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Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Why Should You Care? - The Coca-Cola 600
Why should you care about the Coca-Cola 600? NASCAR's answer to the Indy 500 since 1959 has been the race formerly known as The World 600. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the Circus Maximus for which tubeframe horses with 700 to 800 horsepower contest for speed. Rather than really light mid-engine formula cars with outstanding handling at Indy, it's all about big and heavy stock cars with heavy horsepower at Charlotte. This is my own look at the Coca-Cola 600 and why you should care about this race.
Time to set the mood:
^ from: tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com - Feel the roar and the excitement as 43 stock cars from the world's greatest stock car racers are turned loose for 600 miles around Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Coca-Cola/World 600 is what I usually like thinking of as NASCAR's version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as being the longest race of the year as well as the most grueling race. Charlotte Motor Speedway is home for many NASCAR teams and drivers, so winning any race at Charlotte is almost as gratifying as winning the Daytona 500. Many races last 500 miles in NASCAR Cup. At Charlotte for the 600, however, you have to last 500 miles... plus 100 more. The race mostly lasts for about 400 laps on the very fast Charlotte oval. It is a great racing occasion on a holiday weekend where American honor the proud men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms and liberties of the United States. NASCAR is the great American motorsport, and so this great American race is the finest race for American racing fans.
I can still recall that Coca-Cola 600 a few years ago that had as many as 23 caution periods. The endurance aspect of this race is why I often call the Coca-Cola 600 as NASCAR's version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race may last for much less hours and much less miles/kilometers, but it is still a grueling and punishing
For those trying to take on the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 do the Indy-Charlotte double, they mostly like doing the Indy 500 followed by a plane or jet ride to Charlotte Motor Speedway. That's 1,100 miles of racing in JUST ONE DAY! You have to credit the physical conditioning of these racers and their unconditional love of racing to do the Indy-Charlotte double.
Many see the Coca-Cola 600 strategically as a three-segment race. This event begins in the late afternoon or early evening timeframe. The sun goes down and gives way to the darkness of night. As darkness fills the air, this is that stretch run all the way to the checkered flag. So you can think of the Coca-Cola 600 as three 200-mile stages. The ultimate goal at the end of the night is to last 600 miles while making it to the checkered flag before anybody else. Of course, there may be the possibility of a green-white-checker (or "Overdrive," NASCAR's version of Overtime) in the late stages. There is no doubt that this is one of NASCAR's best races. It's up there with the Southern 500, Brickyard 400, and a NASCAR event called... the Daytona 500.
Speaking as a native Texan, here is a fact I found out on Wikipedia: only one Texan has ever won the Coca-Cola 600- Bobby LaBonte in 1995.
Here is a preview of the insanity the Coca-Cola 600 can provide (you may need to turn up the volume):
^ courtesy of: "Mikey2448" (YouTube) and FOX Sports
Good luck to all drivers and teams competing in this year's Coca-Cola 600!
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
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Time to set the mood:
^ from: tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com - Feel the roar and the excitement as 43 stock cars from the world's greatest stock car racers are turned loose for 600 miles around Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Coca-Cola/World 600 is what I usually like thinking of as NASCAR's version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as being the longest race of the year as well as the most grueling race. Charlotte Motor Speedway is home for many NASCAR teams and drivers, so winning any race at Charlotte is almost as gratifying as winning the Daytona 500. Many races last 500 miles in NASCAR Cup. At Charlotte for the 600, however, you have to last 500 miles... plus 100 more. The race mostly lasts for about 400 laps on the very fast Charlotte oval. It is a great racing occasion on a holiday weekend where American honor the proud men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms and liberties of the United States. NASCAR is the great American motorsport, and so this great American race is the finest race for American racing fans.
I can still recall that Coca-Cola 600 a few years ago that had as many as 23 caution periods. The endurance aspect of this race is why I often call the Coca-Cola 600 as NASCAR's version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race may last for much less hours and much less miles/kilometers, but it is still a grueling and punishing
For those trying to take on the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 do the Indy-Charlotte double, they mostly like doing the Indy 500 followed by a plane or jet ride to Charlotte Motor Speedway. That's 1,100 miles of racing in JUST ONE DAY! You have to credit the physical conditioning of these racers and their unconditional love of racing to do the Indy-Charlotte double.
Many see the Coca-Cola 600 strategically as a three-segment race. This event begins in the late afternoon or early evening timeframe. The sun goes down and gives way to the darkness of night. As darkness fills the air, this is that stretch run all the way to the checkered flag. So you can think of the Coca-Cola 600 as three 200-mile stages. The ultimate goal at the end of the night is to last 600 miles while making it to the checkered flag before anybody else. Of course, there may be the possibility of a green-white-checker (or "Overdrive," NASCAR's version of Overtime) in the late stages. There is no doubt that this is one of NASCAR's best races. It's up there with the Southern 500, Brickyard 400, and a NASCAR event called... the Daytona 500.
Speaking as a native Texan, here is a fact I found out on Wikipedia: only one Texan has ever won the Coca-Cola 600- Bobby LaBonte in 1995.
