Please discuss here all your remarks and pose your questions about all racing series, except Formula One. Both technical and other questions about GP2, Touring cars, IRL, LMS, ...
I am a fan of CART racing, and am concerned that the Championship will be put in the tank by the end of the year. My question to the members of this forum, apart from F1, which we all agree is the pinnacle of open wheel racing, do any of you follow either IRL or CART racing? Being a North American (Canadian, thank you), CART racing was a staple in motorsports up until the fiasco between IRL/CART. Now, open wheel road racing has virtually disappeared, replaced by oval racing (NASCAR ). Sad, considering that CART and the many excellent supporting Series, Atlantic in particular, are on the verge of meltdown.
Well now CART seems to be in trouble, considering they have gone into liquidation. Though OWRS has put in a bid to buy the CART CHAMPIONSHIP, now it seems that the IRL are interested in buying CART, IRL are considering making the championship both oval and street races. Read it in F1 live I think.
I don't like IRL due to the oval racing, now open wheeler are to fragile, now look at NASCAR they race on ovals but they also bump and grind each other which makes it more interesting
hmm... i thought there was talks about CART merging with F1. It would be good to see more teams coming to F1. if this happens, f1 could be more popular in the US.
Actually Bernie was interested in buying into CART, though he pulled out due to CART being in too much debt!
He wanted to use CART to promote F1 in the US, also he was interested in using CART as a feeder system for F1.
I started to look into CART a bit more closely last year and found some good highlight downloads.For some reason IRL is deemed on a higher plane than CART by many people,for reasons that are beyond me as i cannot see where the challenge lies in oval racing (apart from the challenge of surviving the coma you are in if you hit the wall).Personally i cannot see the attraction,but i understand that there are people who would say the same about F1.I for one hope CART does prosper,and it looks as if the foundations have been set.Hopefully with more drivers like Sebastien Bourdais at the wheel,who as CART fans will know took his first pole position in his first race last year (first to do so since Mansell apparently) as well as old favourites,and some committed sponsors and teams,hopefully it will remain popular.The latest court ruling was also good news for British manufacturer Lola,because what with the E.U. doing it's best to see the demise of the motorsport industry in the U.K. an IRL/CART merger would have been bad news for Lola,and this too would have meant a sad week for the British motorsport valley!
"Whether you think you can or can't, either way you are right."
-Henry Ford-
This is my opinion on CART VS IRL. Laugh at me if you want, but at least listen, it is funny. See, Americans have a real hard time turning Right. They get confused when the car goes any other direction than left. NASCAR and IRL will prosper in America because the fans really don't have to think, and they can cheer on the car with the most stickers. Technically, there is less to confuse the avid circle fan because the car is only going in one direction, hence set up isn't as complicated like in F1. Americans want it fast, want it easy, and don't want it complicated. And if Americans really have it there way, all cars would be equal. I have hot chicks all the time asking me why I watch racing..."round and round " they say. "Too boring!" they cry. Then I show them F1, and they see the cornering and the speed, and they see the pit babes, "Hey I could be one of those", and they wonder why they're boyfriends watch a bunch of southern boys get all excited about some oval. Next thing you know, they're at my house watching F1. Thats why CART and F1 fans are a rare commodity in the U.S. F1 is technical, it's difficult to win, its all over the world, where everyone is involved, and the bottomline is, it holds you and the hot chick next to you's attention. And this is coming from an American. I love America, but until Americans can handle taking right hand turns, they just won't get it!
P.S. Sorry if I angered any Nascar fans in this post. But Jeff Gordon really should take a crack at F1...America could use him.
Location: Covilhã, Portugal (and sometimes in Évora)
Post
Well to tell you the truth I kind of agree with you.....even CART is much simpler then F1 though it's a little more complex then IRL cause the race on some city circuits. Though north american sport car racing is a little more simple then F1 I'd say that they'r emore "developed" in the way that they do seem to get the regulations right in terms of overtaking! If you look at the changes they make to the regs....every (or almost every) time they seem to be able to increase the over taking oportunities!
Even in the IRL where you'd think....well they're racing at over 200 Mph...from a F1 fans point of view you'd say: "don't get too close to the guy in front in the corner or else you'll loss front end downforce"! But everyone gets close to the guy infront! I'm a huge F1 fan but I got to say that some IRL drivers have bigger balls then F1 drivers!...not only because of the slip-streaming in corners...but also because of the speeds they do...with walls so close to them!
You are right Monstro, they do have balls. I have to say that if IRL happened to be all there was in the U.S. for racing, I would probably watch it. I just wish that if CART were to go under, that IRL would integrate some of the road courses. It would definitely challenge the drivers more!
I would never watch IRL because its strictly oval racing.
NASCAR is different since its traditional for them to race on ovals and since it originated in the south, its mostly southern motor sports (im from the south and people from the south are different.) American racers CAN turn right... but why? they can go to NASCAR, Busch series, IRL or CART and make just as much money and still get to stay in the U.S.
as far as CART vs. IRL, i used to enjoy CART racing before Tom decided that his track (indy) deserved its own series. now, i only watch F1.
Another reason that CART and IRL are both going to the crapper (unlike NASCAR) is that, there are NO American drivers in CART or IRL.
p.s. Bourdais will end up in F1... i can almost guarantee that one.
The problem with having a superior road racing series in America is that the cars have pretty much outgrown the tracks and the major markets are nowhere near a "real" road course.
With the exception of Indy, there hasn't been a new road course built in America in a number of years. NASCAR is a religion over here (and god only knows why) and they don't want to add more road courses, so if your goal is to get a NASCAR race, why build something with right turns?
You end up with cars racing around city streets that are too narrow, too slick, and present no challenge. CART has tried to improve what show they have by introducing these rediculous external factors:Mandatory Pit Windows, "Push To Pass" (whatever the hell that is), etc.
While a diehard F1 fan (I live the tech aspect of it), I am an Oval Racing fan at heart. Not this NASCAR crap either (NASCAR is a step above Pro Wrestling. It's staged, but no one can prove it. Yet.). I love watching the midgets and the sprint cars over hree. For those of you who don't know, a midget is a 900lb. open wheel car, with a 300hp 4-cylinder engine on a 76in wheelbase. These guys have the best car control I have ever seen and are serious race drivers.
I also enjoy the mental aspect of oval racing. To drive a car on the limit for 3.5 hours takes an enormous amt of physical and mental toughness. I would love to see the person who said "the only challenge of an oval is surviving the coma" try a few laps and see what it really takes. I have seen drivers literally have to be pulled from their cars b/c they're so mentally and physically exhausted. If you ever get the chance, go sit up in the Turn 1 Penthouse at Indy on Pole Day and tell me whether you think these guys are "real race drivers." I gurantee you will change your minds.
nobody is aruguing that oval racers are "real" racer.
(i've been in a detuned NASCAR at Texas Motor Speedway).
its just that Americans have different priorities, mainly commercial value of racing. (IMO)
If there was money in F1, all the corporation in the U.S will be involved.. i guarantee you.
i disagree with the cars having outgrown the tracks.. there are still many many road courses that i think are F1 worthy. Plus, you can still set up road courses like they used to do (Detroit, Dallas comes to mind)
). Sad, considering that CART and the many excellent supporting Series, Atlantic in particular, are on the verge of meltdown.
