NationStates Jolt Archive

With all these other sports trheads ignoring The Power & The Glory, I figure all us racing fans deserve our own thread.

I love almost every variety of auto-racing, as well as moto-racing. Its in my blood, and I have fond childhood memories of hanging around pit row with my dad, who was a GT-series Ice racer back when it didn't require the sale your first born to afford to compete. In my years off between high-school and college, I devoted myself to amateur racing, mostly Gymkhanas in an old Fiat Dino which came stock a V8 Ferrari engine (For those who think FIATS are unreliable I say "Stop babying it" They're meant to be driven like a race car...pedal to the metal, every stop light a drag race, every corner taken as fast as possible, lean on the breaks, toss em around the corner then step on it. Treat them this way and they rarely, if ever, breakdown)

My all-time favourite series would have to be Rally-Raid: point A to point B seperated by 1000 or more miles of harsh conditions, no practice laps, no crew or mechanics between way points. The Paris-Dakkar Rally is the most famous of these.

I find Nascar has become too all-pervasive here in North America...its everywhere, even though the tracks are all stateside. There are amazing series at all levels that get shoved aside for Nascar coverage, which get kind of monotonous.

Anyone think Ecclestone or Eisley can pull a rabbit from their ass and somehow magicly save F1 from itself? Unless something comepletely insane happens,the Schu will win another championship this year and for another 3 or 4 years after that

Unless something comepletely insane happens,the Schu will win another championship this year and for another 3 or 4 years after that
Schumacher will do well to come back from 24 points down and with at least one car quicker than his Ferrari.

F1 is my favourite, always has been. Raikkonen is my favourite driver.

After that WRC and rallying in general. no question, its amazing.

Schumacher will do well to come back from 24 points down and with at least one car quicker than his Ferrari.

I think he will comeback, that is, if he still has the HUNGER for victory that he's displayed in the past. Although I'm a fan of Schumacher and would like too see him win, I'd be almost as happy to another, like Raikkonen, win the championship. Its been getting to be the same old, same old in f1, though it is more interesting now than it has been the past few years.
Raikkonen is a fantastic driver, and I think he's learned a lot of finesse in the past few years, something you need if you want to win the F1 championship.

Hasn't Schumaker yet to win this season?

Anyway-what I like most is close racing, which is where I forgive NASCAR. I don't like the cars, I don't like the tracks, not super into the fans-but what I am into is that it is sport, I don't know whats going to happen, who is going to win and why. They'll run three abreast for laps at a time. It's very competitive and thats something that other series are starting to miss.

Astheticlly I have my heart into endurance sports cars. The variety of the cars, the history. To me that racing has far more of the romance that is usually atributed to F1.

As a test, the best racing-where the best driver, team, and machine win has to go to Rally racing. Things like the BAJA 1000 qualify as well. (Dust to Glory just opened but I missed my chance today to see it....)

Formula cars like F1, CART etc are pretty cool in that they are pure race cars.

Historically I like Trans-Am (muscle cars on road courses, kick ass), Can-Am (no holds barred, those cars made the ground shake), and of course 60s sports car racing (well, all decades. Sports cars rule)

I dig Pedro Rodriguez, Jim Clark, Hurley Haywood, Mario Andretti, Scott Pruett, Phil Hill, Allen McNish. some others that aren't neccisarily coming to my head now.

Favourite series: WRC, yes it may be about to end (four of six teams are pulling out at the end of this season) but its had some damn good times. My favourite drivers, Carlos Sainz Tommi Makinen, Colin McRae, Richard Burns, Markko Martin. Favourite car, Ford Focus.
I also have a great love for karting, as I compete in it at the national level. My favourite drivers? Any of the Mega-Karting Petach Tikva drivers. My least favourite, any of the Pro-Karting Rechovot drivers, for being arrogant, full of themselves, cheating scum. My favourite kart that I've raced so far was Netanya's Rimo Evo 4 kart.
Not that I can name any drivers, but I also love endurance racing, Spa, Le Mans, that kind.

If Ferrari can fix the problems they've had with the car itself, Schumacher could still come from behind. As much as I like Schumacher, I don't think he'll have an easy fight for the championship as he has in pevious years and he may not even contend. I hope this excitement and fiercely close competiton is actually as result of the rule changes, and not just an early season fluke.

WRC is close ending? Thats really too bad, it's been one of most exciting series I've seen. Along with the possible death of F1 and the implosion of CART vs Indy, I also heard some SpeedTV commentators saying NASCAR could implode too. Apparently the expansion of NASCAR has been too much, too fast. I think NASCAR suffers from oversaturation, but I don't think it'll cease to exist anytime soon.

Nascar will implode and loose popularity when the casual fans go and find something else to watch instead. Right now it's way too commercial and that annoys me. Especially since some tracks have been renamed to the name of a sponcer, Lowes, Infineon. Now the drivers get fined for giving the finger :rolleyes:

About the WRC, as hard as the FIA are trying, they won't kill it off.

Someday, I actually want to take part in the Paris-Dakar rally.

I find Nascar has become too all-pervasive here in North America...its everywhere, even though the tracks are all stateside. There are amazing series at all levels that get shoved aside for Nascar coverage, which get kind of monotonous.

I am a nascar fan and have been for 15 years. It has only recently began to be publicized so much because it has grown a lot. Anyway, im a Kevin Harvick/Elliot Sadler fan. I love it. Its exciting. Ive only been to one race, but it certainly wont be the only one ;) I plan on going to the daytona 500 and a bristol race.

If Ferrari can fix the problems they've had with the car itself, Schumacher could still come from behind. As much as I like Schumacher, I don't think he'll have an easy fight for the championship as he has in pevious years and he may not even contend. I hope this excitement and fiercely close competiton is actually as result of the rule changes, and not just an early season fluke.
Oh aye, their main problem is the Bridgestones. They just cant keep up with Michelins development. Michelin have 7 teams...Mclaren, Williams, Renault, BAR, Sauber, Red Bull, Toyota - so theres the top half and midfield (excluding Ferrari) developing for Michelin. Bridgestone has Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi. So Ferrari has to do the bulk of the testing, and they havent managed to produce a tyre that works well with the new rules.

Nascar will implode and loose popularity when the casual fans go and find something else to watch instead. Right now it's way too commercial and that annoys me. Especially since some tracks have been renamed to the name of a sponcer, Lowes, Infineon. Now the drivers get fined for giving the finger :rolleyes:
talk about ripping the soul out of a series...and i thought F1 was getting bad for that sort of thing.

My favorite type of racing is open wheel - Indy, F1, CART... but I also watch a good Grand Turismo race and rallies. Racers I like are Tony Kanaan and Paul Tracy. Bobby Rahal was also a big favorite of mine.

NASCAR, I don't know. They're good racers, but it's all those ovals that get to me.

Oh aye, their main problem is the Bridgestones. They just cant keep up with Michelins development. Michelin have 7 teams...Mclaren, Williams, Renault, BAR, Sauber, Red Bull, Toyota - so theres the top half and midfield (excluding Ferrari) developing for Michelin. Bridgestone has Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi. So Ferrari has to do the bulk of the testing, and they havent managed to produce a tyre that works well with the new rules.

But thats the fault of Bridgestone, while Michelin decided to make a tyre suited for all teams, Bridgestone decided to make theirs around Ferrari, thus driving off teams like McLaren and BAR. I'm sure Sauber used to be with Bridgestone too.

talk about ripping the soul out of a series...and i thought F1 was getting bad for that sort of thing.

I blame Brian France. All of the joke rules were thought up by him.

But thats the fault of Bridgestone, while Michelin decided to make a tyre suited for all teams, Bridgestone decided to make theirs around Ferrari, thus driving off teams like McLaren and BAR. I'm sure Sauber used to be with Bridgestone too.
Yup, its completely Bridgestone/Ferraris fault for getting themselves in that situation in the first place.

And yea, Sauber were on Bridgestone until they got fed up with it and dandered off Michelin way.

I blame Brian France. All of the joke rules were thought up by him.
I have no idea who he is, so i will cheerfully take your word for it.

Yup, its completely Bridgestone/Ferraris fault for getting themselves in that situation in the first place.

And yea, Sauber were on Bridgestone until they got fed up with it and dandered off Michelin way.

Now Ferrari want testing limited to 30,000 files per tyre manufacturer just so they can do more testing then their rivals. Thats the reason they won't agree to the current testing restrictions.

