Motor Sports

The only car races that I am interested in is me cruising along the highway with one eye peeled on the rear view mirror!

I really enjoy the grand prix races, but the driving around in circles like Nascar is boring, in person or on tv.

All car racing should be banned. What an incredible waste of time, money and, too often, life! Can you imagine what would happen in other sports if a regular outcome of their competitions was the death of a participant? Do you think the NFL could get away with a player or two getting killed every year? And what states would continue to sanction boxing matches if boxers were killed in the ring with the same regularity as the various racing circuits? And forget about the "athletes", what other sport would put their fan base in harm's way like racing does? "Hey, Cletus, let's rustle up the kids and go sit in our third row seats while dozens of nitro-fueled death traps drive around in circles a millimeter apart from one another? crashes? Heck, don't worry about crashes -- I'm sure that chain link fence will stop all the tons of flaming debris that might fly at us at 200 MPH." Slack jawed yokels!!

Auto racing is needlessly and hopelessly dangerous and it should be stopped. But it has a huge, mindless and maniacal fan base and it sells beer and cars -- there's a fine combination -- so of course no congressperson will ever go after it.

I also think the possibility of serious injury or death (muerte) plays a role in auto racing, even if the toll has decreased considerably over the years. I find the car-crashing events somewhat infantile and disturbing.

At the same time, there is some sort of aesthetic fascination with car racing.

I once put Enzo Ferrari as one of the 100 most important people of the XX Century. Why? Because Ferraris are red, are metalmechanical, are fast. Maybe also because they can be deadly.

Muerte, are you serious?

What else should be banned?

Motorcycle racing...or what about motorcycles in general?

What about high performance cars for the street?

You can say this and this should be banned, but you've got to realize: They never will, because there will always be a demand for it.

Professional car racing is a huge industry, and a huge money maker: for the auto manufacturers, for the drivers, for sponsers, for everyone involved. It's not something you can just ban because it's "dangerous." It's also kind of ignorant to call a whole fan base "manical."

Besides, don't you know why rednecks like to do it doggy style so much?
-So they can both watch NASCAR.

Gee, Slappy, for a second there I thought you lost your sense of humor. But then doggy style came to the rescue.

To answer your question, yes, I'm serious. Auto racing is the modern day equivalent of the spectacle of the Coliseum, something you would think "modern" society (hmmm, isn't every current society "modern"?) would have evolved past. And while it is certainly ignorant on my part to suggest that all racing fans are maniacal (or mindless for that matter), you can't deny that some significant portion of the people in that grandstand just can't wait for the next fiery crash. It's a wonder you don't have Richard Petty up on a throne, ready to give the thumbs down as some good ol' boy is yanked unconscious from his burning wreck.

As for the implied topic of personal choice, it's one thing for some idiot to go wrap his Harley around a tree and snap his neck in the process; it's quite another to charge admission so people can come and watch it as it happens.

Side comment: I'll always remember some idiot driver being interviewed on ESPN the day after Dale Earnhart was killed. "That's the way he would have wanted to go, doing what he loved." Oh, yeah? Ask his widow.

The "he died doing what he wanted to do" tactic is a familiar survivor's tool. I don't see the relevance to racing.

As noted, CdK, it was a side comment. Just always stuck with me as a ridiculous and self-serving comment.

I don't see what people see in it, but that's just me. To each their own!

I'm not a huge fan either, but I think muerte's views are a little extreme. How many races are there every day? Between professional and amateur? And you hear about what? A couple of deaths a year? Relatively, I'm sure it's a much safer sport than you think.

I used to go to stock care races in high school and college - they were an experience, and no one was really ever going fast enough to die (not that often anyway).

OK, I admit it - I like Formula 1.

No, I don't like the fact that sometimes somebody gets killed. And yes, I think it is actually pretty stupid to drive around in circles for almost two hours.

But it fascinates me. Maybe this is also due to the fact that a couple of German drivers are in Formula 1. Anyway, last Sunday I got up at 4 am to see the first race of the season.

