WTG SCHUMI

[funked]

RAM, CART competes on several street circuits which are just as narrow and twisting as Monaco.  They also race on classical road courses in the countryside, small ovals (1 mile), and superspeedways (2+ mile).  There's no other racing series like it.  The champion must master 4 distinct styles of racing in order to prevail.

I think Montoya will be next CART champion (after Villeneuve) to go to Europe and show F-1 how to race.  

[hblair]

Only thing wrong with that funked is they are boring as hell to watch.    How many people know who Montoya is? vs. how many people know who gordon or earnhardt is? (in the US anyways)

Don't get me wrong, I like open wheeled racing, but it just doesn't have the fan appeal that something like nascar has, where they are actually racing for position the whole race long. True, CART cars are much more advanced technologically, but people don't care, they watch winston cup because the racing is better. Anyways, thats what NASCAR is.  

If I wanna see some speed, I go to the atlanta dragway when they have a NHRA meet. If you haven't seen two 5000+ hp cars run 310mph in less than 5 secs, you haven't lived.  

[MrLars]

 

Originally posted by hblair:
Lars, you forgot to put in there something called p-a-s-s-i-n-g.

 

Gas?
 
Lars

[Naso]

Hakkinen, Mc Laren, take this.  

[Staga]

 

Originally posted by funked:
RAM, CART competes on several street circuits which are just as narrow and twisting as Monaco.

Narrow and twisting? Add few jumps and you got a Isle of Man TT  
(Those guys are searching sudden death IMO)

Airborne 750cc Honda

[Lephturn]

Staga, that is a funny clip.  

A bit about aerodynamic vs. mechanical grip.  Nascar almost completely mechanical grip through the tires, and that makes suspension setup critical.  F1 on the other hand generates most of it's grip using aerodynamics.  The problem is that when one F1 car goes through the air, they stir the air all up and make it turbulent.  This turbulent air doesn't flow right over the wings and through the undertray, so the following car instantly has less grip than the leading one.  Not just by a little bit either, the following car loses a LOT of grip in F1 right now.  Witness Mika unable to pass a MINARDI for THREE LAPS at the US GP!

If you want to make the racing closer and make passing more common, you reduce the reliance of the cars on aerodynamic grip.  The track is the same for all, so it doesn't cause the same problems.  If F1 did something as simple as outlawing undertrays, F1 would instantly get more competitive.  With less aerodynamics, they could go back to running full slicks and still be safe.

An additional benefit of relying mostly on mechanical grip is that the speed of the cars ends up depending more on chassy setup and driver input into the setup process.  The way it is now, a good aero designer (read Adrian Newey) can make a car "the car to beat" with mostly aero parts.  That's all fine and good, but it decreases the ammount of input the mechanics and team have into the speed of the car on race day.  Cars that rely mostly on mechanical grip will not only be more competitive with each other, but there will be more variance in which cars are fast on a given day.

Sure, some tracks like Monaco will always be very tough to pass on, but racing overall would be much closer.  Even at a place like Monaco, if you had cars that were mostly reliant on mechanical grip, it wouldn't always be the same damn 4 cars qualifying up front.

All of these things would make F1 more fun to watch, without compromising saftey. IMNSHO.  I'm speaking as a former racing driver and chassy tuner here.  Now if only somebody would grab Max Mosely (head of the FIA) and explain these things to him!  (Maybe using a big stick.)  

------------------
Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com


"My P-47 is a pretty good ship, she took a round coming 'cross the Channel last trip.
Just thinking 'bout my baby and lettin' her rip, always got me through so far."
 - Steve Earl

[funked]

Hblair whatever...

You like amateur football so that kind of puts your opinions in perspective.

 

[hblair]

lol funked, figured you'd like that one hehe. I can't dispute the amateur football thing. I pull for alabama, and they are playing like amateurs this year.  

[This message has been edited by hblair (edited 09-26-2000).]

[jmccaul]

*cough* Nigel Mansell *cough*

[funked]

Good point Jmmcaul.  Nigel dominated F-1 in 1992, then came to CART in 1993 and barely won the title.  Then in 1994 he was an also-ran and went home with his tail between his legs.

[Sundog]

Hey funked..I missed ya this time! I was seated in the Paddock section (Section 41)...I was totally unprepared for how cool those F1 cars sound when they scream out of the pits....and the sound (Almost like a small explosion) when they shift the gears.

I was really hoping Jacques would grab third, for old times sake, but Heinz Harold Frentzen is a good driver and deserved third.
CART and F1 are my two favorite racing series. I wish cart would use a drag race start like F1 though.

As for Schumi, I have seen him do stupid stuff (like you guys mentioned) that doesn't reflect on him well. However, after that race a few years back (When that guy Damon Hill was still racing      ) I remember Schumi driving at SPA in the pouring rain, passing all the other drivers, who were on rain tires, while he was on slicks. To me, that truly demonstrated the man's talent as a driver.

I am glad to see Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard being able to take Schumi and Rubens Barrichello on. To bad Coulthard jumped the start though. I didn't know that was why he went in the pits twice (Once for black flag and once for 'dry' tires)at the beginning.

We will have to designate an `AH' seating section at Indy for the next race (That beer stand near turn 1 or one on the infield?      )

edit: Oh, BTW, Montoya is supposed to be driving for Williams next year. Also, for those who didn't already know, Bobby Rahal will be running the Jaguar F1 Team next year.

[This message has been edited by Sundog (edited 09-26-2000).]

[Wanker]

Funked, Could you order a ticket for me, please. If I have the ticket, I can talk the wife into letting me go for a weekend!  

[funked]

banana I'll send you email about the tickets.

Sundog too bad I missed ya!
Isn't that sound SOMETHING ELSE?  It sounds like monsters or something.  I've heard them at Indy, Montreal, and Phoenix, and this was by far the best sound because of how the buildings made it echo.  Now if they can just get rid of turns 9 and 10 and make turn 8 connect directly to turn 12, I think we'll have a really great track.

I'll definitely post on the BBS next year, and maybe we all can meet somewhere for beers.  I know some WarBirds guys went too.

[Dowding]

 

My second point is that NOTHING compares to 22 F-1 cars SCREAMING past at 220 mph. NOTHING!

[/b]

How about watching a high speed train funked?  

I've watched formula 1 on and off the screen - its expensive compared to other motorsports. British Touring Car is better, and used to be a lot, lot better.

If you want to see some real nutters risking life, and quite often, limb, go to the Isle of Mann TT. Insanity is not the word - beats Formula 1, Indycar, NASCAR hands down every time.

Nigel Mansell's achievement was amazing considering the number of 'champion' Indycar drivers that have come over to Formula 1 and been utter toejame.

Shame old Nige was a bit dull - but racing drivers always remind me of astronauts (brave, capable but dull as hell).

AKDeja - I guess the no rain/oval racing is pretty sensible.

[jmccaul]

I beleive the americans got wind he was a Luftwaffe fan and whipped up a massive consipirocy so his car was not competitive.

Don't you hate it when that happens  (ram, fishu etc.)