[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mystic_350
[B]

I'm not going to argue with you though, especially not on Mario and AJ.

 

Holy crap! I think I'm in agreement with Beig and Strike.

I was a sweater vested racing elitist from CT when I moved to Charlotte 9 years ago and swore I'd never watch NASCAR. Now I'm pissed I was so closed minded and missed out on years of great racing. It's no skin off my back if some people keep their blinders on. They're the ones missing out.

 

I would agree here. I went to the Daytona 500 this year, My first NASCAR Race in person. Those guys run 185mph, bumper to bumper, two-three cars wide over the whole race. That's 4 hours plus, and one tiny mistake can take out a dozen cars. Oh yeah, cabin temps are 110 to 130 degrees. Anyone who thinks they could just jump in a car and drive with those guys is being foolish. Jeff Gordon loses 7 pounds every race, and he only weighs 160lbs.

I got my S2000 up to 140mph for about 10 seconds on a lonely highway in the middle of the night. It was fun as hell. Throw in an extra 45mph, 42 more cars all right together, and a bunch of turns (all left ) and I'd be nervous about my own driving, let alone the other drivers. You Know this is racing, those guys hate getting passed as much as you'd hate getting passed in a competive race.

I couldn't care less if someone doesn't like it, but don't say it isn't racing. I'd bet there isn't a single person on this board that could run competitively with those guys.

Oh yeah, Dave Marcus is Horrible. He rarely even finishes, and if he does he's at least 5 laps down. He has no business being on that track (imo), and that's why he's retiring.

 

Gordon as Earnhardt did and his estate still does makes over 20 million a year just in selling his merchandise.

As for IROC a good driver can win on any track in any car if he indeed is a good driver. Note Al Unser Jr. Between him and Earnhardt they pretty much owned IROC.

 

ok, but on a yearly basis, what's the salary for Oprah versus Gordon. I assume Oprah makes more.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by integrate
[B]

ok, but on a yearly basis, what's the salary for Oprah versus Gordon.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Zippy
[B]
Didn't Mario win the Daytona 500 in '67.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mystic_350
[B]

Dude, are you this bored?

 

I personally think the premise of this thread is more than a tad elitist - next we'll be reading about Tennis and America's Cup racing (actually, I'm a huge Yacht Racing fan, but it doesn't make me a more educated civilized person ). Nevertheless, I would like to drop my $.02 about the NASCAR issue.

If it's got wheels, an engine, and a way to direct the thing around a track, it's real racing. There are drivers of unbelievable skill in all forms of racing, natural drivers that could probably compete in many other types of cars, but they enjoy and get paid for what they do.

Now, in spite of that, you're not likely to see me watching many NASCAR races for one reason - they bore me... They run too long, too close, and too left for my tastes.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jvils
[B]I went to the Daytona 500 this year, My first NASCAR Race in person.