Super Trucks-Formula Truck

[gttouring]

this stuff is the best to watch, great racing and just craziness.
formula truck in Brasil and Race truck, and FIA Supertrucks on the continent...why does it get no respect?
i love it and can't get enough
www.formulatruck.com
www.buggyra.com
www.truckrace.nl
www.coursesdecamion.free.fr

with such great support from these few fellas, you'd think this is ultimate goodness in racing and no (he's better, or wah wah unfair whiners)

[StephenRae]

Because it's c..p.
Truck racing is one piece of armco away from wiping out a portion of the spectators.
Wear and damage to the track is high.
They race with a speed limiter and dump out black smoke.

Need I go on?

[gttouring]

yup please
when the trucks are on, keep people in designated areas, adn lots of black smoke?
well with such TONNAGES for weight putting scrubbers on is mearly the FIA being irresponsible for not doing so.
wear to the track i understand is trouble, but keep the eonomy flowing in the world, and have people repair it fast and often as nescessary
so in hopes of supporters...where are you all

[StephenRae]

Have a guess at who's entry fees will go up to pay for the track repairs.
It seems to me that if trucks are going to race they should at least have the back bit still attached...think of all the advertising space, the whole concept of racing trucks couldn't get more ridiculous...why not race road sweepers or those things they tow aeroplanes about with or.....

[ss_collins]

brilliant a proper argument is brewing - carry on!

I've watched ot a couple of time and have to say - its pretty cool!

[gttouring]

well as far as circuit fees
The governing body or the truck race organization shoul dpay for damages period to keep fees in the range they are, or raise truck racing fees, their technology isn't out of hand and they surely on't have the F1 sized budgets, so entry fees are probably reasonable, or hold a bond for the teams to make repairs for circuits they visit and damage...
as far as advertisig on those rig or tractor bodies
Formula Truck in brasil has no problem with that, take a look...(website above)
why race them, is a wonder why race anything, like Lawnmowers, which is gaining popularity evryday, and is way more exciting than kart racing, and that lawnmower stuff is as daft as any-but fun.
and don't tell me it really is easier to find ad space on an F1, f3000, Champcar,Indy car, Formula Nissan/renault chassis, than a square with a chassis behind it...
everyrace i have seen of these things, is actually more fun than many parade races i have seen in many open wheel formula, or even some touring car and gt races-
and i love that diesel and turbo sound

[StephenRae]

I don't think you have quite won me over to the 'lets race something totally pointless' brigade I have no argument with those sad b.....ds who race lawnmowers as they have no effect on me. I can live with pickup racing, even though when Sierra pickups were raced a while ago it was advertised as the first rung on the ladder to truck racing
......but truck racing!
If you are taken with the hum of the turbo and 'that diesel sound' why don't you get one of your carers to pack you a lunch and sit you on the verge of the M25...while you are there you can see how much damage the trucks do to the surface of the inside lane.

[gttouring]

I do, i always roll down my windows to hear the turbo whine and the diesel humm
So fun. now diesel racers are trying to break into the North american racing scene, with STRANA.
not as good as FIA and Formula Truck but its a start.
the trucks happen to be tube frames built on the truck chassis, and the fiberglass bodies on top. they don't look as real- well they aren't but they sound right, i think they weigh less, and are rather generic looking...
but small steps
but racing is dumb all over the planet- in small support the tractors that race are as far removed from production as GT/GTS racers are from their streetable cousins

lawnmowers, laydown go karts, legends cars,-SIDEcar motorcycles, iceracers, jet skis, Snowmobile lake drags?!
anywhere anything will be raced
at least we have something that we can see and connect with in racing.
And oh lest not we forget racing in circles full time is now a major league "real" form of racing infecting the whole world. i liek ovals but ALL oval series? i dunno.
race trucks race on real circuits, real talent needs to handle these, and how fun is it to watch ?
i have supertruck supporters out here who are not joining
How can one set up an argument for racing anything? much less super large trucks- which are unracy in street clothes.
why race a Porsche rsr? or ferrari 360gtc? racey they are but why race them at all when a formula ford will do aall the same? It is a matter of Forms and visceral experience
i feel that the large and rumbly diesel tractors make for fascinating moving and kinetic images, not to mention the sound and feel.
The same sensation in a top fuel or funny car race, 3.4 seconds? what is fun about 3.4 seconds? well the sound and smell of nitromethane and the ground shaking your chest pounding...
the same for the diesel trucks- the sound and smells and rumble- the size the spectacle...

[StephenRae]

You make some very valid points and I do tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to the more unorthodox fringes of our sport, however the inescapeable fact remains. Trucks are very heavy and just by driving along they cause damage to the track. When they leave the track the damage they can cause is massive.
Disregarding the safety aspect I don't see why average clubbie driver should subsidise such foolishness.

[gttouring]

the average clubbie shouldnot have to subsidise this at all, in fact the super trcuk organizers shold consider this in the fees and track cut of the race weekend...
alternatively a harder track can be developed to handle all sorts of impact,
Airport circuits tend to be tough enough handling landing aircraft and bombers (like Sebring and such)
... this is O/T. the existing tracks needn't be configured to handle these trucks, but what circuits have you seen them really work over?
in Brasil they seem to handle the tracks well enough
but they range from 3700 to 4800 kg. large enough however the FIA mandates a 5000kg supertruckweight and a 5800kg race truck weight this is considerably larger, and the effects i am sure are clear...
perhaps the FIA need to trim thiese a bit so they are less damaging to ciruits...as it seems this is where your largest problem lies with the trucks, however I wonder have you seen them? and you weren't awe struck or just thought it was crazy neat-o

[gttouring]

i can see the trouble here (photo from my Uncle T's press day at the Man team exhibit.)

