[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

a couple more points about open-wheel vs NASCAR:

• the open-wheel cars are much more expensive (partially due to the extensive telemetrics) than a Cup car

It's relative.
If we're talking about F1, that's true (tough it's far from just telemetry).
If we're talking about spec series such as GP2, Champ Car, A1 GP then the opposite is true (NASCAR is more expensive), as the teams of such series don't have to worry about building neither the chassis neither the engine.

• the open-wheel cars are built to disentigrate upon impact keeping the driver safely encased in the carbon fiber driver's cocooon while NASCAR relies on an extremely rigid frame (roll cage), energy absorbing materials, and state of the art belts, seats and netting.

True, but not just NASCAR's bealts and seats are state of the art.

• the average open-wheel pit crew is larger and less "athletic" than the NASCAR pit crews

True.

• driving a NASCAR Cup car requires more energy to turn the wheel (steering wheels are larger and on average rotate 60-90 degrees per turn), shift gears (4-speed shifter vs paddle shifter) and tolerate the heat (both engine and weather with restricted ventilation)

The heat is quite similar, though CO is not an issue. The cockpit temperature in an F1 single seater goes up to 50°C+ = 122°F+ at the Malaysian GP.

Shifting gears true.

The turning the wheel part is both true and false.
The steering is lighter in F1 (but IRL and others don't have power steering), definately being easier on the slow(er) corners, but not on the fast ones. There's the high G-forces to conside here. An F1 racer will easily pull over 4 G, and even 6 G was measured at the Japanese GP on Suzuka's 130R corner.
That means that on the fast corners the hands of the driver are 4 to 6 times their normal weight/mass, so while you do have the lighter steering you also have the considerably heavier hands.

• open-wheel cars accelerate faster and stop quicker (because they are lighter) and generate more lateral G's on the driver than NASCAR Cup cars.

There's numerous other reasons in F1, such as the carbon brakes, seamless semi-automatic transmissions, aerodynamics and co.
And it's not just lateral G's (up to 6G), but also negative (braking; 5G), and vertical positive and negative (at Spa's Eau Rouge the up and down bob like effect/path).

• finally, in open-wheel competition, team orders are commonplace, not in NASCAR .. yet.

They've been a part of motorsport since the begining really, and they're not restricted to open-wheel series.

[DOF_power]

>



^ Here some videos showcasing what it takes and what it's like to drive an F1.

YouTube - F1 Driver Physical Challenges
YouTube - Martin Brundle drives Williams F1 Car