[Alvin]

When NASCAR MATTERED



Thread here http://users.boardnation.com/~abodys...art=0#lastPost

Can you see a Pontiac there!!!? Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!

[NBF823]

Does that have a small chevy with the Pontiac cast heads!?



Just messing. I'm aware of the 366.

Thanks for sharing that pic! I pretty much just hate Nascar now-n-days(I will steal tuning ideas if I can). But I never watch it though. But I love that era, I intend to build model kits ending at just about when that car showed up - someday; when I have a few hours to just relax and do something like that, or when I retire. Big fan of yester-year.

[Brian Baker]

They gave Herb and the boys fits at inspection in Daytona...someone, for whatever reason, who had influence with the powers that be at NASCAR, did not want that Grand Am competing.

[Cobrabill]

Originally Posted by Brian Baker

They gave Herb and the boys fits at inspection in Daytona...someone, for whatever reason, who had influence with the powers that be at NASCAR, did not want that Grand Am competing.

Shock,surprise,dismay......

[fiedlerh]

I think in Smokey's book he mentioned that if the Frances didn't know you or you weren't one of the good ol' boys, you weren't going to race.

[mike nixon]

Note the fancy chin spoiler!

Love that era and ealier Nascar rides. Much later and it's flat out boring.

[60man]

I have a picture somewhere of the starting grid of Daytona 500. The first 5 or six rows was almost all Pontiacs..Believe it was 1961 when Marvin Paunch won it in a 60 Pontiac..Smokey's #20..

[Keith Vrabec]

62 and 63 as well, Pontiac owned NASCAR. Big BIll's favorite car.

[arbys]

I notice that most of you liked NASCAR when the cars had "stock" bodies, not flat sheet metal and corporate hoods and decks. Now they have put decals on them to show tha tit's a Chevy, Ford or whatever. I can almost bet that you could put Ford decals on Jeff Gordon's Chevy and 99% of the public couldn't tell the difference.

[fasteddy]

"show tha tit's" yeah baby!

[sdbob]

THe 'balljoints'were the wrong ones! Then the following year Nascar begged or paid someone to run a Pontiac! Idiots.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by arbys

I notice that most of you liked NASCAR when the cars had "stock" bodies, not flat sheet metal and corporate hoods and decks. Now they have put decals on them to show tha tit's a Chevy, Ford or whatever. I can almost bet that you could put Ford decals on Jeff Gordon's Chevy and 99% of the public couldn't tell the difference.

100% it's a common template.

Having the manufacturers involved sparked an enormous level of creativity and the development of some truly special cars. Today with the common template and the ABSOLUTELY NO ****ING with the grey areas of the rule book - that creativity is gone.

....and so is a large portion of the fan base.

[Mr_GTO]

Originally Posted by The Boss

100% it's a common template.

Having the manufacturers involved sparked an enormous level of creativity and the development of some truly special cars. Today with the common template and the ABSOLUTELY NO ****ING with the grey areas of the rule book - that creativity is gone.

....and so is a large portion of the fan base.

Changing for next year....did you miss the new Ford and Charger recently announced?

[LeighP]

Tried watch a bit of NASCAR the otherday for the first time in years....pretty darned boring stuff...everything looked the same.

[Gulliver]

Nascar is nothing more than a "parade of sponsors" nowadays.

Qualifying speeds were faster 30 years ago than they are now. Daytona 500 pole sitters ran 200mph+ in the early 80's.

Surely safety and technology has come further than this in the last 30 years?

[60man]

Originally Posted by arbys

I notice that most of you liked NASCAR when the cars had "stock" bodies, not flat sheet metal and corporate hoods and decks. Now they have put decals on them to show tha tit's a Chevy, Ford or whatever. I can almost bet that you could put Ford decals on Jeff Gordon's Chevy and 99% of the public couldn't tell the difference.

I'm a Drag Racer & Like NASCAR as well.. Unfourtunatly NHRA is no better..Try changing decals on Brown's digger with Millican's digger...see what ya get..r the Pro Stockers confused:
All the Pro series in NHRA all look the same....rules...&...$$$$$

I'll take grass roots racing anytime..

[2002Z4CSS]

Yep, the good old days before they diluted the sport with foreign nameplates.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by Mr_GTO

Changing for next year....did you miss the new Ford and Charger recently announced?

What, new decals?

[MikeNoun]

Actually, the 2013 Dodge Charger (NASCAR) isn't just decals. They made the new model with a factory style recessed grille, heavy body side scallops, and it's much closer to being a stock bodied car. Their intent is to convince NASCAR to return to stock appearing cars.

Ford and Chrysler resorted to stock appearing bodies in the Nationwide Series when they brought the Challenger and Mustang into the fray. Both cars stand out very well, and there's no mistaking them on the track or on TV. They look like Mustangs and Challengers, not cookie-cutter cars. They did a great job, and it boosted interest in the series.

In Sprint Cup, it's hard to tell Impalas from Camrys. The Fords and Dodges at least have a noticeably different nose, but the bodies are nearly identical between all the makes. NASCAR wants parity, they want all the cars to cross the finish line holding hands, because that's good for getting all the sponsor logos on the TV screen.

So they state they want NASCAR to be a driver competition, not a car competition. It's basically like the old IROC Series, where the cars are identical. But the IROC Series died due to lack of interest. Fans loved the competition, but the cars all appeared identical. I guess NASCAR didn't learn from that, and decided to market the drivers as celebrities instead. It's worked for a couple decades now, thanks to Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., and the antics of Kyle Busch. But interest was waning again, so in comes Danica Patrick for a booster shot.

Remember the bubbleback Monte Carlos and Grand Prix's of the late 80's? They were designed specifically to give Chevy and Pontiac teams the edge back in the late 80's. Those were probably the last attempts by an auto manufacturer to specifically help out their NASCAR teams, without caring about showroom sales.

Even if Dodge is the ONLY one to go a little retro, and have a relatively stock bodied car out on the track, you KNOW that NASCAR will bend the rules, and allow the Dodges to run less wing, or allow them more horsepower, to make up for their aero disadvantage.

But Penske dropped Dodge for 2013, so they aren't sure if there will even be a need (or buyers) for a 2013 NASCAR Charger. But they look pretty cool.

[455Grandville]

Originally Posted by Alvin

Can you see a Pontiac there!!!? Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!

Winning or not ; best lookin car ever ran there -