SPEED, o lovely SPEED

[Nick F40]

It's pretty bad when they are STILL talking bad things about and the truth about your network. This never seems to die down http://www.speedtv.com/forums/

There is a god though, DTM, BTCC, and V8 Supercars are now being shown, all hail the winter season! This Saturday, yes, the WEEKEND, instead of 1PM on a Tuesday afternoon when no ones home, there is going to be DTB and BTCC on Saturday and V8 Supercars on Sunday. Thank you!

Still waiting on their own.....sponsered....series.......to air

Edited December 10, 2009 by Nick F40

[VW Dave]

I'm still going through WRC withdrawals.......

[Joe Handley]

They had a F1 Austrailia race on the other day, kinda suprised me.

[Tommy Kortman]

I caught both the DTM and BTCC last weekend. Just the thing for Octane withdrawl. All I can say is...IT'S ABOUT FREAKIN TIME!!! Now if they'd only bring back the 24 hour coverage from Daytona and LeMans, I'd be happier than a pig in...well you get the idea. I am so tired of all of these ###### so-called "reality" shows. You want reality, watch a race!

[Lownslow]

i cant wait for nascrap to collapse on itself. thats good news well see how it goes till then ill keep watching HD theatre

[george 53]

I got to watch those CRAZY little Rally cars the other day, MAN those guys are NUTS! Makes for some GREAT raceing though!!!! Even If'n they's some funny lil furrin cars, I LOVE it!!!! Go BTCC!!

[bigphoto]

HMMMMMMM.............

I may have to invest in cable or Sat. TV for the pizza shop seeing as I am there most of the time anyway!!!

[Nick F40]

The V8 Supercars are no today but i watched both DTM and BTCC yesterday, not that bad of coverage but they cut down on the laps in between commercials and when the coverage comes on, it directly goes to the starting of the race, no interest it seems, it was nice to see though, great sounding cars and the BTCC was fun but the coverage made it horrible to watch I still am happy though!

[BigGary]

The V8 Supercars are no today but i watched both DTM and BTCC yesterday, not that bad of coverage but they cut down on the laps in between commercials and when the coverage comes on, it directly goes to the starting of the race, no interest it seems, it was nice to see though, great sounding cars and the BTCC was fun but the coverage made it horrible to watch I still am happy though!

I hate to disappoint you foreign car nuts but NASCAR is continuing to grow and become more popular, especially with the addition of Danica Patrick to ASA and Nationwide series, even though to a limited schedule. You can be sure the country will be watching.

Juan Pablo Montoya didn't join NASCAR so he wouln't have to be in the wind anymore.

Gary

Edited December 13, 2009 by BigGary

[roadhawg]

I hate to disappoint you foreign car nuts but NASCAR is continuing to grow and become more popular, especially with the addition of Danica Patrick to ASA and Nationwide series, even though to a limited schedule. You can be sure the country will be watching.

Juan Pablo Montoya didn't join NASCAR so he wouln't have to be in the wind anymore.

Gary

Dunno.....I grew up in the deep south and believed Nascar was a religion, up to a certain point......nowadays, its a dog and pony show. Its all about money....who can sell the most product. When rookies can compete equally with, and usually BETTER than, seasoned veterans, the driver is no longer part of the equation.

[CAL]

I hate to disappoint you foreign car nuts but NASCAR is continuing to grow and become more popular, especially with the addition of Danica Patrick to ASA and Nationwide series, even though to a limited schedule. You can be sure the country will be watching.

Juan Pablo Montoya didn't join NASCAR so he wouln't have to be in the wind anymore.

Gary

Actually that is just not true. NASCAR peaked in the late 90s and has been declining ever since.

The fastest growing motorsport in this country has been SCCA, Grand Am and AMLS.

[Tommy Kortman]

And while we're on the Motorsports subject: Does anyone know what's going on with the US GranPrix Engineering team? (formerly USF1)

[BigGary]

And while we're on the Motorsports subject: Does anyone know what's going on with the US GranPrix Engineering team? (formerly USF1)

While SCCA, etc. may be growing in the number of racers, I think you'll find the audience for NASCAR and NHRA is much, much larger. There are dirt tracks, paved tracks, and drag strips all over the place in the USA. Its 50 miles from the to the nearest Drag strip, 40 miles to the nearest oval track, and 100s of miles to the nearest road course.

Gary

[Tommy Kortman]

While SCCA, etc. may be growing in the number of racers, I think you'll find the audience for NASCAR and NHRA is much, much larger. There are dirt tracks, paved tracks, and drag strips all over the place in the USA. Its 50 miles from the to the nearest Drag strip, 40 miles to the nearest oval track, and 100s of miles to the nearest road course.

