Losing the passion

[Razor]

Hey guys,

Something has been bothering me of late. l fear that I have lost a lot of my passion for motorsport. I rarely keep up with Formula Bernie and when I watched the latest V8 Supercar race. I shrugged. (Hell, I slept through Bathurst)

Has anyone else ever had a loss of feeling for car racing and is there any treatment/cure?

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by Razor

Hey guys,

Something has been bothering me of late. l fear that I have lost a lot of my passion for motorsport. I rarely keep up with Formula Bernie and when I watched the latest V8 Supercar race. I shrugged. (Hell, I slept through Bathurst)

Has anyone else ever had a loss of feeling for car racing and is there any treatment/cure?

You're not alone.

I stopped watching F1 towards the end of last season, and haven't returned except for the odd 20 mins of a race. I have the opportunity to watch other racing, like British club meetings, or WTCC, or WRC, but they all fail to hold my attention. I get bored very quickly, sometimes because of the TV presentation, which assumes the viewer is 10 years old.

I'm an oldie, and have rose-tinted spectacles, so I'll be the first to admit that I'm the one who's probably got the problem. But every series has got too clever for its own good - the engineers are so good now that the cars are just that little bit too perfect. WEC cars all look identical, as do WRC cars, club meetings are full of one-make series, all the touring car series are full of what I call silhouette cars (why the hell can't we have races for production cars? it'd be cheaper for everyone) and all the single-seat series copy F1 and consequently cost so much to enter.

Variety is what I like, and the only events I really enjoy are the historic festivals - cars that look like cars, and enthusiasts really enjoying themselves.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by nicanary

You're not alone.

......club meetings are full of one-make series, .......
.

Fortunately that is simply no where near true!

[Paradise City]

I remember the mid 90's. Bustling CART grids still featuring Andretti, Fittipaldi and Unser. Bustling Super Touring races in every major jurisdiction typically without mickey-mouse "reverse grids" gimmicks. A ding-dong battle between Hill and Schumacher in F1. Breath taking races in NASCAR. An emerging BPR series full of promise. Those were great times, all packed with variety.

Now it's all one-make series and/or penelope-pitstop gimmicks. Sterile, sterile, sterile.

It's not rose tinted specs. Times were better even as recently as the mid90's. Yes, my enthusiasm isn't gone but it has diminished for contemporary motorsports too.

(My comment doesn't apply to the club scene btw but attending clubbies isn't something I can do very often)

[nicanary]

Maybe I'm wrong with the club scene being all one-make, but whenever I watch a meeting on ITV4 or Motors TV all I seem to see are races for Caterhams, MX5s, Clios, Ginettas, all -VW grids, all -Ford grids, it just goes on...

Maybe I'm unlucky with the meeting I watch.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by nicanary

Maybe I'm unlucky with the meeting I watch.

I think you are unlucky in the fact that the bulk of the stuff that is televised does seem to be the one make categories. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that it makes up pretty much all of the supports for the BTCC and F3/GT packages. I do think that the CSCC, CTCRC and 750MC in particular do offer a broad mix of relatively modern, multi-make racing - albeit with limited coverage. This is combined with a varied historic racing scene.

I think my interest in motorsport has changed over the years. When I first got interested in motorsport, I was happy watching F1 and the BTCC on TV. My interest broadened by reading the likes of Autosport and watching Top Gear Motorsport on TV. This was eventually replaced by attending motor racing events and in turn by marshalling. I think that I'd now far rather marshal a run of the mill club meeting than watch a GP on the TV.

[pigs fly]

Originally Posted by Razor

Hey guys,

Something has been bothering me of late. l fear that I have lost a lot of my passion for motorsport. I rarely keep up with Formula Bernie and when I watched the latest V8 Supercar race. I shrugged. (Hell, I slept through Bathurst)

Has anyone else ever had a loss of feeling for car racing and is there any treatment/cure?

Just like you I lost the passion for the Supertaxi's but solved my problem by going to more club meets at local tracks more fun and exciting racing being seen and enjoyed.

