Daytona 500

[Minskaya]

Violent crash on the final straightaway of the NASCAR Nationwide race yesterday in Daytona which injured 33 spectators.

In today's Daytona 500, Danica Patrick has the pole position with a new Generation 6 car. This is the first time a female has ever captured the pole for the 500. Pole sitters rarely win this sprint race however. I look for either Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, or Kyle Busch to take the checkered flag.

[bolo121]

Ya know nascar with its continuous left turns is pretty boring but every now and then they have the most spectacular crashes.
Good that nobody was killed we can enjoy the mayhem with a clear conscience:)

[USSWisconsin]

Its the only orgainized team sport I enjoy. Though I haven't kept up with it for years, I intend to go watch the 500 today. I never got very excited about ball games, I undertand that I am minority, and respect and enjoy that others enjoy those sports - sometimes I even have fun being with friends while they enjoy them. But if I'm going to pay attention for my own sake, it will have to be racing, preferably stock cars.

I miss the 70's and 80's - watching the Bill Elliot Ford Thunderbird eating up the track (we didn't know it was a ~330 cid Ernie Elliot Cleveland head/Windsor block short stroker at the time - we did know it was a winner and the rules didn't catch it, no body thought of less displacement being an issue - but it used less fuel and put out more power than the rest - the porting and valve sizing was perfect). They used real passenger car engines (they were heavily modifed, hand made one off pieces- each one was a unique work of art, state of the art - art), it was never certain who was going to win. The 60's were even more interesting, but I only got to read and see films, I was too young, and no one in my house followed racing when I was a kid - it was football at home - I didn't get pulled in - my Dad considered it "his sport" - too bad he wanted quiet to watch it in, he had four kids, three of them my little sisters. I did play baseball, and still don't mind watching that.

[tbm3fan]

LOL, I miss the 60's and the 70's. David Pearson/Holman-Moody 427 Ford

AT least when I glanced at the cars I knew immediately whether the car was a FoMoCo, Mopar or GM.

[bolo121]

Its the only orgainized team sport I enjoy. Though I haven't kept up with it for years, I intend to go watch the 500 today. I never got very excited about ball games, I undertand that I am minority, and respect and enjoy that others enjoy those sports - sometimes I even have fun being with friends while they enjoy them. But if I'm going to pay attention for my own sake, it will have to be racing, preferably stock cars.

I miss the 70's and 80's - watching the Bill Elliot Ford Thunderbird eating up the track (we didn't know it was a ~330 cid Ernie Elliot Cleveland head/Windsor block short stroker at the time - we did know it was a winner and the rules didn't catch it, no body thought of less displacement being an issue - but it used less fuel and put out more power than the rest - the porting and valve sizing was perfect). They used real passenger car engines (they were heavily modifed, hand made one off pieces- each one was a unique work of art, state of the art - art), it was never certain who was going to win. The 60's were even more interesting, but I only got to read and see films, I was too young, and no one in my house followed racing when I was a kid - it was football at home - I didn't get pulled in - my Dad considered it "his sport" - too bad he wanted quiet to watch it in, he had four kids, three of them my little sisters. I did play baseball, and still don't mind watching that.

An Indian friend of mine who's from the US also told me this, Its more of a big engine big noise thing combined with the fact that your dad would have taken you to the racetrack when young.

I still think it would be much more exciting if they laid down a track with some fast corners , a few tricky ones and a couple of big straights. Watching drivers muscle those enormous machines around would be very thrilling, plus unlike F1 you can have plenty of metal banging without destroying the car or even cutting pace.

[USSWisconsin]

An Indian friend of mine who's from the US also told me this, Its more of a big engine big noise thing combined with the fact that your dad would have taken you to the racetrack when young.

I still think it would be much more exciting if they laid down a track with some fast corners , a few tricky ones and a couple of big straights. Watching drivers muscle those enormous machines around would be very thrilling, plus unlike F1 you can have plenty of metal banging without destroying the car or even cutting pace.

The big engine noise is certainly a part, for me - sadly my Dad wasn't a part of it. But my friends and I went to the local track when I was a teenager, and often drove our parents cars recklessly on the way home - emulating what we had seen - thank God we got away with that. The little local tracks were much more intimate and offered much more involvement. I raced stock cars for several years in my 20's - I was the engine builder, another friend drove the cars, we raced MOPAR's and had a Baracuda and then a Cordoba - we ran a 340 and then a 368 small block (a truck 360, bored 0.040 over, with 340 heads). Life and other things got in the way and I gave up personal involvement in the mid 80's - it was very demanding and expensive - but a memorable experience. Nascar is what is easy to follow these days, and I really only pay attention once in a while, the Daytona 500 is a high point, and I try to watch. I did today - I really enjoyed it.

