NationStates Jolt Archive

I don't know how much oil NASCAR and all the car/plane/boat racing uses, but don't they use SOOOO much?
With the oil price going up, and the energy crisis truer than ever before, shouldn't...they do something? If not, the government? :confused:
Though I understand it's doesn't seem wasteful to them, but it <i>is</i> for pure entartainment... no?

I don't know how much oil NASCAR and all the car/plane/boat racing uses, but don't they use SOOOO much?
With the oil price going up, and the energy crisis truer than ever before, shouldn't...they do something? If not, the government? :confused:
Though I understand it's doesn't seem wasteful to them, but it <i>is</i> for pure entartainment... no?
In NASCAR in 1974 they had to the Daytona 500 50 miles less because of the oil crisis.

In IRL they are going to run corn oil next year.

it would save more if they made it a tv only event and barred the crowds from attending. all those big-ass vehicles use alot of gas getting to the track.

it would save more if they made it a tv only event and barred the crowds from attending. all those big-ass vehicles use alot of gas getting to the track.
Then how would the track make any money?

Sponsorships.

NASCAR cars don't race every day. Yeah, they use alot of gasoline, motor oil, lubricants, transmission fluid, etc., but not nearly as much as all the cars on the highway. We could improve fuel efficiency for normal vehicles, keep NASCAR as it is, and still make a huge improvement in pollution and foreign oil consumption.

I'm more for public transportation and hydrogen technology. We need to stop our dependency on fossil fuels.

How about complaining to the military? Having 10+ Aircraft carriers running day-night operations virtually 24/7, that must consume a lot of fuel. And then there's still the air force and hundreds of other naval ships, granted some are nuclear powered, but you still have hundreds of ships burning fuel. You're never going to take NASCAR away, much less regulate it while Bush is in office. Hell, they're expanding. NASCAR moved to Mexico trying to appeal to latinos.

How about complaining to the military? Having 10+ Aircraft carriers running day-night operations virtually 24/7, that must consume a lot of fuel. And then there's still the air force and hundreds of other naval ships, granted some are nuclear powered, but you still have hundreds of ships burning fuel. You're never going to take NASCAR away, much less regulate it while Bush is in office. Hell, they're expanding. NASCAR moved to Mexico trying to appeal to latinos.

Nope considering most of our Carrier fleet is nuclear runned! Yea for nuclear power. Who's up to help build a new nuclear power plant? Lets move this country to nuclear power.

Long live Nuclear energy.

As a racing fan I actually do believe that the racing community should be taking the lead in spearheading more efficient technology. Racing has had a long tradition of leading innovation in safety and performance. They are the vangaurd of the automotive culture.

I had read a proposal once for a 100-1-100 race: 100 miles, 1 gallon, 100 mph. There are 'efficiancy races,' but a race race with efficiency as an aspect would be great to see.

NASCAR and other endurance forms are in a great position to do this. A few years ago there was an entrant that didn't qualify for the 24 hours of Le Mans that had a hybrid engine. There has been a few diesel-engined cars that have won some enduros (the only one I can remember is a BMW at Spa.)

It would have to be up to the organizing bodies, but it is really in their best interest, as well as everyone elses.

Nope considering most of our Carrier fleet is nuclear runned! Yea for nuclear power. Who's up to help build a new nuclear power plant? Lets move this country to nuclear power.

Long live Nuclear energy.
The tenders and the support ships, along with the escort ships are most certainly not nuclear powered. Say nothing of the aircraft. (Yes yes, different grade of fuel, so it's all pointless anyway.)

Nope considering most of our Carrier fleet is nuclear runned! Yea for nuclear power. Who's up to help build a new nuclear power plant? Lets move this country to nuclear power.

Long live Nuclear energy.
What about the hundreds of aircraft ON the carriers? And maybe you should've read my post more carefully because I'm pretty sure I already mentioned many naval ships are nuclear powered.

That's simple, they'll make them all carpools! Each NASCAR driver will have to rideshare with one of their opponents.

just run them on Hydrogen lets face it they will be in a few years anyway!:)

You guys are assuming that at all times, every single plane onboard the carriers are fully operational and performing constant mach-speed runs as we speak.

