What Makes a Race a Good Race?

dpkimmel2001

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Nov 6, 2008
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Side by side racing?

A good finish?

Passing for the lead?

Two wide racing every lap?

I always see people complaining about this car and how the racing sucks! What do you have to have for it to be a good race? If you're the person who thinks that the racing today sucks, why the heck do you stick around? :confused:
 

Snoozer

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Oct 13, 2008
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Well my favorites to watch are the short tracks (1 mile or shorter) and plate races. So I guess I prefer close racing with some bumping and banging.
Any race is fine with me really, except the ones where the top 5 or so get strung out 3 seconds apart from each other. There is really nothing to watch then unless there is a caution or a guy goes running for a stray tire. ;)
There doesn't have to be passing for the lead every lap to make it a good race just the chance of someone passing for the lead.
 

Sirius01_8

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Oct 14, 2008
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The biggest thing that get under my skin is when the team (or driver)states in an interview before a race starts and I hear this line:

Reporter: "What is you strategy for today?"

Driver or Crew Chief: "Well I think we're just gonna ride around til we get to 50 to go then worry about trying to get a good finish out of it."

I know they have a responsibility to thier sponsor to get the best finish possible but c'mon this a race not a friggin parade and the sanctioning body wants me to invest my time and energy to this but the drivers who NASCAR wants me to watch just want to ride in a parade for most of the race. I guess thats why I like the plate tracks also, although I do get perturbed when 15 cars drop to the back to avoid "the big one" then worry about driving to the front at the end and causing the big one (looking at you Carl), a little more than the short tracks, at least on the Cup schedule anyway.

Now I love Saturday night short track action.
 

yippeekyaa

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Oct 21, 2008
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I can see Uranus from here
The coverage and commentating makes or breaks a race for me. I've turned off diggertv and tuned in to radio commentary. If i want to watch cartoons i'll go next door to my sisters house and watch spongebob with my nephew. Soooooo looking forward to MRN being back on it this weekend.
 

dpkimmel2001

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Nov 6, 2008
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The point that I was trying to make had nothing to do with the coverage of the sport. It was more the on-track action that I was talking about. I see numerous posts about how racing sucks because someone gets way out front or they can't pass with this car or they are too strung out on this/that track.

The car: I hear/read comments about how people don't like the new car. What makes this car worse? Is it the way it looks or the way it races? It certainly looks different but I know that I got used to it. To me, the racing isn't all that much different. They're getting better all the time at getting this car set up. For the most part, the guys that were wining before are still wining or at the very least, running up front. Don't you guys/gals remember how the drivers/crew chiefs/television personalities were constantly complaining about aero push before this car? If I had to see one more FOX graphic on that, I'd puke. Now the cars are tougher for them to handle. IMO that's a great thing. It puts it more into the drivers hands.

The tracks: Tracks are what they are. Racing at the tracks really hasn't changed all that much. IMO short tracks are the best of them all. A place like Richmond or Martinsville promote the best racing. Cookie cutter 1.5 tracks are almost always going to have cars getting hooked up and way out front. That is they way it has always been. Michigan & California almost always have big gaps between the cars. Restrictor plates at Daytona & Talladega force close racing but it was not like that before they implemented the plate at those tracks. Road courses are what they are. Many cautions keep the racing close. To me, it pretty much comes down to that. Cautions. They seem to set up a good finish. I'm not saying that I like to see them throw them at the end of a race but they normally set up a good finish. And, a good finish, seems to make people think that the racing was better.
 

Bagman

Member
Oct 15, 2008
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FYI, we posed this question to our listeners this morning.

Pit Pass... MRN has 12 minutes of commercials per hour... still less than what your radio station programs under non-race conditions... AND TV (for example in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta) averaged 17 minutes of commercials per hour. Just an FYI.
 

riskybzns

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Oct 11, 2008
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yeah, I wish I could listen at work. I only ever get to catch the 1st 30-45 mins. :(

that's why i'll probably invest in a stiletto. i just don't like the fact that i'll probably never use my other receivers again, but i definitely don't want to part with the one with the stronger fm tranmitter in it.
 

Snoozer

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Oct 13, 2008
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that's why i'll probably invest in a stiletto. i just don't like the fact that i'll probably never use my other receivers again, but i definitely don't want to part with the one with the stronger fm tranmitter in it.

I may get one as well we'll see. My problem is I listen online at work. So that means no Sirius NASCAR radio. :bigcry:
 

Snoozer

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2008
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I don't know if it would be do-able. :( I'm in cubicle hell and pretty much in the middle of the office on my floor. I don't know if my coworkers would be cool with me running an antenna to the window lol!
 

riskybzns

Well-Known Member
Oct 11, 2008
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land of confusion
lol

the stiletto lets you record programming, so why would you need an antenna for to listen to the tmd after you recorded it? plus if i'm correct, there is headphones you can get that have a built in antenna or however they work.
 

Snoozer

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Oct 13, 2008
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lol

the stiletto lets you record programming, so why would you need an antenna for to listen to the tmd after you recorded it? plus if i'm correct, there is headphones you can get that have a built in antenna or however they work.

LMAO...I need more coffee. I thought we were talking regular plug and plays now...
I see what you're saying now.
 

mghtx

2000 Man
Oct 23, 2008
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WELL..........! LOL. I'll answer before I read everyone's post.

I like short tracks. Richmond, Bristol, and Martinsville are my favorites. And Saturday night racing (which I think is the future).

Some bigger tracks I like also...Darlington, Dover.

I do not like plate races. I've really never been in love with 'dega or Daytona. In my opinion, it's not really racing.

Unlike a lot of people, I like the new car. First, I think it looks great. And I love that it can take a beating and keep going. I go back and watch old races that I've taped and HATE the old car. I was watching Atlanta from '07 and thought, "man, that car is ugly". LOL. I think the new car is getting worked out and eventually will be really good. The teams are close already.

Drivers.... I like drivers that "go for it". The phrase "checkers or wreckers". And drivers that just seem to ride around making laps?.....I ain't into that. I understand some situations can't be helped, but some drivers are obvious 'ride around' guys. I cheer the guy that wants the win REAL bad.

The presentation on TV does have an impact on me. The ESPN crew in '07 was TERRIBLE. I don't like digger, etc.

So really....the tracks, the drivers....I want to see competition not a parade.
 

dpkimmel2001

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Nov 6, 2008
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Unlike a lot of people, I like the new car. First, I think it looks great. And I love that it can take a beating and keep going. I go back and watch old races that I've taped and HATE the old car. I was watching Atlanta from '07 and thought, "man, that car is ugly". LOL. I think the new car is getting worked out and eventually will be really good. The teams are close already.

I had no idea that there were actually two of us out there. :clap:
 

foyt

Member
Oct 23, 2008
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Pit Pass... MRN has 12 minutes of commercials per hour... still less than what your radio station programs under non-race conditions. Just an FYI.

As does Sirius 128. That is fully 20% of each hour. I play a little mental game when you guys go to commercial. Check the clock, then punch up Ch 14 and try to time my return to 128 without hearing any of the commercials.

:hhh: