[mitchntx]

After watching a some of the coverage of the Daytona 500 this weekend and hearing a lot of discussion about the costs associated with feilding a competitive team and hearing the gnashing of teeth surrounding the dwindling sponsorships and hearing the concerns about enough cars to field a full grid and seeing Waltrip's wild tumble and seeing that tumble re-played on network after network after network ....

I began to wonder ....

Because it's all about the number of minutes a specific sponsor get's it's name on TV, when will a driver, who is an "also ran", purposely wreck his car, just get gleen a few extra minutes of sponsor coverage?

Is it cost effective to spend a $100,000 race car in order to keep a $10 million sponsor?

NAPA received tons of exposure from networks to local TV stations replaying his wreck. I would hate to see that happen on purpose, but ... it has to be there in someone's mind ...

[rmackintosh]

JonV a couple of examples to disprove your theory that Oval racing is easy.

(RANT)

Its not that we think oval racing is easy....just that in comparison it is.....well EASY! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Don't think that a driver that is trained in proper car control in both the right AND left direction as well as managing !GASP! the shifter AND !DOUBLE GASP! the BRAKES for heavens sake...given AN EQUAL car and an equal footing/chance would not have an advantage.

IROC is a joke.....lets see the NASCAR boys run on a road course in the competition to make it fair....hell make 'em run a event or two on dirt while your at it....and a drag race or two to be fair! Try putting 2 NASCAR guys in equally preped cars with 14 ROAD RACE guys at Laguna Seca and lets see who can't drive out of a paper bag! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I have been to almost EVERY NASCAR race at Sears Point for 10 years straight.....I go for two reasons.....#1 I can get free tickets into luxury boxes with free food and BEER!....#2 I like to see the "lines" of some of "the best" professional racers in the country! Some can't hit the same line twice! Although I bet it IS hard in a car that weighs almost as much as my SUV!

NASCAR drivers are bred....they run short tracks since before they are old enough to get a drivers license, move up in oval type racing for 10 years and when they get good enough....they get a Busch ride....when they get better, they get a Cup ride.....road race guys are called up WITH NOT ONE MINUTE OF EXPERIENCE driving a OVERWEIGHT PIG of a car....by some MARGINAL team looking for a longshot or a one shot road race deal and people say "there.....you see.....it IS hard!" (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

(/RANT)

....man I HATE NASCAR....

can you tell....

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)