Excuse me? -so you never posted the following?
<quote>
I watched a CART round (Canada- Molson) and saw a
bunch of yahoos punting each other off the road in
second rate machinery.
</quote>
And you also did not utter the following in the same post?
<quote>
I watched the Daytona 400 NASCAR, and watched 40
or so anonymous 3rd rate saloon cars trundling
round (actual speeds may be high, but relative
speeds are almost identical- snorefest), sure
they didn't stay in the same order, big deal, I
can watch cars overtake all day long on the M1
motorway, doesn't make it exciting.
</quote>
<sarcasm> In that case I apologise unreservedly. </sarcasm>
Perhaps, I must admit I have an instinctive dislike to the attitude towards
money (as if it were something to revered in itself, rather than a means to
an end) in F1 hangers-on circles. Don't get me wrong I don't mind
manufacturers and teams spending a fortune in an effort to go fast and I do
not begrudge the people who actually contribute to the race effort their
paycheck, I'm just sure I could never get along with anyone who believes
it's glamourous to hang around in this "world".
I also don't mind the FIA/Ecclestone handing out financial support on the
basis of merit, dangling a carrot as it were. I just question the wisdom of
dangling the carrot a mile in front of the donkey.
I am very much aware in today's image driven market, nobody likes to see
their cars lose. However, to take it to a point where it becomes a matter of
outspending the other competitor in an attempt to reduce the risk of that
happening, I think you've crossed a certain line where sport and innovation
take a back seat.
If and when Renault, BAR, Jaguar, perhaps Arrows and Toyota manage to
produce a more or less competitive effort and the FIA shows the good sense
to leave the rules alone for a while (to allow the technology to filter
down), we might see something resembling my idea of what F1 should be like.
Given that McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Sauber and Jordan (though the
commitment of the latter may be questioned) won't be presenting themselves
as sitting ducks either, I don't see it happening any time soon unless the
FIA accept the people employed by those teams are way smarter than the spods
they got working on the "make 'm slower/safer"-rules.
That one will need some explaining...
That's simple to answer... it's several orders of magnitude more clear in
rallying the drivers do things with cars us mere mortals can never hope to
acchieve.
Hmmmm... then how come you call stock cars (NASCAR) being driven at the
limit boring?
Jan.
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