НАСКАР для "ЧАЙНИКОВ"

[Normi]

Да стараюсь! Только вот времени, как на зло, в последнее время мало!

[Normi]

From T-shirts to motor oil: NASCAR fans support their drivers

Sponsors know what they’re doing. There’s a reason why races are named the Sylvania 300 and not “That 300-lap race at New Hampshire International Speedway.” There’s a reason why Charlotte Motor Speedway was renamed Lowe’s [Home Improvement Warehouse} Motor Speedway. And there’s a reason drivers thank their “Ford DeWalt” team when they have a great day at the racetrack. It’s because many NASCAR fans live and die by every word spoken by their favorite driver, every sponsor’s logo shown on their favorite driver’s car, and every paint scheme or uniform change. NASCAR fans are loyal – a recent study revealed 76 percent of them use NASCAR sponsor’s products.

You can see evidence of how loyal NASCAR fans are without even going to a race. Just drive down the highway and look at bumper stickers. Some people just display the car number of their favorite driver; others show the car number of their least-favorite driver with a big, thick line through it. The same loyalty goes for the car manufacturers involved in the sport – some fans don’t necessarily prefer any one driver, but root exclusively for Ford drivers. Not surpisingly, those fans usually have a bunch of Fords parked in their driveways – and vow never to own a General Motors car in their lifetime. Car companies couldn’t be happier about fans like that, particularly because those companies initially became involved in racing to market and sell more of their vehicles.

NASCAR fans are even more supportive at the races. You can see my fans from a mile away, wearing Mark Martin T-shirts, Mark Martin hats, Mark Martin jackets, and even Mark Martin sneakers. It would be a tough task to find a fan in the grandstands wearing a plain, old shirt with no logos on it – except for the guys who get sunburned because they don’t wear any shirt at all!





MARK SAYS

Keeping up appearances

A rookie driver who hasn’t proven himself yet really doesn’t have much control over which company will sponsor his team. In most cases, that driver is so eager for a sponsor that he’ll take anyone. In my early years as a driver, I was thrilled to get a call from any company at all. Now, though, I can be choosy because of my success in the sport. I’ve been lucky to have Viagra as a primary sponsor.






MARK SAYS

When I was racing on the short tracks of Arkansas, I never thought I’d see people wearing T-shirts with my face on them or wearing hats with my name on them. But now it’s really cool because it shows how many people support me at the racetrack and cheer for me when I drive by. Because I wear and ear piece while in the car (for the in-car radio), as well as a tight helmet, and have to contend with the roar of the engine, I can’t hear fans cheering when I’m driving. But seeing fans wearing my name on their clothes lets me know that I have people behind me.

NASCAR fan loyalty goes way beyond filling wardrobes with logo-covered T-shirts. NASCAR fans are extremely faithful to the companies who sponsor their favorite driver. That’s where a big chunk of the big business and big bucks come in. Not only do NASCAR fans support their driver by rooting for him, they also support him by buying his sponsor’s goods. So, it’s a good guess that Petty fans still use STP oil treatment, even though it no longer sponsors Petty Racing, because STP was the team’s primary sponsor for so many years. And that makes NASCAR appealing to companies who want an interesting and effective marketing tool.

[Normi]

Licenses Aren’t Just for Driving Anymore

With fans buying up all that NASCAR merchandise, it’s not surprising some people would do anything to sell stuff to fans and get in on the action. But making that money isn’t simple. Just like you need a license to drive on the highway, you need a license to sell merchandise bearing the NASCAR name or driver’s names. Otherwise, you can be fined or arrested. Getting licensed is a serious deal. Unless you want the cops chasing after you, taking all your merchandise, and giving you a big, fat ticket – get licensed if you’re interested in selling NASCAR paraphernalia.

Licensing gives people the authority to sell particular goods with a particular name, logo, or likeness on it. Now there’s good reason why that’s necessary, at least as far as I see things: It’s embarrassing to have my name or picture on something ridiculously ugly, poorly made, or extremely inappropriate. Souvenirs are part of the image, so a driver doesn’t want to be part of something that’s too hokey or that’s a cheap rip-off. Considering all the souvenir items floating around out there, drivers have lots of opportunities to be part of cheesy, junky stuff – so somebody had better be watching out for their interests. There’s also a business aspect to insisting everyone sells licensed merchandise. Drivers make royalties off the licensed goods vendors sell – either a percentage of the selling price or just a flat fee.


