NASCAR to make some right turns this weekend at Sears Point. Do you like road racing?

[Joe Fan]

Every time NASCAR races on a road course, fans either state how much they hate them or how much they add a different dimension to the Winston Cup schedule. Personally, I wish NASCAR would add a couple of more road races to the schedule and take one of the second race events away from tracks like Loudon, Martinsville, or Pocono.

Even though NASCAR stock cars aren't well suited for the road courses, they still break up the monotony of all the oval races. Besides, with all the recent deaths in the sport, replacing some oval races with road races and short track races would help from a safety standpoint.

[Joe Fan]

P.S. Have fun Tim B. Be sure to give us a report on your first NASCAR race experience.

[Emfa]

I'm one of those who would like to see more road courses added to the schedule. I always look forward to the races at Sears Pt & the Glen - they are always interesting, and they tend to separate the men from the boys!

[Roselady3]

I love the road races, exciting & something different. It is a real test of their abilities & stamina. Almost as fun as NIGHT RACES.

[Crash Test]

The Australian Nascars only race on road circuits, and yesterday they put on a really good show....shame about the lack of brakes on some of the cars...

[Victor Broccoli]

Add Laguna Seca, Elkhart Lake, and the streets of Long Beach. I'd drool.

[Joe Fan]

That was a very good race yesterday. If anyone caught the Watkins Glen race last year, they would see how exciting these road races can be. Last year it was Steve Park who won at The Glen and I think he was behind Mark Martin in the closing laps. There was the same kind of suspense in this situation as there is at the restrictor-plate tracks, when will he make the move and will he be able to make it stick? Will the third place runner move into and take advantage of their battle.

So I'd say add a race at Road America and Road Atlanta for sure.

[Crash Test]

Having watched the AMA Superbikes from Atlanta the other night, I would have to say that it has it all over Road America... the sweeping esses down the hill, then the massive back straight- I'd hate to think what sort of incredible speed a Nascar would get at the end of it.

Without being too rude, just from what I've seen on TV about Sears Point, it really doesn't look like a facility that is worthy of having Nascar race there... but with Panoz behind Atlanta, it'll be nearing world standards shortly (I hope)...and hey, let's get F1 there!

[Neil C]

Originally posted by Crash Test
Having watched the AMA Superbikes from Atlanta the other night, I would have to say that it has it all over Road America

I think I disagree with you here, Crash. I admit I'm biased, but Road America's 3 looong straights, hard braking down hills, off-camber turn, make RA my favorite in North America. The only criticism is too many of RA's turns are simple right angles (90 degrees). PLUS Atlanta is in the heart of NASCAR country, and would probably market better.

[Lee]

A little late replying to this one, but to answer the question, NO, I do not like road-racing. I look at road-racing like I look at open-wheel racing, I can't stand either one!

[FordPrefect]

I love road racing except for the "hired guns".

Jeff, Tony and Rusty put on a good show and I get to sit back and laugh at Jarrett

I'd rather see then add more road courses and dump some of the 1.5 mile oval clones.

[Joe Fan]

FordPrefect, first of all, good to see you over in this neck of the woods. Secondly, the 1.5 mile tracks are great for spectators. Our new Kansas Speedway does have its own identity as a 1.5 mile track (believe it or not) and it is a very nice facility. If I were NASCAR, I would dump some of the second dates at tracks like Loudon and Pocono first and add some new tracks to schedule.

[FordPrefect]

Hi JoeFan thanks for the welcome

I saw the Kansas Speedway yesterday during the IRL race, it does look like a great facility, you have a NASCAR race there in September I believe, cooler weather by then?

I agree with you on Loudon, why do they still have two dates? The market?

I think the chances of more NASCAR road races are somewhere between slim and zero, but when I start thinking of the impossible my mind wanders to an all road course NASCAR series. I think it would be great if they started that up, it could be a combination of road and street courses. Besides it would give Ron Fellows a steady job

btw did you catch the driving job he did at the Glen yesterday?

amazing.

Ford

[Joe Fan]

Ford, unfortunately I was at the IRL race and had set my VCR to tape this race just in case we missed anything. So, I wasn't able to catch the BGN Watkins Glen race. I'll have to check for the replay because I like wathcing races at Watkins Glen. It seems to be a great road course for the Cup cars because it is so sweeping fast. I love watching cars go through the Innerloop there.

As far as our new Kansas Speedway, yes it will be much cooler here in September for the BGN/Winston Cup race, Thank God.

Regarding Loudon, I think the reason why NASCAR added a second date there was due to the fact that they felt they needed more races in the Northeast. I understand this logic but I have never been a fan of that track to begin with and a couple of deaths later, I am even less of a fan of that track. It is too small and too flat IMO.

Regarding a NASCAR road racing series, NASCAR does own the Grand American road racing series which Ron competes in. This is somewhat of a NASCAR type sport car road racing series made up of privateers and probably the only thing that NASCAR will ever come up with along these lines. I am not sure how the series curtails factory dominance but the Daytona 24 Hours is their opening event and it is good to see a GTS car have an opportunity to win instead of the predictable Audi dominance.

[FordPrefect]

I was on Jayski's site and it looks as though the BGN cars will NOT be going to the Glen in 2002, no road courses at all.