[Minskaya]

AT least when I glanced at the cars I knew immediately whether the car was a FoMoCo, Mopar or GM.

Except for the paint/decal detailing, the new Generation 6 NASCAR race cars (Ford/Chevy/Toyota) look exactly like their street brethren.

[tbm3fan]

Except for the paint/decal detailing, the new Generation 6 NASCAR race cars (Ford/Chevy/Toyota) look exactly like their street brethren.

Which means they still all look alike. I saw a front shot of all the cars on a straight away and all I could tell was the different colors and that was it. In the 60's I could pick out each make in the blink of an eye only.

[tbm3fan]

An Indian friend of mine who's from the US also told me this, Its more of a big engine big noise thing combined with the fact that your dad would have taken you to the racetrack when young.

I still think it would be much more exciting if they laid down a track with some fast corners , a few tricky ones and a couple of big straights. Watching drivers muscle those enormous machines around would be very thrilling, plus unlike F1 you can have plenty of metal banging without destroying the car or even cutting pace.

Here you go. I call it Sears Point Raceway as that was what it was called when I took a road race course there in 1973. They did Indy cars back then but now there are NASCAR Sprint races with the Toyota 350 coming up in June.

File:Infineon (Sears Point) with emphasis on NASCAR track.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[tbm3fan]

I raced stock cars for several years in my 20's - I was the engine builder, another friend drove the cars, we raced MOPAR's and had a Baracuda and then a Cordoba - we ran a 340 and then a 368 small block (a truck 360, bored 0.040 over, with 340 heads). Life and other things got in the way and I gave up personal involvement in the mid 80's - it was very demanding and expensive - but a memorable experience. Nascar is what is easy to follow these days, and I really only pay attention once in a while, the Daytona 500 is a high point, and I try to watch. I did today - I really enjoyed it.

A Cordoba race car? Well that is a better fate than a derby car isn't it. My father had one of those as a company car one year. Interesting look back when many cars, of those particular years, had "interesting" styling. Personally, I am and have always been a FoMoCo guy with my first car in 1969 being one. Still have it along with 3 other old FoMoCo cars. Closest to ever owning a Mopar is the 73 Polara I picked up three years ago on a whim. Seems I like C bodies.

[USSWisconsin]

A Cordoba race car? Well that is a better fate than a derby car isn't it. My father had one of those as a company car one year. Interesting look back when many cars, of those particular years, had "interesting" styling. Personally, I am and have always been a FoMoCo guy with my first car in 1969 being one. Still have it along with 3 other old FoMoCo cars. Closest to ever owning a Mopar is the 73 Polara I picked up three years ago on a whim. Seems I like C bodies.

It was a 318 equipped model to start with, it lost all its leather interior trim and got the big 368 engine, a 727 TF and a dana rear end. It was solid and rust free, and had much less trouble with windows, the 66 Baracuda had a huge dome rear window and taking that out made the body flex a lot, not so with the 74 Cordoba, its windows were easily removed with few consequences. Still it got wreck when a big old Chevy Caprice rammed it - the Chevy was a lap down, and he was probably was jealous about the fast MOPAR out there, Chevy's usually dominated the 1/3 mile dirt track we raced at. The Chevy got back in the race, the Cordoba was totaled, with the rear end completely ripped out.

I liked those big old MOPARS too, 383?

[Stitch]

Here you go. I call it Sears Point Raceway as that was what it was called when I took a road race course there in 1973. They did Indy cars back then but now there are NASCAR Sprint races with the Toyota 350 coming up in June.

File:Infineon (Sears Point) with emphasis on NASCAR track.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah, I still call it Sears Point, too, that's what it was for years & years before corporate sponsors got involved. Remember watching Paul Newman racing out there back in the '80's and seeing his car blow-up on Turn #7; boy, was he PISSED! He got out of his car and threw his helmet on the ground; I had always thought he was Mr. Cool until then.

[tbm3fan]

I liked those big old MOPARS too, 383?

No, the car has a 360 in it below. Two years ago but since that time I painted it in August, had new vinyl top and headliner installed three weeks ago and am finishing putting down a new sound barrier on the floor while the carpet is out for me to re-dye. Should be done this weekend.

[Minskaya]

Which means they still all look alike. I saw a front shot of all the cars on a straight away and all I could tell was the different colors and that was it. In the 60's I could pick out each make in the blink of an eye only.

Young people have no trouble telling the difference. I suppose it is time-relevant. A generational thing :)

[tbm3fan]

You're joking, right. At 200 mph and 5/10 of a second look no one can tell those cars apart.