Gary

I think you might have misunderstood me. I was wondering what was going on with the US based F-1 team that was started earlier this year. I can not seem to find much info on thier progress.

[Rob Hall]

And while we're on the Motorsports subject: Does anyone know what's going on with the US GranPrix Engineering team? (formerly USF1)

Nothing concrete on the driver front yet, but one name I've seen as a possible driver is Argentinean Jose Maria Lopez. I follow about a dozen or so F1 news Twitterers and not much on USGP lately.

[Nick F40]

I hate to disappoint you foreign car nuts but NASCAR is continuing to grow and become more popular, especially with the addition of Danica Patrick to ASA and Nationwide series, even though to a limited schedule. You can be sure the country will be watching.

Juan Pablo Montoya didn't join NASCAR so he wouln't have to be in the wind anymore.

Gary

You want to know why? It's because of Fox Reality 2 only showing NASCAR coverage. They show the coverage of Grand Am, ALMS, SBK, etc. but it's total ######. People would know more about the others if they actually shown coverage and not just hour long bullcrap. They don't show them therefore people don't know about them and when they come on the viewers have no freakin idea.

Dunno.....I grew up in the deep south and believed Nascar was a religion, up to a certain point......nowadays, its a dog and pony show. Its all about money....who can sell the most product. When rookies can compete equally with, and usually BETTER than, seasoned veterans, the driver is no longer part of the equation.

It's refreshing to hear that from a southerner because that seems to be the deception of NASCAR but that's all it is nowadays. And sadly it's the only ###### one you hear about.

I agree with Chris, it is declining and the other "less expensive" and "cars that ACTUALLY LOOK AND SOUND like the road car" is making a huge comeback, that's why the ALMS and Grand Am is so nice. Look at the GT class in ALMS, 9 manufactures!

As on the US F1 Team, yeah not much, they got Jose if he can come up with the sponsership funds in time but no one else. I am following hugely on the 2010 season! It's nice to see the Senna name back in F1.

[Jon Cole]

"The fastest growing motorsport in this country has been SCCA, Grand Am and AMLS."

I hear that there is one other form of motor racing that may be growing in popularity, not in a "television" kind of way, but in a love of the sport way... the 24 Hours of LeMons! No, that's not a typo. It's a spoof on the actual LeMans race, but the idea is to race cheap, and have fun. They have races all over the country. The cars look like a joke, but they have a lot of fun from what I have seen. At least they get to paint whatever they want on the sides, instead of a billboard for a sponsor.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Spyder

[Lownslow]

"The fastest growing motorsport in this country has been SCCA, Grand Am and AMLS."

I hear that there is one other form of motor racing that may be growing in popularity, not in a "television" kind of way, but in a love of the sport way... the 24 Hours of LeMons! No, that's not a typo. It's a spoof on the actual LeMans race, but the idea is to race cheap, and have fun. They have races all over the country. The cars look like a joke, but they have a lot of fun from what I have seen. At least they get to paint whatever they want on the sides, instead of a billboard for a sponsor.

yeah i hope it makes it out myway i would love to participate in that event someday

[Brendan]

Kind of sucked for me as Speed mislabeled what was on the TV schedule. I ended up seeing part of the Super V-8's. They had it listed as a Lucas Oil Race or something.

In regard to sports cars growing in popularity, it's partially due to the manufacturers wanting to develop new cars and be able to make them fuel efficient. Since the rules allow them to do so unlike NASCAR. NASCAR hasn't had any major development for the cars driven on the road whereas as the sports cars directly relate to the cars driven on the road. So it's a way for the manufacturers to do R/D for the road cars.

In regard to US F1, they're running into a major hurdle not being able to get their cars passed through safety inspections. They failed the side impact test, but passed the front impact test. Because of the failure, they redesigned part of the car. And now they have to get everything retested again which will take easily 4 to 5 months. There probably won't be a US team in 2010 or at least not until mid-season.

[Ddms]

They had a F1 Austrailia race on the other day, kinda suprised me.

It would surprise me, too, since the Melbourne F1 race was back on March 29. At this rate, they'll still be showing 2009 events as the 2010 season unfolds.

During the last few F1 seasons, Speed has carried all the Grands Prix except for one per season on Fox. All hail to Speed for their coverage of the races, which is excellent. The commentators are Bob Barsha, Steve Matchett, David Hobbs and Peter Windsor. Windsor won't be commenting next year; he's now an owner of the new American F1 team, F1USA. Sorry to hear that they're having problems getting certified. Well, we'll hope for the best. Go F1USA!

I too have had problems with Speed mis-labeling its programs. I have a DVR, and you never know Speed is really going to broadcast. Last year, I missed an entire F1 weekend because of this. Maybe they'll pay more attention now that there's an American F1 team.