On another note, I'm glad that Sauber are ditching Ferrari engines next season.

Now Ferrari want testing limited to 30,000 files per tyre manufacturer just so they can do more testing then their rivals. Thats the reason they won't agree to the current testing restrictions.
Yup, that was the most ridiculous thing id ever heard

Would have resulted in Ferrari doing 30,000 miles of testing for themselves, and then the Michelin teams having to split 30,000 between themselves.

Its just an example of the comtempt Ferrari have for the sport these days...how different it was when Enzo was around

On another note, I'm glad that Sauber are ditching Ferrari engines next season.
Yup, and theyve even started voting against Ferrari in FIA votes and stuff, which they never had the guts to do before (for fear of losing a supply of, frankly, fantastic engines)

Yup, that was the most ridiculous thing id ever heard

Would have resulted in Ferrari doing 30,000 miles of testing for themselves, and then the Michelin teams having to split 30,000 between themselves.

Its just an example of the comtempt Ferrari have for the sport these days...how different it was when Enzo was around


Yup, and theyve even started voting against Ferrari in FIA votes and stuff, which they never had the guts to do before (for fear of losing a supply of, frankly, fantastic engines)

Ferrari would be alot different if Enzo was still alive.

Thing is, Red Bull are now getting Ferrari engines and have taken their side in the split :(

Ferrari would be alot different if Enzo was still alive.

Thing is, Red Bull are now getting Ferrari engines and have taken their side in the split :(
Yup, but the major car manufacturers (youve got DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Renault involved in F1) are all on the opposing side to Ferrari (in the GPWC), and if they split away i would much rather watch a good series of them racing it out instead of a series with Ferrari and a few minions.

The Red Bull thing was bad, Ford were a major GPWC backer

I find Nascar has become too all-pervasive here in North America...its everywhere, even though the tracks are all stateside. There are amazing series at all levels that get shoved aside for Nascar coverage, which get kind of monotonous. http://www.nascar.com/races/bg/2005/3/index.html

Yeaa I agree, if the split does happen, F1 will die and Ferrari are screwed. They'd have to bow down to the GPWC and that will be funny if it were to happen.

I'm disapointed with Red Bull, I had thought they had more sense then to become Ferrari's new lapdog.

Yeaa I agree, if the split does happen, F1 will die and Ferrari are screwed. They'd have to bow down to the GPWC and that will be funny if it were to happen.

I'm disapointed with Red Bull, I had thought they had more sense then to become Ferrari's new lapdog.
well at the end of the day F1 is just one set of rules for a car Grand Prix, if F1 dies then the GPWC will just carry on the GPs. Grand Prix racing was going long before F1 and it will probably just go one for much longer than it.

well at the end of the day F1 is just one set of rules for a car Grand Prix, if F1 dies then the GPWC will just carry on the GPs. Grand Prix racing was going long before F1 and it will probably just go one for much longer than it.

Agreed. Grand Prix racing has been around since the early 1900's, F1 only came in in 1950 when it was organised into a world championship, but there were still non-championship races as well. I wish they hadn't killed those races off :(

Agreed. Grand Prix racing has been around since the early 1900's, F1 only came in in 1950 when it was organised into a world championship, but there were still non-championship races as well. I wish they hadn't killed those races off :(
aye, 1906 in France. thats nearly 100 years and F1 is only half of it, so theres plenty of life in GP racing outside F1.

the non-championship events were good, numerous drivers got their break by putting in a good performance against the best in one

aye, 1906 in France. thats nearly 100 years and F1 is only half of it, so theres plenty of life in GP racing outside F1.

the non-championship events were good, numerous drivers got their break by putting in a good performance against the best in one

There was talk this year that the British and French becoming non-championship races because Ferrari were rumoured to not want them unless they were given more money then the other teams. Surprise, surprise.

First motor race was held in about 1898 I think, though it was a Grand Prix.

I actually have some footage of the 1907 French Grand Prix somewhere :)

There was talk this year that the British and French becoming non-championship races because Ferrari were rumoured to not want them unless they were given more money then the other teams. Surprise, surprise.
Aye, well Ferrari are already getting more money from the FIA than the other teams, in fact...the other teams give money to Ferrari on account of their "historical value." complete farce

First motor race was held in about 1898 I think, though it was a Grand Prix.

this is from memory....i think it was 1894, Paris to Bordeaux or something, and it wasnt a GP. Im possibly completely wrong

I actually have some footage of the 1907 French Grand Prix somewhere :)
cool, must be really grainy footage though?

