Filed under: Motorsports
Schumacher offered open invitation to drive a NASCAR
It's easy to scoff at NASCAR as a sports car enthusiast and fan of other types of motorsports. Heck, even to a British TV presenter, NASCAR offers a lot to ridicule. But as a recently retired seven-time Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher seems uniquely qualified to critique this type of automotive entertainment. So he stepped up and said he didn't understand how former competitor Juan Pablo Montoya could be drawn to stock car racing. Perhaps Schumacher's view of NASCAR is a bit naïve, as he was quoted as saying, "What do you do in NASCAR? What is exciting there? I can't see that, running around on ovals."
Obviously Schumacher is unaware that only 90% of NASCAR actually involves running around on ovals. The other ten percent is split between drinking beer, pitching beer, and judging wet t-shirt contests. So there is at least SOME obvious reason to like it. But in answer to Michael's criticism, NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham has extended an open invitation to MS to try a stock car and see what it's like. Evernham apparently thinks some seat time would help change the champ's mind and show off the huge technical strides NASCAR has made in recent years. He wasn't referring to SPEED in HD, and believe it or not, he was serious.
Thanks for the tip, Judd!
[Source: itv]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
andre 5:41PM (2/13/2007)
I parially agree/disagree with schumacher on this one. While it is true that most NASCAR races can become monotonous and boring due to constant repetition of circular driving, there is also alot of strategy involved in order to win a NASCAR race.
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JayP 5:54PM (2/13/2007)
Wasn't there an urban legend that MS was at Texas Motor and wanted to ride/drive one of the demo cars?
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chairman 5:56PM (2/13/2007)
I'm not a fan of NASCAR, but I think Schumacher's dismissive opinion would change if he actually participated. I doubt he'd actually do it unless he had the cream of the crop personnel and resources like he had at Ferrari. Any chance of the Maserati Quattroporte being homologated for NASCAR?
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rodri 6:00PM (2/13/2007)
NASCAR does seem kinda boring. The only thing that happens is that sometimes someone has a huge accident (and dies). And then the viewer is torn between his morbid curiosity and the feeling that he shouldn't want to see a slow motion replay of the accident. Same thing happens with F1.
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jg 6:05PM (2/13/2007)
Each oval is different. It ain't just go fast turn left. As a spectator it may seem that way (until you actually pay attention) but to a driver there's a lot of skill needed to pilot one of these cars. To hit your marks lap after lap as the car changes and weather changes and..... Personally I think Schumacher would have the time of his life out there.
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Scott 6:18PM (2/13/2007)
Schumacher in the 'boogity boogity' series? If that were to happen the looney yokels who comprise half the bleacher crowd and all of the infield could immediately start signaling the end times and that Jesus was about to return. Just the idea of him testing a stock car for anything other than a lark gives me the creeps.
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info 3:15PM (12/17/2007)
Indeed. and what is this talk about great technological strides? Was that in reference to the switch from leaded to unleaded gas? It couldn't be the carburators, the live rear axels, the yestertech push rod engines... so what technological advances does NASCAR have to show?
naggs 6:25PM (2/13/2007)
carburators, iron brakes, spec bodies...
nascar hasnt been able to keep up with the technology available on the street let alone nascar. if racing is about going as fast as possible, i dont see how nascar would be remotly interesting to schumacher
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naggs 6:27PM (2/13/2007)
i meant ..let alone other forms of racing...
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Cly 6:27PM (2/13/2007)
I'm sorry but the words "technical strides" do not belong in NASCAR. Only in America would you be able to sell those two words in NASCAR.
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MB 7:17PM (2/13/2007)
I'm soooo sorry....BWAHAHAHAHAH NASCAR...advanced? okey dokey smokey (said in most ignorant southern drawl)
F1, Formula One, the pinnacle of racing. Racing where drivers are actually athletes, and need to be in the top physical condition to compete let alone drive the car around a circuit experiencing extreme G-forces.
NASCAR, roots as hill billies running illegal moonshine. Definitely skilled, but not to the expert level that F1 requires. I am willing to bet that there are a lot of recreational track drivers (SCCA, Clubs, etc) out there that could run the top 10 runners with minimal seat time. BUT I'll be willing to bet the "recreational" driver couldn't compete even within the top 20 of even F3.
This is ridiculous. No wonder Europeans piss on the Americans....get off your arrogant American pedastool. NASCAR is not comprable to F1. Not even on the same graph.
