I think without logging in its 3.7 something.

 

We have a few pro drivers here. I used to drive in the Grand Am Rolex Series (now called Tudor United Sportscar Championship) in a Porsche and I know of at least one other member here who was (I think still is) driving a Ferrari in the same series.

All I can say is that racing at a high level is much harder than it looks, and the guys at the top levels are FAST. Being in the seat at speed ALL THE TIME is the only way to maintain the form those guys are in. Most people, even if they had the natural ability, won't ever get enough seat time to reach and maintain the level of the pros. It takes being in the car at least every weekend and usually throughout the week as well. The budgets required to get enough seat time are outrageous, which is why I mostly drove on weekends. The big name guys are in the seat every day.

I have heard some folks say they could do it because they are good on a simulator. Being good on a simulator is all well and good, and it will teach some of the fundamentals, but a simulator won't let you feel the fear. My first real race, I had a lot of time on sims, and about shat myself once we got out there for real. And there is no reset button. Coming back from a big crash and being fast again is not an easy thing to do in real life. It takes a while to numb yourself to the fear and the potential consequences of a mistake and just go balls out.

With that all said, I have seen some people pick up racing pretty quickly and be very good. I have seen some people race 20 years and suck the whole time. Natural talent does play into it. Balls are a key component as well. You gotta have big balls if you want to get good. And an even bigger wallet lol

So could I race in the Sprint Cup? Honestly I'm not sure. I could probably qualify near the back. I could probably finish the race without crashing. Would I win? No way in hell. I have won pro races before but winning in Nascar ain't easy. I can assure you the performance gap between a Nascar Sprint Cup driver and average Joe is about the same as any professional sport. It would be like trying to play linebacker in the NFL or ball in the NBA.

nascar is gay. open wheel, moto gp, wrc, dakar etc is where its at

I bet I could qualify at Watkins Glen or Sonoma.

I grew up racing carts won two state championships in California at 14 & 15 and later raced formula 2000 in a series.

dont know, never tried

EVERYONE who said yes sucks cock by choice and is a fucking idiot.  Liars.

Appropriate screen name

If you're dealing with a top crew chief and team,  they'll be able to get it dialed in.

Seat time is the key to the equation.

Eta

Assuming you have natural ability.

AFAIK - The only racer to ever hit a track dryer was an ex-F1 racer (JPM).  

Nearly everyone here craps on Danica Patrick but not a single one of us can drive like she can.

This.  I have done it.  It's a blast, but it is exhausting, and we were in governed vehicles.

That is Papyrus NASCAR 2003 he is playing, a simulator unmatched in realism to this day. Nobody playing it for the first time makes a full lap without crashing.

It took a hell of a long time for me to become even somewhat competitive at this game, I have no delusions of being able to compete at NASCAR level.

Dunning–Kruger effect is alive and well on Arfcom.

Me too.

20 laps.

Without a doubt, the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

I had the best lap time.

Beat an ARCA driver getting his license to run on mile and a half tracks by several thousandths.

Dick stayed hard all day and my face hurt the next day from smiling.

Not on my best day.

I am pretty sure I would let her beat me.  Then repeat, and again, and again, and again.

Doubt it..   But I sure as shit would have fun trying

All good points. I could hand the mental and physical strain, and if I had a good car I could hang with the field. But getting that good car via the above would take a bit of experience. Perhaps a superior sensor suite would bring me the edge I need.





 

After having the pleasure of running an Indycar for 10 laps on an empty track in my 20's, I can say for a fact that there is no way
I would have wanted to do it in a crowd at the time and now in my mid 40's...you could not get me back in to that car at all today.

I understand my mortality and have no desire to test it.

Does driving a nascar at Pocono Speedway for 20 miles count?

OOPS!

Double tap

No way.  I don't have the stamina to fight one of those cup cars for 500mi.

Back in my misspent youth I owned a highly modified 1983 T-Bird Turbo Coupe.  I blew the turbo.
Me and a couple buddies raided the local junkyard and came out with the entire top end from an '86 Mustang SVO.
Same short block as my T-Bird but a much better top end.  Something around 220hp from that glorified Pinto engine.  Pretty good in it's day.  Damn fine GT car.  But I digress.

Reader's digest version.  I used to tag along with the local BMW club when they had their track days at Portland International Raceway in the mid 90's.
To make a long story short I made a good showing against all those Bimmers.
I also found out I for real tired after about 10 laps of flogging the T-Bird around PIR.  At the time I was in great shape.  But there was no way I could have kept that up driving at 100% for a two or three hour stint.

Me can.







Not really


gd

I did the Nascar experience in Charlotte Hitting only 160 MPH, and I can tell you first hand the amount of havoc that any of us non-professional race car drivers would cause would be fun to watch. There is no possible way any of you could race at 200+ MPH in those cars and not hit anything and everything out there.

I've raced on a track that Nascar races on, in a car nowhere near as fast.  I already knew it wasn't so easy, but that really drove the point home.  The sustained G forces on the high banking are crazy.

ETA:  I was a roadracer, not oval, and most roadcourses that aren't part of a big oval don't have banked turns.  The G forces in the banking were seriously screwing with my head.  No way I could have done it for hours nonstop...my races were usually 30 minutes long.

I could totally race Nascar when I find time away from kicking Mike Tysons ass

Question for all the guys here who have racing experience and think they can compete in NASCAR.

Why are you not making millions on the NASCAR circuit right now?



Please entertain me with your pathetic excuses.

Nope.

 

Stupit question. This is the web. This is ARFCOM.

I don't even like driving on a busy freeway.

Fuck that.

this.   I might come in last  but I'll keep it off the wall at least.

I would run out of Cheetos after the third lap.

I think NASCAR is an incredibly boring form of motorsport, but I won't deny that those drivers are some talented motherfuckers with big brass ones.

Depends how late I am for work!

Please don't interject reality to GD.

There may be 1 person here that could do it competively.  There may be a couple that could finish the race in dead last.  There would be many that would crash and burn before lap 20.  The rest would all get black flagged for going to slow.

No, I could not race at that level.

I wanna go fast

I can't even race at the NASCAR *video game* level.

Really?

What point of reference do you now have that lets you know when the tires are about to lose traction at that speed?
Hint: It does NOT feel the same at 200MPH as it does at 100MPH.

I'm sure you would crash.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconfidence_effect

No problem. Put me in coach.

lol

I would love to try

Question:  if it's really that easy, why are there so many wrecks?

Show me a successful NASCAR driver that was not groomed/trained from a young age to drive.

It's kind of a stupid question to ask if the average arfcommer could get up off his couch and drive in a NASCAR race right now. Maybe some could, but not many.

The real question is could the average arfcommer drive in a NASCAR race given the same grooming and training that actual NASCAR drivers have had.

The answer to that question is: YES.

I spent most of my younger years driving many things right to the edge, was very very good at it..but no way could I go out and compete..would take a life time of practice/racing to even get the seat time needed to get up to speed let alone compete.. Most have no idea that feeling when you come into a corner hot and the diff between making it and wadding it up is that imperceptible feeling coming thru your fingers, toes and ass...then translating that to the controls with finesse. Let alone figuring out what adjustments are needed to make it better...........

Nope.

I'm not crazy enough to be fast enough for any type of racing. I've never raced in a formal competition and I'm sure I would make a very poor showing if I managed to not end up on my roof in a ball of fire.