[PettyBlue]

I just don't see what the big deal is about this guy driving at Dega.Either you can or can't drive.From his past wins and championships, I would say he can.Hell,Mario Andretti only drove 14 Nascar races in his life and won the Daytona 500.Oh,let's not forget another guy named A J Foyt who won quite a few Nascar events including a 500 at Daytona.Neither were what you would call Nascar, full time,good old boy drivers.That did not stop them from kicking some Nascar big boy butt's,did it?

[LSC9901]

First and foremost this is about our opinions. Secondly this started with the opinions of current NASCAR drivers and how they feel about a rookie coming into a crucial part of the year at a track that always provides major incidents, with some of the best being involved, a car that most are not yet comfortable.

When you are at work and you complain to your boss that the way something is currently being done isn't safe or good for the company ... don't you hope and expect that the boss will listen to you ??? How do you feel when they don't pay any attention to your thoughts ???

There's a lot of drivers I don't care for or respect but at this point in time I think they need to be heard.

[PettyBlue]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

First and foremost this is about our opinions. Secondly this started with the opinions of current NASCAR drivers and how they feel about a rookie coming into a crucial part of the year at a track that always provides major incidents, with some of the best being involved

You know that everyone has opinions and something else. Most if not all stink,correct?

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

You know that everyone has opinions and something else. Most if not all stink,correct?

For half of that question I'll just say that I'll have to take your word for it. No real experience on my part.

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

I just don't see what the big deal is about this guy driving at Dega.Either you can or can't drive.From his past wins and championships, I would say he can.Hell,Mario Andretti only drove 14 Nascar races in his life and won the Daytona 500.Oh,let's not forget another guy named A J Foyt who won quite a few Nascar events including a 500 at Daytona.Neither were what you would call Nascar, full time,good old boy drivers.That did not stop them from kicking some Nascar big boy butt's,did it?

How many of those drivers made their NASCAR debut at Talladega driving a COT? Not even the experienced drivers fully know what to expect this Sunday, so I don't see how he can, even if he is a championship driver? I know it's just my opinion, but to me it's a huge risk to put him in the race with all those other drivers who also have never driven the COT on a superspeedway in race conditions. Talladega is a different animal, especially this Sunday with the COT. I imagine it's nothing like anything he's ever driven before. I can only pray, if he qualifies and makes the race, he'll be cautious and safe and not cause himself or anyone else's day to go south.

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

I just don't see what the big deal is about this guy driving at Dega.Either you can or can't drive.From his past wins and championships, I would say he can.Hell,Mario Andretti only drove 14 Nascar races in his life and won the Daytona 500.Oh,let's not forget another guy named A J Foyt who won quite a few Nascar events including a 500 at Daytona.Neither were what you would call Nascar, full time,good old boy drivers.That did not stop them from kicking some Nascar big boy butt's,did it?

Different times.
People like Andretti, Foyt, and Clark, Hill could drive just about everything.
But the cars back then were much more similar in driving.

NASCAR spec cars are reduced to ovals (no more dirt tracks, almost no road courses) while GP single-seaters are reduced to their custom tracks (no more real road courses like the old Ring and old Spa; no more combined circuits like the old Monza and AVUS; no more ovals like the Tripoli GP).

[PettyBlue]

Originally Posted by DOF_power

Different times.
People like Andretti, Foyt, and Clark, Hill could drive just about everything.
But the cars back then were much more similar in driving.

Agree they could drive,disagree the cars drove similar.Let's start with the early era of F1 and Nascar.Do you really think the state of the art Nascar 1950 Hudson- 1950 Hudson brochure or the 1949 Kaiser- 1949 Kaiser-Frazer - The Old Car Manual Project drove anything like the F1 cars such as the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158- Grand Prix Cars - Alfa Romeo 158 or the Ferrari's- A History of Ferrari in Formula One Even the Indy cars of the time as this 1948 Kurtis KK2000- 1948 Kurtis KK2000 Large Picture Page The tech divide has grown larger over the years since.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

The tech divide has grown larger over the years since.

That may the important part of your post. The divide has grown immensely over the past 50 years. Why endanger yourself who has zero experience in a car that even the most qualified are having trouble getting under control.

Makes no sense in my opinion.

[PettyBlue]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

That may the important part of your post. The divide has grown immensely over the past 50 years. Why endanger yourself who has zero experience in a car that even the most qualified are having trouble getting under control.

Makes no sense in my opinion.

That is yours not mine.After the repaving of Dega quite a few drivers state that it is like driving down an interstate highway and one said his mother could do it.I will look for that drivers statement and post the link if found.At least he can do as well as Jr. and Hamlin have the past few weeks,you think?

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

Agree they could drive,disagree the cars drove similar.Let's start with the early era of F1 and Nascar.Do you really think the state of the art Nascar 1950 Hudson- 1950 Hudson brochure or the 1949 Kaiser- 1949 Kaiser-Frazer - The Old Car Manual Project drove anything like the F1 cars such as the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158- Grand Prix Cars - Alfa Romeo 158 or the Ferrari's- A History of Ferrari in Formula One Even the Indy cars of the time as this 1948 Kurtis KK2000- 1948 Kurtis KK2000 Large Picture Page The tech divide has grown larger over the years since.

I said "were much more similar in driving" not "were absolutely identical".


I say this because I've read an article in witch H. Pescarolo made some comparisons.

As for the 1950 Alfa 158, it was actually a 1937 design with a quite primitive rear suspensions more like Kaiser*and*Kurtis*then*the*Ferraris.*
They've gave it a De Dion*along*with*a*major*power*boost in 1951 when it was renamed 159.*Oh and they still had drum brakes back then and was front engined.

Now with*carbon*brakes,*paddle shifted seamless*
semi-automatics*made*of*composits,*aerodynamics, and*so*on*the*difference*has*grown.*
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[PenelopePitStop]

Oh, boy! How wacky is this?!

Once again, as Gordon stated, " ... that race in the Chase?" The Chase. The Chase. The Chase. Tired of it. If Villeneuve is going to s*ck, doesn't matter. Sounds to me like the Chasers don't want him at Talladega because they are afraid that he may cause "the big one" and take out one of them. And who is Gordon to say where Villeneuve should make his debut? I know he's not the only one who feels this way.

On the flip side, how the hell can someone just "jump in" at this point in the season, Chase or no Chase? I don't get that at all! Are Villeneuve and Hornish planning to run Cup full-time next year?

Talladega? Do open-wheel racers know how to draft first time out? I love restrictor-plate racing. Can't wait. But, hello? That would be the last place I would want to run a Cup car for the first time if given the chance.

Well, I guess we'll see if Villeneuve or Hornish even qualify. If they do, I just hope they run a clean race. Imagine the controversy if either one of them causes "the big one"? Oh, my! If a Chaser is involved?! We'll never hear the end of it!

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

Oh, boy! How wacky is this?!

Once again, as Gordon stated, " ... that race in the Chase?" The Chase. The Chase. The Chase. Tired of it. If Villeneuve is going to s*ck, doesn't matter. Sounds to me like the Chasers don't want him at Talladega because they are afraid that he may cause "the big one" and take out one of them. And who is Gordon to say where Villeneuve should make his debut? I know he's not the only one who feels this way.

On the flip side, how the hell can someone just "jump in" at this point in the season, Chase or no Chase? I don't get that at all! Are Villeneuve and Hornish planning to run Cup full-time next year?

Talladega? Do open-wheel racers know how to draft first time out? I love restrictor-plate racing. Can't wait. But, hello? That would be the last place I would want to run a Cup car for the first time if given the chance.

Well, I guess we'll see if Villeneuve or Hornish even qualify. If they do, I just hope they run a clean race. Imagine the controversy if either one of them causes "the big one"? Oh, my! If a Chaser is involved?! We'll never hear the end of it!

P, you took the words out of my mouth, only better!!!!

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

I love restrictor-plate racing.

This is probably the all time dumbest question, but since the COT is running at Talladega, do they still use restrictor plates? I keep hearing some advertisment on SPEED pumping up the COT at Talladega being such a big deal because they're not using restrictor plates. I must be totally brain dead or imagining things because I've never heard that until just a few hours ago.

[oncea3fan]

they still have the rescrictor plates, only the holes will be bigger, I think they will be 31/32 of and inch, up from 7/8ths.

but nascarf car a a whole bunch of them, so if the cars get to fast, or suck up to quick, they can slap on a smaller plate.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

Do open-wheel racers know how to draft first time out?

short answer, yes they do ........ heck, you draft every time you drive youre car .... you may not see it or feel it, but you do (that's not a knock against you, just a fact at how prevalent the draft is)

Well, I guess we'll see if Villeneuve or Hornish even qualify. If they do, I just hope they run a clean race. Imagine the controversy if either one of them causes "the big one"? Oh, my! If a Chaser is involved?! We'll never hear the end of it!

and what if Smoke or Jr cause "the big one" and take out 2 or 3 chase drivers and Villenueve runs a completely clean race ....... then i guess it's just one of those things ?