Gimmie tha old NASCAR racing

[lilsquirt]

I love the older style of NASCAR racing

(as well as building them)

back just a few years ago NASCAR was RACING When tha king Richard Petty was hot and Pearson and Yarborough And Allison (BOBBY) and Gant and on an an on

Now that was racing

go for the 200 MPH and above no restrictor plates no below the line rules no (YOU HIT HIM ANY YOU WILL BE PENILIZED) rules

GOD!!!! NASCAR has really gone down hill since winston gave it up

New Body styles (

They all all the same to me

cant tell a Ford from a Chevy from a Dodge the only way that I can tell them apart is by looking them head on

the grill tells the story

and Toyota ???????

in the ole days only American built cars were elegible for NASCAR

oh yea

Toyota is now being made in the States!

so when will a Jag be built in the states or a Lambragini or an MG or a BMW

will they then be allowed to race with the american cars

will the real NASCAR stand up and identify themselves

sorry about the spelling but the more I talk about NASCAR the hotter I become

I only watch the beginning of the race and the final few Laps on TV

thats when the action really starts now

years ago you couldn't pry me away from the TV until the checkered flag fell and all the interviews were over

(There was sometimes some fistcuffs during the interview with the winner

who agrees with me???????????????????????????

Grandad

Larry

[Harry P.]

AMEN!!!!

What passes for NASCAR today is nothing like what NASCAR really is (or WAS...)

Used to be, Fords and Chevies and Dodges and Plymouths and Mercuries and even Hudsons mixed it up. Back then it was real competition between the different cars and brands. You could A: Tell a Ford from a Chevy from a Dodge, and B: There was actual competition between cars with different engines... so you could actually root for your favorite! And the manufacturers could take pride in a win, because it was really their cars and engines that won the race.

Now we have identical cars, all the same, and no difference whatsoever between a "Ford" or a "Chevy", etc. The only thing that's different between a "Ford" and a "Chevy" is the fake headlights and grille sticker!

Today's "NASCAR"? A colossal waste of time. They have definitely lost what made them uniquely American and interesting. The bigger NASCAR got, the less it looked like what NASCAR started out as. Every NASCAR race these days is nothing more than a 3 hour commercial for all the companies whose logos are plastered on every square inch of every car, and almost every square inch of every driver. Everything that made NASCAR fun, interesting and competitive is gone, and what's left is a giant corporate money-making machine, where the cars are no longer the stars of the race, but just props to show off the company logos for 3 hours.

However... don't take my dislike of NASCAR as a slam against those of you who like to build models of today's COT. My comments are strictly related to "real-life" NASCAR, not to the models or the people who like to build them.

[roadhawg]

I'm with ya 100%!!! Back in the day, there were REAL drivers.....you never heard Curtis Turner complain that his car was "a little loose off the turn". If the car didn't handle, the driver adapted to it! Todays drivers are a bunch of corporate sissies! LOL!

Back in april of 2007, I wrote a blog on another website about what Nascar has become.....I figured I'd share it with y'all here.....

"One Reason I've Lost All Interest In Nascar"..............

Hi, I'm Bob DePesto, your Coca Cola/ McDonalds pit road reporter, from the MSNBC ESPN5 Raceday Coverage Center, here live, at Lowes Home Improvement Center Motor Speedway, with the winner of todays Pepsi Cola/ Martha White Flour/First National Bank of Everywhere 500, Ashley Pastel. Congratulations, Ashley, what was it like out there today?

"Well, Bob, the ol' Gatorade/ Autolite Spark Plug/ Hardees/ Country Time Lemonade/ Advance Auto Parts/ Jiffy Lube Kia was runnin' real good today! We really had a scare one time though, when that Dawn Detergent/ Carpet Fresh/ Pennzoil/ Western Steer Steakhouse/ GE Lightbulb Nissan blew its engine down in The Visine Eye Drops Turn 3!!! When it let go, we got into some of that Quaker State Motor Oil and them Goodyear Eagle Tires lost their grip....we was headed right for that ol' Ace Hardware Concrete retaining wall! I would like to thank my crew down in the Kentucky Fried Chicken Pit area for getting me out so fast! Lucky for me, they had those Craftsman hand tools, available at Sears and K-Mart! According to that Timex stopwatch, if they'd been just one second slower, we'd a needed some Goody's Headache Powders for sure! Anyway...it went right down to the Bass Pro Shops checkered flag, and I was sure ol' Lefty Higgenbotham in the Kroger/ Blue Bell Ice Cream/ Tombstone Pizza/ H&R Block/ Legos/ Simonize Hundai was gonna get us coming off of the Radio Shack turn 4!!! But That NAPA Auto Parts clutch in my car held up to the power of that Sunoco Racing Gas, and now we gonna pop the top on some cold Budwiesers! Yes sir, its really good to win the Pepsi Cola/ Martha White Flour/ First National Bank of Everywhere 500, and I want to thank all the folks at Gatorade, Autolite Spark Plugs, Hardees, Country Time Lemonade, Advance Auto Parts, and Jiffy Lube.....hope I didn't forget anybody. It was a great race!"

