Indycar

Well, don't really follow it anymore but just bought myself the Official yearbook for 1993-94 when Mansell won the championship as rookie and almost got the Indy 500 as well.

a great year for british motorsport...mansell really kicked their assess

To my memory, he was the first and only driver ever to hold the F1 and Indy titles at the same time (albeit for 1 week only).

yeah he was a god, i still watch indy car , i like paul tracy - hes a proper driver who gives it his all , win or die thats what i like.

Yeah, I think ChampCar is the better series than IndyCar and Paul Tracy would do well in F1, mark my words.

(Mind you, he can't be as bad as Mike Andretti )

Well, actually saw bits and pieces of the Sonoma race (repeated on telly here in Tokyo) and probably have to say the IRL series has got the better racers. Marco Andretti won its first race (19 years old! ).

Oh, and the Yankee commentary was dreadful. Very, very boring (thank goodness the racing keeps you busy!).

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz most boring motorsport on the planet(including F1) round and round and round! even when they do go on proper racetracks it gets even worse, i watched bits of a race the other week, in 15 min of racing the pace car came out 3 times for no apparent reason other than 2 cars banged wheels, and someones front wing was on the track, but way off the racing line. the cars look like early 90's F1 cars and the aerodynamics look like something out of the 70's. i find it staggering how many people go to watch the indy500 when all that happens is the cars all do 220mph round and round turning left every so often without even having to lift off, it only gets exciting when someone crashes, great insomnia cure

So jabber, what kind of racing do you watch (if any)? Go karts??

Congrats to Sebastien Bourdais for his fourth consecutive Champ Car title

Good luck next season in F1 with Toro Rosso!

Linky

Originally Posted by mikebrown

a great year for british motorsport...mansell really kicked their assess

Arses not asses. hmmp Mansell is still an incredible driver. I was watching a Top Gear recently where he did that circuit that celebs. etc. go round in a Vauxhall and he did it 1.41s. Two seconds better than Damon Hill. A record and the inboard camera showed him mucking around on this lap and he actually took his hands off the steering wheel and clapped at one of the hairiest parts of the circuit. (Coming into the Hammerhead). Pretty cool.

BTW they just had the Indy Car race at Surfer's Paradise last weekend. I watched it live on TV and compared to F1 I found it pretty boring. The most exciting part apparently was the cops trying to control all the drunks over the weekend, morning, noon and night.

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

most boring motorsport on the planet(including F1) round and round and round!

i find it staggering how many people go to watch the indy500 when all that happens is the cars all do 220mph round and round turning left every so often without even having to lift off, it only gets exciting when someone crashes

Common misconception peddled by those who know little or nothing about oval racing.

Originally Posted by HSTDriver

Common misconception peddled by those who know little or nothing about oval racing.

I agree with you that it is probably much more than that, but do you think the majority of our American friends that fill up the stands, and keep this form of racing viable, know much more about the finer points of oval racing? My theory is that they are there for death and destruction and the more of this the better. Having said that, when Jeremy Clarke and Co. drove into Alabamba with cars stating amongst many other locally controversial subjects, that NASCAR sucks, they deserved a beating that they narrowly escaped.

so im mistaken about them going round and round and round and rouzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz oh sorry fell asleep just thinking about it. its dull simple as. everyone turns up to see a big 220mph pile up.

I've said this before on here, you shouldn't knock too much unless you've seen it live at the circuit. Being near the track at the Milwaukee Mile oval at the start of a Nascar race is the most exciting thing I've seen in motor racing or anything else come to that. 30 cars, 200mph no more than 6 feet from each other. It was worth the entrance fee just to see the first few laps.
I think what oval racing does need from the spectator is concentration on whats going on. If you lose track of whats going on it can get tedious.
As far as Americans knowing what's going on, its an event first and sport second, as far as most of them are concerned what goes on on the track or pitch could be tiddlywinks and they would still be there to enjoy the day out. A bit like most of the english rugby fans last week.

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz most boring motorsport on the planet(including F1) round and round and round! even when they do go on proper racetracks it gets even worse, i watched bits of a race the other week, in 15 min of racing the pace car came out 3 times for no apparent reason other than 2 cars banged wheels, and someones front wing was on the track, but way off the racing line. the cars look like early 90's F1 cars and the aerodynamics look like something out of the 70's. i find it staggering how many people go to watch the indy500 when all that happens is the cars all do 220mph round and round turning left every so often without even having to lift off, it only gets exciting when someone crashes, great insomnia cure

I think you've made a great case here Jabber; They look like 90s F1 cars; They use 70s technology; They go at 220mph.
But you omitted one thing........ They also overtake each other.
Can't believe that you find current F1 processions more exciting.