In IRL they are going to run corn oil next year.
I skipped over this at first thinking that IRL was some internet shorthand that I didn't know, then realized, "oh, Indy Racing League." I found this:
Beginning next year, the IRL will use a blend of 90 percent methanol and 10 percent ethanol, an alcohol created by distilling grain mash, usually from corn. In 2007, the cars will go to 100 percent ethanol, which is cleaner burning and more fuel efficient.
here (http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=91&ArticleID=27396&TM=30086.39)
This, along with Danica Patrick is making me kinda want to follow the IRL...I'm just not that big a fan of ovals and in open-wheel cars like the Formula cars, it's even harder. I mean, if you're going to go in a circle either have really close racing, or do it in dirt with 800hp open-wheel cars...preferably both.

But that is pretty cool, I'd like to see more of that.

just run them on Hydrogen lets face it they will be in a few years anyway!:)
The new Charger was going to run on natural gas, but you can only get it in certain places.

Toyota actually offers engine alternatives like Natural gas on all of thier cars. Something you'd think that they'd advertise, but I found that out when a friend started working at a dealership.

You guys are assuming that at all times, every single plane onboard the carriers are fully operational and performing constant mach-speed runs as we speak.
yeah...except, not. And in case you didn't know there are at least 10 planes in the air virtually 24/7 on each actively deployed carrier. But I still have no idea where you fabricated that "assumption" from.

I'm more for public transportation and hydrogen technology. We need to stop our dependency on fossil fuels.

eh, hello, current hydrogen technology is still dependent on fossil fuels. hydrogen ain't abundant, the only place it's taken from is the electrolytic seperation of water. but where does electricity come from? for the most part, especially in the U.S., coal

What about the hundreds of aircraft ON the carriers? And maybe you should've read my post more carefully because I'm pretty sure I already mentioned many naval ships are nuclear powered.

Notice I said CARRIERS!!!!! Jeez....I wish people will learn to read.

As a racing fan I actually do believe that the racing community should be taking the lead in spearheading more efficient technology. Racing has had a long tradition of leading innovation in safety and performance. They are the vangaurd of the automotive culture.

I had read a proposal once for a 100-1-100 race: 100 miles, 1 gallon, 100 mph. There are 'efficiancy races,' but a race race with efficiency as an aspect would be great to see.

NASCAR and other endurance forms are in a great position to do this. A few years ago there was an entrant that didn't qualify for the 24 hours of Le Mans that had a hybrid engine. There has been a few diesel-engined cars that have won some enduros (the only one I can remember is a BMW at Spa.)

It would have to be up to the organizing bodies, but it is really in their best interest, as well as everyone elses.

The racing community has long had the initiative in the search for better fuel efficiency. The problem is that the cars the design are so high strung that what is effecient for it would be equal to 10 SUVS driving the same distance.

The knowledge does travel down the line. Honda improved the feul effeciency of it cars with knowledge gained winning multiple F1 Constructors Championship running the most mutant 4 cylinder engine ever.

I think looking for alternate fuel sources and a serious rethink of Internal Combustion engines and their usefulness will start yeilding some pretty surprising ideas over the next few years.

The racing community has long had the initiative in the search for better fuel efficiency. The problem is that the cars the design are so high strung that what is effecient for it would be equal to 10 SUVS driving the same distance.

The knowledge does travel down the line. Honda improved the feul effeciency of it cars with knowledge gained winning multiple F1 Constructors Championship running the most mutant 4 cylinder engine ever.

I think looking for alternate fuel sources and a serious rethink of Internal Combustion engines and their usefulness will start yeilding some pretty surprising ideas over the next few years.
Well, yeah-and I had already given other examples. But when organizers have made something a priority-such as safety after driver revolts in the late sixties and again in the eighties, huge increases where made.

Certainly, as we both now have demonstrated, racing has 'improved the breed' in term of efficiency as well as in other fields, but like with safety they can take a real and noticable lead. More or less saying the same thing.

