NASCAR Complaints

[Hoosier Carry]

Most in here aren't and probably have never been NASCAR fans.

How did you come up with that? We are all just disgruntled and living in the past!

 

[nipprdog]

First for me was the plate. Then the stupid chase. Then the IROC theme. Then a driver misses the first 10 or 12 races, but still wins the title. That's not a championship. That's a joke. Then Gordon retired. I'm done with it.

 

[bgcatty]

Simply put, NASCAR is not racing, it is marketing for product sponsors. Why else would they have had Danica Patrick for as long as they did until her candle went out in the wind!

 

[churchmouse]

Simply put, NASCAR is not racing, it is marketing for product sponsors. Why else would they have had Danica Patrick for as long as they did until her candle went out in the wind!

Panica never had a lit candle. She could drive well enough but she was never "Good". She brought dollars. She was extremely hard to deal with. Knowing members of her Indy car crew they had a nicname for her but we just call her Panica.
She used her Gender to her advantage and good on her for that. But no, she was not that good.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Back then I was just a kid but watched pretty much flag to flag with my dad. I too agree the restrictor plate has caused plenty of suckage. I get that it has had some benefit as well in regard to safety as most catch fences weren't designed to handle the speeds that would have been achieved otherwise.
I can't help but wonder how things would be now if they had been able to run without the plates all these years. 20yrs ago I would have never guessed NASCAR would have such low attendance for any race.

I may be misremembering, but wasn't there a time when the stock cars were actually going faster than the Indy Cars, at least on the high bank tracks like Daytona? Seems like they broke the 200 mph mark before Indy Cars did...

 

[churchmouse]

I may be misremembering, but wasn't there a time when the stock cars were actually going faster than the Indy Cars, at least on the high bank tracks like Daytona? Seems like they broke the 200 mph mark before Indy Cars did...

If you put an Indy car of that era on the banks at Daytona you would have been amazed.
Was it awesome Bill that eclipsed the 200 mark. Now I have to go look.

 

[churchmouse]

OK.....It was Buddy Baker in a Daytona at Talladaga.

Awesome bill went 210 in 87 for the pole.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If you put an Indy car of that era on the banks at Daytona you would have been amazed.
Was it awesome Bill that eclipsed the 200 mark. Now I have to go look.

Right, it wasn't a fair comparison, (comparing stock car speeds at Daytona or Talladega to Indy Cars at IMS), but I just remember the top speeds were higher. And it would have been in the pre-200 mph days since I was a kid. Maybe early 70's? I'm thinking the time frame when the Superbird was the ****. I dunno... I've slept since then.

 

[churchmouse]

Right, it wasn't a fair comparison, (comparing stock car speeds at Daytona or Talladega to Indy Cars at IMS), but I just remember the top speeds were higher. And it would have been in the pre-200 mph days since I was a kid. Maybe early 70's? I'm thinking the time frame when the Superbird was the ****. I dunno... I've slept since then.

No it was fair considering aero/design etc.
I know when we took the GTP car to the Daytona Rolex 24Hr show we had to spring it up for the banks.

 

[BugI02]

OK.....It was Buddy Baker in a Daytona at Talladaga.

Awesome bill went 210 in 87 for the pole.

Andretti's pole speed at Indy in '87 was 215.390, but a mere 2 1/2% percent speed increase over NASCAR with a vastly more aerodynamic race car says NASCAR was making some serious HP

 

[eldirector]

Andretti's pole speed at Indy in '87 was 215.390, but a mere 2 1/2% percent speed increase over NASCAR with a vastly more aerodynamic race car says NASCAR was making some serious HP

Indycar highest straight speed was 256.948 by Paul Tracy in 1996 at Michigan International Speedway.

For NASCAR: Officially, it’s 212 MPH By Bill Elliot. However, in the early 90’s Felix Sabates, owner of the #42 Mello Yello Pontiac took a superspeedway car, with an un-restricted engine to Bonneville. Reportedly the car achieved 235MPH in a straight line. Also, Rusty Wallace tested a car at Talladega Superspeedway without a restrictor plate in 2004, reaching a top speed of 228 mph in the backstretch and a one-lap average of 221 mph.

 

[cbhausen]

Bill Elliott’s Melling T’bird was about 3” narrower than the other cars back then. They made sure not to park it anywhere the difference would be obvious compared to another car. Ah, the good old days. Not as good as Smokey Yunick driving away in a car with no gas tank after a tear down inspection but close.

Another good one for everyone is that when Penske was running the AMC Matador they had a roller cam in it and always handed the NASCAR inspectors flat tappets. They never even warmed them up first and NASCAR never caught on or simply looked the other way. My brother and I had a good laugh with Robert Yates about that not too long ago.

 

[churchmouse]

Indycar highest straight speed was 256.948 by Paul Tracy in 1996 at Michigan International Speedway.