CAUTION FLAG

When buying NASCAR souvenirs, make sure to look the official NASCAR hologram sticker. If it has this sticker, along with the official NASCAR logo, it’s guaranteed to be quality stuff and not some shoddy souvenir that will fall apart the moment you put it on or bring it home. The imitation may be cheaper than a licensed item, but don’t be fooled – the low price may mean low quality. Buying souvenirs from a driver’s souvenir trailer, which is located outside the track during races, is a sure way to be safe because it sell only licensed merchandise.

You can find nearly every souvenir imaginable relating to NASCAR, including some everyday items – and some really strange things:

V Clothing: The most obvious souvenirs are T-shirts, jackets, hats, and button-down shirts. Some less obvious (for NASCAR fans who like a complete look) are socks, a water bottle, or a seat cushion with a driver’s name and car number on them. Fans are proud of the drivers they cheer for and often show up at events outfitted head-to-toe with merchandise that identifies them as a driver’s number-one supporter.

V Jewelry: With NASCAR’s growing popularity among woman, NASCAR jewelry has taken off in sales. Souvenir stands and retail outlets stock almost anything you can imagine, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, or anklets.

V Home decorating: NASCAR fans don’t have to go far to fix up their homes with a NASCAR motif. Some licensees sell just about anything for the home, and a lot of that stuff has my name on it, too. You can find Mark Martin wallpaper, Mark Martin quilts, Mark Martin sheets, Mark Martin chairs, Mark Martin dishes, and even Mark Martin carpeting. You can even purchase NASCAR crystal platters and silverware for entertaining purposes. I’m not saying that buying all this stuff will make your house stylish, but it will definitely get a point across to your guests – that you’re a NASCAR fan through and through.

V Office supplies: Looking for NASCAR scissors or a Mark Martin ruler?
Don’t fret, you can find them, along with stationery, pens, pencils, telephones, and nearly everything else you’ll need to get your work done fast enough to take a couple days off for a NASCAR race.

V Games: The toy business is also involved in stock-car racing. NASCAR video games are a big deal and a huge seller in stores. You can also find board and card games relating to the sport – they’re less high-tech but just as much fun.

V Books: Publishing has become more visible in the NASCAR business in recent years. The NASCAR Library Collection was introduced in early 2004, helping differentiate authentic NASCAR licensed books, like the one you’re reading, from others in the marketplace.

V Diecast cars: Perhaps the best-selling NASCAR souvenirs over the years have been diecast cars, made up with the current year’s paint scheme on them and a driver’s name above the door, just like on real stock cars. These babies aren’t just your run-of-the-mill toy cars, though. They have working hoods, detailed cockpits, tiny engines, and functioning wheels. Many fans see them as collector’s items – and their price usually reflects that. They come in several sizes (1:64 scale to 1:24 scale), and sometimes their price tags are hefty. Some cars, particularly older ones with a hard-to-find paint scheme, are priced in the hundreds of dollars. For serious collectors, some are made of 24-karat gold and platinum.




MARK SAYS

My fans had a perfect chance at buying the quintessential Mark Martin souvenir through the Neiman Marcus catalog. The store had one of my race cars for sale, all painted up with a working race engine under the hood. I guess it was for die-hard fans only because it cost $125,000 and wasn’t even legal to drive on the street! In fact, the headlights were only decals, as with all NASCAR cars, so driving it home from the store at night would have been challenging. But I bet the trip would have been quicker than usual.

[Normi]

Smile, You’re on NASCAR Camera!

There’s one tell-tale sign that NASCAR is popular in the United States: its races are on TV. Every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is broadcast on television. (See Chapter3 for the lowdown on the differences among the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.) Qualifying rounds and even some practices are also televised. That’s amazing, considering the first NASCAR race broadcast live, flag-to-flag was only 26 years ago. That race, the 1979 Daytona 500 on CBS, brought racing action into America’s living rooms for an afternoon. Now racing is more than just a once-in-a-while show on TV. You can find it virtually every day because the racing session lasts from February through late November, the longest season of any professional sport. And one cable network, the Speed Channel, is exclusively devoted to motor racing, with NASCAR competition making up much of its coverage.



