Have At It Boys

[Scotty]

I love racing. I prefer dirt to asphalt, but I love most all racing. When it comes to asphalt I prefer NASCAR. I made it to Richmond International Raceway the last two nights for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, and I must say the "Have at it Boys" is actually making things a little more exciting. And, I for one think NASCAR could use a little more excitement these days. It is much more fun to know that you can count on a little beating and banging at a NASCAR race. Over the last two nights at RIR there were a lot of cautions, and it seemed to me, that for most of the wrecks there was a payback as well. I like it and would not mind if more tours and local tracks permitted the drivers to police themselves a bit more. Racing ain't a gentlemen’s sport; it ain't golf - It's racing - "Have at it Boys!"

[LITE-INN]

would'nt know I got some serious dirt in my ears

[Headhunter]

Only thing is the NASCAR boys have big budgets and and multiple cars, most local racers are fighting to stay on the track. So you let them "Police Themselves" The car counts will drop to nothing as people dont have the time and money to repair police actions every week. Now what about the innocent racer that gets caught up in a couple of drivers trying to "police" each other?

A crash on TV gets tons of televised replay time that shows the sponsors name every time. So they win even when they crash.

[CIRF]

Headhunter you make a really good point and I can't add a thing to that part of the conversation.

That having been said, I don't really call deliberately wrecking other cars racing. It isn't necessarily a demo derby but it certainly isn't racing, either. I don't fault folks for wanting to watch that sort of thing, everyone has a different definition of entertainment value. My definition is the combination of skill, talent, bravery and the mechanical aptitude to put together a winning racecar combination including the driver. Intentionally wrecking other cars takes very little skill, even less talent and mechanical aptitude and absolutely no bravery.

I always considered coming up behind another car and hitting them to be akin to a cheap shot much like a sucker punch. If NASCAR would let them square off and settle it after the race without the intervention of crew members and wives there would much less "retaliation" going on. Bodily harm inflicted by hand to hand combat as part of the equation almost always changes the dynamic.

NASCAR is going to allow what happens on the racetrack to be in direct relation to what sells tickets-memorabilia and what gets folks to watch on television and if intentional wreckin' is a means to that end then it will be a part of the "the show". That is until NASCAR loses all credibility and is no longer taken seriously as a upper echelon sport, like pro wrestling, or someone gets hurt badly or killed as a result of the "retaliation".

[Scotty]

would'nt know I got some serious dirt in my ears

I enjoyed the "have at it boys" racing at RIR this past weekend but would have rather had dirt in my ears from Eldora.

As for the other responses, anything to an extreme is definitely a bad thing and I don't want to see car counts drop or anyone get hurt. And, no, I definitely don't have to have wrecks and cautions during a race to consider the race a good one. But I do get tired of wimps in race cars, particularly wimps in NASCAR. If drivers, and particularly NASCAR drivers, come to understand when they do something stupid or way above their skill level that takes someone else out that there may well be a retaliation that will take them out, I'm thinking we may see more drivers actually drive their cars at their skill level with their brain engaged. Unfortunately, paybacks will occasionally result in innocent drivers getting caught up as well, which was the case in Friday's Nationwide race when Trevor Baine got caught up in Lefflor's payback to Harvick. Most unfortunate and they both probably owe Baine an apology.

[LITE-INN]

they would have to throw me in a paddy wagon as prisoner to drag my butt to richmond over the world 100

[croston71]

I was sittin Buffalo Wild Wings this evening telling a person a story about how nascar guys tend to beat up a lot of equipment & the professional dirt guys (rough riders) as I like to call them, maintain their equipment in a better respect. The point being asphalt is dirty & dirt is clean! Racing is full of irony! You decide if the racing is s crape!