Motorsport Racing in general has become so incredibly safe over the last 20 years that, I cant believe someone could actually think that some unsafe nature of the sport whould be consideration for somekind of banning of the sport.
Yes, its a dangerous sport...so is skydiving, so is flying, mountain climbing, etcetcetc
Its an incredibly HUGE money maker, and it aint just beer its selling, or heck..not even just cars either. But, that certainly doesnt mean its safety is being overlooked or that its even a consideration that it shouldnt be banned based on its monetary potential vs safety.
Is it dangerous...why, yes it is. Are the people involved professional drivers? Yes, they are, or are trying to become one. Are they and their equipment put under strict safety requirements, um..yep sure are. Do they actually have to drive these cars on the tracks to achieve a racing license? Oh, yes, they do.
Do accidents happen...most certainly. Planes crash too, and that usually involves more than one person, and oh yeah, people do that more often than a race is being undertaken. In fact, I think accidents happen to all types of sportsmen, in all different ways, including death, dismemberment, and plain old disabling-how bout that boxing?
Is it a silly sport, yeah I guess you could say it was. I mean really, either the car is going straight really fast, going in circles really fast, or on a track of twists and turns going really fast.
Humm...speed skaters go really fast in circles, cyclists usually have some interesting tracks or courses to complete....Im sure if I sat and thought about it and wrote it all down here, the list would be endless...lots of sports when looked at are pretty stupid...heck a bunch of guys on a field chasing a ball is pretty silly when you think about it.
Speed, thrills, excitement, adrenalin rush...this is what many people enjoy doing, excel at doing, and lots of people like to watch, even pay for. Its a sport, its a profession. If youd rather not watch that type of sport, or contribute to it..humm, change the channel, dont pay to participate. Seems simple enough.
Reagarding comments about those individuals who are great fans of motor sports...umm, who was the guy in high school that could drive, fix up or motor around in the best car....was he also the class president? Was he on the honor roll? Was he politically, businesslike, preppy, yuppy, or socially motivated? Most likely not. He probably just liked cars more than others. Taking this into consideration, these are the people in the past years that were not only able to build the machine, but drive it as well. Those that were most interested in these cars and drivers were of the same sort, and family and friends. This is changing, has been changing, and will continue to change....get over it...its popular. I dont like a great deal of the people Ive seen interviewed but, heck, I dont like a lot of footbal players either, or their fans but, it doesnt make them bad, inferior, or otherwise unwanted, just pretty much misunderstood. <this last part is directly for americans who have had a sort of twisted view on the subject>

ahem..rant over..onto more sportsmanlike attitude.

There is nothing like the rush you feel at the wheel of race car, of anykind. Put that car on a track, and it only increases, you cant explain it, you can only live it. If you dont feel the need to do that, you shouldnt. Heck, for any sport, if you arent enjoying yourself, whats the point?
You must not only think safe but, you must trust your crew to keep you safe, trust your car to keep you safe, and have trust enough in yourself to drive safe. But, accidents happen, yes they do, and there is nothing like an accident in a car-although I gotta say an accident in a car with full safety cage, firesuit, etc I would pick over a regular car, or say a skydiving accident, or fall off of a mountain.

Racing was part of my life at one time, so I perhaps might not be the best person to defend the sport or the people, etc since I was so personally involved. I think however though that I can give a more balanced opinion on it based on my experiences with it.
I used to go all over for drag racing <yeah, even out of the country>, pay through the nose for it and everything, and I probably wouldnt do that today...unless I was channel surfing to find something going on.
I still have great admiration for the drivers and the crews, still turns my head when I hear or see a nice car going by on the street, still wouldnt mind going to a race here and there but, basically I was just glad to have experienced it.
I have grown away from it, and I dont watch hardly at all anymore. I actually enjoy watching Outlaws <minis> when I see them on, cant believe those guys get into those cars, run that circut but, to each his own. I dont mind climbing a little mountain but, wouldnt climb Everest either.
To each his own, and luckily there is something out there for everyone.

Well put!

I have nothing against it by any means. I wouldn't want my son racing, but I don't see anything wrong with it. My son goes to races with my cousin all the time and they have a great time. I don't get into it, but I don't think it should be banned either. I guess I was tired when I placed my first response because I know I meant to mention that.

Dale Earnhardt...Ayrton Senna...Neil Bonnett...Rodney Orr...Adam Petty...Kenny Irwin...Tony Roper...Jeff Krosnoff...Gary Avrin...Scott Brayton...Gordon Smiley...Jim Hickman...Jovy Marcello...Jean-Patrick Heine... all dead as a result of car crashes for fun and profit.

Nice sport.

Muerte
That's the risk that comes in any sport. Football players die, People who are out fishing get caught in a storm and die. People who drive cars to work or where ever die in car accidents every day, so do you think cars should be banned as well?

Women die every day from giving birth, etc, etc, etc, ... Life goes on!