Sell Me Your Non-f1 Series

[Eric 0]

Alright, I'm gettin fed up with F1, last year was all fun and cool because it was my first full season, but this year lost it's appeal fast.

I don't have enough time on my hands to go around and watch EVERYTHING, so I would appreciate it if you would try and convince me to watch a racng series that you watch. I'll be nice, since basically I'm asking you to find entertainment for me, don't even bother figuring out if it has US TV-coverage, I'll do that myself. YouTube video examples to back your persuasions are more than welcome.

Still not sold on the idea of finding entertainment for me? Think of it this way: You find me another series, I'll go to a different forum, and you'll get rid of me and my demands for good racing.

Alright, well, thanks for anyone who helps with this. I appreciate it.

-Eric

[elgo 1]

NOOOOO!!!!

I hope you changed your mind after last week's GP!

[Autumnpuma 0]

Quite the contrary to elgo's appeal, I would hope you didn't find the showcase of mistakes that was this year's Canuckian GP exciting. I would hope you'd think it was pathetic. Why? Because it resembled ChampCar in quite a few (bad) ways. The driving talent was sub-par with mistakes and errors of judgement. The team strategy was so bad that 2 cars got penalties and 2 got black-flagged. The Safety Car periods were confusing, to say the least.

Better that you not look to Canada as an example of the 'pinnacle' of motor racing.

Back to you plea, Eric. Don't leave F1. Last year was your first full year watching? OK, then you must now realize that F1 is more like a chess game where the smallest mistake can cost you the title. There may not be overtaking in the grand tradition of Senna and Mansell and Gilles, but team tactics and race strategy are far more advanced than those bygone days. If you can appreciate the pit-strategy chess game that is Monaco, you can then appreciate the rest of the F1 season.

If not, if those more cerebral exercises are not for you (no insult meant, btw), then I suggest watching Australian V8s. The Aussies have a great series that is what NASCAR should have been after they ditched the dirt ovals. If you're finding that series hard to find coverage of, then try the only NASCAR product that truly works: Rolex. The real kicker, though, is FIA GT or German DTM. If you can find those, you'll be hooked. Strangely enough, GP2 also provides a good level of overtaking and excitement.

Hope that helps.

[Shane2 0]

You can't put Alonso or Rosberg's penalties down to bad stratergy, as you cannot predict when the safety car is going to come out. They where just very unlucky that the SC came out at the moment it did, because they would both have ran out of fuel if they hadn't pitted. IMO that safety car rule is REALLY stupid, and needs changing.

As for Massa and Fisichella, they where quiet simply rookie mistakes.

[Autumnpuma 0]

You can't put Alonso or Rosberg's penalties down to bad stratergy, as you cannot predict when the safety car is going to come out. They where just very unlucky that the SC came out at the moment it did, because they would both have ran out of fuel if they hadn't pitted. IMO that safety car rule is REALLY stupid, and needs changing.

As for Massa and Fisichella, they where quiet simply rookie mistakes.

Given that, as you say, the safety car is unpredictable and could come out at any time, then it is certainly bad team strategy to let their cars run on fumes as they did. There is no luck, just badly handled details.

The SC car rule is no more, or less, absurd than any other rules recently implemented. The fact remains that it is the rule now and many teams were caught out by them....that reflects badly on the teams, not the rule.

[Shane2 0]

McLaren, Williams, Alonso, and Rosberg did nothing that other teams don't also do on a regular basis, it is common practise to run the stints till the cars are running on fumes, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I can understand rule changes if there is some merit to them, but the safety car rule is just utterly pointless.

[Quiet One 15]

McLaren, Williams, Alonso, and Rosberg did nothing that other teams don't also do on a regular basis, it is common practise to run the stints till the cars are running on fumes, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I can understand rule changes if there is some merit to them, but the safety car rule is just utterly pointless.

Yes it is, but Mike has a point, there. Teams were aware of the rule, it was not made up in the middle of the race, teams already knew it and they should have foreseen a situation like this and thus plan their pitstops keeping in mind that such situation could happen.

[Jez 0]

The Aussie Racing Car series is pretty entertaining. They look a little like the V8 Supercars, but they're almost half the size and weight, so the race around three abreast constantly gaining and losing position. Although I'm not sure there'd be much coverage on your side of the globe for that series. Maybe on cable tv..

[aussief1 4]

Pictures in post below. I messed up sorry.

[Jez 0]

Thats an Aussie Racing Car if I've ever seen one! They're almost comical in size but pretty damn quick. A pleasure to watch them race around Mt Panorama!

[aussief1 4]

[ykickamoocow 0]

If not, if those more cerebral exercises are not for you (no insult meant, btw), then I suggest watching Australian V8s. The Aussies have a great series that is what NASCAR should have been after they ditched the dirt ovals. If you're finding that series hard to find coverage of, then try the only NASCAR product that truly works: Rolex. The real kicker, though, is FIA GT or German DTM. If you can find those, you'll be hooked. Strangely enough, GP2 also provides a good level of overtaking and excitement.