[bella]

i had the same thing with the series i was watching. i picked up the european le mans series, got into that, went to the races and now i'm hooked on that.

you see what you want to see in a series. i love the way that the lmp2 class has a decent selection of chassis and one or two different engines, and they all end up competing very closely for wins. there's new chassis emerging, new driving talent coming through and if you get bored of that there's always something curious going on in the gt classes. lmp1 leaves me a bit cold in racing terms (it's too corporate) but the cars are insane.

figure out what you're looking for in your motorsport, what you don't like and try and find that.

[chunder]

I had this many years ago

Used to love F1 and sports cars. But now could never justify going to F1 races and WEC is really only one race, the rest of it is a non event.

I do like watching rallying, but it is fairly off in the South, rallycross, short oval racing are where I spend my time these days.

And participating in bike enduro's and helping people out doing that. Very cheap, good fun, great people and no berks that circuit racing for me as fan seem full of, sorry!

[ascarracinguk]

yup my passion is waining with motorsport, Ive been hooked since a kid and been marshalling for 12 years....over the last couple of years I have lost interest in a lot of series. since I started drag racing myself I have lost interest in a lot of circuit racing


there are plus sides to everything though. these days I just do drag racing 7/8 times a year and follow sportscar racing...so british gt/le mans/wec/gt cup....and historic racing such as the Silverstone classic/goodwood

...where as before I was completely burning myself out going racing every weekend I now concentrate on the sports I really do love, which gives me more time to do other things too

[AndyS]

I wouldn't say I've lost my passion but what I watch has changed. Maybe its an age thing and those in their twenties now will be having the same discussions in twenty to thirty years time. As I'm in my early 40's I was brought up on 80's and 90's motorsport, so lots of Group B, Group C, Super Touring and F1 of that era. Can just remember the special saloon's and Ford Escorts in rally from the late 70's.

I was an avid F1 fan, but no more. I still follow it but only some races. Usually because its a circuit I like more than anything else. I never missed a race but once it went partially onto Sky that stopped. I don't think I watch any of it live anymore.

I've always loved rallying and although lower profile these days, I still follow it. Rallycross has always been another favourite. Like others though I find myself increasingly watching more club and historic stuff and sports cars.

I've tried to get in as much sports car racing highlights as I can this year. I've found the races hit and miss if I'm being honest, some have been thoroughly entertaining and others a bit dull. I do find the engineering and tech side of it quite interesting. I'm not sure I'd follow an individual series more individual events. That said with so many series out there at the moment, I've got a good 20 or so events that I'll tune into again. Interesting the comments on V8 Super Cars as I really enjoy that.

In general its more individual events and races that I bother with now, particularly when it comes to circuit racing.

[davyboy]

I feel as others do about F1 and think this will my last year arranging my weekends around grands prix. It does nothing for me any more. I feel I'm doing little more than contribute to perpetuation of a disgusting little tyrant.

[ascarracinguk]

basically id rather watch

this





over this any day!






ive only just turned 30 but find historic cars and sportscars WAYYYYY more exciting than modern day stuff..there is huge variety in speed, noise and looks over modern day cars that look similar, sound similar and just don't give me goosebumps

[Deleted]

With me, it's not as much of losing the passion as per say (although most of the series now running on soulless asphalt car parks and either utilizing masqueraded spec cars or performance balancing everything to the point it becomes utterly pointless isn't exactly helping) but about trying to push it back a little so that I could have more time in my life for something else... ie there's need to concentrate on stuff I really need/want to watch. Couple of years ago I watched everything there was in offer and that was exhausting and took so much of my time off essentially for nothing, ever since I've been attempting to scale back my following. It's worked, but not as efficiently as I'd like.

