Yahoo Autos Revved Up! Readers React to Week's Biggest Racing News
As we gear up for one of the busiest weekends in racing this year, with F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA and several other series all in action, here’s some of the best reader comments—as well as my take—from our most popular stories from the past week.
By the way, this is somewhat of an abbreviated version of our weekly mailbag. We will likely be skipping the next few weeks as we work on retooling the concept a bit. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please leave them in the comments below.
So without further adieu, let’s get REVVED UP!!
Why Current Era of NASCAR Cup Racing Might Be the Most Aggressive Ever
Readers Say:
• NREsq: I always like hearing older drivers say, "We used to respect each other." KB, now in his late '30's, is the most recent driver to say it. When KB was starting out in his late teens and early '20's, HE was the one being pointed at when older drivers said, "We used to respect each other." And before that fingers were pointed at Earnhardt Sr., and Darrell Waltrip, etc., etc.
• Huskyflier: Today’s cars are so safe there’s no downside risk to not giving respect. If you were to wreck a guy and maybe kill him—that was one thing—it’s another in today’s super-safe cars. Best thing NASCAR can do is to design them so they’re safe to the driver but have body parts that fail catastrophically when a reasonably high level of contact is made. Another would be to not allow cars to return to the track after garage repairs. We’re one helluva long ways from auto racing being one of Hemingway’s three real sports.
Autoweek Contributor Jerry Bonkowski Says:
JB Says: It sure is ironic, isn’t it, NREsq? I was just thinking about that the other day. But you know what, it’s not a total surprise as the more years a young driver puts into the series, the more he matures and becomes someone who wants respect as he gets older, after ignoring calls for him to be respectful in his younger days. Joey Logano is another example of that. Once drivers get into their late 20s or early 30s, and especially if they become parents, their perspective changes. That’s a good thing.
As for changing the cars to basically explode mechanically upon impact, Huskyflier, obviously no one wants to see another driver killed. We hopefully will never see that happen again. But I’m not sure I want to see cars go kablooey and have parts go flying all over the track. Think of the long cleanup delays. Even more, what if some of those parts wind up penetrating the driver’s compartment and lead to a driver getting hurt real badly? NASCAR—or any form of motorsport, for that matter—is not a video game. If you want to see cars explode upon impact, go iRacing or something like that.
How F1 Drivers Fared: Jenson Button Calls First NASCAR Cup Race an 'Emotional Roller Coaster'
Readers Say:
• mjj5578: I really tried. I tuned in with 22 laps left. But when they started the 3rd "Overtime" after excessive yellow flags, I figured the fix was in and there was no more to see. This is no longer "Exciting'. End the race already.
• formuladoug: It was exciting at times, when they were actually racing, but mostly it was a bunch of idiots running into each other or running away from each other. Really not racing at all.
• jhe8529: I tried to watch this "race," thought it was not too bad - while they were racing. Then someone gets stupid and causes a full-course caution, many, many laps behind the safety car, and then there is a contest to see how many cars can fit into turn one—usually at least 3 or 4 too many. NASCAR would do very well to observe how Aussie Supercars run their races, as they do not have anywhere near the amount of "rubbin'" which seems to count as braking for many of NASCAR's drivers. At least they didn't throw a caution for the "stages," but the overtimes... just end the "race" before all the cars are damaged.
• Big1874: I am not a NASCAR fan, but I tuned in to see the global racing talent that was invited to participate and provide NASCAR a global viewership that they likely would never have had while also see how NASCAR conducts the race on a proper circuit. My experiences is what others have stated in this comment section. The race was okay, it shows the garbage part of NASCAR. No real track limits being enforced, bumper cars to push others out of the way, and horrible FOX Sports broadcasting that made the Grand Prix sound like a yeee hawww event. If you add in the "ringers" comments, it shows NASCAR as garbage on the global stage. What in the world was NASCAR's leadership thinking and they could learn a lot from Ausie Supercars, IMSA, WEC, Fanatec GT World Challenge.
Autoweek Contributor Jerry Bonkowski Says:
JB Says: While I can see some of your respective comments having legitimacy, particularly the comments about Australian Supercars, IMSA, WEC, etc., this is NASCAR. These cars— and the culture derived over 75 years—almost requires that there be beatin’ and bangin’, no matter the venue. That said, COTA was never designed to be a NASCAR track, especially Turn 1. It was created to be a world class road course, which indeed it is. And that means 15, maybe 20 cars going into Turn 1 at the same time (like F1), not 35 or more cars dive-bombing Turn 1 at the same time as in NASCAR. But short of redoing Turn 1 for NASCAR, which I think would be a MAJOR mistake, I don’t see what can be done to make the chaos and crash-boom-bang concept that has evolved with NASCAR racing at COTA.
You don’t see that type of racing at other road course tracks, but COTA’s design is so unique. Sure, NASCAR officials could step in and mandate certain ways of driving on the track, particularly in the approach to Turn 1, and make the ingress and egress similar to Aussie Supercars. I’d welcome seeing that change for next year, but everyone—COTA officials, NASCAR officials, and all drivers—have to be on board and on the same page. I have to admit, I kind of liked the whole funnel concept of 20 or more cars piling into a turn with room only for maybe 10 at a time. I found that kind of thing exciting. But that’s me. Others would likely disagree with me, especially the NASCAR purists.
