Browse > Home / NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio / 13 Reasons Why Road Courses in NASCAR Don’t Suck

13 Reasons Why Road Courses in NASCAR Don’t Suck

User Avatar

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

August 6, 2009 10:51 pm EDT 11 Comments

So, are you one of those hardcore NASCAR fans who would rather have a second race at Kansas or Chicagoland - or a third yawner at Auto Club Speedway of Schwartzenagerville - than to have to be forced to watch another road course race?

I happen to be real fond of the races at The Glen, Sonoma, Montreal and the old Riverside International Raceway.

I’ll share some my reasons. Maybe you’ll share yours, whether they are pro or con.

 

  1. There ain’t no “Cookie-cutter Ringers”.
  2. NASCAR has real rain tires for the road courses, and they’ve made the drivers use them.
  3. Guys with names like Villeneuve, Montoya, Carpentier, Said and Kangaroo Meat can win at road courses.
  4. Andy Lally
  5. The original Road Course Ringer - Dan Gurney - won five times at the old Riverside Raceway for the Wood Brothers.
  6. There are no “Turn nines” on ovals.
  7. Robby Gordon is one of the favorites to win at every road course.
  8. Look at the picture above. Racing doesn’t get much cooler than that.
  9. Ron Fellows.
  10. The hairpin at Sonoma.
  11. There isn’t an oval in Montreal so we race on the Circuit du Gilles Villeneuve.
  12. Cars can spin without causing full-course cautions
  13. A guy by the name of Stewart usually DOES win at these places.

 

Tell me what you think.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: NASCAR, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, road course ringers 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Comments

11 Responses to “13 Reasons Why Road Courses in NASCAR Don’t Suck”

  1. phastphil on August 7th, 2009 11:20 am

    I love stock cars on road courses. However, I had a mixed childhood - my older brother subscribed to Road and Track and I think I learned how to read by it. My best friends father would take us to our local short track, O’Hare Field next to the airport by the same name, where I would watch Fred Lorenzen kick but in his 55 Chevy.
    We need more road course, I vote for Road America, plus, a road course should be part of “The Chase”.

  2. User Avatar BethAnne on August 7th, 2009 12:42 pm

    I love road courses! I agree, phastphil, there should Definately be a road course in “The Chase”

  3. User Avatar Charlie Turner on August 7th, 2009 2:41 pm

    Wow phil, I think we are long lost brothers. I too learned to read by looking at my dad’s Road & Track and Sports Car Graphic magazines. I didn’t think stockcar racing was cool until I read that my hero - Gurney - was winning those races at Riverside.

    I say that the three of us should start a petition to have a road race added to the Chase. Anybody else in for that?

  4. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on August 8th, 2009 10:42 am

    You know I’m in for adding a road course or two. I think it only makes economic sense. Spreading the R&D over three or four setups would allow teams to be more precise in their preparation.

    It was fun to watch some of the drivers try to run at Riverside and completely suck at it, but with the amount of road course talent now available the racing is better than at most tracks.

    Kangaroo Meat for the win!

  5. James on August 9th, 2009 2:51 pm

    I think that both Trucks and Cup should race at portland. The trucks raced there in the 90s and Camping world west races there. I live in canada, nowhere near portland, oregon. I think that Portland should be a chase race and a race with the trucks rather than nationwide.

  6. User Avatar Charlie Turner on August 10th, 2009 12:27 am

    Not a bad idea James. That would solve the void that NASCAR has in the Pacific Northwest too. I ‘ll have to look at some old Portland info. It’s been awhile since I watched a race from there. I don’t remember much about the track.

  7. Gina E on August 11th, 2009 1:54 pm

    Robby Gordon is a fat has been who is only mentioned these days because of his aggressive driving tatics!

    If he thinks he’s making a name for himself by acting the way he did in the Nationwide race at Watkins Glen, he’s not!! The only name he’ll sucum to is a 7 letter word for sphincter!!

    Maybe he and Kyle should start doing lunch together!!

  8. Bruce Simmons (NBaP) on August 23rd, 2009 8:47 am

    Wow, Portland is a great idea. That’s one crazy turn at turn 1! Yea, we need a road course in the Chase itself. These final 10 races to determine a champion needs to showcase all the abilities of the drivers and teams and adding a road course would validate the top dog of a NASCAR season.

  9. niko on January 28th, 2010 4:33 pm

    34 ovals and 2 road courses! a Nascar champion cannot be called ‘the best american driver’ since he doesn’t know to turn right, or race in the rain.
    I think Nascar could put at least 2 more road courses (montreal and road america) and put 1 in the chase.

  10. User Avatar Charlie Turner on January 29th, 2010 8:29 pm

    I like your thinking niko.

  11. RonnyJotten on April 8th, 2010 6:09 am

    Hmmmmmmm, I’d go for a road course too, but I also think it would be a great idea for a NASCAR charity only race. Al Unser Jr;’s kinda given me the idea with his self-proclaimed ‘race clinic’. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4g9fcEeMog

Got something to say?

Did you know you can log in with your Thunder Lounge account, and have your personal avatar and site link available when you comment at On Pit Row?

Don't have an account yet? Sign-up for free.





Powered by WP Hashcash

March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

Blogroll

Fantasy Sports Partners

Racing Websites

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement