Not your Father’s racing.

[TrailBeast]

Back when I was racing it was the driver that handled all the functions of the car.
The driver determined how, when and how much power was advantageous.
If the car over wheelied the driver did what was needed to mitigate that next time.
Same with blowing the tires off.
The driver dealt with and managed that next time.
We never heard of such a thing as turning a motor down.

Now days the computers and electronics manage more and more of the car’s functions.

It seems racers these days are not far from sitting in the stands and watching their cars race each other with no driver at all.
And don’t even get me started on the cost of racing these days, with the thousands upon thousands of dollars it requires in electronics these days.

It was more fun when we just showed up with enough gas to race and managed the entire car ourselves.

They are taking the random variables of the driver out of it, and taking most of the fun out in the process.

My opinion.

 

[67Dart273]

I agree on several points

Same thing elsewhere. Amateur radio.

I can remember back before 2k, guys were experimenting with automated stuff

Always fun to "chase DX" AKA that rare seldom heard far off station so YOU can get one of the FEW QSL cards.

DX packet cluster is a bunch of guys all over who hear something and post it on the cluster, including station call, frequency, mode of operation, etc etc

So they figured how to put that all into a standard form, and with an interface, can PUT THE radio on the correct BAND and FREQUENCY and MODE, ROTATE the beam to the recommended heading, and there were even some who figured out how to pull off an AUTO MATED QSO. (contact.) Whaddaya need us for?

 

[TT5.9mag]

It’s hard to disagree with you but I do. It is so freakin easy to make power these days that the electronics start to make more and more sense. Back when 500hp was a big deal your right foot could do all the work. But try it with 1500hp and you’ll wish you had electronics to “catch” the car and keep the tires planted. And yes 1500hp is pretty easy these days.

 

[Unconventional]

About $2k brand new My buddy milled the head for a sixer Borrowed the tire groover from a work mate My crew chief there designed those high tech graphics. We were looking at a $3K Briggs an Stratton with a golf ball sized hole in the block

 

[67Dart273]

I do not understand how transbrake autos live very long with very high HP engines. All the jerkin and bangin they do staging it seems like it would rip the guts out of the things.

 

[Killer6]

It’s hard to disagree with you but I do. It is so freakin easy to make power these days that the electronics start to make more and more sense. Back when 500hp was a big deal your right foot could do all the work. But try it with 1500hp and you’ll wish you had electronics to “catch” the car and keep the tires planted. And yes 1500hp is pretty easy these days.

Was it Phil Donahue that used to dial-up the boost in the Porsche 917-30 at LeMans, and light the tires up at 100mph down the Mulsanne Straight?? Purportedly 1,300hp from the boxer, no electronics/clutches/traction-control there in the '60's & '70's, capable of 250mph iirc.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I guess I'll just die an old fart. I've always considered big time electronics "cheating". Two steps, trans brakes, all these big electronics that record everything.

That said, if you're professionally racing for money, you have to do it, because everybody else is and you'll likely never win unless you do it too.

But just for the hobby of racing to have fun, no way. I'll do it old school.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Was it Phil Donahue that used to dial-up the boost in the Porsche 917-30 at LeMans, and light the tires up at 100mph down the Mulsanne Straight?? Purportedly 1,300hp from the boxer, no electronics/clutches/traction-control there in the '60's & '70's, capable of 250mph iirc.

Mark Donahue. And he was quoted as saying a car only has too much power when you can spin the tires at any speed with the throttle. That car was brutal. I think the flat 12 made something like 1600hp at 40psi

 

[iScamp]

It’s hard to disagree with you but I do. It is so freakin easy to make power these days that the electronics start to make more and more sense. Back when 500hp was a big deal your right foot could do all the work. But try it with 1500hp and you’ll wish you had electronics to “catch” the car and keep the tires planted. And yes 1500hp is pretty easy these days.