Long live Nuclear energy.^Oxymoron. Ironical to boot! :D
Natural scrubbers help clean the air of carbon monoxides, but spent nuclear fuel rods are deadly for half a billion years.
You want them stored in your backyard?

For those in support of ethanol:
The production of ethanol from corn is a negative energy practice, that is, it requires more energy (read fuel) to produce than the field will produce.
That said, oil based technology should be rethought, but it is mainly the public that needs to change. Stuff like carpooling, or not using that big SUV every day help.

I skipped over this at first thinking that IRL was some internet shorthand that I didn't know, then realized, "oh, Indy Racing League." I found this:

here (http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=91&ArticleID=27396&TM=30086.39)
This, along with Danica Patrick is making me kinda want to follow the IRL...I'm just not that big a fan of ovals and in open-wheel cars like the Formula cars, it's even harder. I mean, if you're going to go in a circle either have really close racing, or do it in dirt with 800hp open-wheel cars...preferably both.

But that is pretty cool, I'd like to see more of that.

Hee hee. IRL is an Internet/NS slang word - In Real Life - as opposed to role-played. I read that post assuming the poster was saying that NASCAR would actually really be running on corn oil (as in bio-diesel) next year, as opposed to an imagined alternative fuel. :)

Notice I said CARRIERS!!!!! Jeez....I wish people will learn to read.
Oh, so that's why you said "nope" and brushed the whole thing off? I think either you're missing my whole point or you're ignoring it and by your last post, I think you're ignoring it.

^Oxymoron. Ironical to boot! :D
Natural scrubbers help clean the air of carbon monoxides, but spent nuclear fuel rods are deadly for half a billion years.
You want them stored in your backyard?

So you're telling this board that scrubbers make burning fossil fuels a better energy source than nuclear fission.

Excuse me while I step outside.

{muffled outside} BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So the underside of a mountain is going to be uninhabitable for half a billion years? I wasn't planning on living there anyway.

You have got to be kidding me. Scrubbers aren't perfect, in fact, they pretty much suck. Fossil fuels still make pollution, no matter how much you scrub. That's basic chemistry. I'd rather have some breathable air and some desert be even more uninhabitible instead of having perma-smog and desert all over the place from the acid rain.

Just wait until the Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor comes online, then all of you atom-haters will just have to shut your traps once and for all.

Fusion is the future. Considering that deuterium is easily obtainable, there stands to be a practically inexhaustable safe form of energy on the horizion within the next 50 years.

Marric']For those in support of ethanol:
The production of ethanol from corn is a negative energy practice, that is, it requires more energy (read fuel) to produce than the field will produce.
That said, oil based technology should be rethought, but it is mainly the public that needs to change. Stuff like carpooling, or not using that big SUV every day help.
Racing history is littered with things that either never worked or didn't work at first. Makes a great lab.

Racing history is littered with things that either never worked or didn't work at first. Makes a great lab.

Didn't say it doesn't work, it's a great fuel, the thing is, if you were running the farm equipment on the ethanol from the corn field you were growing, you'd run out of fuel.

Marric']Didn't say it doesn't work, it's a great fuel, the thing is, if you were running the farm equipment on the ethanol from the corn field you were growing, you'd run out of fuel.
And so shall it always be. Or, you know, they could work with it and it still won't balance out but they tried or work with it and it will. Thus why I said-

Racing history is littered with things that never worked out or didn't work out at first.

And it being a great lab.

And I didn't disagree, maybe I wasn't clear about it being at current engine designes, but from the research I did when helping to decide whether the family farm should grow corn for that purpose, this came up in several sources.

Marric']And I didn't disagree, maybe I wasn't clear about it being at current engine designes, but from the research I did when helping to decide whether the family farm should grow corn for that purpose, this came up in several sources.
The only mention of ethonal in this thread was its use in the Indy Racing League, and in the context of racing being a way of 'improving the breed.' No one in the thread advocated the immediate switch to ethanol, just as it being one of the ways racing could help explore alternatives. Thus, that's what it looks like you where arguing against.