upsdude said:
Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Toyota. They’re all the same. Each of those brand’s racecars begin life in the same fashion, as steel tubing and sheet metal formed to create a chassis and body. Once Nascar gets the “Car of the Future” (COT) fully implemented, all of them will look a like. The only difference will be a brand name decaled on the nose and tailpiece.
I do find it interesting that Nascar rules require motor parts to be available through the manufacturers parts network. Example, anyone can go to GM Performance, Mopar Performance, or Ford Motorsports and buy the basic engine block and heads for the respective brands. Toyota however has no such parts available. The “Foreign” invasion of Nascar isn’t going to stop with Toyota, I look for Honda to enter the game in few years as well.
Some have said Nascar should change their name to Cashcar. I agree, like anything else, follow the money.
I call it NAPCAR as the races for the most part are just excellent background noise for a nap on the couch.
As to Honda, word is they are working behind the scenes on a pushrod motor with the thinking of following Toyota into NASCAR and it's not beyond the pale that is GM's financial situation doesn't improve or gets worse that they could leave the sport completely.
NASCAR hasn't been stock cars since the mid-80's IMO when they started moving more and more into the advanced aero direction. Stock Cars at one time at least from the body configuration were just that, stock cars but 20 years ago they really became IMO NASCAR's old Modified division. Now I really have one beef with NASCAR and that is if they truly want to stay a "stock" car then ditch the carb and go fuel injection. And while we're at it, why not dump the pushrod and allow overhead cam. Now I know NASCAR is scared to death of the electronics in a fuel management system as it relates to potential cheating but I also think that fear is grounded more with respect to the American auto makes keeping tight controls on they percieved advertising cash cow. I'm hoping Toyota and then Honda coming into the scene will change that.
Someone the other day at work was taking about they couldn't see a Camry on the racetrack but I told them sure you could. Place a Camry off the lot beside a Ford Fusion off the lot and then lot at the real differences. From the basic structure, there isn't any.
Robin Miller, the open wheel guy on Speed, I think said it best when he pointed out that when Toyota entered the IRL, at first they played nice. After about 3 years they started pouring in the money to the point where the american makes left the series, leaving Toyota to rule the roost. Then Honda entered the fray and pushed out Toyota so that it's an all Honda series for all practical purposes. Robin's concern is he's seeing the same thing in NASCAR as he saw happen to IRL and personally I think he's on to something.
As it relates to racing now for me, if it ain't on dirt, you won't find my butt in a seat! I wish Speed would have shown the USAC Speedway Silver Crown race from Kansas but USAC has their TV package with another network and it's on tape delay.