Sodium and water

[Ron Mummert]

Now my idea of a good race was when it was called "stock car racing" & a '53 Hudson could send a '55 Chevy into the wall on a round track made of gravel & beer cans. No sponsors, no big bucks, & the only rule was all cars were recommended to travel in the same direction.

....and demolition derby!!! What a cargasm!

What I'd pay to see. Give all the best F1 drivers a stock Toyota Camry & turn 'em loose at Laguna Seca.

Ron (hmmmmm....autocross on artificial turf)?

When considering NASCAR, most people think only of it being one big left turn, forgetting Watkins Glen and Sears Point. The speed at which those drivers all manage to run those road courses has never failed to amaze me.

And for those of you who have never seen a sprint car race, there is a sprint show at Williams Grove Speedway near Mechanicsburg, PA on Fri. April 16.

Once you've seen one of these shows, you'll understand why drivers such as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Lloyd Ruby were as fast in Ford GT40s at LeMans as they were in open wheel cars on ovals.

[SVXphile]

<I seriously doubt a front-running/funded NASCAR team would have a driver with a speech impediment because of the impact to sponsor PR. Michael in F-1 won't interview on Speed because of an exclusive German TV contract....>

I don't know Lee, some folks hear us southerners talk and they think we HAVE an impediment!

Listening to Bill Elliot....or my personal favorite Ward Burton....
is a true joy. No one on the planet can use less energy to talk than Ward can!

Yeah, I heard about that contract deal that keeps Michael from interviews. It may be why he can check into his hotel at Indianapolis unnoticed. Of course, he probably counts that as a HUGE blessing compared with back in Europe. One thing you have to say about the drivers in this country....whatever the series or type....they are accessable to the fans. Too much sometimes (Steward awhile back) but they consider it their duty to the fans. Way cool....

Say, I'm envious of those that got to CLIMB to the top of the lighthouse, but just getting to see it....and thanks again so much....was a real treat. We may be coming back that way later in the year....if we do, I'll give you a ring.

Don

[SVXphile]

<Once you've seen one of these shows, you'll understand why drivers such as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Lloyd Ruby were as fast in Ford GT40s at LeMans as they were in open wheel cars on ovals>

Dan, I agree with you 100%. I have held this opinion for years....if you can handle a overpowered short-wheelbase car on DIRT, you can drive anything. Your statement is an excellent example. If Foyt had raced in Europe as a young man instead of America....and if he could have found a team owner who he could get along with (!)....he would have been up there with the greats in F1. Look what Gurney did with a car of his own design! He and Foyt at LeMans.....classic! Did you know that the first person ever to spray the crowd with champagne from the podium (after that LeMans victory) was Gurney?

When Mario came over to F1 and I watched him race the Lotus, I honestly thought Ronnie Peterson, his teammate, was the faster driver. Team orders meant Ronnie circled around behind Mario faithfully....when he probably could have passed and won. I think Mario was so shaken by Ronnie's death at Monza because he KNEW THAT... deep inside... and knew that Ronnie never complained about it...he was the perfect teammate. A slightly younger Mario would have held his own against anyone. That black John Player Lotus was so advanced, almost any driver that year could have driven it to victories. I remember reading about Mario complaining that the Brabham fan car (Niki Lauda) was sucking up gravel and spraying it back into Mario's face! It was the only time the Lotus was seriously threatened on the track that year, and I guess Mario was not used to looking at the rear end of someone else's car! Not to matter....they outlawed the fan car very quickly! But back to your statement. Fans were stunned last year when Gordon, Johnson, and Edwards went over to the Race of Champions in the Grand Canary Islands....and beat Europe's best. To me, it just confirmed my theories about those that learn to drive on dirt. I honestly think that Tony Stewart is probably one of the best all-round driver in the world today. (learned on dirt) I wish a F1 team would offer him a test, but it won't happen for many reasons. A last minute break at Daytona cost him (and Dale Jr. too!) a win at the Rolex 24 hours. Tony had never raced in the rain before and still was fastest on the team in the rain I believe. Dale Sr. had a blast driving the Corvette at the Rolex just days before he died. He said he enjoyed it so much, he wished he had tried it sooner. The team said he could drive for them ANY time. He more than held his own with the regulars. What might have been...

Gordon (learned on dirt) came within a few seconds of qualifying times at Indy the FIRST TIME he drove Montoya's year-old Williams. Just imagine if he had had some....practice?

Niki Lauda was asked once what his secret was to his success.
He said he had a sensitive butt.

I think dirt drivers develop sensitve butts!

Don

[SVXphile]

<Now my idea of a good race was when it was called "stock car racing" & a '53 Hudson could send a '55 Chevy into the wall on a round track made of gravel & beer cans. No sponsors, no big bucks, & the only rule was all cars were recommended to travel in the same direction.

....and demolition derby!!! What a cargasm!

What I'd pay to see. Give all the best F1 drivers a stock Toyota Camry & turn 'em loose at Laguna Seca.

Ron (hmmmmm....autocross on artificial turf)?>



Ha! (I think the name is Mazda Infinion Raceway now....or something like that...)

Now be careful Ron.....someone might confuse you with one of those bloodlusting Nascar fans!

Why not make it a "Figure 8" and really go for the jugular?

Don

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by SVXphile
Sorry Pockets....nothing personal here. You can take Nascar or leave it....that's certainly your choice. But this "intentional wrecking" thing (and I have heard it before) pisses me off almost as much as Nascar does you.

Don

Almost as much, huh? That must not be very much, then, because I wouldn't let NASCAR 'piss me off.' It's not worth it. I just choose not to watch it.

But I will say one thing (go ahead and laugh, because we all know I'm likely to go ahead ans say several 'one things'): the most recent major addition to NASCAR, which is the one thing the fans can't seem to stand, is the one thing that's most likely to make me watch it.

And that's Toyota. I'm thrilled to death that Toyota is in NASCAR. I hope that they do well. It looks like they made a good showing at their first truck series race. Next we need V8-powered Camrys winning at Lowe's.

And it's the general negative attitude (general enough for me to see it written about in articles) towards Toyota joining NASCAR that has me a little miffed. I mean, I can't imagine any manufacturer being given the shoulderi n F1.

Unless, of course, it was one which couldn't pay that $20m entry deposit.

[SVXphile]

<And I can't stand NASCAR. Nearly everything about it bothers the hell out of me. If it keeps going the way it's going, in less than ten years' time we'll be talking about NASCAR like we do the WWE. "Oh, come on - you know those races aren't real." >

Poor choice of words on my part I guess....if not "pissed off" then maybe "mildly irritated"?

Now we have something we can agree on, and that is the redneck attitude that some....I repeat SOME....have expressed about Toyota slipping into Nascar's bigger divisions. Jimmy Spencer's blast about "remember who bombed Pearl Harbor" was one of the biggest embarassments. Perhaps he should be told that the Dodge that he drives.....is owned by a GERMAN company? I think we fought them in WWII? Sheesh....

I would guess there are a LOT of Toyotas in a Nascar parking lot.
They are think as flies up here in the mountains....especially the trucks. They are built well....they LAST....and good ol' boys and girls drive them. I don't see any big problem EXCEPT...

....by Ford, Chevy and Dodge fans that are WORRIED SILLY.

Toyota today reminds me of Honda 20 years ago....they don't do anything in racing halfway. Keep an eye on their F1 team....in another year or two they will be right with the big boys.

Darrell Waltrip has a Toyota truck. Darrell bleeds red-white-and blue. If Darrell sees no problem... no one but competitors will see much of a problem either. But this is like breaking into a very exclusive club....the Detroit Club. It's like women on the PGA...some are not going to like it.
The big three will be looking over their sholders though.....or more likely, through their front windscreen...at any Toyota entry. Those folks are dedicated...they had to build a antique overhead valve racing engine from scratch. (remember when Penske did the same thing and built a "stockblock" Mercedes to win Indy?)

Not this year....but I see a Toyota championship truck next year.

Don

[Ron Mummert]

Why not make it a "Figure 8" and really go for the jugular?

Don [/B][/QUOTE]


I like that idea, Don. Let's call it the Extreme Chicken circuit,
with Ford Pintos being a real crowd pleaser when run in reverse.

Ron (Rollerball was for wimps).

[LarryIII]

Here's a suggestion.

Let NASCAR buy Indy cars. Then they must put trailer towing hitches on them. Then they attach Airstream trailers to the back of the Indy cars. An airstream trailer has alot of surface area to clearly display sponsor logo decals. This could be a real money maker.
They race the cars w/trailers at Nascar high speed tracks like Daytona, Darlington & Dover.
They can call it the "Trailer Park Racing Series."
You can't get more red, white, & blue than that.

I can just see the U-Haul & Spalco teams battling down to the wire for the coveted "Trailer Park Hookup Trophy" , presented by "Miss Trailer Park", of course.

The winning team does not get to meet the president at the White House or go to Disney World. Instead, they make a special guest appearance on the Jerry Springer show.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by SVXphile
Toyota today reminds me of Honda 20 years ago....they don't do anything in racing halfway. Keep an eye on their F1 team....in another year or two they will be right with the big boys.

I've been watching the Toyota team, absorbing every bit of info I could about them, since they announced that they'd be coming to F1.

They're definitely going about it the right way and it's absolutely a long-term commitment from them. They've hired some fantastic people and they've built one hell of a team. Their methodical march up the grid spells doom for the top four, in my opinion.

After watching the team so closely, being at Indy for their first top-three qualifying result was awesome. I hope to be there for their first podium, too. Of course, if it comes earlier, I won't complain.

Blah, the real sport is lawn tractor racing. If you go past it while channel surfing, remember I told you to watch it. You will be glued to the action.

[SVXphile]

<Blah, the real sport is lawn tractor racing>

I'd like to try that sometime....but I'm afraid I just couldn't cut it.



Don

[SVXphile]

<Then they attach Airstream trailers to the back of the Indy cars. An airstream trailer has alot of surface area to clearly display sponsor logo decals. This could be a real money maker>

My Mom and Dad owned an Airstream when I was little. We took a trip to Key West in it. I have two memories of that trip...(1) I sassed my sister and had my mouth washed out with Ivory soap...and (2) we stopped at Marineland (long before SeaWorld) where some of the tanks were roped off because of a movie they were making there...

"Creature from the Black Lagoon"


Don

[Ron Mummert]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SVXphile
[B]<Blah, the real sport is lawn tractor racing>

I'd like to try that sometime....but I'm afraid I just couldn't cut it.



I hear the Japanese also have their version of lawn tractor racing.
















Toro, Toro, Toro!




Ron (My girlfriend ran off with a tractor salesman. Yup....I got a John Deere letter).

[lee]

I mean this sincerely, you're my hero...three in one post.

That one on the John Deere letter just mowed me down.

thanks.