[Ddms]

I grew up in the deep south and believed Nascar was a religion...

You mean... it isn't?

[Nick F40]

Yeah, the Speed site had the right times but the guides and such had wrong labels. I would rather watch that though, I'm glad they are using street cars and developing things to make the racing better and things that CARRY OVER to the street car. The new Vette was built based off of the racing program, that's what I think when I watch and think of racing.

Speed has always done that, and I'm saying that as implying toward when Speedvision went out of our lives , they have always shown the year's season in the winter of those series, we will be seeing races that happened at the beginning of the year and I like how it's all in an hour! :lol:

[JayC]

Kind of sucked for me as Speed mislabeled what was on the TV schedule. I ended up seeing part of the Super V-8's. They had it listed as a Lucas Oil Race or something.

Same here. I was hoping to watch some off-road racing. Other than that, I'm not a big fan of racing anymore. It's all too boring to me nowadays.

[roadhawg]

You mean... it isn't?

It used to be. It's not anymore. All todays Nascar fans are from up north. Heck, Ward Burton is the only driver I can understand anymore.

[seeker589]

I just HAVE to add my two cents into this mix and stir the pot.

First of all I have to say I dislike current stock car racing. Maybe it's due to the perfect placing of the cautions to bunch up the field for what-ever reason or the fact that the cars are not stock. I tried to watch a few races a year - but I don't know the drivers and the cars make NO sense to me - The same chassis with the same body and different stickers for different engine manufacturers. In road racing we call that SPEC RACING and it is for entry level drivers.

Spicing up the series by giving air time to spoiled brats having tantrums is nothing but marketing - pure and simple. Keep the emotions from in front of the camera and nobody will watch - NASCAR is all about the drama - marketing drama. It is soap opera at 180mph.

NASCAR and the professional NHRA classes are irrelevent to the current auto manufacturers - except for product placement. NASCAR and PRO STOCK use carbs - for heaven's sake! How relevent is THAT?!

All this being said - NASCAR is a valid sport. It gainfully employs people. It creates its own market and promotes the useage of fans to promote products and services by SELLING those fans wearables like t-shirts, jackets and hats, etc.

Attendence at NASCAR events has been on the decline from even before the economy tanked. Truck races and Nationwide races have very few spectators compared to the big boys and the racing is still racing! There are RACE fans and there are NASCAR fans - there is a difference.

Road racing is growing due to an infusion of marketing by auto and aftermarket manufacturers as well as the infusion of European and Japanese car culture through video games. Gran Turismo, Forza, Project Gotham, and the Need for Speed series of games has created a motorsports culture. That culture is interested in left and right cornering, brakeing and acceleration and car balance.

When these kids grow up they look for the cars they drove in the video games - most of them are Japanese - Jap cars handle well with little help.

Track events are popular and the infusion of dozens of new road courses in North America has fueled the need for these speed junkies to drive as many tracks as they can.

Some of these tracks are at driving country clubs. These courses are ROAD COURSES - not OVALS - for a reason. Driving left and right is MORE interesting than driving in a circle.

I watched a Jetta TDI cup race today. In ONE lap - I saw two outstanding late braking moves that made my hair on the back of my neck stand up. To get that reaction from a NASCAR race - someone's gotta wreck. Passing on an oval just isn't as exciting.

To make NASCAR exciting for me - some changes need to be made. I wanna see a street race - tight and unforgiving. They are PROFESSIONAL drivers - they can do it and the sissies that protest - fine 'em - NASCAR is good at that.

I wanna see an endurance race on a road course with headlights through the rain and at night. All this must be done with a factory tub with factory body panels with every piece of the drive-train coming from the respective makers. It is STOCK CAR RACING, right?

The last thing - NASCAR is NOTHING of what it started as. It is now a homoginized, polished shadow of itself. Irrelevant automotively. The France family and Humpey Wheeler may have created the great business success that is NASCAR but in doing so - they ruined the sport. Marshal Teague would be pissed! Smokey Yunick is laughing from beyond the grave.

I want to see an unfair advantage. Richard Petty had one for years. So he cheated - some call it innovation.

Mark Donohoe wrote a whole book about it. A must-read for driving enthusiasts.

You say that people won't watch. I say Nay-Nay. People will either watch to see how long the enchanted spell of the advantage lasts or to relish in the aftermath of the impending failure. They will watch and cheer for the underdog. They will then watch for the next innovator. Then the next.

I would LOVE to watch a LeMons race! I hear they are innovative there.

Real racing is done by the common man - from his garage - trying to scrape one nickle against the other and make the tires last one more weekend.

Now that I have alienated myself - I'll go back under my rock.

Edited December 14, 2009 by seeker589