Why is drag racing cool/fun?

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Shadow248

Drag racing requires just as much skill as driving any course. I know this from experience. All of my professional driving training is in driving road courses and cone courses. I've had to learn drag racing on my own. There is alot more to it than you think.

ok, please elaborate. i could be wrong, but i think its: light goes green, release brake, mash gas, keep steering wheel straight, (hit teh NAAAAWWS if you have it), brake.

Your example works both ways. I could put all the suspension goodies in my car, spend lots of money on handling and aerodynamics, and still get beat by the guy with the new stock Z06. So is he a better racer than me?

not necessarily. a good driver can beat a guy with less skill in a "better" car on a autoX/road course. not so much the case in drag racing, unless the guy in the better car is setting their watch when the go light comes on.

[NapaBavarian]

Originally Posted by Shadow248

Sure a car that can turn is nice, but in America it's all about power. Big power. You have it or you don't. Stop whining.

In your America, but I think you ment USA, Where I come from a lot of guys actually like the corners.

[NapaBavarian]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

I drag race mainly for three reasons:

1) It's fun and I get to chat with gearheads like myself for hours at the track...

2) It let's me know if the mods I'm doing on my car are having a +ve impact on performance...

3) It's relaxing. Kinda like fishing. You wait around for over an hour (sometimes several hours) for just a few seconds of action. That waiting time is boring for some, but I use it to relax, chat or read a book.

-Chike

Don't you auto-X too?

[SVXRide]

That would be me

My 2 cents worth...


Drag racing (specifically, bracket racing) and autocrossing (with specific SCCA classes) is all about heads up skill. The brackets and classes are meant to normalize the cars and put the emphasis on the person driving the car. In this sense, you're competing with yourself -- you want to have each run faster than the previous one. And the nice thing is, you get to go fast in a controlled environment with no possibility of getting a ticket!!

-Bill

[NapaBavarian]

Originally Posted by SVXRide

That would be me

My 2 cents worth...


Drag racing (specifically, bracket racing) and autocrossing (with specific SCCA classes) is all about heads up skill. The brackets and classes are meant to normalize the cars and put the emphasis on the person driving the car. In this sense, you're competing with yourself -- you want to have each run faster than the previous one. And the nice thing is, you get to go fast in a controlled environment with no possibility of getting a ticket!!

-Bill

What he said I would put bracket racing in a differen't class than lets-see-who-is-faster drag racing because you gotta guess the result and get closest to it without going over (it is over isn't it, or is it under?), now that takes skill

It's like skydiving... you either understand it or you don't. Those who do understand it need not question their motives. Those who don't understand it need not either.

This was the kind of response I was hoping to avoid. When people say things like, "If you have to ask, you'll never know." I find it to be quite stupid. Most of the time when I do ask about something I don't understand, I end up understanding it in the end, so their comments are greatly unneeded and unappreciated.

For the life of me I cannot understand why drag racing is so dumb while driving in a circle (or a course with more turns which is really just an elaborate circle) is "cool". Basically you're saying either 1 - my car is not fast enough to hang with the big boys, so i'm just going to drive in a circle and tell myself that's important or 2 - i'm too much of a *insert female sex organ* to handle cars with real power, so i'm just going to drive in a circle and tell myself that's more important.

Usually when someone makes a reply like you did, they follow it up with some sort of degrading like you did. That also isn't needed or appreciated. Both of your excuses you made could just as easily be turned back to drag racing, so why even make them? My car does not handle well enough to hang with the big boys, so I'm going to drive in a straight line and tell myself that's important. I'm too much of a pussy to have a car that turns, so I'm just going to drive in a straight line and tell myself that's more important. These types of comments were not what I was looking for. I wasn't trying to attack anyone, so why did you try to attack someone?

Like Chike said it's also a sense of accomplishment. Alot of guys put tons of work into their machines and nothing compares to finishing that work and seeing it come to fruition.

This however was what I was sort of looking for.

Sure a car that can turn is nice, but in America it's all about power. Big power. You have it or you don't. Stop whining.

Again, not what I was looking for.

For the sake of arguement, WRC isn't really circuit racing. There aren't laps, and the stages don't connect, so how is it a circuit? Anyway, this isn't what this topic is about.

What I'm seeing so far is that most people like it for the community.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by NapaBavarian

Don't you auto-X too?

I auto-x as well but haven't with my SVX... Since this threadis about drag racing, I was simply talking about what I liekd about doing just that.

I actually prefer track events at major racing venues over both autoX and drag racing. You hit 100+mph on the straights, threshold brake for decreasing radius turns and pretty much drive like a maniac for 20-30 minute intervals. Now that's a ton of fun!!!

-Chike

[n00b on demand]

WRC is awesome....i can never get enough rallying. Mostly because our own brand is in it. Dont see Subaru doing anything else....but if they had to do something im glad its rallying.

[Shadow248]

Originally Posted by THAWA

This was the kind of response I was hoping to avoid. When people say things like, "If you have to ask, you'll never know." I find it to be quite stupid. Most of the time when I do ask about something I don't understand, I end up understanding it in the end, so their comments are greatly unneeded and unappreciated.

You knew what kind of response you were going to get, and you and I both know why you started this thread, so don't put this on me.

Originally Posted by THAWA

Usually when someone makes a reply like you did, they follow it up with some sort of degrading like you did. That also isn't needed or appreciated.

