Any other Formula 1 and/or ACO racing fans here?

Post by **VCA** » 21 Apr 2011, 18:51

As the subject says--anybody else on here follows F1 or is an ACO (ALMS, LeMans series) racing fan? I'm a pretty die-hard Tifosi, but the Audi R18 TDI is just awesome.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 21 Apr 2011, 20:51

I think formula 1 is fantastic to watch but I do not get much time to watch TV so I normally only watch it if I catch it while channel surfing. I have to agree with you about Audi's TDI car. That thing is awesome.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 24 Apr 2011, 06:43

Put me in the die hard motor sports fan category. Formula 1 is tough at this part of the season - I try to stay awake until 2:00 or 3:00 AM to watch a race and then I doze off on the sofa just before it starts. I have always been an early riser so the live 6:00 AM broadcasts from Europe are great. I can remember waking my wife about 20 years ago when Gerhard Berger crashed and went up in flames at Imola. I was just sure that he had died but he managed to walk away.

The Tifosi had the car stripped for souvenirs even before the flames were out. That was about the lowest point for Ferrari, a couple of years later they stole a young German kid from Team Benneton and the rest was history. It is funny, I hated it when Senna won every week but I loved it when Micheal climbed to the top step of the podium, seemingly every week.

Formula 1 is its own worst enemy though and I wonder if the series can survive. Bernie seems to chase the money and it has led to a number of really bad decisions as far as scheduling from a fans perspective. It looks like Turkey is finished after this year and I doubt that they will ever return Bahrain.

Hopefully the Circuit of the Americas at Austin will be as good as it looks on paper and it will become a stable venue.

...Lee

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 24 Apr 2011, 19:49

Damn, you are a die hard fan Lee. I would have no problem staying up until 2 am but I would never make it through the race. As much as I like watching the races when I do catch, I am no where near enough of a fan to stay up to watch one.

Lee, more power to you man.

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Apr 2011, 22:29

I don't know anything about it besides a) it's European, b) it's expensive to field a team, c) cars are VERY advanced, and d) there's two-way telemetry between car/garage (neat stuff).

I can EASILY see how they look could down on NASCAR. Don't know if they do, just saying.

Post by **VCA** » 25 Apr 2011, 05:42

Ozark Lee wrote:Formula 1 is its own worst enemy though and I wonder if the series can survive. Bernie seems to chase the money and it has led to a number of really bad decisions as far as scheduling from a fans perspective. It looks like Turkey is finished after this year and I doubt that they will ever return Bahrain.

Hopefully the Circuit of the Americas at Austin will be as good as it looks on paper and it will become a stable venue.

Not just in terms of scheduling, but also in terms of the cars themselves. I also can't wait for Austin next year, one of my friends and I are looking at hotel accommodations, making plans, etc. to go out there.

We have a very small group that meets to watch the races, and when practicable, we prefer to watch it live--since we can have live timing and scoring running on a laptop projected on the wall next to the TV

Sometimes we beat the SpeedTV guys (Varsha/Matchett/Hobbs) in the commentary.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 25 Apr 2011, 08:38

matthew1 wrote:I don't know anything about it besides a) it's European, b) it's expensive to field a team, c) cars are VERY advanced, and d) there's two-way telemetry between car/garage (neat stuff).

I can EASILY see how they look could down on NASCAR. Don't know if they do, just saying.

I could see why they would to. NASCAR is just some guys driving around in a circle with a car that is still carbed. I have heard that they may go to fuel injection soon, but we will see.

Post by **VCA** » 25 Apr 2011, 19:39

FCPGroton wrote:
matthew1 wrote:I could see why they would to. NASCAR is just some guys driving around in a circle with a car that is still carbed. I have heard that they may go to fuel injection soon, but we will see.

I always laugh when I think that the newest part on NASCAR's "car of tomorrow" is the diff, and it was designed in 1958 or so. Whereas, on an F1 car, the KERS system is so new most manufacturers aren't using them in production cars yet (and with good reason...*ahem* Red Bull Renault). Now I understand that NASCAR's concern is cheating, hence the use of the Holley 4150 carb, but in F1, there's the FIA "common ECU" to counter the issues of illegal traction control, over-revving of engines, etc.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 26 Apr 2011, 16:29

This is so true. This is also why I feel that up until recently, American cars were behind in technology compared to there European counterparts.

Post by **JRL** » 11 May 2011, 21:19

Always
(Used to race)

My Greenwood Corvette