GARAGE TALKS

If you’re curious about racing but not ready to devote yourself to it, you can catch a peek of the sport before you dive into it as a fan. Turning on your TV is the first step. It won’t be long until you stumble upon a racing show, in which races, qualifying, and practices are dissected, and everyone from the driver to the car owner to the guy that puts gas in the car is interviewed. You can find out more about racing than you ever wanted to know if you watch those shows long enough.

Knock-down, drag-out NASCAR coverage

The first NASCAR race broadcast on live TV certainly made racing seem exciting to non –NASCAR fans who tuned in. It also made racing seem lawless. While Richard Petty won that 1979 Daytona 500, the most thrills came from drivers off the track. Bobby Allison and his brother Donnie Allison got into a scuffle with Cale Yarborough, with the TV cameras rolling as America got its first taste of NASCAR. Although this incident doesn’t fit with the squeaky-clean image that many NASCAR drivers have now, it shows how emotional the sport can get. It also reveals that, just like any other pro sport, competitors can’t help but lose their tempers at times.




You can find NASCAR race broadcasts on the major broadcast networks and cable. The networks are beginning to delve into the sport more and more because TV ratings have grown each year since NASCAR races began showing up on TV. (For a listing of NASCAR’s television and radio partners, see Chapter 15.)



TECHNICAL STUFF

TV has become such a big deal in racing these days that broadcasters are quite innovative in the way they bring the sport to viewers. Developments include in-car cameras as well as cameras underneath the chassis. From inside the car, viewers can see the driver turn the wheel and shift. From outside, viewers can see a car ahead of or behind the driver – and also see whether there is any contact between the two cars. When a driver crashes, the camera pick up plenty more action – like a wall coming straight at it or another car smacking into the rear bumper and then flying off into another car to cause mayhem on the track. In really hard crashes, the camera can take only so much. Upon impact, the camera breaks and the transmission goes black. Not all cars have these cameras for every race, but the shots from those cameras give great insight into what is going on during a race – a real feel for what’s going on.



TIP

Shying away from cameras

When I began racing, I didn’t want to talk that much – much less look into a camera for the entire world to see. All I wanted to do was drive race cars and win races, and I was pretty shy about everything else. I figured that if I wanted to be famous and on TV, I wouldn’t be much of a racer.

As my career progressed, however, I figured out that being on TV was a great way to market myself, so I forced myself to get used to it. I was interviewed a lot when I ran on short tracks in the Midwest, mostly on local radio stations or on local television stations, so I had a lot of practice before graduating to NASCAR NEXEL Cup Series racing. Now, I don’t even think about being nervous because I’m on TV. I just think about winning races, as all top-level drivers do. Compared to that, the TV part is easy.

In the spotlight, under pressure

While sponsors drool about how much TV coverage of the sport has grown (more TV means more footage of cars on the track, all zooming around with big corporate logos stuck onto them), for drivers that exposure heightens the pressure to lead races because the cameras get plenty of shots of the car out front.

TV coverage also puts a lot of pressure on drivers to speak well and behave in front of the camera. Every time drivers climb out of cars, camera lenses are watching, and reporters with microphones are asking questions. After an on-track incident, drivers have to explain why and how it happened. The moment you come out of the infield care center, which is where you are taken after every crash even if you’re not hurt at all, the cameras and microphones are waiting. And at the end of the race, no matter how frustrated or angry or hot or sweaty or thirsty or tired you may be, reporters are there waiting for you to talk to them instant you crawl out of your car.

Pro football, baseball, and hockey players at least get to cool off for a while in the locker room before the cameras and microphones come running. But for NASCAR drivers, that immediate media blitz has become a way of life.