Aye, well Ferrari are already getting more money from the FIA than the other teams, in fact...the other teams give money to Ferrari on account of their "historical value." complete farce

Yeaa I thik that is stupid, the teams were forced into it by the concorde agreement. Even Minardi and Jordan had to pay it. Too think the FIA rejected the idea of a fighting fund.


this is from memory....i think it was 1894, Paris to Bordeaux or something, and it wasnt a GP. Im possibly completely wrong
The early years are a little hazy.


cool, must be really grainy footage though?

Pretty good considering. ONe shows a car going off into straw bales but you hardly see anything. The other shows a car spin and the driver and riding mechanic start the car up again. I would love to be able to put names to them and find out who they were.

Yeaa I thik that is stupid, the teams were forced into it by the concorde agreement. Even Minardi and Jordan had to pay it. Too think the FIA rejected the idea of a fighting fund.
Yup, its a complete joke. Scary thing is that i dont see it changing much for the next Concorde Agreement in a few years, thats what the GPWC is all about

The early years are a little hazy.
Yea, i have no idea if im right or not


Pretty good considering. ONe shows a car going off into straw bales but you hardly see anything. The other shows a car spin and the driver and riding mechanic start the car up again. I would love to be able to put names to them and find out who they were.
Ah, cool. you should look into it and see who the drivers were

Yup, its a complete joke. Scary thing is that i dont see it changing much for the next Concorde Agreement in a few years, thats what the GPWC is all about

Ferrari's already taken it upon themselves to extend the Concorde Agreement to 2012, making sure they get 20% more money then all the other teams do. That move has only strengthened the GPWC


Ah, cool. you should look into it and see who the drivers were

Problem is I think the numbers might have been too blurred.

Ferrari's already taken it upon themselves to extend the Concorde Agreement to 2012, making sure they get 20% more money then all the other teams do. That move has only strengthened the GPWC
Aye, but the question is whether or not the agreement will stand. I think Bernie doesnt yet take the GPWC particularly seriously, but if it got to the point where it would need an agreement then and there or else F1 would be over then he would probably agree to what the teams want. He would have no choice really, he knows that with just Ferrari then nobody is going to watch F1.


Problem is I think the numbers might have been too blurred.
Ach, thats a pity.

New Foxxinnia: The Mexican race is the ONLY one, and its new, this year was its first. It stunk. The Mexicans could care less, unless its open wheel like F1 or Cart, they'd rather watch soccer.
Jeff Gordon actually came out and said that if Nascar felt the need to expand beyond the US border, it would make much more sense to go north to Canada, rather than Mexico. Being a Canadian myself, I'm prone to agree.

If F1, Nascar and WRC all went tits-up it wouldn't be the end of the world in racing terms. There is so much talent and ingenuity out there, both famous and unkown. There'd be new series to replace them, and at least a couple would as good or better than the endangered series we're talking about. Personaly, I'd like to see a GT series gain more prominence. The SCCA has a GT Class Series that regularily sees some of the best driving anywhere. Guys like Borris Said are much more colourful and fun to watch than the clockwork strategy of teams and drivers in F1.

It'd also be nice to see Jeff Gordon win next years Paris-Dakkar. He came in 5th in this years, his first ever Dakkar. If he won it would really raise the profile of Rally-Raid here in North America. That and when he wins it, he'll do it with his usual flair, which is always inspiring to watch.

It'd also be nice to see Jeff Gordon win next years Paris-Dakkar. He came in 5th in this years, his first ever Dakkar. If he won it would really raise the profile of Rally-Raid here in North America. That and when he wins it, he'll do it with his usual flair, which is always inspiring to watch.

You mean Robby Gordon.

Aye, but the question is whether or not the agreement will stand. I think Bernie doesnt yet take the GPWC particularly seriously, but if it got to the point where it would need an agreement then and there or else F1 would be over then he would probably agree to what the teams want. He would have no choice really, he knows that with just Ferrari then nobody is going to watch F1.
Problem being is it is probably legally binding and Ferrari would bring out the lawyers if the FIA tried to change it. It's also interesting to not that Ferrari were the only team to not allow Minardi to run theit unmodified '04 car while they put their full support behind the Maserati C12 which breaks alot of the GT rules in three series.