Well, there you have it, race fans...Ashley Pastel, the winner of todays Pepsi Cola/ Martha White Flour/First National Bank of Everywhere 500!! This is Bob DePesto, your Coca Cola pit road reporter, from the MSNBC ESPN5 Raceday Coverage Center, here live, at Lowes Home Improvement Center Motor Speedway, saying, see you next week at the Carnation Evaporated Milk/ Levitra/ Folgers Coffee/ BankOne Visa Card/ Exxon 600, live from The WalMart/ Perdue Frozen Chicken National Raceway!......and look, theres The Driver of the Dupont/ Pepsi Cola Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon! Somebody better take him some Huggies Baby Wipes!!!!

Yeah....I think Nascar has forgotten where they came from.

[Nick F40]

that is my favorite comment

Ohhh, now I like this thread, my kind of realisitc thoughts here. FINALLY, people that have the same truth that I agree with THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you 500%, They glorify it more than it actually is, back then, they had to think of stuff because it was good. In all said pansies with an exception of few and it's easy, I don't car what you say.....back then, you had to slide the cars, it was competition between the ACTUAL manufactures and it was just fun. Nowadays none of the manufactures have anything in there, all race shop made, boring. Drivers back then were good, they competed in Formula One, sports cars, back then NA$CAR fans even liked sports cars, Trans Am, a great in my mind and were recognized highly over in Europe, seriously look how many won the 24 Heur Du Mans and other prestigious races, a lot and people around the world recognized, now they only think NA$CAR is our best thing and no real talent recognized over in Europe, look at Johnny O Connell with the Vettes over in LeMans and Spa and such, now he's representing!

Jag and Lamborghini and all the other and ones you listed are smart, they no better than to start making cars over here and really have crappy vehicles. Toyota made a big mistake I think, they had made cars and traucks that outlast many others when they were made in Japan, I don't care what anyone says, they should stick to the way they have been building cars for over 50 years, their Landcruiser BULLITPROOF! the new Tundra, recalls and bad engineering.

One of the main reasons I like sports car and rally and all those, for example, look at any British touring car and you see headlights and tailights; on the production car, shape; on production car, dash; on production EVEN NOW and so on with all the others......I love my old American cars and racing but then and now, dang the Europeans just dominate over it.

Now don't get me wrong, I know a couple guys that build INCREDIBLE NA$CAR models and I love them but the real thing......

Man this has made my day and probably week, thank you mate!

Edited March 16, 2009 by Nick F40

[cdrw]

I agree as well. NASCAR is all about the Bling flash in the pants driver. The racing part is secondary. As for the cars I'd much rather go to my local race track and see a race on a Saturday night.

[george 53]

Normally I don't look into this particular thread, but when I saw the title, I HAD to see what was goin on. Yep I gotta agree with all you guys, it's just NOT nascar anymore. What it is ,is just one giant advertisement. I got nuthin but admiration for the guys who build them,caz some of them really are miniature works of art. But as for real life credability, those cars got as much in common with STOCK cars as I got in common with an Irom ManTriathalon winner!

[LUKE'57]

Aw, you people are crazy. You just don't know what you're talking about.

The cars nowadays look just like the street versions. Just look.

The drivers are very brave and talented and adaptable to new track conditions.

The bodies have been refined down to the essence of the street driven counterpart with no outragous modifications needed from the factory stock version.

The trucks that transport the race cars are a show unto themselves and both advertise the sponsor and promote the racing series wherever they go.

The cars are now even as far as bodywork goes with none having any advantage as to shape or size.

The racing is neat and clean with none of the on track mayhem that personifies the other riff raff like short track Saturday nite racing.

And most importantly, they're working hard on finding a way to honor their heritage in a tasteful way.

Oh, wait. I seem to have gotten the present day parade of sponsors billboards confused with real racing from back in the day. It's all those glue fumes from building REAL racecars driven by REAL race car drivers from back in the day I guess.

I guess what I'm really trying to say, with my tongue stuck firmly in cheek, is- What took you guys so long to get here? I've been waiting for ya'll to figure this real racing thing out for ever so long. Pull up a drink crate and have an RC and a Moon Pie and do some bench racing with me and I'll share some stories and films that you just ain't gonna believe.

The line for tickets to my "Way Back Machine" can be purchased from Mr. Peabody in bulk, just give the money to his boy Sherman. If you're not old enough to know what I'm talking about, just ask any of us of guys with the Autolite t-shirts with the Luckies rolled up in the sleeves and we'll be glad to fill you in and sign you up for membership in the Darkside, the pull is strong.

