[rpoz-29]

I read the F1 vs. IRL vs. NASCAR vs. Touring Car debate and I wondered, what is the best race you have ever seen? SCCA , IMSA, AMA etc. Anything pros, amatuers, bikes, boats, whatever. In person, on TV, a participant etc. Lets hear from you guys.

[patred]

The 2003 British Grand Prix. Crazy dude running out on track, great passing and my boy Rubens Barrichello ended up winning.

Another of my favorite F1 races was the '99 French Grand Prix. I think it was '99 ... it was Barrichello's last year with Stewart. He qualified on pole in the rain, and it was raining for the race, too. RB tried in vain to hold off Mika Hakkinen then Michael Schumacher. Then with a few laps left to go, Heinz-Harold Frentzen (in a Jordan!) suddenly was in the lead because he didn't make a "final" pit stop, and he ended up winning!

Another great was a British Touring Car race from '99 (I think). Nigel Mansell was doing a guest spot with the Ford Mondeo team. This was another race influenced by the wet stuff. In the first race, he crashed HARD into a tire barrier. So hard that he was a bit woozy climbing out of the car. He made it for the afternoon race but was DFL on the grid because of his finishing position. By turn 1, he was still DFL. But he nudged and "rubbed" his way through the field and eventually took the lead!! But he was eventually passed and finished 3rd or 4th. Still have the tape lying around somewhere. Great stuff!

The post-race interview was great. Mansell had scraped paint and leaned on some of his competitors to take the lead. Instead of fisticuffs like what you see with NASCAR, Mansell was laughing it up with Derrick Warwick and another driver like they just had the most fun in their lives.

Pat