Nascar don't float

[aldo]

Was watching ESPN for baseball updates and heard the announcer state that NASCRAP had cancelled their latest race do to intermittent showers.

I need someone to explain why somebody hasn't told them that the tire companies make rubber that works on damp asphalt. Maybe the sh:tboxes they use are so primitive that their unable to deal with anything short of perfect conditions.

Why are they so consistently overly sensitive to a wet track?

[Zunige]

I've also always wondered the same thing, and one time was told that by nature of their racing, with cars bunched and also side-to-side, adding this extra danger factor was considered too much of a safety risk. I don't know if this is true or not, and to be truthful I have never been able to get into NASCAR racing, so this is just heresay...

Best regards,

[genericwood]

Well, let's see, Nascar has been around 50 years and has never raced in the rain and you are just figuring this out? Nascar is one of my least favorite forms of racing, but any racing is better than no racing. And if I'm not mistaken, they do run on wet tracks when they run on road courses. I for one would not want to have 36 cars within 3 seconds of each other at 150mph on a wet oval with walls encircling the whole thing. Can you imagine the visibility for the guys further back in the pack?!?

Erik

[aldo]

I think it's a given that that their big draw is the "crash an burn", perhaps their worried the rain will put out the flames.

[BigSwede]

So there are american racing series that do run in the wet? I remember seeing some weird truck with a jet engine trying to blow-dry Road America some years back for CART or Champ Cars or whatever they called it that year.

[Geezer]

A wet track never bothered us when I raced Sprints. All it took was a few laps to squirt the too wet surface into the stands and Voila! A gerat racing surface. I guess NASCAR just hasn't figured out how to squirt the wet into tha stands yet.

[Denny164l]

Quote:

Originally Posted by genericwood Well, let's see, Nascar has been around 50 years and has never raced in the rain and you are just figuring this out? Nascar is one of my least favorite forms of racing, but any racing is better than no racing. And if I'm not mistaken, they do run on wet tracks when they run on road courses. I for one would not want to have 36 cars within 3 seconds of each other at 150mph on a wet oval with walls encircling the whole thing. Can you imagine the visibility for the guys further back in the pack?!? Erik

[Bill77]

Geez oh Pete. Motorcycle roadracing is carried out in the rain -- witness MotoGP, World Superbike and even occasionally AMA series. A spin-out on a bike is a bit more problematic than in a Nascage.

The problem with Nascar is that rain might obscure the billboards on the cars from the television camera. Or maybe it's because the fans can't light up their Winstons in the rain.

Sorry, there's little appreciation for Nascar in this household...

[Greg Gordon]

Mats, to answer your question, most racing events in the U.S. are held "rain or shine". Nascar and Indy car seem to be the exceptions to the rule.

[dretceterini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill77 Geez oh Pete. Motorcycle roadracing is carried out in the rain -- witness MotoGP, World Superbike and even occasionally AMA series. A spin-out on a bike is a bit more problematic than in a Nascage. The problem with Nascar is that rain might obscure the billboards on the cars from the television camera. Or maybe it's because the fans can't light up their Winstons in the rain. Sorry, there's little appreciation for Nascar in this household...

[slam105]

It could be that NASCAR is worried that cool rain hitting the 'spectators' might sober them up...or ruin their aim when throwing beer cans at the cars.

Regards

[conchgtv]

Nascrap doesnt do rain because driving in the rain requires skill. The drivers make plenty o' money without it.

About the Winstons... I was appalled to learn that at both nascrap and indy car series they set up tents where smokers get free stuff. its "nice" stuff too not just the keychain or whatever. I even heard some hillbilies complaining about it. The sign on the tent says like "If you are a smoker, come in and get your free stuff." Those who dont smoke have to watch the race I guess. I saw this myself at an indy car race. Never taking my kid there.

[slam105]

Quote from Carlo:"If you are a smoker, come in and get your free stuff."

Hey, I'll take their 'free stuff'! All I've gotten, for free, from Camel is a cough...actually I've paid a lot of $$$ for my cough!

Regards

[BigSwede]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Gordon Mats, to answer your question, most racing events in the U.S. are held "rain or shine". Nascar and Indy car seem to be the exceptions to the rule.

[DaveH]

Mats, you'd love ALMS.

They race in the rain too.