F1 Fans, what is going on???

**mitch buchannon** · 10-22-2006, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by f2f

good race for the finish. even better was the moet-chandon champagne we drank to commemorate the worst driver ever to win 8 titles. it'll be nice to not have to watch his face next year.

It was 7 titles.

I'm a big fan of Schumi. Don't really understand people's problems with him and Scuderia over the past 7-8 seasons. Team driving bullshit has always existed.

**Benny Profane** · 10-22-2006, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by TNKen

It's not about $$$$ for these guys, they all have more than they need. It's about feeding the ego. Feed the ego with exposure. NASCAR has multiple times the exposure of F1. NASCAR and their media team will pump this to no end.

Ego? well, you can't see it anymore because the wokings of F1 have become so "protected" from us rabble in the cheap seats, but 20 years ago I roamed the paddock at Watkins Glen, and, boy, that was a collection of hot women hangin' around. I mean, take your breath away hot. Like ignore the drivers and cars, just stare at them hot.
Now, I'm guessing the female scene around NASCAR is a tad skanky compared to that. Probably all mommies, too.

**mitch buchannon** · 10-22-2006, 11:08 PM

Off topic, but I'm currently reading V. Ol' Benny Profane is just starting to get to know Josephine. Hunting alligators is serious business.

**philippeR** · 10-23-2006, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by TNKen

It's not about $$$$ for these guys, they all have more than they need. It's about feeding the ego. Feed the ego with exposure. NASCAR has multiple times the exposure of F1. NASCAR and their media team will pump this to no end.

In south carolina, maybe.
I'm sorry to break the news : The rest of the world (which is a lot of people) has never heard of NASCAR.

**TNKen** · 10-23-2006, 07:22 AM

Was in Brazil this summer. Agreed, most of the rest of the world has never heard of NASCAR.

Still think it is about ego and the fact that it is an opportunity to keep racing on someone else's nickle.

Ken

**4matic** · 10-23-2006, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by philippeR

In south carolina, maybe.
I'm sorry to break the news : The rest of the world (which is a lot of people) has never heard of NASCAR.

Here's the difference..

We have an American driving in F1 and Americans don't care. Get a Columbian, German, Frenchman, or Italian in Nascar and they will go nuts for Nascar. Just like the NBA.

**NW John Galt** · 10-23-2006, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by 4matic

We have an American driving in F1 and Americans don't care.

Funny thing is, nobody else does either. He's crap.

**philippeR** · 10-23-2006, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by 4matic

Here's the difference..

We have an American driving in F1 and Americans don't care. Get a Columbian, German, Frenchman, or Italian in Nascar and they will go nuts for Nascar. Just like the NBA.

Not so sure.
Bourdais is 3 times ChampCar champion and nobody in France but motor racing nuts like me did notice. (I know, it's not the most chalenging american car racing series...). And In other european countries, nobody could care less of a frenchy racing in some obscure US championship.
I don't remember either the brits going into frenzy when Mansell won the CART championship.
Those series are just not taken really seriously, compared to F1.

The NBA is another thing. It's still, by far, the most challenging Basket league in the world. (Even if the quality of play is degrading, IMO).
If you're into basket ball, you must follow the NBA. If you're into motorsports, you have to follow F1, WRC and MotoGP. It doesn't mean NASCAR is not challenging, that NASCAR drivers are bad. But it's not world-class quality, sorry.

**willywhit** · 10-23-2006, 09:22 AM

Tiger Woods named Schumacher the world's greatest athlete.
Forbes 2000:
Schumacher has reason to celebrate. Last year, he earned an estimated $49 million, more than Michael Jordan ($40 million), Tiger Woods ($47 million) and NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt ($26.5 million). His $35 million annual salary is larger than any other athlete in the world. Advertisers want every piece of him: A German investment firm agreed to shell out $8 million over three years to have him wear a four-inch ad on the baseball cap he wears before and after races.
http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_...498508,00.html

**Optimus_Prime** · 10-23-2006, 07:42 PM

Montoya didn't like the people, egos, and bull crap in F1 and wanted to have fun racing. Believe me F1 people suck I have been to 6 F1 races and everytime the people are annoying as fuck and the race is boring and i ended up leaving early, but i got in for free.

**4matic** · 10-23-2006, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Optimus_Prime

Montoya didn't like the people, egos, and bull crap in F1 and wanted to have fun racing. Believe me F1 people suck I have been to 6 F1 races and everytime the people are annoying as fuck and the race is boring and i ended up leaving early, but i got in for free.

Pretentious, flag waving, nationalist, and self-important? Sounds like F1.

**cj001f** · 10-23-2006, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by 4matic

Pretentious, flag waving, nationalist, and self-important?

Never been to Nascar, eh?

**4matic** · 10-23-2006, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by cj001f

Never been to Nascar, eh?

Sears Point Road race. Great fans there and a fun event.

**golden powder** · 10-24-2006, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by TNKen

BTW, top fuel dragsters and funny cars exert the most g-forces on a driver, both at accelleration and shut down.

yeah, but drag racing is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

**cj001f** · 10-24-2006, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by 4matic

Sears Point Road race. Great fans there and a fun event.

