Posted on 08/30/2006 8:12:57 AM PDT by kellynla
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- There is a story NASCAR insiders swear is true and claim is not an isolated case.
A few years back at a Ford dealership outside Harrisonburg, Va., two men in their late 20s walked in on a Monday morning and started asking about a certain model of Taurus. They were neatly dressed, appeared to be sober, sane and serious. And soon, their focus became clear: They found stock car racing exciting and thought they would buy a car to join the fun.
If only it were that easy.
Veteran driver Mark Martin once described the difference between a showroom vehicle and a stock-car racer as being like the difference between miniature golf and the PGA Tour.
The word "stock" in the title of the sanctioning body, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, had some meaning when coupes raced around the sand and road course in Daytona Beach in the late 1940s. But today, that meaning has all but disappeared.
"There are still a few pieces that are stock," said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of Joe Gibbs Racing, a mechanical engineering graduate of Maryland and longtime crew chief on NASCAR's top circuit.
"Chassis? No, nothing stock. Engine? We still use a stock block from the manufacturer, but after that, it's all after market," Mr. Makar said, using a term that in NASCAR garages means buying very expensive custom-made parts.
"Anything stock?" asked Brett Bodine, former NASCAR driver and car owner who now helps oversee the organization's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. "The hood, the roof, the rear deck lid. That's about all I can think of. Speed and safety; racing had to move on."
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
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I might actually watch the sport if they went back to racing real stock cars. Now THAT would be exciting.
I was always opposed to going to a single body in NASCAR but at this point they may as well. It's the only way to get rid of the inequalities of spoiler heights, roof heights, and ground clearances.
The thing that gets to me the most is that all cars raced in NASCAR are rear wheel drive. The Taurus dosnt make a car that is rear wheel drive . Neither is Chevy's Monte Carlo. The word "Stock" is a joke.
Nascar doesnt allow one manufacturer to become faster than the rest of the cars. If they do they make new rules that bring their speed back down. They strive to make all the cars the same speed. IMO they should take the manufacturers name off all the cars and like The Indianapolis 500 raced all cars this year with Honda engines just make a NASCAR car, and be done with all this farce of manufacturers making the cars.
The next thing that gets me is the teams. The hell with teams. No owner should have more than one car on the track. Make them race each other not a team.
"I might actually watch the sport if they went back to racing real stock cars."
I agree.
I actually enjoy F1 and motorcycle racing. Now that's racing! LOL
Ya gotta get up early on Saturday mornings to watch F1
or record it.
I'll bet 90% of the people in the country are within a 2 hour drive of a short track where they still race "stock" cars. I'm in Yankeeland, New England, and there are 3 within an hour of me.
Of course, the truly stock cars are boring, I like the modifieds.
Yeah, in LA, you have toget up REALLY early for F1!
F1 has so little passing, it gets kind of boring to watch, but the cars are way cool. I wish they would stop with all the limitations and grooved tire crap. Going back to having pit stops is cool though.
That might actually be happening now that the sponsors are beginning to follow the drivers as opposed to the Team Owners.
hit any small track in your area, most of them still run a "stock" class.
some stuff has to be done for safety like adding roll cages and fuel cells and removing glass, and you can do some lighter mods on your engine, but they mostly don't do alot.
here in MI we have two classes of street stocks; regular, and 4cyl engines.
I'm within earshot of Michigan International Speedway but I still like going to a Saturday night race on dirt.
I love watching the sprint cars come out of the turns with their real tires smokin and the front wheels dangling.
I drive through that every day down I-459 myself.
Left Turn ping
NASCAR is restricting new owners to 3 teams. Existing multi team owners are grandfathered but when they're gone they're gone.
[I actually enjoy F1 and motorcycle racing. Now that's racing! LOL
Ya gotta get up early on Saturday mornings to watch F1
or record it.]
Joke I presume.
F1 is as good as fixed as the big money wins. What happened to F1 is what Tony George was aiming to prevent when he reformulated the IRL. People were getting tired of the Pensky monopoly. It sounds like their might be a reunion of cart and IRL comming soon.
Do you get the USAC sprints or the winged World of Outlaws tour?
Dirt track racing is absolutely better than asphalt tracks.
My local (2+ hours away) dirt track ran a special show last Saturday night, and let the modifieds and late models run any engine they wanted and any body configuration, including wings and sideboards. Some guys were running alcohol injected engines, monster wings, all kinds of cool stuff.
Lime Rock is a little drive from me, but I enjoy going there every so often to catch some of the "minor league" races.
They call that run what ya brung. Where I watch the dirt racers it's usually world of outlaws but there are several tracks inside of an hour from me.
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