Hello, anybody out there?

[Poet Lariat]

Testing 1,2. Testing 1,2.

I'm new to this new Forum Group. Thought there might be a few motorsport enthusiasts among the DU members. Hoping to start a dialogue...

[Coventina]

1. I just found out this forum existed. I'm here to stay!!

:hi:

[CottonBear]

2. Hello! I like sports car racing. My favorite driver ever is Jacky Ickx.

He drove for Porsche, Ferraria and Ford. He drove the famous Gulf Ford to victory at LeMans. He is a national hero in Belgium. He used to race motorcycles and he bicyles and rides horses too! Here's the Jacky Ickx website (in French and English.)
http://www.jacky-ickx-fan.net/english/home.php

Jacky and his first wife, Catherine Blaton, on the beach:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Get this: It was I who proposed the group, penned the mission statement...

...then the group took forever to be created, and then I forgot it.

Ten minutes ago, I am informed (by Coventina) that it exists!

[Coventina]

4. Now it seems, we need to attract more traffic.

No pun intended!

;-)

[Lugnut]

5. Yes we do

I'm working on locating the NASCAR fans that I know are here. We're a little gun shy since we usually get clobbered with the usual stereotypical comments if we post anything about NASCAR. It may take some coaxing.

[ptolle]

6. 2 races

I'm sort of a NASCAR fan at least for the two road races. What I'd really like the Frances to do is find a nice mile dirt oval and put the boys on that once a year then we'd find out who really knows car control.Short of that I'll just have to keep closer tabs on the USAC midget circuit.I suppose to be honest I better add that I do watch the "stock" car boys on the shorter ovals, Martinsville and the like if the powers that be ever abandon those venues completely I'll quit watching entirely.

[Lugnut]

7. That would be great

The ARCA series races at Duquoin, a dirt track, once a year. SPEED channel televised that race about two years ago and it was fantastic. I really enjoyed seeing those big heavy stock cars sliding through the corners. Tony Stewart competed in that race and won it. Unfortunately Duquoin is not on the SPEED's 2006 ARCA broadcast list.

I personally prefer short track races. They are far more interesting than the usual parade at the superspeedways.

[ptolle]

8. heard of duquoin

I've heard of the track at duquoin usually mentioned in the same breath with the Springfield mile. I'd pay lots to see the circular parking lot boys on dirt just about anywhere though I suspect that format would favor some of the guys like Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Ryan Newman and some of the others who came off the dirt in those jet-on-a-jeep sprinters and midgets.
Just me personally, but I also wish someone would do a wingless sprint car series that we could see. It's much more interesting to be able to look into the cockpit and see the drivers at work especially on dirt.The outlaws are fine but you can't see the artistes.In line with that why are the current generation of sprints and midgets so ugly? None have the cachet or wonderful lines of the old kurtis Kraft or Watson creations.NASCAR would never do a dirt race the crowd might get dirty.

[Lugnut]

9. NASCAR not doing dirt

Would have less to do with the fans getting dirty and more to do with lining NASCAR's pockets. NASCAR doesn't seem to give much thought to what the fans want if you consider the contrived "Chase for the Championship". In my opinion racing doesn't need gimmicks yet Brian France seems determined to implement them.

[ptolle]

15. what you said

Truly, NASCAR these days is much more about the marketing than it is the racing which is why most of my racing spectatorship money goes to the local friday night dirt tracks where the guys are doing it for the love of the sport and not for corporate megabucks. The "chase", as I'm sure you've determined, is a ratings device on a par with fux news "war on christmas" and just about as meaningful.

[Poet Lariat]

13. Thanks for the getting this thing going

Might be a nice place to take an occasional break from the "daily crime wave".

:hi:

[MaineDem]

10. Hi there

I forgot this group existed. I'll try to swing by more often.

I'm into sports car, rally, F1, and CART/IndyCar racing. I'm still annoyed that Tony George messed with the IndyCar world and created his own series. I rarely watch NASCAR - even gave up my tickets at New Hampshire - although I have worked with them in the past.

Remember, RACECAR spelled backwards is...

[Lugnut]

11. Hi there!

:hi: I used to follow CART when Alex Zanardi raced in that series. I never got into the IRL much but I always kept an eye on Robby Gordon.

[Poet Lariat]

12. Greetings everyone...looks like I've been missing out.

Forgot my post here and just getting back by. Racing seems to be the subject at hand so here's my short list.

Spent many weekends in the 70's with best friend on his Formula Ford crew. He use to race at an old closed down regional airport. Loved it and I got to drive quite a bit.

Spent the 80's with a buddy who was into modified's at our local dirt track and did a little road rallying in a Triumph TR6.

Work and other pursuits have kept me away from the track since then. I like watching most motor sports on the tube and try to get out to Motocross and Drag Boat Races as often as I can.

I ended up buying the Honda CR 250 (earlier post) and I'm having fun with it. So far I've kept it upright which my wife is happy about. My little brother (who is scary fast) runs off and leaves me though...guess I need to try harder. All that protective gear IS there for a reason. Hmmmmmm

Anyway, glad to see there are some other "appreciators of speed" here at DU. I'm setting up my "lobby" finally so I'll plug this group into my list.

Back to the "good fight"...lotta bad guys still out there. :hi:

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

14. Welcome from the Racing Capital of the World!

Yep, Speedway, Indiana. We're fanatics about it here. All kinds - Indycar, NASCAR, Sprints, Midgets, Street Stocks, etc. We're great hosts to racing fans and our city was literally BUILT around racing.
We used to count F-1 among our attractions, but last year's non-race pretty much shut down all the goodwill towards F-1 and Michelin. Everything in town with a Michelin logo got set afire after the race, and the townspeople here fully expected a riot among the crowd. Tense moments to be sure. They say that F-1 is coming back this year, but I don't think the fans or the vendors will - there's just too much anger still simmering over last year.
We're working on getting an AMA motorcycle event here, too at IMS. Any AMA fans out there? What's that crowd like?
BTW: I know it's called the Indianapolis 500, but, technically, it's held in Speedway Indiana - a completely separate city within the boundaries of Indianapolis and Marion County.
Any DUers planning to attend any events in Indy in 2006? We're in the midst of party planning now, so get ready...