NASCAR just keeps getting sillier all the time...

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/washington-secrets/2012/05/epa-nascar-green-deal-covers-everything-racing/640431

Begin NASCAR bashing now...

EPA-NASCAR green deal covers everything--but racing!

Stupid reporter....The race cars were already running a higher percent of alcohol in their fuel than we put in pump gas
http://www.nascar.com/news/120422/rchildress-ethanol-oped/

Yes, there's lots of alcohol at NASCAR races

And how long has Champ/Indycar been running methanol?

Or how about ALMS with not only their use of ethanol, but their GreenX challenge that tracks the efficiency of the cars and awards for being not only fast, but clean?

or the Prototype Hybrid cars and alternative fueled race cars that have run and continue to run at Le Mans?

F-ing NASCAR, like that drunk Uncle that comes to the party late, drunk and jumps on the stage to take all the credit before puking in the punch bowl.

I believe Indycar now runs ethanol, but did run methanol (at least Champcar/CART did) for a long time before that.

Natural gas powered cars in NASCAR! Will make the crashes even more spectacular, which are the only reason the fans watch, anyway.

The link puts me to some myspace page (redirect I think). Anyway I could care less if NASCAR run baby seal oil for fuel. If you pay attention to anything other than the racing in NASCAR it goes down hill fast. I only watch the actual racing and have managed to still like NASCAR even through Speed is trying to make it in to the WWF of motorsports.

"President Obama's eco-friendly EPA" ??? Is that supposed to be a dig? I'm left wondering if some other Presidents would characterize their EPA as eco-unfriendly.

Just thought that was a strange one. Maybe I'm misinterpreting.

To the point of the article: The traveling circus that is NASCAR generates an enormous amount of waste and consumes vast quantities of products week to week. The race itself is probably a very small percent of that overall pile. More importantly, they hold enormous influence over millions of Americans. If they can persuade even a percentage of them to change their lifestyles, begin recycling, and using greener products, their impact could be huge. Sure, they're not the first, and this isn't even their first step but it IS a big deal if they follow through.

dean1484 wrote: even through Speed is trying to make it in to the WWF of motorsports.

That's where the money is.....it's all about marketing personalities. They can't sell the sport on cars.....nobody cares about cars now days. The automobile is about like a toaster to the average person, and NASCAR is trying to attract the average person. (As opposed to their increasingly grey-haired base)

JoeyM wrote: The automobile is about like a toaster to the average person, and NASCAR is trying to attract the average person. (As opposed to their increasingly grey-haired base)

I don't think that's completely true... Everyone now days loves technology. If they allowed the racecars to actually have some technology in them, they might bring in some new viewers. The cars, although high powered, are not much more than '70s car (or maybe '80s) in race trim. The engine, transmission, and rear axle are all based off of designs that are accient history interms of the rest the automotive world.

Hey, they just got fuel injection.

[says the guy considering ripping out the injection to put carbs on his L24(e) ]

RossD wrote: I don't think that's completely true... Everyone now days loves technology. If they allowed the racecars to actually have some technology in them, they might bring in some new viewers. The cars, although high powered, are not much more than '70s car (or maybe '80s) in race trim. The engine, transmission, and rear axle are all based off of designs that are accient history interms of the rest the automotive world.

Since Toyota joined in, the engines are no longer based on production engines, other than being OHV V8s, since Toyota didn't have any sort of OHV V8 in production (OHC engines wasn't allowed). Transmissions are based of 70's designs and the rear suspension is from 60's GM trucks. I think a good number of the fans do prefer the simpler designs (like my Dad) as opposed to high tech stuff like LeMans or F1. Hey at least they got EFI of some sorts, they are now up to the 90's.

In reply to 81cpcamaro:

I can understand the 'simpler designs' aspect of it. Could NASCAR take one of the 'lower' levels of racing and make that high tech? That might be neat.

JoeyM wrote: (As opposed to their increasingly grey-haired base)

Wait. .. . I resemble that remark.. . . LOL

The Examiner is a rag, and reads that way.

RossD wrote:

JoeyM wrote: The automobile is about like a toaster to the average person, and NASCAR is trying to attract the average person. (As opposed to their increasingly grey-haired base)

I don't think that's completely true... Everyone now days loves technology. If they allowed the racecars to actually have some technology in them, they might bring in some new viewers.

