NASCAR

[flabbybody]

what am I missing here? why is this sport so popular in this country? The Yankee-Red Sox game is over and I'm watching cars that all look alike driving endlessly and aimlessly around an oval highway going nowhere.

Are the spectators waiting for a crash? Is a racecar driver an athlete? Someone needs to explain this to me.
I must say that girl driver is very cute, but she's not in the race I'm watching.

[rick_932]

i have no idea why NASCAR is so popular. i have no idea why its considered a sport. all youre doing is driving around in circles for a couple hours

[Spiderman]

Yeah i live in talladega,al and i hate when the race is here too many rednecks and the traffic is a bitch!

[brickcitybrother]

Well I am not here to sing Nascar's praise but I will add my two cents. Auto racing in general in incredibly popular. The top sports earner on the planet is probably someone must of the board has not heard of: Michael Schumacher. He races a Formula One Ferrari and regularly beats Tiger Woods in pay and endorsements. In fact, Formula One racing is the most watched sport WORLDWIDE - even though it does not have a big audience in the US.

As someone who used to watch NASCAR I think its the constant action that draws the fans. Like other sports, there are so many teams to choose from - Dominant Front Runners and Back of the Pack hopefuls. Plus, it isn't until the checkered flag is flown until a winner is known (that's unlike the majority of sports). I am sure, the occasional pile-up adds to the excitement, tension and ultimately the fun.

As far as fitness - I don't think the Nascar guys are fat slobs, in fact given what they have to do - they do undergo some training. Given that I think there are higher forms of motor racing in the US - CART and IRL (too bad for the split) I that as the drivers move up - so does their fitness. To reference Formula One again - I know because of the stresses and strains on the drivers - due to the G-forces experienced - the Top Drivers are in incredible shape. In fact, Jeff Gordon when given the chance to test drive an F1 car - made too telling comments: The first about the power of the car and the second about his neck hurting from the g-forces after only 5 laps.

Oh well. I hope that helps.

[TgirlloverinPA]

Isn't there an engergy crisis in this country? I know one way to help, outlaw NASCAR, and their fans.

[djlindy5763]

Do you get extra points for executing a better left turn than the next guy??

[NickTheQuick]

...

[LG]

How would a NASCAR fan go about explaining their passion? Something like this maybe:

Him: Dude, dude, you gotta come watch this! It's amazing! These guys in cool clothes get into cool looking American cars and they drive around really fast and it's so cool!

You:Where do they go?

Him: Around. And round and round and round. And they go really fast.

You: Do they ever get anywhere?

Him: No, but sometimes they get killed. But hey, it's cool...

You: Yeah, right....


To me, NASCAR makes as much sense as smoking cigarettes and is almost as dangerous. You put a rolled up pile of leaves in your mouth, light it up, and hope you don't get cancer. Or: Some guys drive around a track really fast. Then they drive around again. Then they crash. Great fun.

Actually, I don't really like sports where the fans can never get a chance to play on their own level. True, I'll never be a Maradona, Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, but at least I can, if I want, have a kickabout, try my hand at golf or shoot some hoops with my friends. These sports, as well as quasi-sports like clay pidgeon shooting, bowling and snooker are accessible to all. But NASCAR and Formula 1 are not. Not only will the vast majority of us never be Michael Schumacher, but we will never get to drive a Ferrari really fast around a track. The true attraction of a sport is in participating, not in merely spectating. Call it jealousy 'cause I can't afford a Ferrari if you really want (it isn't, though I'd love a Ferrari), but I refuse to watch a sport that I cannot take part in on my own level.

[Vicki Richter]

I am like the shemale version of Kurt Busch.

[skyler]

I am like the shemale version of Kurt Busch.

:D

[davemaine]

NOt saying anyone is rightor wrong that has posted but being a fan and a racer myself thereis an excitment to the sport if you know what you are looking for and it's not just the wrecks. Backa couple of years ago the racing was better now but with a ton of rules they have it's made it pretty boring to watchi these days .. just my 2cents...

[Vicki Richter]

Dating someone who was from Indiana makes a huge difference if you aren't a fan of the sport. For example, I would keep proposing all these crazy new rules like, "let them have unlimited horsepower in their cars, nitrous, etc, let them have 100 gallon gas tanks, have them run 50 mile heats without pitting." You know, I would propose to him almost anything to keep the cars driving around in a circle without stopping constantly. But eventually you learn that the whole pit stop thing is part of the sport and there are all these little strategic nuances that get you.

[NickTheQuick]

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