NASCAR Fights: Good or Bad?

[Andy_J]

If your solution to feelings and disagreements is violence then you have proven to be more Neanderthal than the rest of us, motorsport or not it's something I despise and hope evolution will eradicate with time, I'm not holding my breath though.

Hey Kjell, good job you are not in charge of the USA. We'd have no defence against the fundamentalist nutjob terrorists eh? Just ask them nicely to stop being naughty?

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

Hey Kjell, good job you are not in charge of the USA. We'd have no defence against the fundamentalist nutjob terrorists eh? Just ask them nicely to stop being naughty?

You honestly believe that the war on terror has done any good?
Besides the American army are as much terrorists as fundamentalist Muslims are.

 

[Andy_J]

You honestly believe that the war on terror has done any good?
Besides the American army are as much terrorists as fundamentalist Muslims are.

Now that's just plain wrong. Now I know which side of the fence you sit on. Good bye Kjell.

 

[Diogo Ramalho]

lol this discussion is starting to get really weird.... Many of you Americans (not all... fortunately) got a brainwash and your kind of reaction is showing exactly that. Not that Kjell is right calling the american soldiers terrorists but many of the positions assumed by the Americans related to external politics are totally absurd and show a lot of disrespect to the different ideas around the world. You guys must remember that your arrogance only shows to rest of the world how wrong we can be if we don't see with open eyes the origin of problems. Like one of your super heroes said "With great power comes great responsibility"

To be on topic again.... Fights should always be condemned.

 

[Iain McKenzie]

Goes from nascar fights to war on terror.

 

[fortyfivekev]

If Nascar drivers started punching terrorists then that is something I could get behind

 

[dctoe]

I'm not entirely opposed to the fighting, I just don't like the way NASCAR actively promotes it as something great about the sport. You see whenever there's a fight, there's always several TV crew and photographers trying to get in on it.

I don't know that I agree that they promote it as "something great." Again, most of us fans and corporate sponsors see it as the raw emotion of a group of people doing something they truly love and care about, and they seek to capitalize on that. In a world where so many other sports have turned into competitions about the money and the elite (Rugby being the exception that I know of), it is a bit refreshing to see people upset about losing, rather than "we'll do better next week, let me go pick up my paycheck."

The media is just doing their job. Unless I was assigned to cover the Winner's Circle, I would be looking for the action too. That's what they get paid for.

And for those of you who missed it, I believe Regan Smith vindicated himself today at Mid-Ohio. I know people will complain that he used the ole chrome horn, but remember; in order to do that, you have to be close enough. Have a great weekend!

 

[johnnymat]

I don't know that I agree that they promote it as "something great." Again, most of us fans and corporate sponsors see it as the raw emotion of a group of people doing something they truly love and care about, and they seek to capitalize on that. In a world where so many other sports have turned into competitions about the money and the elite (Rugby being the exception that I know of), it is a bit refreshing to see people upset about losing, rather than "we'll do better next week, let me go pick up my paycheck."

The media is just doing their job. Unless I was assigned to cover the Winner's Circle, I would be looking for the action too. That's what they get paid for.

And for those of you who missed it, I believe Regan Smith vindicated himself today at Mid-Ohio. I know people will complain that he used the ole chrome horn, but remember; in order to do that, you have to be close enough. Have a great weekend!

You're right about the fighting not being promoted as "something great." You're also right about Regan Smith at Mid-Ohio. That was a perfectly legitimate move ; it happens all the time in road racing and oval racing. That sure was an exciting finish.

 

[the_sigman]

I didn't like Smith's move. Of course you can push him, but it is unsporting and unfair. It was dirty racing, which to me is unacceptable. I said earlier that I don't like fights, but it would be fun seeing Tags punching Regan

Btw, one similar thing for 7th place was considered a scandal in DTM (and Scheider was DSQ'd), as it would be all around the world (except America, where it was "fantastic racing"). And in V8 Supercars the same thing (Winterbottom vs Slade, Gold Coast 600 2014) resulted in Frosty getting a penalty and dropping to 4th.