Usually when I bring up anything other than import praise on this site, i get a degrading reply. I'm tired of the attitudes of people with slow cars who act like they're the shiznit anyway. If your car isn't fast, that's not a reflection of you, so don't take it personally and try to put down people who have fast cars. I don't look at people with slow cars as anything but people, that is until they open their mouths. All I ever get on this site is grief "oh but my car can HANDLE" guess what, so can mine...it just goes faster in a straight line. Now I get this "what's the big deal about drag racing" baloney. What's the big deal about ANY racing? Different people like different things. You can't get the thrill of covering a lot of ground in an insanely short period of time on a circuit like you can on the strip. The best handling cars out there produce jsut over 1g in turns...some drag cars produc 5-6g's...so how can you not see that as one hell of a ride?

Originally Posted by THAWA

Both of your excuses you made could just as easily be turned back to drag racing, so why even make them?

True, but there's a problem...when you turn them around, they don't make sense. Really loses impact that way.

Basically my advice to you is, if you are set in the mentality that alot of the members of this board are - i.e. "any car can go fast in a straight line, it takes a real car to handle" then find someone who will give you a ride in a car that runs 12's or better on the strip, and after a ride or two, I guarantee you'll have a new appreciation for drag racing.

[n00b on demand]

One of the real joys of drag racing is just knowing that all the hard work you put into your car is paying off because it is performing well. I personally dont like drag racing....but i do understand the thrill. I am more of a WRC type person and would do anything to get to rally. Unfortunatley i dont have a manual tranny and i have a big heavy SVX

[NapaBavarian]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

I auto-x as well but haven't with my SVX... Since this threadis about drag racing, I was simply talking about what I liekd about doing just that.

I actually prefer track events at major racing venues over both autoX and drag racing. You hit 100+mph on the straights, threshold brake for decreasing radius turns and pretty much drive like a maniac for 20-30 minute intervals. Now that's a ton of fun!!!

-Chike

My point was Ballance, not puting drag racing on a podium(sp?) and while major track events are more fun arn't they more $$$ too? More that auto-X can be more availible to general public and first timers.

Originally Posted by Shadow248

You knew what kind of response you were going to get, and you and I both know why you started this thread, so don't put this on me.

I'm glad you can make assumptions about things. Too bad your assumption was wrong. I wasn't trying to start any ****. I honestly wanted to understand why people like it.

Usually when I bring up anything other than import praise on this site, i get a degrading reply. I'm tired of the attitudes of people with slow cars who act like they're the shiznit anyway. If your car isn't fast, that's not a reflection of you, so don't take it personally and try to put down people who have fast cars. I don't look at people with slow cars as anything but people, that is until they open their mouths. All I ever get on this site is grief "oh but my car can HANDLE" guess what, so can mine...it just goes faster in a straight line. Now I get this "what's the big deal about drag racing" baloney. What's the big deal about ANY racing? Different people like different things. You can't get the thrill of covering a lot of ground in an insanely short period of time on a circuit like you can on the strip. The best handling cars out there produce jsut over 1g in turns...some drag cars produc 5-6g's...so how can you not see that as one hell of a ride?

You're not adding anything productive to this topic with all this crap. I don't care if you don't like other people. I'm not trying to make this into a drag vs other kinds of racing thread. I don't really care about that. Do you even know how I feel about other types of racing? No you don't so stop making stupid assumptions.

True, but there's a problem...when you turn them around, they don't make sense. Really loses impact that way.

Makes plenty of sense to me. Whatever though, either you understand it or you don't, nothing wrong with that.

Basically my advice to you is, if you are set in the mentality that alot of the members of this board are - i.e. "any car can go fast in a straight line, it takes a real car to handle" then find someone who will give you a ride in a car that runs 12's or better on the strip, and after a ride or two, I guarantee you'll have a new appreciation for drag racing.

THIS ISNT WHAT THIS TOPIC IS ABOUT. You assumed this, and now you're making an ass out of yourself. I understand that by continueing this arguement I am making just as much of an ass out of myself aswell, but I don't care. I want to get my point across.

THIS TOPIC ISN'T A DRAG VS OTHER TYPES

I am trying to figure out why people like drag racing. Your comment about the accomplishment was what I was looking for. Your comments about people complaning and pussys and whatever was not what I was looking for. I'm not trying to personally attack you or anything, and you can continue to try to argue about people complaining and pussys and all that, but I'm not going to respond anymore, and I'd appreciate it if you would not either. If you'd like a thread like that I can surely make one, or you could aswell. I'm sure you think I'm some stereotypical "2nr boi" who thinks v8's are big and stupid and a vtec honda is golden, or straight line racing is boring and stupid, and autocrossing is super mad crazy fun. But if that is what you're thinking, and it sounds like that to me, you are greatly mistaken. I think I need to say this again. I am trying to understand why people like drag racing. It's no different than trying to understand why some people like to read books, or watch movies, or go bike riding, or play soccer, or go fishing. I'm not trying to compare and contrast two things, nor am I trying to say one is better than the other. I hope you can understand what I am saying as in retrospec I can see how it could be miscontrued.

[NapaBavarian]

Mr shadow dosn't seem to like or want to own subarus, esp SVXes, so why is he here? To put us lowly carve-a-curve-in-the-rain guys in our place?

[NikFu S.]

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