Welcome to Echoes of Thunder, Stay as long as you like and like it as long as you stay.

[lilsquirt]

sorry but i wuld like to say a few more things

I am an ole hand at saturday night racing having drove for years on our local dirt tracks

but even now it is almost impossible to tell the makes apart except in the stock classes

ive seen a few competitors killed in dirt racing and a few more mained for life in these wedge shaped slabsides

I would rather watch my son race his semi pro go kart on the dirt tracks

there isn't as much sponsorships but its a lot of fun for me, him , his kids and our competitors

its a shame that some kit maker hasn't the guts to make a go Kart racing kit'

Larry

[LUKE'57]

Hey Larry, didn't know you were so close by. I went to my first race (dirt, naturally) in '58 or so just up the road from you at Lancaster Speedway. I worked the sign in shack in the early seventies issuing pit passes and started taking pictures as the track photographer in '76. I was the first track photographer for Chester Speedway when Paul Campbell built it in the early eighties and now my son is gonna be the new track photographer this season at the newly rebuilt I-77 (Chester) Speedway and, something entirely new for me, I'm gonna give being the new announcer a whirl. You need to come see us. Car show with test and tune April 4 and the first race, the season opening "Pete Mosely Memorial Race" on the 18th.

[Draggon]

I can just see this........"Ashley Pastel" wins the the 2020 Hello Kitty NAFCAR ( national assciation for furrin' car auto racing ) championship in her Pokemon-Pikachu sponsored Brillance Zhonghu. So, how many ways does this suck? Yikes!

[LUKE'57]

So, how many ways does this suck? Yikes!

Off hand, I'd say about 40 ways from SIDEWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Willy Survive]

All of you guys sure hit the nail on the head. As far as real drivers are concerned Earnhardt was the last mainstream "real" driver. The closest we have now in my opinion are Tony Stewart and some may disagree but Robby Gordon. Yes it's true Robby's equipment sucks and he's not competitive. But he has proven to be a great racecar driver. As a matter of fact that was the last time I saw any balls in NASCAR. You guys remember that Canadian road course race from like 2 years ago when he refused to give up his spot? Anyways back to the topic at hand. NASCAR seems like a highschool freshman trying to fit in with like 8 different groups of older kids while he's doing nothing but making his junior high buddies hate him. The things that really upset me aren't the cars or the drivers or even the fact that you don't have to have any skill to drive them. What make me the most mad is that credit isn't given where credit is due. So all I get to hear about is how much of a Kyle Busch fan D.W. is. I wanna hear Junior Johnson stories. Give me some Smokey Yunick footage. When was the last time you heard Tim Richmond's name mentioned during a broadcast? Never, NASCAR threw that in the closet with all of the other skeletons that's why. I'll watch for the time being but I used to have 4 or 5 people at my house every weekend to watch the race. It's just not interesting or fun anymore. But on the bright side the economy is still bad so maybe NASCAR will file Chapter 11 and us guys could buy all the shares for like $.12 a piece and restructure NASCAR back to what it's supposed to be. Hey a guy can dream can't he?

Edited March 18, 2009 by Willy Survive

[lilsquirt]

TIM RICHMOND

Tony stewart and Robby Gordon~~ I like them boththo my favorite driver is the other Gordon

so people call him a cry babby ~~~ who wouldn't cry when he has the win locked up and has a blow out or the engine lets go or or or or

however nobody can really beat The kings record no matter how many races he might win

whaat made Richard so great wasn't his driving but how he treated his fans

win Lose wreck what ever~~~ if he was able Richard always waited around after a race to sign autographes for his fans, he talked to them he intermngled with themHe loved his fans as much as his fans love him

so say what you want about todays drivers but I would love to see the king behind the wheel of the famous Petty Blue STP #43 car once again

keep em sideways

thats racing

grandad

Larry

[roadhawg]

whaat made Richard so great wasn't his driving but how he treated his fans

win Lose wreck what ever~~~ if he was able Richard always waited around after a race to sign autographes for his fans, he talked to them he intermngled with themHe loved his fans as much as his fans love him

To be honest, that was pretty much EVERY driver back in the day. My dad took me to a race at the Jefco (Jefferson GA) Speedway in.....oh, 67, 68? This was when Nascar was running 50-60 races a year. I was 12 or 13. After the race, we went in the pits and I got the autograph of Petty, Bobby Issac (my favorite!), Tiger Tom Pistone, and David Pearson. We left, but when we got back to our car, I realized I had left my jacket in the stands. We went back and started searching for it, with no luck. One of the drivers was walking from the track up to the scoring tower and saw us looking....he came over and asked if I had lost something, I told him yes, my jacket. He helped look for awhile, then took me to the tower to see if anyone had turned it in. I never found my jacket, but I became a fan of that driver that day. His name? Dave Marcis. I wonder if Kyle Busch would help some nobody kid try to find his lost jacket today?