[Normi]

Chapter 3

Understanding the Different

NASCAR Series

In This Chapter

• Exploring the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
  
• Understanding the NASCAR Busch Series
  
• Taking a look at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
  
• Getting the lowdown on the NASCAR Touring Division
  
• Making it in NASCAR racing
  
• Getting a feel for the race

NASCAR racing is more than just one group of drivers traveling all over the United States to race. NASCAR has many different series, featuring drivers from different places and with different levels of talent. From its smaller series to its biggest series, NASCAR racing has a series for every driver. And for every fan, too.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series:
Where the Superstars Are

NASCAR’s highest-profile series is the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, a racing league akin to the top leagues of other sports. The best hitters play in Major League Baseball, the best quarterbacks play in the National Football League, and the best stock-car drivers race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. If features the most recognized drivers in stock-car racing, including ones you’ve probably seen on TV in some way or another – whether driving in a race, selling souvenirs on a 24-hour shopping network, or smiling into the camera during a commercial. Some of the most popular NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers today include the following:

• Jeff Gordon began NASCAR Cup Series racing in 1993 and quickly earned the nickname “Wonder Boy” because he was only 21. He legitimized that nickname when won his first NASCAR Cup Series title in 1995 at 24, becoming the youngest champion in NASCAR’s modern era, which dates back to 1972. Gordon followed that title with back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998, and a fourth in 2001. En route he broke records, won races, and frustrated his older and more experienced competitors. Gordon has since grown out of his Wonder Boy nickname and into a more mature role. He’s NASCAR’s unofficial spokesman, especially to new fans who may not be familiar with the sport and who may not be from southern United States. Gordon’s no good ol’ boy – he grew up in California before moving to Indiana when he was 13.
  
• Jimmie Johnson, a California golden boy straight from Hollywood casting, finished as NASCAR Cup runner-up to champion Matt Kenseth in 2003, and then powered straight back to the top the following season. Consistency has been a Johnson trademark troughout his NASCAR career, which began with winning the pole position for his first Daytona 500 in 2002. A teammate of Jeff Gordon in the Rick Hendrick Chevrolet stable, Johnson is on track to become a champion at the sport’s highest level
  
• Dale Earnhardt Jr., the son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, came into the sport already a fan favorite, then backed up his family name by winning NASCAR Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999. Jumping up to the NASCAR top series ranks in 2000, Earnhardt Jr. made steady gains each year, finishing third in the 2003 standings while also being voted the series’ Most Popular Driver. Junior’s immense popularity is obvious by the sea of red and white hats and T-shirts in the grandstands on any given weekend.
  
• Tony Stewart is perhaps the last link between NASCAR’s new breed and the barnstorming racers of past decades. NASCAR’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 1999, Stewart has finished in the top-10 every year since his first season, and in 2002 he was crowned NASCAR Cup Series champion. Prior to jumping to NASCAR competition, Stewart was an outstanding open-wheel racer, winning the 1997 Indy Racing League title. He continues to race in the Indianapolis 500 (an open-wheel race – see Chapter 1 for an explanation of the different types of racing) in May before jetting back to North Carolina the same day for the Coca-Cola 600 during the evening at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Stewart is also known for his generosity; he’s a celebrity who doesn’t forget the “little guy,” such as gate guards, mechanics, and local short-track racers.
  
• Dale Jarrett, son of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett, grew up watching his dad win races. Following Dale’s first Daytona 500 victory in 1993, Ned said his son had more racing talent than he had ever possessed. Over the past few years, Jarrett has won more than 30 NASCAR races and has been a consistent contender for the championship. He won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1999, driving the No. 88 Ford for Robert Yates Racing, to make him and his father only the second father-son duo to win championships in NASCAR Cup Series history, joining Lee and Richard Petty.
  
• Terry Labonte, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion from Texas, is called “Mr. Consistency” by his peers because he has been so good for so long and because his seasons usually aren’t filled with too many highs and lows. For example, in both years he won the championship (1984 and 1996), he won only two races, but was always racing near the front of the pack. People also call him “The Ice Man” because of his even temper both on and off the track. Labonte’s younger brother, Bobby, was the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
  
• Rusty Wallace, the 1089 NASCAR Cup Series champion, grew up in St. Louis and learned how to drive on track in the Midwest before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s known as one of the most knowledgeable drivers when preparing a car to race – a reputation he earned by building and working on his own race cars before coming to NASCAR. He still works on his cars today, helping his crew get it just right. Wallace intends to retire from driving following the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season.

MARK SAYS

My goal always was to make it to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing, which I believe is the hardest and most recognized racing series in the world. If you race open-wheel cars (see Chapter 1), you dream about it to Formula One someday. But if you race stock cars, you think about the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series day and night: it gets the most live TV coverage, pays the most money, and earns the most fame for its drivers.



