I have a quick question/comment/rantabout certain racing series' and their "willingness" to race in the rain:

IfMotoGP can run in the rain, like they did this past weekend, why in the hell won't NASCAR run their races in the rain? Are their drivers, sponsors, owner's and executives scared? Shoot, MotoGP does it. Open wheel cars do it too. Why won't NASCAR do it? Put some treaded tires on those stock cars and let 'em drive. There's no reason they can't run around the track in a little rain. So why make the drivers, fans, etc. wait around for another day to watch what they came to see? I would be pissed if I went to a Sunday race, it got rained out and then had to miss it on Monday because I had to get back to work.
- Rant Off -
Thanks guys, that's been on my chest for years. I know you'll all come through with a great explanation... or two

 

I believe its something that has to do with the high banking in the turns and to many driver would hydo plane straight into the wall. Not worth the trouble and harm to race in the rain.

 

on a side note, I can't believe they mentioned American motorcycle racing usually cancels races when it rains! wtf? they only do that at the freakishly unsafe tracks, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, etc most of the time they do run if it rains
and usually even at the dangerous tracks they only do the "we'll cancel if it rains thing" to convince the tracks to make safety improvements (worked wonders with Road Atlanta, they repaved over winter and are trying to figure out how to make the last turn a little less deadly after AMA said they wouldn't run there if it rained)
it has more to do with luck that it doesn't rain all that much over here, MotoGP goes to so many different parts of the world that rain

I guess it goes back to the Mid-Ohio thing, but all that crap wasn't because of the rain it was because the AMA wanted to cancel the support classes' practice to do the stupid heat races

hell WERA has canceled races due to fire and wind (separate issues) already this year but they have no problem running in rain

 

I bet a lot of NASCAR fans would be very happy to watch that.

 

Nascar+rain= Wet pussies.

 

yes water just a little is vary bad. at ovel tracks. even a little water and crash. at road course they poll out the rain tires becouse of the lower speeds they run in the rain.

even if you get mad and u have to come the next day its for the drivers safety.

 

It's hard for me to comprehend that hydroplaning is that big of a concern. Yes I know we deal with it every time we drive our cages in the rain... butthink aboutthis: How much contact area is there on a motorcycle tire - especially the edges? So when those guys were running this weekend in a down-pour how come they weren't spinning wildly out of control like you say a stock car would? Maybe the ridersknow how to use their throttles and brakes better than a stock car driver does? They ride their bikes on the edge of disaster every lap - even more so when it's raining - why can't a driver havethis kind ofcontrol over his car? Seems like so many of them are just "put the pedal to the floor and turn left" kinda guys that they probably do not know how to finesse their machine.

I don't know. I like NASCAR. I like MotoGP. I am not trying to say that one is better than the other... I just wish they would change their rules about driving in the rain. I think it would add a great aspect to their sport - think of how much more difficult it would be to set up a car for driving in the rain? The cream would rise to the top for sure.

My $0.02.

 

nascar doesn't allow traction control right? thats part of it, of course GPs have been running in the rain years before TC came along AMA just made it legal

another side note, I watched the "Forza Motorsport Showdown" on Speed where they took a group of amateur car racers and made them do a bunch of different types of car racing, anyway it started raining as they were taking off for a road race at Road Atlanta and all the drivers wimped out, I was completely blown away that they didn't want to race because the track was wet (it wasn't even raining, the track was just a little damp)

I stick with the opinion that rain is "the great equalizer"
the fastest/most well prepared bike/car doesn't get you anywhere when it rains (as shown by those crazy French bastards leading the LeMans race at one point lol)

 

I think it was those same "French bastards" that wimped out @ Road Atlanta cuz of a little rain.You ever wonder if when they throw the white flag with one lap to go in a race if French people just think the race is over with and go home!?!?

BTW: NoNASCAR does not allow traction control. I think they should at least TRY treaded tires... what harm can it do? Of course Goodyear would bitch and complain about having to come up with another tire design. But $hit, they can't even get their slick designs right. And that's another point: Why doesn't NASCAR allow multiple tire manufacturers like every other racing series? Man they **** me off sometimes.

 

i like it it evens out the field. and they have better quality control.