Pretty much given up everything else except sports cars now, and even there it's cherry picking. Big single events are more interesting than any single series there's now in offer as North America is essentially ruined as of this year, WEC apart from the obvious one event is not to my liking at all, SRO series all boring GT3 clones, ELMS transfomed into second division pro-am, etc. Although I've recently started to follow Super GT more closely and digged it for the exotic flavour, so it looks like it might be my only 'full series' I'm gonna watch next year. That and those couple of big/important events

[Woolley]

Televised motorsport generally seems to follow the worst series who provide (or demand) the most money. Long since stopped watching F1, haven't seen BTCC in years, much of the 'club' motorsport on tv is dull.

Despite that, I've had a really enjoyable season this year by simply picking and choosing what I like. British Hillclimb championship (and a few club meetings too), WEC, HSCC and a few others. It's out there, you just have to look for it. And it's mostly not on TV.

[Dave Brand]

One-make championships boring?

MX5s, Locosts, a plethora of Caterham classes, MR2s, to mention just a few.

I rest my case.

[Paradise City]

I think when "success ballast" became chic both as a term and as a practice, this was the specific milestone that diminished the sport for me. I remember Anthony Reid meekly suggesting that success ballast be abandoned in TC and when that call was met with crickets I knew the irreverisible direction the sport was going in. I just can't take seriously the results of a race where the previous winner is punished for winning. I know that doesn't faze other people but for me it's perverse.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

One-make championships boring?

MX5s, Locosts, a plethora of Caterham classes, MR2s, to mention just a few.

I rest my case.

Case for the defence or prosecution? I've seen the Mx5's a few times and the entertainment has largely been the drivers fighting with each other and throwing their crash helmets at passing cars. Locosts / Caterhams are dull after the first corner mayhem and the MR2s always look poorly prepared (they just look scruffy).

My issue with the Caterhams is largely the same as I have with a lot of single seater categories - the cars just aren't interesting enough and with no variety on the grid the interest falls away quite quickly.

Personally I want to see big grids of varied cars - big snorty V8s and turbo charged bewinged beasties up against lightweight nimble high revving screamers. Racing cars also should always have a roof (all proper cars have a roof).

I'm another who has probably been to less race meetings this year than any time in the last ten years - partly because of calendar clashes (decent meetings clashing or with something non-motorsport related), partly budget restriction (eg. I'm not paying that much to go the Silverstone Classic) and partly because there just haven't been as many meetings that have caught the eye this year.

[chunder]

I do find it amazing seeing peoples opinions on here, all over this forum.

There is more to life than circuit racing. Which in itself in any form is staggeringly mundane and dull unless you are competing or following a team or driver. I remembre some bloke arguing the toss with me about divesity and every series he followed was circuit racing, such a narrow field.

This year I have been to watch oval racing, rallycross, single venue rallies, hillclimbs, drag racing, motocross, bike enduro, speedway. Time attack. bike circuit racing, Airshows, modified car shows.

There is something out there for everyone. Manufacturers are ruining circuit racing and governing bodies are so desperate for you to buy a licence and race they will try their hardest to get you into dullard rubbish like MX5's MR2' etc. Great fun to drive and participate, but garbage to watch as a fan. AS a result licence fees go up and up as fans arent interested and the circuits rape drivers for the costs.

Historics are a growth area, but again only in certain areas. Serious money is being spent there instead of in top level circuit racing on machinery, so what was Thundersaloons, Modprods, Super GT is now being thrown into Cortina's Chevrons and Lotus's. Fine, but my issue with anything historic is and always will be the staggering diversity of driving talent. I love seeing the cars, but I detest with a passion watching some dreary old berk wobbling round in a lovely car being lapped 5 times a race, it takes the edge off for me I am afraid, no matter what else happens as in most series I watch routinely that kind of thing would only happen at a very amateur level, not Goodwood or the Silverstone Classic, it's embarassing.

I have simply found that diversity is the key. Most of my time is spent watchign short oval racing, that purists on here have little time for,, best save up for the French borefest. But I see more racing, passing, talking points, driver talent, design genius in those pits than I have seen in decades of trying to watch circuit racing.