MARK SAYS

Going overseas

Even though NASCAR racing is based in the United States, it has held several exhibition races outside the country. Drivers raced in Japan once a year from 1996 to 1998 – twice on a road course in Suzuka and once on a newly built oval track in Montegi. It was quite a culture shock for NASCAR drivers and their teams to travel about 8,000 miles from home and arrive in a place where they didn’t understand the language, customs, or food and drink. You’ve got to remember: sushi, which is raw fish, and sake, which is a beverage made from fermented rice, aren’t exactly part of the menu when racers travel to events in Talladega, Alabama, or Darlington, South Carolina. When I went to Japan in 1997, however, I didn’t think about the food or surroundings as much as I thought about the race. I won the pole at the road course in Suzuka and finished second in the race, right behind Mike Skinner.


Not only does NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing feature some of the best and most colorful drivers in motorsports, but it also has some of the closest finishes. Many times, cars race bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side during an event – mostly because NASCAR monitors its rules so closely that no car or car manufacturer has an unfair edge over the competition. Even after a 500-mile race, it’s not uncommon for drivers to cross the finish line within less than one second of each other. Even in qualifying, where drivers complete only one or two laps at full speed in order to earn a spot in the race, the fastest and the slowest cars are often separated by a fraction of a second.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races are held at tracks across the United States – from Daytona Beach, Florida, to suburban Los Angeles and Loudon, New Hampshire. Races are held nearly every weekend of the year, too. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series had 36 races in 2004, making its schedule one of the most – if not the most – grueling in all of professional sports. But don’t think that drivers work only 36 days out of the year. A race weekend entails at least two, and most often three, days of work (qualifying, practice, and the race), as well as one day of travel. See Chapter 7 for a day-by-day account of a driver’s life/

Even so, drivers and crew members don’t mind the rigorous schedule that much, particularly because they realize how fortunate they are to have made it to the top level of stock-car racing. While some drivers were able to get a job in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series early in their racing careers, most drivers spend years trying to get there. Those drivers dedicated their lives to their goal of making it to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, spending a lot of time away from their families while competing in the various series that travel throughout the country.

[Normi]

NASCAR Busch Series: One Route
to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series

A lot of drivers, including me, ended up in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series via the NASCAR Busch Series – a place where drivers can train themselves by getting experience, making mistakes, and learning from those errors. NASCAR Busch Series races are usually held on Saturdays, while NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races are most often on Sundays. But that’s not the only difference.

NASCAR Busch Series racers drive stock cars and follow the same on-track rules (see Chapter 5) as in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, but the cars have a couple fundamental differences. Here are some unique aspects of each car:


GARAGE TALK

• Size: Although both NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series cars are nearly the same height (51 inches and 50.5 inches, respectively), the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) is slightly different. On NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car, the wheelbase is 110 inches, while on a NASCAR Busch Series racer, it’s 105 inches. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars have an advantage here: their longer wheelbase gives them more stability.
  
• Horsepower: The biggest difference between the two cars is how powerful their engines are. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars have significantly more oomph to them, producing about 790 horsepower. Horsepower is a unit of measurement representing how much power an engine generates. The more horsepower, the faster the car. NASCAR Busch Series engines generate around 660 horsepower. Which means NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars should be faster than Busch cars, correct? Yes – and no. One hundred pounds lighter than NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars, NASCAR Busch Series racers do reach speeds that are nearly as fast. Though they have smaller engines, NASCAR Busch Series racers don’t to lug around as much weight as a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car.
  
• Compression ratio: All three major series in NASCAR racing now use the same compression ratio (12 to 1), which is the volume inside a cylinder compared to the volume it compresses to when the piston is fully extended. The higher the ratio, the less space the mixture of fuel and air is shoved into, so the greater the potential for energy. (For more details on the technical aspects of stock cars, see Chapter 4.)

The NASCAR Busch Series – not bush league

Even though the NASCAR Busch Series, which evolved from the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series, is considered a stepping for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, many drivers bristle at that image. Some, like two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, love racing in that series and have made a career out of it, saying it has the same intense competition as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and isn’t just a stepping stone. LaJoie especially likes the fact that, even though he doesn’t get paid as much as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers do, he doesn’t have to deal with nearly as much pressure.