Unfortunately the technology most people want is TV screens, push to start and nav systems. Maybe they need to add that tech, your new in car camera would have a flat screen playing sponsor commercials and you could watch the Nav count down to the next left hand corner and.... wait for it.... tell them to turn off to the pits at the right time.

Face it: NA$CAR's marketing is only truly relevant to the WWF mentality. But unfortunately the WWF types outnumber the others, another reason 'Idiocracy' is prophecy. In large part, it's been sponsored by oil companies (Union 76, Sunoco etc) and it just would not look good for the cars to not use their sponsor's numbah one product, ya know?

Talk about slow changes: up till the COT was introduced NA$CAR rules dictated the use of a production car floor pan. Considering nothing else in the cars was even really close to stock (when is the last time you saw a RWD Taurus or Fusion?) that was pretty stupid.

cwaters wrote: "President Obama's eco-friendly EPA" ??? Is that supposed to be a dig? I'm left wondering if some other Presidents would characterize their EPA as eco-unfriendly. Just thought that was a strange one. Maybe I'm misinterpreting. To the point of the article: The traveling circus that is NASCAR generates an enormous amount of waste and consumes vast quantities of products week to week. The race itself is probably a very small percent of that overall pile. More importantly, they hold enormous influence over millions of Americans. If they can persuade even a percentage of them to change their lifestyles, begin recycling, and using greener products, their impact could be huge. Sure, they're not the first, and this isn't even their first step but it IS a big deal if they follow through.

Safety-Kleen has had a recycling station set up at each and every NASCAR Sprint Cup track for years to handle all the used fluids from the cars.

Some tracks have clean up days which are usually the Monday or Tuesday after a race. Groups volunteer to clean up the stands, take care of recyclables,etc.

NASCAR is getting there, just not as quickly as everyone else.

Hey, the CTS-V has an old fashioned pushrod engine along with the Corvette and Viper. What has been done with these engines is amazing and I think feed back from Nascar may have helped.

Anyway, I enjoy watching racing. Any kind as long a it has an engine. Nascar, Indy Car, ALMS and so on.

Marketing green products towards NASCAR fans?

I think this makes Obama the god of trolls. Lulz ho!

JoeyM wrote:

EPA-NASCAR green deal covers everything--but racing!

Stupid reporter....The race cars were already running a higher percent of alcohol in their fuel than we put in pump gas http://www.nascar.com/news/120422/rchildress-ethanol-oped/

E15.

I'd rather see them run E85 or E100.

So would I, but don't hold your breath. It took this long to get them off of lead and onto alcohol.

I don't know about ethanol, but is alcohol, and I was crewing on dirt track "stock" cars when they were running methanol. Talk about shortness of breath and teary eyes.

Those fans you see in front of the driver on Indy cars when they are not moving are not too cool him/her.

RossD wrote:

JoeyM wrote: The automobile is about like a toaster to the average person, and NASCAR is trying to attract the average person. (As opposed to their increasingly grey-haired base)

I don't think that's completely true... Everyone now days loves technology. If they allowed the racecars to actually have some technology in them, they might bring in some new viewers. The cars, although high powered, are not much more than '70s car (or maybe '80s) in race trim. The engine, transmission, and rear axle are all based off of designs that are accient history interms of the rest the automotive world.

is there any other race series in the world that has that many cars traveling at those speeds packed together that tightly for that amount of time?

i'd say the "old technology" does pretty damn good at what it's supposed to do. if you don't like it, there is always the option of, you know, not watching it.. i stay away from F1 and anything with some variation of the word "prototype" in the title because i don't like it and don't feel the need to point out their shortcomings whenever they are brought up in online conversations, so i'd think it would be possible for people to not have to talk badly about NASCAR just because they don't like it.

and those cars are far from "low tech".. they are as high tech as anything on any race track, it's just that they are made of steel instead of carbon fiber and only have one cam instead of 4..

It is almost embarrassing that it took government intervention to do what is standard at almost every street fair but if a few more Busch lite cans get recycled because of this then I see no issue.

Which Nascar personality will do the best job of getting folks to recycle the plate their Frito pie came on?