Here is a preview of the insanity the Coca-Cola 600 can provide (you may need to turn up the volume):
^ courtesy of: "Mikey2448" (YouTube) and FOX Sports
Good luck to all drivers and teams competing in this year's Coca-Cola 600!
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
Why Should You Care? - The Indy 500
Why should you care about the Indy 500? Even if you don't like oval racing, you must admit the Indianapolis 500 is the world's greatest oval race. This is where you bunch up a field of 33 drivers in three-driver rows to contest for speed for 500 miles on one of the world's greatest racing facilities. The very first Indy 500 was run in 1911 with Ray Harroun winning the very first Indy 500 in his Marmon Wasp. Of course, that race took over six hours (about 6:42:08.000) in the very first Indy 500. The track, the cars, the technology, and the atmosphere was much different WAY back then compared to now. The race even can be completed in fewer hours than it used to be back then. The facility has evolved as more people have come to see racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the years and decades. Brick roads would become asphalt roads (but still with bricks at the Start/Finish line). So why should you care about the Indy 500? I'll explain my ideas in this blog post.
This picture sets the mood:
^ from: www.realclearsports.com - 33 cars × (approx.) 670+ horsepower Indy cars × several hundred-thousand fans = one awesome race!
My first Indy 500 was in 2000, back when what is now IndyCar used to be the Indy Racing League. I've heard of big names like Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lyn St. James trying to qualify for that race. The most memorable Indy 500 moments I've seen were in 2005 when Danica Patrick led the Indy 500 (first female to do so) and her 4th Place finish (highest female finish at Indy until her 3rd Place finish a few years later). Maybe the biggest heartbreak to me was when Marco Andretti was going to win the race on the final lap... until Sam Hornish Jr. overtook him on the front straight to win in slingshot fashion. I don't know very many classic moments to say I understand the history of this event all that well. If there's one popular Indy 500 I keep seeing mention to, it's when ESPN Classic shows the 1982 Indy 500.
Just the fact that these cars AVERAGE 220 mph to 230 mph around this incredible race track makes this race absolutely incredible to watch. There is a lot of drama that transpires in this great race as well. There are people who say that this is one of the diminished sports events and that this doesn't deserve to be part of any of the major sporting events, like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup, and events like that. This race is still one of the greatest sporting events of any kind. And don't give me that crap that race car drivers aren't athletes. They are as much of athletes as any gridiron football player or triathletes. Piloting a race car at high speeds basically putting your life on the line in each turn for each lap is worth the excitement.
As I have mentioned earlier, you don't have to like oval racing. Thing is, the Indy 500 is more than an any plain old oval race. The Indy 500 is one of the most exciting racing events with loads of history. Victory here sets you up and establishes you as a legend. This is definitely one of the big races to win for any international racing star who wants to establish himself/herself as any kind of international racing legend. If you have never seen this race, it is DEFINITELY worth watching. Trust me.
If you have ten minutes to spare and want to take a look back at the 2010 Indy 500, check this video out:
THAT is why you should care about the Indy 500. Good luck to all racers and teams this weekend for the 2011 and 100th anniversary of the Indy 500!
For more information on the Indy 500, visit the official Indy 500 website.
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
This picture sets the mood:
^ from: www.realclearsports.com - 33 cars × (approx.) 670+ horsepower Indy cars × several hundred-thousand fans = one awesome race!
My first Indy 500 was in 2000, back when what is now IndyCar used to be the Indy Racing League. I've heard of big names like Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lyn St. James trying to qualify for that race. The most memorable Indy 500 moments I've seen were in 2005 when Danica Patrick led the Indy 500 (first female to do so) and her 4th Place finish (highest female finish at Indy until her 3rd Place finish a few years later). Maybe the biggest heartbreak to me was when Marco Andretti was going to win the race on the final lap... until Sam Hornish Jr. overtook him on the front straight to win in slingshot fashion. I don't know very many classic moments to say I understand the history of this event all that well. If there's one popular Indy 500 I keep seeing mention to, it's when ESPN Classic shows the 1982 Indy 500.
Just the fact that these cars AVERAGE 220 mph to 230 mph around this incredible race track makes this race absolutely incredible to watch. There is a lot of drama that transpires in this great race as well. There are people who say that this is one of the diminished sports events and that this doesn't deserve to be part of any of the major sporting events, like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup, and events like that. This race is still one of the greatest sporting events of any kind. And don't give me that crap that race car drivers aren't athletes. They are as much of athletes as any gridiron football player or triathletes. Piloting a race car at high speeds basically putting your life on the line in each turn for each lap is worth the excitement.
As I have mentioned earlier, you don't have to like oval racing. Thing is, the Indy 500 is more than an any plain old oval race. The Indy 500 is one of the most exciting racing events with loads of history. Victory here sets you up and establishes you as a legend. This is definitely one of the big races to win for any international racing star who wants to establish himself/herself as any kind of international racing legend. If you have never seen this race, it is DEFINITELY worth watching. Trust me.
If you have ten minutes to spare and want to take a look back at the 2010 Indy 500, check this video out:
THAT is why you should care about the Indy 500. Good luck to all racers and teams this weekend for the 2011 and 100th anniversary of the Indy 500!
For more information on the Indy 500, visit the official Indy 500 website.
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
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