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Originally Posted by Doc
I find all this interesting too. I think it's because drag racing is the easiest, requires the least skill for the least amount of time, and being competitive is purely a function of money which equals horsepower and traction. I'm not saying it doesn't require some skill, but whatever skill is used is only used for a few seconds.
I had some guy the other day at work showing me videos of a Supra with 1200 hp blowing away everything on the street including guys on racing bikes. And he's going on about how awesome the Supra is and I'm thinking "this has nothing to do with a Supra". All he was showing me was how 1200 hp can beat a few hundred hp which to me is an obvious point so why spend the money to demonstrate it? It didn't matter that it was a Supra; it could have been a Kia or any car with 1200 hp. But he had this look on his face like he thought he's awesomely superior because he drives a Supra too.
People are willing to spend all kinds of money and time "buying" an ego boost and then brag as though it's their brand of car that's superior. Right now the SS Camaro and the 2011 Mustang as tested by the magazines are dead even. When the difference is only a tenth or two in 1/4 mile times, that's driver variable. The 60 ft time alone determines that and that's very highly subject to the driver.
People complain about the cost of road racing or autocross but compared to the thousands they spend on hp and traction so they can have a few seconds of excitement at the drag strip... those thousands spent would cover months of the other two styles of racing, and most of that would be for tires.
But of course money doesn't buy you a win on a road course or autocross and that may be why you see so few here interested in it. They have to actually modify themselves first; their skill and experience. This takes time and probably falls into the category of exercising and losing weight; people may "intend" to but just don't quite get around to being able to actually do it. And you certainly don't get an ego boost plowing off a corner because you didn't take it right.
From my experience and observation, 1/4 milers race with their egos. Road course and autocross drivers are more about the challenge; them and their machine against the track. And they know full well that at any second on any corner they can go from hero to zero so losing is COMPLETELY about them and their skill; paying attention, focusing....it's all about driver performance. If you win, the driver gets the praise and rightly so. In 1/4 mile racing it seems it's the car that's praised because basically that's the truth; he who has the most money to buy hp and traction, wins. The magazines always compare the cars in a 1/4 mile test; never the driver and it's as though there is no driver when you read their "results" such as "Mustang Beats Camaro".
I love road racing. I love being on the track because it's such a pure experience. When you're on the track your mind is clear of EVERYTHING else and you're whole focus is on what you're doing. You're aware of every little sound, every ounce of feedback coming from your car. You FEEL the road in your mind; your attention, your brain, your thoughts accelerate to match and exceed your speed so you can be ahead of where you're going in order to control it once you get there because if you wait until you're there to think about it, it's too late.
Unfortunately I'm now getting too old to race like I'd really want to but man what a blast.
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I completely understand your point. BUT, maybe you're mixing a few assumptions with some analytical thinking that's gone way out into left field. It could be as simple as you and quite a few others loving the excitement and adrenaline rush of road course racing and quite a few other people that prefer 1/4 mile racing to what you prefer, which is road course racing.