Self-Driving Cars are here: Implications for racing?

2

29-4

Team Owner
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
1,134
Points
243
This article says Uber is implementing self-driving technology in Pittsburgh this month:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...eet-arrives-in-pittsburgh-this-month-is06r7on

Self-driving cars are no longer some far off pipe-dream. I wonder what this will mean for car racing? When people can no longer relate to driving a car, will they stop caring about those who can do it with skill?

I've worried for a decade that this will be the final death knell of autoracing. Do you guys agree?
 
I'd watch DL cars if the cars are sponsored, fans are in the stands and the race is on ABC with Bob Jenkins
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I fear the thought of sharing the road with this technology. The Pittsburgh area is a location that I drive on fairly often basis.
Click to expand...
In the long run, I don't fear it as much as I currently fear sharing the road with the drunks and the texters and the video watchers and ...

The key phrase is "In the long run...", once they get the bugs beat out.

Long term effects on racing? None.
 
29-4 said:
Whether it is safe right now or not, they will eventually get the technology right. The era of human drivers on the road is probably coming to an end in the next 15-20 years.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't count on that. The auto manufacturers and auto insurers will have a big say (lots of lobby money) in this once they figure out that people will stop buying and insuring cars because, hey "I wasn't driving it! I don't even have a license."

Plus there will always be that crowd that won't step foot in one of these things without having some control over the vehicle, i.e. I'm not getting in a vehicle that goes 75 mph and I can't override the computer and steer it on my own in an instant.
 
If NASCAR gets patent it could still survive driverless,s the driverless cars could still go fast and need new tires!
 
Teams will save a ton of money in drivers salaries . I think most of it should be reinvested in driver development .
 
It will be like robot wars where NASCAR determnies the speed and line of the cars, maybe not a bad thing at this point.
 
Something I didn't mention. This will lead to redesigned cars that don't lend themselves to driving. Below is Mercedes concept for a driverless car: The 'stock' will have to come out of stock car racing.
Mercedes-Benz-F-015-Luxury-in-Motion-Concept-1.jpg
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I fear the thought of sharing the road with this technology. The Pittsburgh area is a location that I drive on fairly often basis.
Click to expand...
I'd rather share the road with one of these as opposed to the person driving down the road smoking a cigarette and talking on their phone while trying to pass out Happy Meals to the six screaming kids in the back or the person putting on make up and eating breakfast while driving in morning rush hour.
 
utvol0427 said:
I'd rather share the road with one of these as opposed to the person driving down the road smoking a cigarette and talking on their phone while trying to pass out Happy Meals to the six screaming kids in the back or the person putting on make up and eating breakfast while driving in morning rush hour.
Click to expand...
You see, that's where we differ, I'd rather share the road with the person driving down the road smoking a cigarette and talking on their phone while trying to pass out Happy Meals to the six screaming kids in the back or the person putting on make up and eating breakfast while driving in morning rush hour. I think I trust that person more.
 
29-4 said:
This article says Uber is implementing self-driving technology in Pittsburgh this month:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...eet-arrives-in-pittsburgh-this-month-is06r7on

Self-driving cars are no longer some far off pipe-dream. I wonder what this will mean for car racing? When people can no longer relate to driving a car, will they stop caring about those who can do it with skill?

I've worried for a decade that this will be the final death knell of autoracing. Do you guys agree?
Click to expand...

Self driving cars cannot be good for any racing series, IMO.
 
Self driving are here yes, but they are just getting started, they have not replaced more than half of the cars on the road world wide yet, when that happens, then maybe this thread might have some legitimacy to it.

And self driving cars does not mean that racing is going to have self driving race cars, just silly.
 
I can't see it as far as racing, but I guess it is possible. For regular use I can't see it, but my youngest son can't wait for the day that we have self driving cars.
 
LewTheShoe said:
We still race horses, although they are not too useful for daily transport.
Click to expand...
Well said.

I think my generation would rather play on their phones than drive cars. My girlfriend acts like driving five minutes to McDonalds is an endurance challenge on par with the 12 Hours of Sebring. IMO, driverless cars are coming and be a big deal. There are lots of people who'd rather play Pokemon Go- although hopefully we'll always be allowed to drive ourselves if we want. I admit Ford's announcement that they'll make that city commuter car with no steering wheel or pedals is a bit concerning. The insurance companies will be for it because eventually it'll be safer than the average idiot driving. Like Lew says, I think motorsports will always have a driver just like horse racing is still a thing. I suspect Formula E or something will evolve into a driverless series so we can watch the best driverless software compete (al a Robot Wars).
 
jws926 said:
Self driving are here yes, but they are just getting started, they have not replaced more than half of the cars on the road world wide yet, when that happens, then maybe this thread might have some legitimacy to it.

And self driving cars does not mean that racing is going to have self driving race cars, just silly.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for Nascar they are doing a great job of alienating fans in longstanding while not attracting new fans without the aid of self driving cars. Most of Nascar's current audience will be pushing up daisies by the time self driving cars are the norm.
 
29-4 said:
This article says Uber is implementing self-driving technology in Pittsburgh this month:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...eet-arrives-in-pittsburgh-this-month-is06r7on

Self-driving cars are no longer some far off pipe-dream. I wonder what this will mean for car racing? When people can no longer relate to driving a car, will they stop caring about those who can do it with skill?

I've worried for a decade that this will be the final death knell of autoracing. Do you guys agree?
Click to expand...
OH Christ, They just put "EFI" in these cars, and your're talking of self driving cars:owquitit:
 
KevinWI said:
Well said.

I think my generation would rather play on their phones than drive cars. My girlfriend acts like driving five minutes to McDonalds is an endurance challenge on par with the 12 Hours of Sebring. IMO, driverless cars are coming and be a big deal. There are lots of people who'd rather play Pokemon Go- although hopefully we'll always be allowed to drive ourselves if we want. I admit Ford's announcement that they'll make that city commuter car with no steering wheel or pedals is a bit concerning. The insurance companies will be for it because eventually it'll be safer than the average idiot driving. Like Lew says, I think motorsports will always have a driver just like horse racing is still a thing. I suspect Formula E or something will evolve into a driverless series so we can watch the best driverless software compete (al a Robot Wars).
Click to expand...

Some of the younger people are funny as they will spend hours on a bike or in a kayak and think nothing of it but plop them in a car and they become surely and bored. When I was coming up every boy was more excited about getting a car and a license then a girl was at a Beatles concert but the worm has turned. Nascar is in the unenviable position of providing a product that is searching for an audience but seem paralyzed in finding and/or maintaining that audience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bob
Skoalbandit33 said:
Some of the younger people are funny as they will spend hours on a bike or in a kayak and think nothing of it but plop them in a car and they become surely and bored. When I was coming up every boy was more excited about getting a car and a license then a girl was at a Beatles concert but the worm has turned. Nascar is in the unenviable position of providing a product that is searching for an audience but seem paralyzed in finding and/or maintaining that audience.
Click to expand...
Times and interests change.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Times and interests change.
Click to expand...

I worked in places where the air was always blue with cigarette smoke as it seemed over half the people huffed and puffed. It was normal to drink over your lunch hour and maybe even return to work a little tipsy and it was no big deal but you would get fired for that now and maybe even get a DUI driving back to work. People used to go on picnics, go across the street when a neighbor got a new car, drive to what seemed to be the hinterlands to the new shopping mall. Going over to someone's house to listen to their new LP or 45 was fun as was listening to AM radio. As you said times and interests change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom