Thread: What's the difference?

I'm trying to learn about the difference between the different series, but it still all seems like a different language to me. My boyfriend makes fun of me for not seeing "how simple it is". Could anybody explain it in easy to understand language?

Originally Posted by speedydemon

I'm trying to learn about the difference between the different series, but it still all seems like a different language to me. My boyfriend makes fun of me for not seeing "how simple it is". Could anybody explain it in easy to understand language?

This could take a book to explain, but I'll try the Reader's Digest version with the more popular series.

NASCAR, consists of silhouette cars that vaguely resembles road going cars, they also use front V8 engine with rear wheel drive, where the road cars they emulate are front wheel drive with mainly V6 engines. They compete mainly on distances of 500 laps or 500 miles, depending on the track, they are predominantly oval racers, with only two road courses in the calendar, Sonoma in California and Watkins Glen in New-York

Formula 1 is an designation for open wheel rear engine V8 cars, competed on various circuit throughout the world for the World Driving Championship, there is also a Manufacturers championship paralleling the drivers championship, both are not always won by the same team.

IRL, fairly similar in appearance to Formula 1 cars, but less sophisticated in their construction, engines, transmission and suspension, they are generally bigger and heavier and less powerful than their F1 counterpart and use ethanol for fuel, rather than gasoline for F1, they also compete on a mix of oval and road type courses, mainly in North America (USA and Canada) but they have competed in Australia, Japan and might race in Korea (its been off and on)

Various touring car series, they are based on more or less modified road going touring cars, depending on the series, a number of modifications can be done mainly on suspension, engines and transmissions, as well as body modification by adding spoilers, rear wings and possibly wider fenders over the large and wider wheels.

Sports Car series, the 2 main series are ALMS and the Rolex series.
They both use purpose built sports cars, they have enclosed fenders over the wheels and since some races go for as much as 24 hours, they have fully functioning headlights and taillights, they have various classes within the sports cars, having mainly to do with engine size and weight, they also include various touring car classes, the slower touring car classes can be a real challenge for the sometime much faster sports cars as they negotiate their way around the track.

Then there are the various dragster series that compete only on a straight line, over usually a quarter mile and the various midget series that compete mainly on dirt oval and are open wheel racers with a front engine.

Thank you so much! That seems so much simpler than when my boyfriend tried to explain it to me. I feel like at least now I can look into researching more and have an idea when I read and know what it's actually talking about.

And of course NASCAR has different divisions. The Cup division is the major league. The Nationwide series is the minor league. The Truck series is ... well, like the old timers league. Then there are a bazillion up and coming series, like Arca and midgets.

Thanks for that, oldcanuck! I actually didn't even know that there were two road races in Nascar; I've always thought that it was all about the oval track!

Wow- that was super. I never really payed much attention to what different types there were. I'm just a Nascar watcher. It's great to know the difference.