NASCAR "road racing"
Ok, I started out to write that NASCAR "Nextel Cup" racing on Infineon Raceway, where speeds may be only thirty (that's 30! :) miles per hour, was downright silly. It was my opinion that NASCAR's most enjoyable races are on tracks where speeds can exceed 188 mph, such as Talladega Superspeedway whose record *average* speed is 188 mph. In comparison, Infineon Raceway's record average speed race is only 81 mph.
(source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascar#Races_and_racetracks
also
http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/tal/index.html
and
http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/spr/index.html
)
One way to emphasize how different Infineon Raceway is to other race tracks is to compare pit stop strategies. On typical race tracks teams often try to fill gas tanks and fix problems with cars on "caution" laps where the maximum speed is mandated to be much slower, typically 80 mph I believe. "Pitting" on slow laps can be advantageous since cars don't travel as far, so fewer cars will pass you. But at Infineon Raceway, most teams don't stop very often for pit stops because the difference between "green flag" and "yellow flag" speeds may be only 20 mph.
In any case, I changed my opinion on "road races" today when the most exciting competition became not between Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte for first place (Jeff Gordon won the race easily) but between Terry Labonte and his gas tank. The biggest question of the day was did Terry Labonte have enough gas in his gas tank or would he run out of fuel and not finish the race. At one point his team's computer had predicted he would run out of fuel at the top of the last hill and would have to coast using just gravity to finish.
Terry Labonte did indeed finish the race, but to do so had to drive at a slower speed and finished in third place. But during those last ten or so laps, the racing was as exciting as a down to the wire basketball or football game, or a neck and neck finish at Talladega. Needless to say it was more exciting than a hockey or soccer game.
I'm going to regret that last joke, aren't I?
(source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascar#Races_and_racetracks
also
http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/tal/index.html
and
http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/spr/index.html
)
One way to emphasize how different Infineon Raceway is to other race tracks is to compare pit stop strategies. On typical race tracks teams often try to fill gas tanks and fix problems with cars on "caution" laps where the maximum speed is mandated to be much slower, typically 80 mph I believe. "Pitting" on slow laps can be advantageous since cars don't travel as far, so fewer cars will pass you. But at Infineon Raceway, most teams don't stop very often for pit stops because the difference between "green flag" and "yellow flag" speeds may be only 20 mph.
In any case, I changed my opinion on "road races" today when the most exciting competition became not between Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte for first place (Jeff Gordon won the race easily) but between Terry Labonte and his gas tank. The biggest question of the day was did Terry Labonte have enough gas in his gas tank or would he run out of fuel and not finish the race. At one point his team's computer had predicted he would run out of fuel at the top of the last hill and would have to coast using just gravity to finish.
Terry Labonte did indeed finish the race, but to do so had to drive at a slower speed and finished in third place. But during those last ten or so laps, the racing was as exciting as a down to the wire basketball or football game, or a neck and neck finish at Talladega. Needless to say it was more exciting than a hockey or soccer game.
I'm going to regret that last joke, aren't I?