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jps 7:49PM (2/13/2007)
This is laughable, NASCAR is the lowest and most pathetic form of racing in the world. NASCAR can not be compared to F1 in the slightest. I am almost offended (and at the same time, extremely amused)that some of you are actually trying to defend NASCAR.
Schumacher's quote is the perfect description of this pathetic, pathetic "motor sport"
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shimman 7:59PM (2/13/2007)
i think nascar is about watching the race at the oval track where you can see almost entire circuit in person. besides the average speed could be higher than other tracks because it's simply & there are fairly many accidents & dramas are going on between teams & drivers.
i would rather watch le mane, but it is impossible to watch all day long
btw, it would be really fun if ms is to drive nascar as a pro driver...maybe, dmc should bring benz to the nascar
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EnviroBob 8:18PM (2/13/2007)
Why is that the F1, Champ Car and Indy drivers don't do very well in IROC? When Jeff Gordon swapped cars with JPM at the Indy F1 track, it took him all of three laps behind the wheel to record times that would have qualified him third for the F1 race there?
There is a lot of condescension towards stock car drivers, but when put head to head in equally prepared cars, the NASCAR drivers always seem to beat the 'superior' drivers.
JPM must also have been confused when he said that NASCAR was a lot tougher to driver than what he expected and what people give them credit for.
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n5 8:43PM (2/13/2007)
#13: To generalize that NASCAR drivers are better than F1 due to a lap time on a particular track is untenable.
NASCAR wouldn't receive all this criticism if it didn't truly suck. It appeals to a narrow segment of Americans incapable of "thinking outside the oval".
Carburetors? You can't even buy a stock car today with a carb.
NASCAR: So easy a caveman could do it.
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Nick 8:59PM (2/13/2007)
Just because something is boring doesn't mean it's easy. I dislike Nascar, I don't watch, I think the roundy round is boring, but the high speeds and razor edge that they are on is apparent. If you get out of line and bobble, you're going to be passed by a conveyor belt of drafters... I don't think it's easy to be that consistent, at high speed, racing that close. That being said, the way they set up yellows and the other things they do to create drama kinda stink. Like I said, I don't like it, but I don't think it's easy.
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Fly-Yak 9:05PM (2/13/2007)
I think everyone is missing the point. You can say it is boring and say there isn't any technology, but in America it is the #1 motor sport. Now I watch Formula 1, but you have to admit with all the technology what are there, maybe 3 passes a race in the top 5 cars? You can take any given field in Formula 1 and there are probably only 4 cars with a chance to win.For any of you outside of America, what Formula 1 did at Indy will take many many years for them to get back where they were, which wasn't far in America. It is like comparing soccer to American football, soccer doesn't stand a chance.
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Beebe 9:05PM (2/13/2007)
NASCAR is a joke with a main objective is to sell “NASCAR” branded products to rednecks. I bet Schumacher will get better thrill and satisfaction from driving Go-carts with 12-year olds.
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mj 9:25PM (2/13/2007)
Sorry, F1 is for brainless snobs. The races in F1 feature very little PASSING. The speed of the cars decide everything. Many of the races Schumacher won were boring affairs where he was never challenged because he's a German cyborg in the Mighty Ferrari.
Nascar has more strategy, the drivers are constantly shifting around, finding drafts, bump drafting and teaming up. It isn't perfect, too many yellow flags at the end, but it beats hearing how great Schumacher is as he heads a conga line around a spaghetti track. That's far more boring than a Nascar race that features actual lead changes, teaming up, vendettas and bumping.
Earnhardt was the most fearless, masterful driver in the most competitive motorsport in the world. He had to compete every race. I find it hard to believe that F1 drivers are doing anything more than memorizing a few turns and sticking their finger down their throat after meals. Those are your great athletes. Put Schumacher in the worst F1 team and he wouldn't win, put JPM on the Ferrari team and he would win every time. Schumacher would be dead last in Nascar, he's never had to compete with actual skill.
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spdracerut 9:29PM (2/13/2007)
NASCAR is about entertainment. It also requires a different skill set than road course racing; namely, how to use the chrome horn. I think Montoya will have a blast in NASCAR because he can hit as many guys as he wants, and just needs to have the sheet metal bent back!
I do miss watching Montoya in F1 as he made it exciting. Schumi in a stock would be entertaining... I think he'd just have to get use to driving in the traffic and the love taps, and the school bus handling, and brakes that don't work as well as just lifting off the throttle in a F1 car...
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