I think we can all agree that electronics will make more power and are needed to help with that. But, I think the original point is that electronics are taking the sport out of the sport.
Racing is potentially headed the wrong way. Less innovation and less talent needed from the driver/owner.
As you said in your first sentence, "so freakin easy". Pretty soon it'll be so easy that a knucklehead like me could race competitively.
Will the fans still watch high horsepower electronics cars? Yes.
Will owner/drivers still continue to race with microchip controlled cars.? Yes, most likely.

But, something dies with that. The sport.

 

[Killer6]

Mark Donahue. And he was quoted as saying a car only has too much power when you can spin the tires at any speed with the throttle. That car was brutal. I think the flat 12 made something like 1600hp at 40psi

LOL!!!! Phil......the start of all things Springer,....yeah, I meant Mark...
The car was a beast, no electronics, driver's skill & nerves.....isn't that supposed to be the test? After Dale Sr. lost it & got killed, racing the way He wanted it, & I think Adam Petty died in testing afterwards.....calls & demands of "We need to keep the Drivers safe" were common & loud. Well then, it's not the same sport anymore, there is an element of danger & real risk of fatality that tests nerves & focus....it separates Men from Boys with talent...taken to a fanboy/revenue/marketing extreme, We might as well just build full-size RC cars with the Drivers sitting in an arcade booth driving from a bird's nest & call it a day.

 

[TT5.9mag]

I think we can all agree that electronics will make more power and are needed to help with that. But, I think the original point is that electronics are taking the sport out of the sport.
Racing is potentially headed the wrong way. Less innovation and less talent needed from the driver/owner.
As you said in your first sentence, "so freakin easy". Pretty soon it'll be so easy that a knucklehead like me could race competitively.
Will the fans still watch high horsepower electronics cars? Yes.
Will owner/drivers still continue to race with microchip controlled cars.? Yes, most likely.

But, something dies with that. The sport.

The electronics aren’t really necessary to make the power. It’s the car control aspect of it where the electronics come in to play. And what it does it switch the emphasis from the driver to the crew chief. Tuning for track conditions. But I’d make the argument that in just about any form of racing, progression is natural and progression means speed. As speed goes up control has to be maintained. Wether that’s good for the sport or not I won’t comment on but it seems drag racing is pretty popular currently.

 

[Unconventional]

We should start developing the sound tracks and electronics to broadcast such for drag racing. Electric TF Cars aren't going to make much more than a squeal of tires as they leave the tree Keep in mind the sounds must be audible from 3 or 4 miles away I was making rocks for a flood control job about 3 miles from the old Ontario Motor Speedway. I could hear the qualifying TF and FCs from work over the racket that my rock plant crushers and screens were making

 

[Inertia]

You guys are late, - soon you'll be racing from home .
My son-in-law never sat in a "racecar", but won races against Hamlin. Dale Jr., others on the internet racing against them on tracks familiar to them in reality, - but on-line driving his "rig" .
They told him to get a car ! !
My daughter asked me to build him a real car, I did, he raced real cars, and started winning first race, and most others, - we were told to "move up" in class, we did, he won more and the Championships.

Practice, - your racing may be in your living room, year round . .lol

NitroMethane incense anyone ? ? - - You light it . .lol

 

[Back in Time]

I think we can all agree that electronics will make more power and are needed to help with that. But, I think the original point is that electronics are taking the sport out of the sport.
Racing is potentially headed the wrong way. Less innovation and less talent needed from the driver/owner.
As you said in your first sentence, "so freakin easy". Pretty soon it'll be so easy that a knucklehead like me could race competitively.
Will the fans still watch high horsepower electronics cars? Yes.
Will owner/drivers still continue to race with microchip controlled cars.? Yes, most likely.

But, something dies with that. The sport.

Electronics pretty much drove My Son and I out of Bracket Racing back in the late 90's because it was easier for them to be consistent .We only had a trans-brake in our 10 second Vega. Some of those guys had almost as much invested in electronics as we had in our car. It got really frustrating being first round Ducks so we sold the car.