Turning right automatically makes it not NASCAR

**JBrian** · 10-24-2006, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by 4matic

Get a Columbian, German, Frenchman, or Italian in Nascar and they will go nuts for Nascar. Just like the NBA.

Bullshit. I seriously doubt that most of the international F1 fans are going to give a rat's ass about what's happening in some boring, inferior American series that they've never heard of..

Funny thing is, nobody else does either. He's crap.

I wouldn't be so quick to bag on Scott Speed, he's not in the position he's in because he sucks. Give it some time, that guy can drive.

These guys are probably just tired of being mid-pack and know that it's never gonna get any better. I'm sure the constant travelling is tiresome and hey, a few million a year, an easy NASCAR ride and a fatty house in the states probably seems better than their current, worsening F1 situation..

**f2f** · 10-24-2006, 03:24 PM

"how many NASCAR passes is that worth?"

as the speedvision commentators put it last sunday, rhetorically.

**PTracy P1** · 10-25-2006, 09:12 PM

well, you are NOT gonna belive this one.....

http://www.autoextremist.com/page3.shtml#fumes

looks like michael is heading there for a stint too. gotta remember that Tayoter is behind all this crap.

The great German Champion suffered a punctured tire early on in Brazil but stormed back to finish fourth in his final Formula One race. Schumacher, 37, retires with 91 victories in 250 Grand Prix starts, an incredible seven World Championships - and 68 pole positions. Rumors that he has signed a $10 million deal to drive the two NASCAR road races at Sears Point (Infineon) and Watkins Glen in 2007 could not be substantiated at our launch time.

Sad....

**PNWbrit** · 10-25-2006, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by PTracy P1

well, you are NOT gonna belive this one.....

http://www.autoextremist.com/page3.shtml#fumes

looks like michael is heading there for a stint too. gotta remember that Tayoter is behind all this crap.

Sad....

Sad that someone would waste their time making that up.....You're more likely to see Jesus Chirst driving for the Buddah's NASCAR team.

**Benny Profane** · 10-26-2006, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by golden powder

yeah, but drag racing is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Someone who has never seen (or heard) Funny Cars at night. Or Top Fuel anytime.

**JBrian** · 10-26-2006, 05:19 PM

Even at the amateur level, I think I'd rather drag race than drive around in fucking circles..

These have been passed around for years so most have prolly seen them but they're still interesting:

Originally Posted by Top Fuel facts

-One Top Fuel dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at the NASCAR Daytona 500.

-Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.

-The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.

-Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.

-Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

-At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitromethane measures 7050 degrees F.

-Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.

-Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression-plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting off its fuel flow.

-If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.

-Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the pistons.

-To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G's.

-On the tracks with shorter shorter shut-down area, many drivers shut off before the finish line, or even dual parachutes will not stop the car.

-If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.

-Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.

Carey Johnson
Product Manager
Rotary Corporation

**PTracy P1** · 10-26-2006, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Sad that someone would waste their time making that up.....You're more likely to see Jesus Chirst driving for the Buddah's NASCAR team.

i mean, why not? I detest calling Na$$tard "racing", but, wtf - 10 mill for TWO races?

I'll belive it when i see it, but yoda is rolling out the money bags...

**TNKen** · 10-26-2006, 07:29 PM

JBrian,

I was general counsel for the International Hot Rod Association for about 7 years, and around tons of drag racing.

Your stats are a little out of date on the fuelers. One of the crew on Alan Johnson's team told me that the average pass now cost about $20,000, or about $5k per second. If you do all 4 rounds of qualifying, then 4 rounds of elimination, that's $160,000 per weekend.

The cars now make about 8,000 horsepower, and consume about 14 gallons of fuel per run in 4.5 seconds. Each cylinder has 8 injectors. Think about how big the water hose would have to be to fill a 14 gallon bucket in 4.5 seconds, and how much pressure. Each cylinder is similar to standing in your shower on high pressure. The fuel line from the tank is now 1" in diameter, and uses two pumps off the engine to feed the beast.

Considering the engine only turns 6,000 rpm, in a 4.5 second run, the engine only has 450 revolutions to get the job done.

Teams are required to have a 75 minute turn around time, meaning disassemble the clutch, engine and supercharger and rebuild it for the next round.

Sixty feet off the starting line in under .9 seconds, and you are doing 100 mph.

The sanctioning bodies have now cut the strength of nitromethane to 85% in an effort to slow the cars, and mandated slower gear ratios. They still push 330 mph in the quarter.

A picture of Cory Mac's car breaking in half from the torque and downforce.

**PNWbrit** · 10-26-2006, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by PTracy P1

i mean, why not? I detest calling Na$$tard "racing", but, wtf - 10 mill for TWO races?

I'll belive it when i see it, but yoda is rolling out the money bags...

He's a billionaire.

Why would he risk devaluing his brand/reputation let alone his life.

There were no shortage of options for him if he still wanted to race and racing red neck taxis is not what he'd choose if the desire was still there.

Plus Ferrari still have him under contract as a brand ambassador for life so racing for Toyota or anyone else would not even be an option. My guess is the only way you'll see him race again is if he mises F1 after a season away or for a Ferrari/Maserati Le Mans attempt.