The NASCAR Busch Series began in 1982 and has grown from races at small, unknown tracks to competitions at large, well-known facilities and includes nearly as many races as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series does. Many races are companion events to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races and are held on Saturday of a race weekend at a particular track. That gives NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers a chance to drive, as I do, in both races in one weekend. Are even though NASCAR Busch Series drivers themselves are quite popular with fans, having NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers in the race lures even more people to the racetrack. But even witout those well-known drivers competing, NASCAR Busch Series races have become popular events in their own right.




MARK SAYS

The NASCAR Busch Series was a valuable training ground for me, and I haven’t turned my back on those races now, even though I have been successful in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series for more than a decade. I still compete in a limited number of NASCAR Busch Series races every year, mostly because I love to race – and win. In fact, I’ve won more NASCAR Busch races than anyone in history, 45 times as of 2004. Because the cars are different, some technical information on how to set them up isn’t the same. But overall, running in a NASCAR Busch Series race prior to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition gives me hints of how my NEXTEL Cup car will handle on a particular track.



MARK SAYS

Although winning a NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday gives me more confidence for Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events, racing twice in one weekend is tough. I hardly have any time to stop and take a breath. I get to the garage early to check out the Saturday car and talk to my Saturday crew chief, then hop over to my NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car. Then I have to juggle NASCAR Busch Series practice with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice and then qualify for both races. Sometimes I’m so busy with that and signing autographs on my way from one garage to the other that I forget to eat!

[Александр]

Интересная книжка, особенно в плане личного опыта Мартина и его взгляде на некоторые вещи. Normi, а ты когда всё отсканируешь, сможешь выложить всё вместе в виде текстового файла?

[Normi]

Книга очень полезная. Я ее не сканирую а перепечатываю. Только впереди еще очень долгая работа. Вы пока прочитали примерно 1/7 книги.
Все сохранено. Только, почему тем, кому интересно, самим не сохранить все что тут выкладываю?!

[Александр]

Не, ну в принципе, можно и так.

[Foma]

Сорри, если это офтоп...
Подскажите, а когда появится Entry List на Budweiser Shootout?

[Normi]

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/100..._list.html

[Foma]

О, спасибо, Normi. А то я что-то найти не мог. На racingone.com до сих пор пусто.
Normi, а если еще объяснишь по какому принципу формируется состав участников, то будет ваще супер!

[skom]

Все действующие гонщики, которые выигрывали этапы, и те, которые были на поуле в сезоне 2006.

[skom]

Если вам на сайт для перевода надо, то здесь http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56620
доступно написано.

[Foma]

Если вам на сайт для перевода надо, то здесь http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56620
доступно написано.

Не, не для сайта. Для меня "чайника".
Спасибо.

[chevel]

скачал все что выложено!
буду изучать...
пасиб!

[Normi]

[SIZE="4"]NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series:
Pickups with Racing Stripes[/SIZE]

In 1994, NASCAR decided to branch out and create another major racing series. But they didn’t opt for just another stock-car series, which may have been too similar to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series or the NASCAR Busch Series. Instead, They chose something completely different. And quite creative. They started racing pickup trucks.

NASCAR bigwigs sensed the series would catch on because on overwhelming majority of truck owners are interested in some type of motorsports. The truck manufacturers were into the idea, and plenty of talented drivers were looking for jobs, so why not?

In 1995, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was created with Mike Skinner taking the first championship. The series has also worked as a breeding ground – many truck series drivers have advanced to the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ranks, although Skinner, after climbing the ladder, returned to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Even though NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series vehicles don’t look or feel much like NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars, good drivers can handle both vehicles pretty well. To me, a vehicle is vehicle and a race is a race. If a driver is skillful enough to be able to control a vehicle, he can succeed in any series and in any vehicle.

The following are some differences between passenger trucks (such as a Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, and Toyota Tundra) and their NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series counterparts:

V Horsepower: A passenger truck has 160 horsepower. Compare that to the race truck, which has about 650.
V Length: Passenger trucks are an average 194.5 inches long, while a race truck is 206 inches long.
V Width: Passenger trucks are an average of 78.8 inches wide. A race truck is 75 inches.
V Height: Passenger trucks are an average of 70 inches high, race truck an average of 59 inches – shorter and much closer to the ground than their passenger truck counterparts.
V Weight: A passenger truck weighs an average of 3,829 pounds. A race truck is 3,400 pounds, just like a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car. Because the race trucks don’t have to be sturdy to haul things like fill dirt or your neighbor’s couch, their bodies are much lighter and as streamlined as possible.





