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JayVee wrote:Where has Kapel dissapeared. Must be his 8 'n' Pole Rank

Nah not the 8 n pole but yes was out with my 8 yr old daughter shopping from pole to pole ,thank God the school are re-opening

Kapel wrote:

JayVee wrote:Where has Kapel dissapeared. Must be his 8 'n' Pole Rank

Nah not the 8 n pole but yes was out with my 8 yr old daughter shopping from pole to pole ,thank God the school are re-opening

And I will bet Daddy spoils her rotten

There are only a few simple reasons for Formula 1's failure to have a fan base in the US:
First: Most of my fellow countrymen like things simple. Left turns are very simple. And plenty of areas in the US can have a 1/4 or 1/2 mile track.

Second: Although any Chrysler (as in Daimler Chrysler) on a NASCAR circuit has absolutely nothing other than general side profiles in common (above subatomic similarities in materials like IRON and PAINT) with a Chrysler that they might own or desire, the average Nascar fan feels some feeling of identification (and dare I say feelings of patriotism?) in the exercise of watching "American" cars turn left for 500 miles while drinking what passes for Beer over here. Incidently the most frequent defense of the beer here is that because it is NOT too strong or flavorful and IS very cheap one can drink lots of it.... But I digress.

Third: Nascar promotes itself very well. Teams MUST allocate time to fans. This builds more loyalty than anything else I've see in 30 years of watching racing in the states. Matched with the current rock-star marketing of drivers as personalities, You can see as many fine ladies chasing Jeff Gordon as you will see at a 'Stones concert.

Fourth: MANY Americans, while fine when dealing with non-Americans on a personal level, are suspicious of non-Yankees in groups. [EDITED-POLITICAL]

Fifth: INDIANAPOLIS? The track is there because Marmon, Dusenberg, and Studebaker were built there. In the first years of the century, a track paved with bricks was technologically sophisticated. I've seen the Marmon that won the first race (with the technologically controversial rear-view mirror - which was protested against at the time). I wouldn't drive that thing at 75 miles per hour for 500 miles. Today, it is not a great track. It is in an area that has little interest in international competition. See the sprint car races when your there. It's pretty good racing.

From Pittsburgh, Indy is a 5-6 hour drive each way. I can always get an easier (and fequently cheaper) air connection to Montreal.

Either coast would be a better market and could afford a better venue. If F1 has good competition between teams. It will do very well. Maybe Watkins Glen could be entirely rebuilt.

[EDITED-POLITICAL]
We have a couple of ovals here, they attract 2 drunks, a vagrant, and a brown dog to the big meetings ( I think the promoters pay them)
Our V8 supercars are marketed similarly to Nascar, they are basically Ford vs Chevy, but don't tell us locals, we call it Ford Australia vs Holden (GMH,Makers of the latest Pontiac "muscle car"). They do however go around left and right hand corners quite well, have a look at them in "The Lounge>sport" in this forum
A rebuilt Watkins Glen, or Laguna Seca sounds nice!
Perhaps Danica Patrick can create a groundswell when she moves to F1.
Calling the American product "beer" is an insult to brewers all over the world
I use it to water down the kids' fruit drinks in these times of drought

julian mayo wrote:

Kapel wrote:

JayVee wrote:Where has Kapel dissapeared. Must be his 8 'n' Pole Rank

Nah not the 8 n pole but yes was out with my 8 yr old daughter shopping from pole to pole ,thank God the school are re-opening

And I will bet Daddy spoils her rotten

DO i have a choice??

Kapel wrote:

julian mayo wrote:

Kapel wrote:
Nah not the 8 n pole but yes was out with my 8 yr old daughter shopping from pole to pole ,thank God the school are re-opening

And I will bet Daddy spoils her rotten

DO i have a choice??

No, it is but our role in life

It would take millions to make any other track meet Bernies standards. Indy is the only place that would put the money up and bend to Bernie. It is a shame that he is putting all this financial pressure on the promoters like Silvestone and others.
F1 car make right turns and they don't have moon shine history like NASCAR. We need a US driver Like Scott Speed or better Danica Patrick.

I'm telling you, F1 just needs a movie.

Thay made only one race movie that was worth a darn. Grand Prix with James Garner (Pete Arron). Stallon tried but it was to cornie.

Sable Racing wrote:Thay made only one race movie that was worth a darn. Grand Prix with James Garner (Pete Arron). Stallon tried but it was to cornie.

yeah, it was fun watching James flogging a FF at 40 mph

sorry to interrupt yr little convo there.....but i just want to add my 2 cents..

Peopl SAY that its coz there are no american drivers....BUT.....there are no South African drivers (yet).......and yet F1 is HUGE in S.A.......

<T-K> wrote:sorry to interrupt yr little convo there.....but i just want to add my 2 cents..

Peopl SAY that its coz there are no american drivers....BUT.....there are no South African drivers (yet).......and yet F1 is HUGE in S.A.......

And you have never heard of Jody Schecter either, I will bet

julian mayo wrote:

<T-K> wrote:sorry to interrupt yr little convo there.....but i just want to add my 2 cents..

Peopl SAY that its coz there are no american drivers....BUT.....there are no South African drivers (yet).......and yet F1 is HUGE in S.A.......

And you have never heard of Jody Schecter either, I will bet

Not have I ever head of Jody Schecter, I mete his brother Ian and I have had a seat in his F1 when it was South African national formula. I come from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia).

Sable Racing wrote:

julian mayo wrote:

<T-K> wrote:sorry to interrupt yr little convo there.....but i just want to add my 2 cents..

Peopl SAY that its coz there are no american drivers....BUT.....there are no South African drivers (yet).......and yet F1 is HUGE in S.A.......

And you have never heard of Jody Schecter either, I will bet

Not have I ever head of Jody Schecter, I mete his brother Ian and I have had a seat in his F1 when it was South African national formula. I come from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia).

Did any of his skills rub off?. By crikey he was quick.

I know I'm new to this forum but to quote Wind Tunnel's host, Dave Despain, here is "my take" on this question...

1-When most Americans think of auto racing, they think of places where stock cars race at(Daytona, Talledega, etc.) and the series that races there, NASCAR, especially here in the American South where stock car racing can approach the fervor of a religious gathering; woe be to the lone person(like myself) who grew up watching the greats like Mears, Johncock, Rutherford, Sullivan, the Andretti's, Mario and Michael, and so on race at tracks like Indy, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, etc.
2-To most Americans, Formula One seems like a distant, foreign sport where the technology overshadows the drivers, unlike in America where the fans can identify more easily w/drivers and with the cars as well(just look at that one point stevestuff made in his posting).
3-With the rare exception of the F1 races back in the 70's at Long Beach on the street circuit that ChampCar uses, most of the F1 venues in the U.S.(Detroit, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoenix) were on street courses that, while they gathered the fans, didn't seem to garner the media attention needed to sustain events of that magnitude, and finally,
4-By the time Formula One decided to return to the States, it had to be at a venue ready-made for racing. While they could've gone to Watkins Glen, Infineon, Road America or Laguna Seca, about the only place they seriously considered was the Brickyard(Indy). Granted, it took having to remake the speedway, and design a layout 'backwards' from the traditional direction used, it seems to have worked so far. Maybe it will bring the American F1 fans back, and create new ones; frankly, it seems to have worked since 2000.