Ach, thats a pity.

Yeaa it is, might find out after some research of course. I also have some American stock car racing from the 30's as well.

Problem being is it is probably legally binding and Ferrari would bring out the lawyers if the FIA tried to change it. It's also interesting to not that Ferrari were the only team to not allow Minardi to run theit unmodified '04 car while they put their full support behind the Maserati C12 which breaks alot of the GT rules in three series.

Aye, but this is Ecclestone with the help of the FIA...i would be very surprised if he didnt have something in it that would get him out of the agreement. Hes one of those people that you would think you got a good deal but really got screwed over



Yeaa it is, might find out after some research of course. I also have some American stock car racing from the 30's as well.
cool :)

Formula 1 is my favourite, and favourite team would be McLaren (ge' son Kimi! keep that pole!). Favourite driver would be either Jensen or DC, but thats a personal point of if you don't agree, well nuhr! ;)

Anyone else looking forward to A1GP? Just a shame Sky got the rights to show it, I ain't buying the Sports packages just for that...unless it's real good!

Formula 1 is my favourite, and favourite team would be McLaren (ge' son Kimi! keep that pole!)
wahey. my current favourite team/driver combination. Ive been a big fan of Kimis since his pre-F1 days. Hes a bit of a legend, and has a personality (even if he is a bit quiet in interviews)...unlike most F1 drivers.

wahey. my current favourite team/driver combination. Ive been a big fan of Kimis since his pre-F1 days. Hes a bit of a legend, and has a personality (even if he is a bit quiet in interviews)...unlike most F1 drivers.
Supposidly it's even harder for the Finnish journalists to get even what the English speaking ones do, he thinks he's got to say more in order to make himself understood in English, something he doesn't have to in Finnish!

Aye, but this is Ecclestone with the help of the FIA...i would be very surprised if he didnt have something in it that would get him out of the agreement. Hes one of those people that you would think you got a good deal but really got screwed over


Yeah, but like I said, Ferrari would bring out the lawyers. Bernies already losing control of F1 to those German banks, they might just well finish it off completely.

Supposidly it's even harder for the Finnish journalists to get even what the English speaking ones do, he thinks he's got to say more in order to make himself understood in English, something he doesn't have to in Finnish!
Heh...im pretty glad im not Finnish then, you can barely make out what he says in English

I think he just doesnt like the attention that much, but away from the cameras he seems to be one of the few F1 drivers left that has a personality instead of just being a mindless PR robot.


Yeah, but like I said, Ferrari would bring out the lawyers. Bernies already losing control of F1 to those German banks, they might just well finish it off completely.
Aye, but Bernie and Ferrari could be working at it together, knowing that all they have to do is divide and conquer, so they will eventually get what they want...pretty much keep it the way it is now.

That thing with those banks, Bernie seems to think hes still perfectly in control, so maybe theres something going on there as well that we dont hear about

Heh...im pretty glad im not Finnish then, you can barely make out what he says in English

I think he just doesnt like the attention that much, but away from the cameras he seems to be one of the few F1 drivers left that has a personality instead of just being a mindless PR robot.

Agreed.

Aye, but Bernie and Ferrari could be working at it together, knowing that all they have to do is divide and conquer, so they will eventually get what they want...pretty much keep it the way it is now.

That thing with those banks, Bernie seems to think hes still perfectly in control, so maybe theres something going on there as well that we dont hear about
Bernie'll bounce back, you can just see him plotting something. And even if he doesn't, you can be sure there'll be one last hurrah from him before he disappears, and it'll make him an even bigger packet than that he's got already!

Heh...im pretty glad im not Finnish then, you can barely make out what he says in English

I think he just doesnt like the attention that much, but away from the cameras he seems to be one of the few F1 drivers left that has a personality instead of just being a mindless PR robot.
It's all that drunking behaviour in the off season like being chucked out of lapdance club for getting his tackle out. Definitely the new James Hunt but without the drugs.