V Wheelbase: A passenger truck’s front and rear wheels are 117.5 inches apart. On a race truck, that measurement is 112 inches.
V Engine: A passenger truck’s engine is a 4.3 liter, V6 with fuel injection. A race truck has an 8-cylinder engine with a carburetor.
V Compression ratio: A passenger truck’s compression ratio is 9 to 1. A race truck’s ratio is 12 to 1.
( For more information on compression ratio in racing vehicles, see explanation earlier in this section.)

[Foma]

Подскажите, плиз...
Каким надо финишировать в NEXTEL Open, что бы попасть в NEXTEL All-Star Challenge?
Спасибо.

[Fuel]

Подскажите, плиз...
Каким надо финишировать в NEXTEL Open, что бы попасть в NEXTEL All-Star Challenge?
Спасибо.

Первым

[skom]

Не совсем - можно и вторым.
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/all-star2007.htm
Правила для участия в гонке Nextel All-Star Challenge
1. Гонщики и владельцы машин, которые выигрывали гонки в текущем и предыдущем сезоне. Если гонщик покидает команду, в которой он выиграл гонку, он оставляет за собой право участвовать в гонке, и также это право имеет новый гонщик команды. (до последней гонки перед The All-Star Race).
2. Гонщики, которые были чемпионами Капа за последние 10 лет
3. Гонщики, которые выигрывали гонку The All-Star Race за прошлые 10 лет
4. Победитель гонки Nextel Open
5. Гонщики, которые выигрывали в предыдущие годы, и которые не подпадают под вышеперечисленные пункты (но только гонщики, а не владельцы).

В этом году дополнительные места:
1. Гонщик, занявший второе место в 2007 All-Star Race Open (Nextel Open)
2. Победитель голосования болельщиков

PS. Монти её не видать в этом году

[Fuel]

В этом году дополнительные места:
1. Гонщик, занявший второе место в 2007 All-Star Race Open (Nextel Open)

Вот это я не знал

[///M]

PS. Монти её не видать в этом году

Почему нет?

2. Победитель голосования болельщиков

Вдруг народ часто на кнопочку тыкал? Или уже есть резалты голосования?

[skom]

Почему нет?
Вдруг народ часто на кнопочку тыкал? Или уже есть резалты голосования?

Моё мнение - наврядли он прийдёт вторым.
А кто за него голоснёт? Не наберёт достаточно голосов, свой местный пройдёт, скорее всего.

[Foma]

В этом году дополнительные места:
1. Гонщик, занявший второе место в 2007 All-Star Race Open (Nextel Open)
2. Победитель голосования болельщиков

Спасибо.
Ну да, там ведь всё указано:
1. NEXTEL OPEN WINNER
2. VOTED IN
3. NEXTEL OPEN RUNNER-UP

http://www.nascar.com/promos/allstar/

[Foma]

Моё мнение - наврядли он прийдёт вторым.
А кто за него голоснёт? Не наберёт достаточно голосов, свой местный пройдёт, скорее всего.

Согласен. Патриоты однако

[Romeskis]

Моё мнение - наврядли он прийдёт вторым.
А кто за него голоснёт? Не наберёт достаточно голосов, свой местный пройдёт, скорее всего.

Да тут бабуля надвое сказала: латиносов сейчас в США навалом, так и протащить могут
Да и в Nextel Open если тачку как в Атланте навернут, то может и пролезть. Хотя конечно Монтойя в All-Star НАСКАРа - это дико на мой взгляд.

[Foma]

Хотя конечно Монтойя в All-Star НАСКАРа - это дико на мой взгляд.

А в All-Star NHL новичок это не дико?

[Romeskis]

А в All-Star NHL новичок это не дико?

Так это ведь хоккей, батенька! Там легионеров давно навалом. Для НАСКАРа это именно дико. "Здесь вам не тут" (с) Я уже высказывал своё отношение по этому поводу.

[Александр]

В любом опросе победит Джуниор. Только я не в курсе, не проходит ли он по другим критериям.

[skom]

Проходит по первому пункту
8 #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. May 2006 Richmond