[StephenRae]

It's nice to be having a private chat like this, I'm not sure who's arguement is strengthened by the apathy of others.
I have seen a truck race live.. in the early days at Ontario Motor Speedway in S. California. I remember the rep from the tyre companies making all competitors sign a disclaimer, another lasting memory was of a crash which resulted in the prop shaft pulling out of a gearbox and proceeding to pole vault the truck into the barrier!
Unless you can fgure out a way to contain trucks weighing from 3.63 tons to 5.7tons I think you are never going to convert me...we'll just have to agree to differ.

[Chris Y]

Ok, I'll bite

I don't see trucks as pointless at all - for the spectator, they provide great entertainment. Sure, the trucks are noisy, and occasionally belch out smoke, but that's part of the show.

Rail dragsters belch out fire from their exhausts - that's part of their show too.

Then there's the awesome tailslides from such huge beasts, and the steam coming off the brakes, and the drivers are generally showoffs - at the Donington trucks and fireworks meeting, the weather is usually lousy, but the trucks still come out of corners sideways, waving to the crowd as they do

Perhaps some bike racers consider car racing pointless, as some car racers consider truck racing pointless. "I look down on him, because, etc..". The thing is, trucks have demonstrated their popularity with drivers and fans alike, and are here to stay.

I think the 'hum' of the diesel engine is more of a roar, particularly with the turbos spinning up - sounds great!

Anyway, each to their own I guess. I never used to be taken by trucks, but going to see them in person changed that. I couldn't fail to be impressed by the scale of them, and the closeness of the racing, and the flair of the driving style. If I had the opportunity to test drive a racing truck - I'd jump at the chance

[gttouring]

i couldn't imagine it better myself...
of course, SR has a point- why the apathy?
i suppose the merits of truck racing vs. F1 are up to dispute forever, and many people haven't seen them live or even on TV to say anything pro or con. why the poor promotion of these series? and why have i never seen an annual or video review?
is there any where i can get them?

[StephenRae]

There are two of you now and you are both missing my point. All of the examples you have used do not cause any harm to anyone else. This cannot be said for trucks, for all of the reasons I have already stated.
To go over the top motor racing was banned in Switzerland (I think) after the Le Mans trajedy in the fiftees.
I can envisage a 5 ton truck easily causing similar mayhem with who knows what catastrophic consequences.

ChrisY....on a lighter note I'm half expecting another tongue lashing from Maisie for my 'extreme' views!!!

[Chris Y]

What makes you think she cares?

[Craig]

haha!

[redshoes]

Originally posted by StephenRae
All of the examples you have used do not cause any harm to anyone else. This cannot be said for trucks, for all of the reasons I have already stated.

The pole-vaulting truck you described was a pretty freak occurance. I can happily find examples of other forms of racing causing just as much damage.

What about the BTCC renault vaulting the fence at Oulton and landing in the wheelchair viewing area (luckily empty at the time).

The BMW (I think it was) which hit the barriers along the Cooper Straight at Brands and brought down a section of newly installed CART catch-fencing.

The Formula Ford cartwheeling off at Paddock Hill Bend and nearly distroying the spectator fencing.

Some drivers will tell you that F1 damages the track surfcae at Silverstone due to the amount of tyre-rubber left behind.


You do make one valid suggestion though - Have a guess at who's entry fees will go up to pay for the track repairs. Why not extend that to all forms of motorsport. Next time a driver crashes off into the tyre wall present him with a bill for the damage. Then again, you might want toi keep that one quiet. You never know who reads these forums.

[Les]

Originally posted by redshoes
You do make one valid suggestion though - Have a guess at who's entry fees will go up to pay for the track repairs. Why not extend that to all forms of motorsport. Next time a driver crashes off into the tyre wall present him with a bill for the damage. Then again, you might want toi keep that one quiet. You never know who reads these forums.

already being done. I know of one driver who had bought one of the concrete blocks on the Melbourne Loop at Donington a few years ago

[gttouring]

that said an F1 car with down force "wieghs" about as mucha s a Race Truck. about 5000kgs of down force at speed versus 5000kg of weight pushing down on the track...
the race organizers must know about where to place spectators in order to avoid an errant truck carreening towards them...
i recall many Indy car incidents with flying parts into the stands... and a flying F1 tyre into the marshalls area in an f1 race...
the race trucks haven't done anything ill yet In Europe or in brasil or AUstralia, AFAIK.
a few barriers have et their demise however.
sure they have more kinetic energy,
a NASCAR is 1550kg. 3400lbs. at 200 mph this thing is an A-bomb hitting the walls.
a race truck is limited to 160 Lph or 100 mph. so the energy is a concern but it is "merely" highway speeds on a purpose built facility- good marshalling and proper spectator placement has probably averted the feared worst.
that said the ones who have see it as we have heard are hooked..

[StephenRae]

I feel almost guilty defending myself against the arguement that because it hasn't happened it never will. However I do notice that they don't race modern F1 cars and Champ cars at club circuits.

[ss_collins]

umm Brands?

[StephenRae]

Originally posted by ss_collins
umm Brands?

Surely Brands lost the GP because the cars grew out of it?

[redshoes]

But that didn't stop Champ Cars visiting a couple of years ago. What do you mean by 'modern F1'? There's a few EuroBOSS cars which could come under that heading. This weekend Brands has a number of Can-Am cars which are every bit as quick as some modern F1.

[Chris Y]

If we're looking at the safety aspect of it, then I guess it's all relative - like has been pointed out above, the trucks aren't always the worst offenders, and actually have a pretty good safety record considering their size.

Motorsport, and indeed life, is dangerous. There are always risks, but you choose where to take them. Whether you decide truck racing is an acceptable risk is up to you. I would consider Stock Hatch to be a more unacceptable risk than truck racing