I've also seen pictures of Coulthard and Button getting pissed on a boat at Monaco last year, they ended up mooning the photographer :D


Aye, but Bernie and Ferrari could be working at it together, knowing that all they have to do is divide and conquer, so they will eventually get what they want...pretty much keep it the way it is now.

That thing with those banks, Bernie seems to think hes still perfectly in control, so maybe theres something going on there as well that we dont hear about

We'll have to wait and see.

Bernie'll bounce back, you can just see him plotting something. And even if he doesn't, you can be sure there'll be one last hurrah from him before he disappears, and it'll make him an even bigger packet than that he's got already

We'll have to wait and see.

I just wouldnt trust him to not know exactly what hes doing

Agreed, Bernie won't make another mistake he did, selling to the Kirsch Group.

Nascar will implode and loose popularity when the casual fans go and find something else to watch instead. Right now it's way too commercial and that annoys me. Especially since some tracks have been renamed to the name of a sponcer, Lowes, Infineon. Now the drivers get fined for giving the finger :rolleyes:


I'm a NASCAR fan and I agree, but Nascar is already imploding. They are going the way of Baseball by making it very hard for the average fan to attend the races, getting too expensive, and by removing all that is familar to the fan, the renaming of the tracks for commercial enterprises :confused: . They are also attempting to eliminate one of the races at Darlington :headbang: , and why in hell are they racing in Las Vegas? Other than to bring more "betting" to the track :mad: I think Nascar will lose its most basic supporter the average fan and will shrivel up and die. (play taps here) My opinion, nothing more.

Anyone think Ecclestone or Eisley can pull a rabbit from their ass and somehow magicly save F1 from itself? Unless something comepletely insane happens,the Schu will win another championship this year and for another 3 or 4 years after that
Um, have you been watching this year? With the exception of last nights race, which was a RIPPER, Schumacher has been nowhere, with Alonso out front...

I think it's oing to be a good season.

F1 is the only motorsport I watch, and I'm a Schumacher fan, because of drives like last night's.

I'm a NASCAR fan and I agree, but Nascar is already imploding. They are going the way of Baseball by making it very hard for the average fan to attend the races, getting too expensive, and by removing all that is familar to the fan, the renaming of the tracks for commercial enterprises :confused: . They are also attempting to eliminate one of the races at Darlington :headbang: , and why in hell are they racing in Las Vegas? Other than to bring more "betting" to the track :mad: I think Nascar will lose its most basic supporter the average fan and will shrivel up and die. (play taps here) My opinion, nothing more.

Before the average NASCAR fan goes, they will have already driven off all the hardcore fans in pursuit of money and ratings from so-called 'fans' who soon bugger off to be a 'fan' of something else.

Before the average NASCAR fan goes, they will have already driven off all the hardcore fans in pursuit of money and ratings from so-called 'fans' who soon bugger off to be a 'fan' of something else.

I feel that has already started...

Yeaa it has, it's already meaning we will see less and less drivers driving into the forties as well.

I'm a brand-new fan of NASCAR, and that can be solely attributed to its expansion. They went and built a track just down the road from my house, and my gearhead buddy put up the money to take me and a few other people to the track a few times.

The first time I went (in 2003), I figured I had to pick someone to root for. I'd heard that some guy named Jimmie Johnson had won the previous event at California, and was from the state, so I'd go for him. I stayed with him the next couple of times as well, since there wasn't any point in being a fair-weather fan, and nobody else had won me over. I found myself checking the weekly race results and points standings when I did my normal sports perusings, and noted the season Jimmie was having overall. And I saw how he messed up a couple of races in the Chase, and was out of it, only to storm back in with 4 victories to make it damned close at the end. I actually found myself watching the final race of the season at Homestead on television, and was riveted. That's when I knew I was hooked.

I've tried other forms of racing since, and it's not the same. I always thought those ovals were silly, but it turns out the closeness of the racing is what makes it exciting. I watched a Grand Am road race, for example, and was very disappointed. The single-file procession was only interrupted occasionally when someone went off the course.

NASCAR Winston(I refuse to call it Nextel) Cup and Busch Cup are the mighty number nine of Kasey Khane and his kick-ass Charger. For F-1 Racing I always liked Ferrari and, of course, Michael Schumacher, although I like Reubens Barrichelli more, not as much hype you know. For IROC I like anybody who drove the IROC-Z, since(I may be wrong) I don't believe Chevy enters any cars in IROC competition any more. I don't really like Rally or Road racing or bike racing for that matter, so I guess I'm just your regular little redneck, I don't watch truck races enough to have a favorite driver for that.