 

[johnnymat]

I didn't like Smith's move. Of course you can push him, but it is unsporting and unfair. It was dirty racing, which to me is unacceptable. I said earlier that I don't like fights, but it would be fun seeing Tags punching Regan

Btw, one similar thing for 7th place was considered a scandal in DTM (and Scheider was DSQ'd), as it would be all around the world (except America, where it was "fantastic racing"). And in V8 Supercars the same thing (Winterbottom vs Slade, Gold Coast 600 2014) resulted in Frosty getting a penalty and dropping to 4th.

I can certainly remember lots of "aggressive" driving in series like British Touring Cars and other European racing series. I'm going to assume if you think Smith's move was unsporting , then you would also agree that Schumacher was a "dirty" driver. He was a master of blocking and trying to force people into the wall. One other thing in defense of Smith, you have to remember he comes from a dirt track background and that's often the only way you can pass on the small bullring ovals.

 

[the_sigman]

I can certainly remember lots of "aggressive" driving in series like British Touring Cars and other European racing series. I'm going to assume if you think Smith's move was unsporting , then you would also agree that Schumacher was a "dirty" driver. He was a master of blocking and trying to force people into the wall. One other thing in defense of Smith, you have to remember he comes from a dirt track background and that's often the only way you can pass on the small bullring ovals.

Getting alongside and having door to door contact is different to just pushing the other car off. The one is hard racing, the other is unfair from me. And in Europe the second thing is labelled as controversial move( and usually brings penalties), while in America it is racing at its best I guess.

Schumi was not dirty. He did some unfair moves (all of them under a lot of pressure) and at the end he paid the price for most of them (sent to back of the grid or DSQ'd fromthe championship).

I didn't know that about Regan, and yes it might have influenced the move.

But if you get me, my big issue is that after this unfair move (imo) nothing is being done.

 

[Chris]

if you think Smith's move was unsporting , then you would also agree that Schumacher was a "dirty" driver.

Yep! There's no disputing that Michael is one of the greatest, if not the greatest F1 driver of all time, but some of the things he did were just downright bastardry.

• Intentionally colliding with Damon Hill.
• Intentionally parking at Rascasse.
• And nearly pushing Barrichello into the Budapest pit wall.

I'm sure there's many more, but IMO Schumacher often over-stepped the mark when it came to the lengths he'd go to in order to win.

 

[johnnymat]

Yep! There's no disputing that Michael is one of the greatest, if not the greatest F1 driver of all time, but some of the things he did were just downright bastardry.

• Intentionally colliding with Damon Hill.
• Intentionally parking at Rascasse.
• And nearly pushing Barrichello into the Budapest pit wall.

I'm sure there's many more, but IMO Schumacher often over-stepped the mark when it came to the lengths he'd go to in order to win.

You're right Chris , Schumacher did cross the line. The stunt at Budapest was at very high speed , which could have had horrible consequences. At least Smith's move at Mid-Ohio would have resulted in , at the very worst, a bent race car.

 

[Arne Dopudja]

For americans, it's probably great. Since it's not a worldwide sport, it's okay with me. NHL sees violence aswell and hockey generally, it's a part of it.

 

[fortyfivekev]

I'm sure there's many more, but IMO Schumacher often over-stepped the mark when it came to the lengths he'd go to in order to win.

Agree with you about Schumacher although I think it was Senna who made that type of driving "okay" and that's coming from a massive Senna fan.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

Now that's just plain wrong. Now I know which side of the fence you sit on. Good bye Kjell.

Honestly don't think you know much at all about me.

 

[Pär Öqvist]

I don´t understand why it´s legal to push other cars out of the way instead of overtaking them.

 

[the_sigman]

• Intentionally colliding with Damon Hill.
• Intentionally parking at Rascasse.
• And nearly pushing Barrichello into the Budapest pit wall.

Remember that he was penalised for the second and third, and the penalties were big. In the first, even Damon's great friend, Murray Walker said that it was not intentional and Hill was wrong to dive up the inside like that in such a corner.

Regan raced dirtly in my view and nothing happened.

 

[Chris]

Him being penalised does not redeem the actions he took, rather it only confirms that he did those things intentionally.

 

[JokkerHD]

I don´t understand why it´s legal to push other cars out of the way instead of overtaking them.

Cause in NASCAR we got big ol' tuff merican vehicles. Lol rubbins racing