Oh, and Tim Richmond? Had he lived, he would have 7 championships today too.....if not more.

[DR Dubois]

Yes, I have to say I'm in the same boat. Preferred the days when stock cars looked like stock cars, and every race meant the chance to see two rivals mess it up a little and possibly get into it on the grass after the melee!

Seems like the drivers today are nothing more than bottled up, pre-packaged advertising agencies for NA$CAR and their sponsors. Nothing left distinguishing them from each other, albeit their track suit colours.

The vehicles they drive now in no way represent a 'stock car' and you almost need a microscope to find the differences between them. Same engines, same body lines, same frames/cages... Hell, if it wasn't for the grill and headlight stickers I'd swear NA$CAR restricted all the teams to using one race car manufacturer! I was going to say 'one car manufacturer', but they don't make the race cars anymore!!

I love building the older kits and enjoy listening or reading about the history of the sport, and can say with assurance I could now care less where NA$CAR goes from here. Pretty soon you'll be watching two and a half hours of promos, advertising, star driver profiles, team profiles, etc. and will for the last half hour watch the final 20 laps or so of the actual race!

Long live the king, ...Sir Petty.

[lilsquirt]

I must add a point

I didn't like Earnhardt either but I cried when he was killed

some thing went out of the sport at that moment,

I figured Jr. would be like his dad and grandad and liven up the sport again

but what does he do? he joins the tean that I expected him to go head to head with Dag blast it

sure Busch and others have tried to be the "Bad guy" (there has gotta be a bad guy in every sport) Rick Flair against Ricky Steamboat ~~Ivan Koloaf against Wahoo McDaniels

now NA$CAR is so humdrum

The last race I attended in person was at Atlanta and the most excitement was on the trip down a car load of race goers in front of us had to urinate so bad that they jumped out of the car, did their business and jumped back in the car before it had gone a foot on the roadway, bumper to bumper for miles ( I will never go back)

by far and away the best track is Bristol

not for NA$CAR but for the WOO cars

the owner of the track hauled in tons of dirt and let the winged monsters run

our family made that tip to see Sammy and Jeff Swindell (My wifes Cousins ) run

now that was racing and fun and excitment

There aint a bad seat in that house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

grandad

[roadhawg]

Rick Flair against Ricky Steamboat ~~Ivan Koloaf against Wahoo McDaniels

Wahoo McDaniel......now THERES a name I haven't heard for awhile! I'll bet the PC crowd wouldn't let him do that Indian dance these days!!!

[Bernard Kron]

... The line for tickets to my "Way Back Machine" can be purchased from Mr. Peabody in bulk, just give the money to his boy Sherman. If you're not old enough to know what I'm talking about, just ask any of us of guys with the Autolite t-shirts with the Luckies rolled up in the sleeves and we'll be glad to fill you in and sign you up for membership in the Darkside, the pull is strong.

Welcome to Echoes of Thunder, Stay as long as you like and like it as long as you stay.

Brilliant! Just Brilliant!

[kingiguana]

NASCAR. like ALL SPORTS has become only about the $$$$$$ and nothing but the $$$$ its a business, not a sport anymore. And the cars suck, they arent stock cars anymore, the showroom versions of these things have V6s and front wheel drive, at least most of them do. And they have way too many rules, its boring.

[LUKE'57]

Brilliant! Just Brilliant!

Thank you Bernard. Wonder if the time is right (look how many posts on this thread ) to post the entire card set here? Maybe about three cards to the post?

Edited March 20, 2009 by LUKE'57

[Nick F40]

That is why I love sports car racing and rally, at least they are dtill facotry backed and the cars LOOK and have same components and engines in the street cars when you go to a dealer. Look at the Ferrari GT2 car in FIA GT, ELMS, ALMS, Challenge, etc. They pretty much ahve the same engine as in the F430 just with open exhaust

[cdrw]

Tim Richmond......talented driver, life cut too short. Neil Bonnett same.

[Slim Louis]

Post 'em, Jerry! I thinks some of us will really enjoy them!

[camaroman]

Post 'em, Jerry! I thinks some of us will really enjoy them!

DITTO!

[Dave Ambrose]

I must add a point

I didn't like Earnhardt either but I cried when he was killed

some thing went out of the sport at that moment,

I too was very sad when we lost Dale. When someone spends enough time in your living room, they come to be important.

I was an Ernie Irvan fan. I didn't like Earnhardt either until Ernie hit the wall at Michigan. There were two drivers who took the considerable trouble to visit him every week; Dale Earnhardt, and Mark Martin.

You can say a lot of things about Dale's driving style (or Ernie's) but the man had good character and character used to count for something. That's what I miss the most.

Cheers,

Dave