It's all out there, you juts have to find it and ignore the snobbery.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by chunder

I have simply found that diversity is the key. Most of my time is spent watchign short oval racing, that purists on here have little time for,, best save up for the French borefest. But I see more racing, passing, talking points, driver talent, design genius in those pits than I have seen in decades of trying to watch circuit racing.

It's all out there, you juts have to find it and ignore the snobbery.

YUP! fully agree with that!...this year ive spectated/marshalled and raced at circuits/ovals/drag racing/rallies both historic and modern stuff and bikes, oh and tried hillclimbing for the first time

next year im drag racing myself, doing a couple of club meetings, Silverstone classic, WEC, British GT and Le Mans 24hr/Moto GP for the first time..it will definitely be more about quality than quantity for me next year. I have found over the years that cherry picking the events I want to do that have big grids and good racing rather than just doing every event on the calendar is the way forward

[mountainstar]

Great thread. Wouldn't say I have lost the passion only it has changed and evolved.

When I was younger and near penniless, I was a motor racing nerd and devoured all I could on tv, magazines and race meetings. I had so many car and racing magazines that by the time I left college I had a 16 foot long by 5 foot high rack overflowing with car and racing magazines. I knew everything that was going on and was totally into it.

From a spectator point of view to me many of these series now are boring. Everything has to be fair and equal with spec cars and restrictive rules. Boring to watch and listen to, so that kills my interest. To me the 1970's-1990's were the good ole days, everyone seemed to have more fun then.

Also along the way I got involved with my own career and interests. As you get older it's no longer interesting to watch others, but it's time to have and make your own adventures and write your own story in life. I have little time to watch races and see what other people are doing. I'm consumed with what I'm doing and enjoying it.

[davyboy]

When you look at something like this - the variety of shapes, sounds, engineering solutions, turbos, normally aspirated, V8s, V6s, V12s etc... - you can easily see why it's so difficult to well up a passion for the uniformity of today. And just look at the crowds for such a marathon event. I just consider myself lucky that I was around to see this kind of thing in it's heyday.

[Mystery]

I am much more selective over my motor sports selection these days. I still watch F1 but would no longer arrange a day around it. I watch WEC whenever I can and ELMS if possible. BTCC maybe but it feels a bit like sport-u-tainment with the way it's presented and officiated (I'm surprised they don't have recorded booing and hissing every time Plato is being interviewed). Indycar has its moments. I'll always try and watch MotoGP, WSB and BSB but their shows are so long they are quite an undertaking to fit in my schedule.

But as for live racing, my opportunities are very limited. Short of traveling off-island I have half a dozen hill climbs a year, some sand racing, a couple of sprints and a rally. Oh some karting around a circuit with awful visibility.

I have to take what I can get, so to say "it's all out there" is a very UK-centric view. It really isn't for all of us.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I have to admit I have plenty of years ahead of me (hopefully!) and (as a result? ) am still an avid follower of F1 and BTCC and all of those spec stuff, but Gurston Down hillclimb... ...no motorsports fan can miss it! The variety is amazing, the speed and bravery of the drivers is immense, and guys like Scott Moran are probably going to go down as legends in the small circle they compete in.

But that's what motorsport's all about. It started as a hobby, and in BHC events it is. As people have said, if you look for it, you'll probably find it.

[Aysedasi]

You like what you like. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - I'll even give chunder that. I'll watch F1, but I confess I'm thoroughly bored with it and the concept that it really is the 'pinnacle' of motor racing as in many respects it most certainly isn't. I'm sure there are many forms of motorsport that are far more entertaining to watch. Years ago I used to go to many club type meets that were hugely entertaining. Life has moved on and I have neither the time or the money to do that any more. For me these days, I generally only go to 2 events a year, Le Mans and the Silverstone round of the WEC. There I get to watch technically innovative cars driven by non-primadonnas, where the machinery is the focus. I also get to meet of lot of very good friends each time and spend quality time with some really good pals. Love it. But it's horses for courses and one man's meat is another man's..... borefest.....