BTW... anyone who enjoys the NASCAR series should definitely get the EA Sports NASCAR SimRacing game. It is quite challenging, and teaches you a lot about race setups and the physics of racing. I've gotten adrenaline overloads from particularly tough races... though now I'm getting to be pro enough that I was able to hold off the field at Bristol with my newborn daughter held in one arm.

NASCAR Winston(I refuse to call it Nextel) Cup and Busch Cup are the mighty number nine of Kasey Khane and his kick-ass Charger. For F-1 Racing I always liked Ferrari and, of course, Michael Schumacher, although I like Reubens Barrichelli more, not as much hype you know. For IROC I like anybody who drove the IROC-Z, since(I may be wrong) I don't believe Chevy enters any cars in IROC competition any more. I don't really like Rally or Road racing or bike racing for that matter, so I guess I'm just your regular little redneck, I don't watch truck races enough to have a favorite driver for that.
IROC is a single make 'race of champions'- it even stands for that International Race of Champions. The first IROC cars where Porsche 911 RSRs and they ran on road tracks. Richard Petty had said he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with all those turns, so he drove striaght through.

I haven't seen an IROC race in a while, last time they where in Trans-Ams, but I don't think those cars are even made anymore so I don't know what they drive. But the IROC drivers themselves come from every series, from CART to SCORE. You have to be a champion to get invited.

EDIT: Looks like it's still Trans-ams (http://www.irocracing.com/current_season/series.html). That link will tell you all you need to know about IROC

Schumacher will do well to come back from 24 points down and with at least one car quicker than his Ferrari.

F1 is my favourite, always has been. Raikkonen is my favourite driver.

After that WRC and rallying in general. no question, its amazing.

Huh, after San Marino I think we can say that once again, Schuey has the superior car. But do I think he can come back from this position... no, I don't.

Rallying is awesome. I agree with you there. If you get it wrong by a foot, you can just fly off an annoyingly-located cliff.

Huh, after San Marino I think we can say that once again, Schuey has the superior car.
Maybe not, Kimi was pulling away from Alonso at about the same rate as MS was catching him later on, and Alonso was running with his engine well turned down because they thought it wasnt going to last the race (because of the sand and stuff from the Bahrain GP), whereas MS was running with a fresh engine.

I reckon the Renault, Mclaren and Ferrari are about equal on outright speed

Maybe not, Kimi was pulling away from Alonso at about the same rate as MS was catching him later on, and Alonso was running with his engine well turned down because they thought it wasnt going to last the race (because of the sand and stuff from the Bahrain GP), whereas MS was running with a fresh engine.

I reckon the Renault, Mclaren and Ferrari are about equal on outright speed

=P Motorbike racing is way superior to F1. Every time. But I did watch that F1 race, the first one in years. The last few laps were particularly fantastic, with Schuey trying to take Alonso on practically every turn. But the recent motorbike races have been equally good... especially where Rossi just managed to win... by barging the other rider off a little.

Then rally.

Then the big trucks. Because I love big trucks racing.

=P Motorbike racing is way superior to F1. Every time. But I did watch that F1 race, the first one in years. The last few laps were particularly fantastic, with Schuey trying to take Alonso on practically every turn. But the recent motorbike races have been equally good... especially where Rossi just managed to win... by barging the other rider off a little.

Then rally.

Then the big trucks. Because I love big trucks racing.
yea bike racing is great, especially road racing like they do here :D

I like V8-Star best. The big 5.7 litre machines make some decent noise, not like those annoying Formula1 motors. Besides, the rules are cool. Everyone works with the same chassis and engine, no heavy modifications, just finetuning allowed and the garage teams get their own team championship as well. The fastest grease monkeys get points for the whole series and a cash prize at the end of each racing day. Its more down to earth and the driver actually makes the difference thanks to standardised cars.

Didn't V8-Star stop running due to lack of money and manufacturer support? It was I shame, I liked that series.

WRC, especially with Atkinson doing well, followed by ARC, anything other then rally/D1 pretty much bores me to tears