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As Ronald Reagan said in a presidential debate with Jimmy Carter: “There you go again.” Those are exactly the words that come to my mind when I hear a NASCAR fan say that the sport should return to using cars that are in their stock configuration. Time and time again I have heard and read this ridiculous comment from fans of Sprint Cup racing who are convinced the sport would improve if it turned the clock back to the days when drivers raced the same car they drove to the grocery store every week. Competing in cars taken from the showroom floor makes about as much sense as adding a row of seats to the Wright brother’s plane and calling it a commercial jetliner.
Pretend for a moment that the cars we drive on the street were used in NASCAR. How exciting would it be to watch a pack of front-wheel-drive cars with six-cylinder engines huff and puff their way around the high banks of Talladega? (The Impala SS is the only model sold with a V8)
Frankly, I’m not sure these cars could maintain enough speed to create the centrifugal force needed to keep the cars from sliding down the banking. And since the engines and transmissions of these cars aren’t engineered to withstand the sustained high RPMs we see in Sprint Cup racing, there wouldn’t be a single car capable of finishing 50 laps let alone 500. If you think the racing is boring now, imagine what a snoozer this race would be.
And what about safety? It would be absurd for anyone to suggest that welding in a roll cage and bolting in a racing seat to a car straight off of the showroom floor is enough to protect a driver.
I’ve read a few comments from racing fans suggesting that the stock bodies should be applied to the current racecars. Assuming this is possible, how would NASCAR insure that one manufacturer didn’t have an aerodynamic advantage? The sport’s pursuit of parity on the racetrack would die.
I don’t think the COT is perfect. I can understand the frustrations many fans have regarding the cookie-cutter look of the COT and I think there has to be a balance between trying to achieve parity and allowing for some individuality in the design area. But going back to racing cars from a car dealer’s showroom floor is an option that makes no sense.
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Look for my blog post later this week that will give step-by-step instructions on how to draw NASCAR's Mike Helton.
Hate to break it to you, the Dodge Charger is RWD, and while it comes in a Six cylinder, you can also get it in a 5.7L and 6.1L V8. I do agree with you though.
You are correct. I forgot about the Charger.
Mike
COT is boring.
Once again NASCAR and the columnist don't get it. This article takes for granted the fact the super speedways are the best forum. True NASCAR fans were drawn to the sport by the wheel to wheel action, spinning out the competition, and the brawling after the race. NASCAR has removed all the elements of the sport which made it great; and they wonder why fans are moving away. Today every driver must look a certain way, say the right thing on queue. What is left of the real sport? Want to bring the fans back? Go back to short tracks with cars which look like the actual cars the average fan drives to work. Allow the trash talking and rivalry which was exciting. In short, NASCAR officials watch the 1980 Daytona 500 and try to compare it to modern" racing" see if it even resembles the original sport
I have to agree with 02luz, the writer misses the point. The Nascar cars of the 70s and 80s resembled their showroom counterparts -- BUT THEY WERE FAR FROM BEING "STOCK." No one is saying (at least I'm not) that Nascar should give up all the safety features, just stop making all the cars look the same. And NO ONE is syaing they should race cars right off the showroom floor -- that's just insane.
Unless you're looking at the "grill" of a current Nascar car, you can't tell one make from the other. At least back in the 70s and early 80s, you could tell who was driving a Ford, Chevy, Buick, etc. just by the shape of the car.
And while I'm at it, please stop calling it the COT. It's no longer the car of tomorrow, it's just the current car.
This safe but terribly dull car needs to be tweaked. It doesn't allow for enough beatin' and bangin' for this short-trace race fan.
Maybe it won't matter... in 2010, NASCAR will be racing hybrid cars and all races will be gas mileage races. Thanks Mr. France.
I'm one of those that want to see Nascar get away from the "COT". So what if one make might have an aerodynamic advantage? Another might handle better, and another might have a better motor. Let them race for crying out loud.
If you want parity, put a spending cap in place like they do in the NFL.
COT is boring. They are driving tanks now and not race cars.
Because it is a tank and the aero's makeup of a tank, whoever is in front, has a large advantage over other cars.....boring. This is the real killer. It is rare now to have racing for 1st place. It only occurs now in the first few laps on a restart. Once the dude gets away he is off and leaving the rest of the field behind.
Boring.....boring....boring.
It is a tank and one can just slam it into the wall or other cars and keep going. Almost every race there is nearly 40 cars still racing. There is no penalty for bad driving.....boring.
I am not saying to make it unsafe but there should be some penalty for car incidents.
Because it is a tank and one has to nearly drive like one is on a dirt track, it makes passing more difficult on many tracks......boring.
COT also has done the opposite of equalizing the cars. Now it is very very very important to have tons of money to gain even the slightest edge in equipment. Championships will now only come from one of the 3 major teams.
While waiting for the big money Na$car circus to restart, check out "4 cylinder 400" for a unique taste of backyard racin'. Runs overnight tonight on IFC and/or available on DVD. Smile...
http://www.4cylinder400.com/index2.html
I couldnt let you forget the very car I drive Mr. Smith.
I was mad at myself for overlooking the Charger. It just slipped my mind for some reason.
Glad to see that you're driving a car from an American manufacturer.
I love it and would not trade my baby for anything.