How Times Have Changed

gnomesayin said:
Still talking only about average lap speeds as if that is what is being discussed.

I was watching some older Fontana videos the other day and noticed when they'd show the telemetry and speeds. In 2004 (pole speeds 186.940 and 187.417 for the record) the leaders were getting close to 210 at the end of the straights during the race. In 1997 it was at times approaching 205. For the bazillionth time, some people are watching with an interest in the skill involved with controlling a car that is scrubbing 30-40 MPH off in the corners.

For those that don't care about that, you're entitled to your opinion.
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Things were so great back then with the quest for high speed they only killed about 4 drivers on the track. I can give up a few miles per hour if it means no drivers get killed. Jeff Gordon had 2 accidents in his last 5 years that would have killed him in his early career.
Even drag racing had to change things because the cars were just to fast.
There comes a time when enough is just enough. I think Nascar would be about right at 650 - 700 HP, soft tires that wear out in a fuel run and downforce just enough you can make the corner if you know how to drive. BTW, I like the idea of Nascar cup drivers being able to shift gears at some tracks.
 
Team Penske said:
At some tracks. That's why I think those 1.5 mile tracks are to big for good stock car racing.
They were built for IRL
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“At some tracks”

We no ****. The engines still had the capacity for it. They werent gutted.
 
Team Penske said:
When you were an avid fan back when, the HP was 550 in the twisted sister car, so why is it so bad now?
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The problem isn’t so much the actual horsepower or the speed but what choking the engines down and turning the cars into slot cars has done. I would have more confidence in a 1965 Valient with a slant 6!
 
kyle18fan said:
Go outside, look up at the sky and scream very loudly until the neighbors call the cops, ask the cops who the moderator is and then they will take you to a nice hospital where you can rest for 72 hours ........... repeat as needed :D
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:D
 
I agree with what @gnomesayin was sayin’ about speed differentials and scrubbing off speed as it relates to Cali and other tracks.

I have no issue with anyone that prefers the glued to the ground, flat foot,momentum racing that is now prevalent. It isn’t for me but different strokes.

Way back when a car would go down a cylinder and get its doors blown off on the straightaway. However it would catch up in the corners as the driver was flat footing it and this lasted until the engine expired.

What is terribly misleading is using pole speeds and lap speeds to compare last year’s racing with this year’s. It speaks for itself.
 
I just went back and watched Newman turn a qualifying lap at Charlotte in 2003 where he reached 194 MPH in the entry and lifted all the way to the low 160s before he returned to the throttle.

By the way the scream of that engine was magnificent. We need that back. A big part of this sport is what you can see, smell and hear at the track.

 
AuzGrams said:
Good post about the phantom cautions. Good thing there's no invisibris cautions anymore.
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The phantom cautions were a black eye and an embarrassment to the series and I’m glad they no longer exist. The funny thing was that some people used to argue and make excuses that the debris was real etc. Everyone is onboard with it now though.
 
IanMcVittie said:
Pack racing is not my cup of tea but I sure don’t hate it nor do I think my feelings about it are bizarre. Words are used differently from what I’m used to. My buddy just got some dope wheels for his sick ride.
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Yeah, that was my attempt at being funny/smart ass in reference to a different thread.....(stay woke!)
 
AuzGrams said:
Good post about the phantom cautions. Good thing there's no invisibris cautions anymore.
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Yeah it is going to take some getting used too. There have been a couple of tires disintegrating this year on the track and they haven't thrown a flag and let the race run. I think it is a good idea if it affects the teams that gamble on running super low tire pressures.
 
Team Penske said:
Things were so great back then with the quest for high speed they only killed about 4 drivers on the track. I can give up a few miles per hour if it means no drivers get killed. Jeff Gordon had 2 accidents in his last 5 years that would have killed him in his early career.
Even drag racing had to change things because the cars were just to fast.
There comes a time when enough is just enough. I think Nascar would be about right at 650 - 700 HP, soft tires that wear out in a fuel run and downforce just enough you can make the corner if you know how to drive. BTW, I like the idea of Nascar cup drivers being able to shift gears at some tracks.
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BS.

The speed of the cars were not a factor in killing drivers. The evidence shows that even in Dale’s accident if he were traveling 80 MPH he’d have died.

The cause of death was lack of head/neck restraints in the car.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
BS.

The speed of the cars were not a factor in killing drivers. The evidence shows that even in Dale’s accident if he were traveling 80 MPH he’d have died.

The cause of death was lack of head/neck restraints in the car.
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Head restraints, soft walls, they all help to keep drivers safe. Now the stupid ones are real brave because they know they have a much better chance of being OK.
Each to his own.
 
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