendly, even to the point of taking out the signature turn (6), the Carousel, and widening the hairpin turn at 7 so that it was a sweeping right hander and less technical. I guess they didn?t want the Jethro?s all over the infield!!
Cheers, Pete

RACER X #99 · #17 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 06:03 PM

Pete,
I guess all those left turns confused the road race ringers, they were all looking for right turns and wound up running off the track.

Cranky

Bannon · #18 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 06:53 PM

Cranky,

You don't consider Ricky a Road Race Ringer??? Where have you been??? Ricky is one of the best road racers in NASCAR.

JB

RACER X #99 · #19 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 07:06 PM

JB,
Of course Ricky is not a ringer he runs the entire Nascar season, been a full time Nascar racer for many years,he just happens to be a great road racer. The ringers are rr only guys who come in twice a year to kick butt. So far they are the ones gitting their butts kicked.

Wish I knew where all those one liners were on this forum about how the Nascar guys can only turn left.

Bring on those F1 chumps, Ricky will show them how you do it in a 3400 lb. stockcar.

Crankster

bmalone · #20 (**permalink**) 06-23-2002, 07:23 PM

I don't cry too long if its a Dodge or GM

. That's the way my Dad brought me up. But yeah, you're right, that kid could use a break.