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 ...
yep, I reeeeeely enjoy the camera shots from the cars.
Nice to see Massa win.
I've tried to float the idea for years that these guys should weld roll cages and put driver's seats inside actual Monte Carlos, Fusions, and Chargers that roll off the assembly lines, and race them every year at the annual All-Star race.
Put racing tires on them, take off the side mirrors, headlights, tail lights, weld the doors shut, etc. whatever you've got to do to make them safe to race.
But use the same V8 engine, body, etc. as the cars we drive on the street. One race a year.
MotoGP is tops.
AMA drag racing can be interesting.
F1 for road racing.
Most everything else at the "pro" level is boring.
I have another idea for NASCAR, but it would never fly.
The Pennsylvania 500.
NASCAR racing cars travel from one end of Pennsylvania to the other while driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Start at the Ohio border, first one to New Jersey wins. The crazy corners and lower-than-interstate-standard sections would be fun to watch, as well as the 2-3 mountain tunnels. Heck, any sort of NASCAR road race on an actual road rather than a road course would be awesome.
They aready are...NASCAR is developing what they call the Car of Tomorrow, which is a single body for all teams. I'm not sure even the engines will be Dodge, Toyota, Chevy, or Ford in the COT. Maybe Norm and WCG, or others thay may ping, could tell us.
At this point a few teams are producing engines for many of the other teams. Chances are any car on the track will have a Roush, Childress, Yates, or Hendrick engine.
"Now Lets say they raced with the same cars on open public freeways with cops and all, with innocent lives at stake... well that might be appealing"
It's kept real secret but occasionally they have a race from Reno-Las Vegas that is balls out winner take all with a $100k entry fee.
At least they used to.
Thanks, Norm.
I wonder why? Because it sure ain't news.
For a couple of years around 1968-69, Hertz had a small fleet of Shelby GT500 Mustangs for rent. At that time, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) had classes for "production" cars including Mustangs and other pony cars. It's said that a few guys would rent a Hertz GT500 at the "low" weekend rate, pull the engine and drop it into a privately owned Mustang, enjoy a few races and then "restore" Hertz's rental in time for Monday morning return.
Once in 1968 I had reserved a Mustang at SFO. When I arrived, the clerk said they were out of stock Mustangs; would I "mind" taking a GT500 at the same rental rate? I managed to hide my disappointment, had a glorious trip down Silicon Valley, and returned to the airport via Half Moon Bay and the highway over the ridges. The only time I ever had the chance to drive one.
hey, I just post 'em, I don't write 'em! LOL
not everybody has 10W30 running through their veins. :-]
oh I don't know about that
of course there are in car video cameras on some of the cars that are telecast on the Speed Channel
It would be fun to see NASCAR racing on highways that John Q Public has to drive on. I'd love to see how they'd handle my commute on I-75 every morning.
I believe they have that tv setup in Europe with the selectable in car cams, etc.
I know when they come to Indianapolis for the F-1 race there is a huge amount of tv equipment they bring along.
The track workers call it "Bernie-vision"
Don't forget World Superbike. Go Haga!
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