Hope that helps.

Just remember for anyone taking up V8 Supercars this year that the first few rounds havent been that interesting due to the fact Ford are having afew problems with their brakes. Also Holden brought out a new car while Ford is still using the old one. The first three rounds werent that exciting but Round 4 was good due to the rain.

[Autumnpuma 0]

Yes it is, but Mike has a point, there. Teams were aware of the rule, it was not made up in the middle of the race, teams already knew it and they should have foreseen a situation like this and thus plan their pitstops keeping in mind that such situation could happen.

Indeed. In Monaco we were told by McLaren that Hamilton was fueled and scheduled for his pit stops based on the possibility of a SC deployment. This shows McLaren knew about the rule and the implications of it. They chose to run Alonso on fumes despite a rule they considered in Monaco. They can't even say that the possibility of an SC deployment was rare in Canada because the possibility is quite high considering the usual greenness of the track and the close proximity of the walls...

Going further with this, I heard Fisico being interviewed and he was explaining how he got his penalty. It was a long, tortured explanation that included one KEY phrase: I didn't see the red light. That puts the blame squarely where it belongs, on Fisico. Now he went on to say how the rule was ridiculous, but in the end it was Fisico's inability to follow a rule that caught him out. The fault was in the driver, not the rule.

The same could be said of Speed's passing DC under the yellow. Years ago you could pass under a yellow. Rules changed and now you cannot. Would the excuse that 'the rules used to allow it' have gotten Speed out of the penalty? No. Neither does that excuse get any of the team and drivers out of their respective penalties in Canada.

[Shane2 0]

Yes it is, but Mike has a point, there. Teams were aware of the rule, it was not made up in the middle of the race, teams already knew it and they should have foreseen a situation like this and thus plan their pitstops keeping in mind that such situation could happen.

They don't have a crystal ball. They can plan for it in some way, but they wern't to know when the safety car came out. Blaming McLaren and Williams for a risk all teams take is just rediculous, they just got caught out.

[cavallino 2]

Indeed. In Monaco we were told by McLaren that Hamilton was fueled and scheduled for his pit stops based on the possibility of a SC deployment. This shows McLaren knew about the rule and the implications of it. They chose to run Alonso on fumes despite a rule they considered in Monaco. They can't even say that the possibility of an SC deployment was rare in Canada because the possibility is quite high considering the usual greenness of the track and the close proximity of the walls...

Going further with this, I heard Fisico being interviewed and he was explaining how he got his penalty. It was a long, tortured explanation that included one KEY phrase: I didn't see the red light. That puts the blame squarely where it belongs, on Fisico. Now he went on to say how the rule was ridiculous, but in the end it was Fisico's inability to follow a rule that caught him out. The fault was in the driver, not the rule.

Agreed. Massa tried to make some excuses, and then Todt clearly sadi that you jump a redl ight, you get disqualified. End of.

They don't have a crystal ball. They can plan for it in some way, but they wern't to know when the safety car came out. Blaming McLaren and Williams for a risk all teams take is just rediculous, they just got caught out.

In the GP2006/f1.automoto365.com spies report (don't know why everyone doesn't read it despite me plugging it all the time ) moRon is quoted as saying that it is crazy to expect them to run with an extra lap of fuel which would cost them a tenth. And I agree Teams spend a lot of money trying to gain a tenth, that's never going to happen. it's a stupid rule.

[Shane2 0]

That leads me naturally to this question, why the heck was it introduced?

[Stub-o-matic 0]

The Aussie Racing Car series is pretty entertaining. They look a little like the V8 Supercars, but they're almost half the size and weight, so the race around three abreast constantly gaining and losing position. Although I'm not sure there'd be much coverage on your side of the globe for that series. Maybe on cable tv..

so it's like a southern hemisphere version of NASCAR?

[Jez 0]

so it's like a southern hemisphere version of NASCAR?

Not really, the races are alot shorter, and they dont race on ovals. its closer to Formula3, 3000, Ford GP2 etc

[Max Mosley 2]

Alright, I'm gettin fed up with F1, last year was all fun and cool because it was my first full season, but this year lost it's appeal fast.

I don't have enough time on my hands to go around and watch EVERYTHING, so I would appreciate it if you would try and convince me to watch a racng series that you watch. I'll be nice, since basically I'm asking you to find entertainment for me, don't even bother figuring out if it has US TV-coverage, I'll do that myself. YouTube video examples to back your persuasions are more than welcome.

Still not sold on the idea of finding entertainment for me? Think of it this way: You find me another series, I'll go to a different forum, and you'll get rid of me and my demands for good racing.

Alright, well, thanks for anyone who helps with this. I appreciate it.

-Eric

Hmm I've just read this for the first time. Now I understand why Eric left. This just further entrenches my belief that the way F1 is currently set up makes for lousy entertainment. Max's idea of a single chassis and shared engines would be a huge improvement, and might well deter intelligent fans like Eric from looking to other series for more excitement.