For NASCAR: Officially, it’s 212 MPH By Bill Elliot. However, in the early 90’s Felix Sabates, owner of the #42 Mello Yello Pontiac took a superspeedway car, with an un-restricted engine to Bonneville. Reportedly the car achieved 235MPH in a straight line. Also, Rusty Wallace tested a car at Talladega Superspeedway without a restrictor plate in 2004, reaching a top speed of 228 mph in the backstretch and a one-lap average of 221 mph.

I have seen 235+ on the front straight at the speedway on a hand held radar gun on our car. Saw 238+ on others the same day. All were V-6 Buicks.

The year Mario was that fast I believe he was in the Hanna car. That car sounded evil fast. Had a new Chev in it if memory serves but I could be wrong.
I always wondered as to the legality of that car. It just stood out.

 

[JCSR]

How did you come up with that? We are all just disgruntled and living in the past!

Ok maybe "most" is an exaggeration. But after reading every post again this morning I get the feeling that some on here would be OK with the series dying. I'm not OK with that. My love for the sport has faded quite a bit in recent years but still a fan.

 

[thunderchicken]

Bill Elliott’s Melling T’bird was about 3” narrower than the other cars back then. They made sure not to park it anywhere the difference would be obvious compared to another car. Ah, the good old days. Not as good as Smokey Yunick driving away in a car with no gas tank after a tear down inspection but close.

Another good one for everyone is that when Penske was running the AMC Matador they had a roller cam in it and always handed the NASCAR inspectors flat tappets. They never even warmed them up first and NASCAR never caught on or simply looked the other way. My brother and I had a good laugh with Robert Yates about that not too long ago.

Ummm I gotta ask do you have any real proof that Bill Elliott's Tbird was 3" narrower than all the other cars? I would entertain such evidence but it would have to be compared to other Tbirds.
Back then my family had some pretty strong ties to a number of racers, owners and crew chiefs. And if the Tbird is compared to the chevys, buicks and olds of the day...yep. The 84-86 and 87-90 Tbirds were designed with NASCAR in mind. Back then it had the lowest aero drag numbers in wind tunnel testing too. But it did fit the templates and while some areas may have been massaged it always passed inspection. Back then they were also required to run factory steel hood, and deck lids

Dad was racing an 84Tbird late model back then and more than a few parts came from the Elliott's as well as some others who were running Fords.

 

[JCSR]

UmmmI gotta ask do you have any real proof that Bill Elliott's Tbird was 3" narrower than all the other cars? I would entertain such evidence but it would have to be compared to other Tbirds.
Back then my family had some pretty strong ties to a number of racers, owners and crew chiefs. And if the Tbird os compared to the chevys, buicks and olds of the day...yep. The 84-86 and 87-90 Tbirds were designed with NASCAR in mind. Back then it had to lowest aero drag numbers in wind tunnel testing too. But it did fit the templates and while some areas may have been massaged it always passed inspection

Dad was racing an 84Tbird late model back then and more than a few parts came from the Elliott's as well as some others who were running Fords.

I had read way back that the T-bird was shaped more like a bean with rounded sides where GM's were more squared with flat sides. With the B pillar being the widest point on the T-bird. Anyone hear of this?

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Ok maybe "most" is an exaggeration. But after reading every post again this morning I get the feeling that some on here would be OK with the series dying. I'm not OK with that. My love for the sport has faded quite a bit in recent years but still a fan.

I think we are all in the same boat as you honestly. I don’t want it to die, but I also don’t want the insane amount of rules, a playoff that rewards running good at a couple tracks, and drivers being fined every time they argue, and all the cars practically being the same with different bodies. I’m still a fan, but I’m glad to see the struggling so maybe they will revert back to the old ways.

 

[JCSR]

I think we are all in the same boat as you honestly. I don’t want it to die, but I also don’t want the insane amount of rules, a playoff that rewards running good at a couple tracks, and drivers being fined every time they argue, and all the cars practically being the same with different bodies. I’m still a fan, but I’m glad to see the struggling so maybe they will revert back to the old ways.

I wish the NASCAR admins would listen to the drivers and the fans and make positive changes. It seems all they want to do is put bandaids on the obvious problems. I think the big TV contracts are part of the problem. Nascar has guaranteed money coming in and aren't relying on the fan's support.

 

[thunderchicken]

I had read way back that the T-bird was shaped more like a bean with rounded sides where GM's were more squared with flat sides. With the B pillar being the widest point on the T-bird. Anyone hear of this?

This is accurate. The rounded wheel wells on the fenders and quarters were slightly massaged to have a little additional flare to help cut through the air. In the mid 80s Ford really was way ahead of the Gm stuff when it came to Aerodynamics

 

[thunderchicken]

I wish the NASCAR admins would listen to the drivers and the fans and make positive changes. It seems all they want to do is put bandaids on the obvious problems. I think the big TV contracts are part of the problem. Nascar has guaranteed money coming in and aren't relying on the fan's support.

I'm sure big money from tv contracts is a huge factor. But whenever you put people in charge and they run with their ideas all too often they have too much personal attachment to try and see it through, right wrong or indifferent. Nothing but pushing their little agendas