get ready for the new "IRL"

[MBreinin]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

The greatest rally drivers were those that conquered Group B. I tip my hat at Tommy and Juha, Colin McRae and the entire crew of "new" drivers, including your own Marko, Endrik. However, they are nothing compared to the brave men and women who drove Group B. When I think of the greatest, names like Ari Vatenen, Timo Salomen, Michele Mouton, Stig, Walter Rohl, etc. come to mind. Anyone that can pilot a full bodies car on rough surfaces that has the same power to weight ratio as a late '60s Formula One car, and only has a semblance of high technology, gets my vote any day.

I have been a rally fanatic since I was a child. I was ready to go, with my fully prepared SCCA Club Rally '78 Lancer...until my co-driver divorced me. I cried when I sold that car, and my dream with it.

Mike

[Endrik]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

I agree but Group B is pretty old [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Those races were pretty darn dangerous tho.

Dunno what happens with Marko next season, he always has a bad luck, his cars are always malfunctioning. His last accident was pretty bad, R.I.P Michael Park.
But he is very universal driver, very good on gravel, tarmac, sand, snow etc.
He and all our and Finnish drivers have practiced mostly on fast gravel roads wich we have a lot.
Funny thing is that he left school afther the 9th grade but he speaks (and pronounces) better English than most of the drivers including some of the Brittish [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[zeegler]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

WRC is awesome, but for pure fender banging adrenaline, I prefer the super touring cars, and the Aussie V8 Supercar racing series.

[giles]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

So Mike, tell me how you really feel. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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The IRL can rot in hell.

They ruined american open wheel racing.


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[zeegler]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

[ QUOTE ]
I like Nascar, it is entertaining and does take skill. I can't watch open wheeled racing. It's just so hard to get into. I do like Schumacher but he's really the only one I know. OWR is to auto sports what Soccer is to human sports... The rest of the world loves it but it just doesn't catch on here. I do believe the split is the main reason for that though... I too, would like to see WRC here in the states. That shits just friggin crazy! The only thing I don't like about it is the format they use when broadcasting...ie..not live, no large field view (rarely anyway) and not enough camera views!

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I guess I can't speak for IRL or CART, but a large part of the reason for Formula 1 being a tough sell in the US, is the lack of American drivers. As patriotic as Americans are, I'm sure it's hard to get into a sport where 90% of the drivers are European. Scott Speed is going to be driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso (formerly Minardi) this year, but unfortunately (IMHO)he doesn't have the skill to become a top driver, besides the fact that he'll be in one of the "slow" cars. I grew up watching F1, so it wasn't difficult for me to get into it in 1996 after not watching for a few years.

I'm the opposite. I just can't get into Nascar. All the drivers talk the same. There are about 400 cars on the track at once. They go around and around and around, etc.. All the tracks look the same. Formula 1 is much less of a commitment. Their are 18 (plus or minus) races a year (19 this year). The tracks are all very different, ranging from tight real road courses like Monaco to beat up old classic race tracks like Silverstone, to high speed modern tracks like Bahrain. There are only 20 cars on the grid, and they turn left and right. The only real downside is that most of the races are on pretty early Sunday morning, with a few on at 1 or 2am, which kinda sucks having to set your alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to watch a race. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[giles]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

Hey man - you gotta get a TIVO or DVR! After you have one of those, broadcast times are irrelevant (as long as you can keep from learning results before you watch). [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]


[ QUOTE ]
The only real downside is that most of the races are on pretty early Sunday morning, with a few on at 1 or 2am, which kinda sucks having to set your alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to watch a race. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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[zeegler]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

[ QUOTE ]
Hey man - you gotta get a TIVO or DVR! After you have one of those, broadcast times are irrelevant (as long as you can keep from learning results before you watch). [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]


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Dude, then it's not live!! The horror!! [img]/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] I HAVE to watch live. If it's not live, it's not Memorex!

[thurston]

Re: get ready for the new \"IRL\"

I like racing, F1, Nascar, Indy, and ChampCar, but the problem with all of the leagues is the lack of actual "Racing". Indy is about the worst, 2 cars 1/2 lap ahead of everyone else until the caution comes out. I want to see packs of cars, passing, drafting, and racing for position.
In nascar they need less of the cookie cutters and more tracks like Darlington.