The 2024 running motorsports thread

All of this makes sense ... no surprise given the source.

Here's the problem: It would require the France family to take a hard look at things and at themselves.

That's about as likely to occur as another cult we like to discuss around here.

 

I used to be as big a NASCAR fan as any series. Sometimes, it was chief among them all.

But they’ve compounded so many bad decisions over the years. I’m not sure there’s a route out of it. Many of your ideas are good ones, but …

The Brickyard is one of their standalone events and it didn’t draw flies. There was zero buzz about it in Indiana this past week.

The stages are absolutely asinine and they do ruin any kind of alternate race strategy. The drivers are corporate robots. They’re one big BlaneyLarsonLoganoElliott glom and 10 of them are seemingly named Chase. The cars are bland and samey. The Chase is antithetical to their season marathon and a big anticlimax when everyone else is focused on football.

They should determine their champion by using the Chase method … staggered by strata of wins … and just leave it at that. That would be fun. Larson’s win yesterday would have put him on top instead of just another brick in the wall of Chase ramifications.

Oval racing itself, as much as I dig it, has fallen behind as a new generation of fans has turned to the more diverse fan experience street courses (party time) and road courses (camping and party time) offer in comparison.

Honestly, I’m surprised manufacturers still invest in the technological dinosaur that NASCAR is given their focus on hybrid tech. I like some of NASCAR’s enforced obsolescence, fully-manned pit stops, etc., but eventually, they’re going to be exposed to the whims of the market and will have to adapt.

Will NASCAR fans adapt to hybrid or electric tech? I like to think of myself as open-minded and forward-thinking, but when even I catch myself in “let’s turn NASCAR back to 1989” mode, I think I know the answer to my own question.

 

There is really nothing to add to @maumann and @YMCA B-Baller posts, so I don't need to say much.

I will say that IndyCar racing on street courses is abysmal, but it's regular road circuit events are probably some of the best shows going today.
As for fans adapting to hybrid of electric tech, NHRA fans will die on that hill. Drag racers are truly "car guys" more than other series. Drag racing is truly about the horsepower.

 

John Force released from therapy center. Sent home to continue outpatient rehab.

 

Didn't realize he was 75. Crazy someone that old is allowed to race. I love Force and what he's meant to the sport, but he should have just taken the Richard Petty role at some point - be a gladhander and ambassador for drag racing. Hope he gets better.

 

Really stupid question from someone who watches F1 when it’s on as background but isn’t an avid fan. Why should Norris be expected to give up his lead if he had the faster car?

 

His teammate, Oscar Piatri, was leading the race and Norris was second. That typically means Piastri gets the more advantageous pit strategy -- and particularly in Hungary, pitting before your rival is a big advantage. In this situation, McLaren was concerned about the third place car catching Norris so they had Norris pit first. That meant Norris would likely leapfrog Piastri, but they could instruct Norris to allow his teammate back in front.

That's exactly how it played out.... but Norris was resistant to letting Piastri by. He made it as ugly as possible, which he seems to now regret.

 

I was doing an errand at that point when I was watching the race, but I believe the reason was that Norris ended up in the lead because they pitted him early and basically undercut themselves.

 

Between the radio stuff and his flippant "You were fast seven years ago" comment to Hamilton in the cooldown room, it seems to me that Lando seems to think he needs to match Max's level of assholery because he's a championship contender. It's not a good look.

 

"Tell him to catch me" was the correct response.

 

I mean, if he wanted to utterly fuck his future with the team, sure. Alpine needs a driver.

 

And that's why Americans aren't successful in F1. It's not a race.
I'd like to have seen someone tell Earnhardt or Davey Allison to pull over and let someone pass them.