I thought this would be interesting to post here, as i'm sure theres a big group of NASCAR fans.

Who has the better drivers?

Discuss.

 

Formula 1.... by far... (in my humble opinion of course)

I still recall watching Kimi holding a powerslide going 140mph 15ft in front of me at the Melbourne Grand Prix, just WOW.

 

i am no race fan at all, but the formula one drivers are far better, i am not saying nascar drivers can't do it, but they don't.

nascar pretty much goes in a circle "here comes that left turn!" not much challenge in it compared to formula one drivers. come on now, a couple of hours of watching a car go in a circle?

i actually think rally car drivers are the best, and i hate rally car racing.

 

Good question. My humble opinion is its like comparing apples to oranges. While it is auto racing nonetheless, a formula 1 car is a total different animal then a stock car. I'm a NASCAR fan and do enjoy the odd F1 race. I like F1 because of the high amount of technology that goes into the cars but then look at the past 5-10 years in F1, there is always one or two manufacturers that dominate and win the majority of races. Doesn't make it much fun when you know only 2-3 drivers will win and the other cars have no chance.

While some may find watching NASCAR races boring, the majority of races have close finishes and there are alot better chances of having more than the same 3 or 4 drivers win all the time. It would be interesting to see a NASCAR driver in an F1 race in a Ferrari or Renault and vise versa. Put Schmucher or Kimi in a stock car in a race at Talladegga or Daytona.

Just my .02, I would be happy driving one or the other and making the coin they do.

 

I agree with SMIGGS on the "apples and oranges" thing. It's simply not a direct comparison. There are some NASCAR drivers that are very good road racers, and I suppose there might be some F1 pilots that could do okay on an oval (though I wouldn't bet money on it...lol)
Anybody who thinks NASCAR racing is just "driving in circles" needs to take a ride in one. I have, and I've taken a few laps at speed in a former Cup car myself (at Las Vegas Speedway). Of course I wasn't allowed to get any closer than 4 car lengths to the next nearest car, but it's quite a rush and hard to imagine going door to door with 42 other cars intent on the same goal. At 3400 pounds these things sure don't handle like go-karts!!
I would think that the typical F1 driver would feel somewhat uncomfortable running in the middle of the pack at Talledega. From what I've seen of F1, it's rare to see two or more cars running together for any length of time, much less 20 or more. I guess I just don't find F1 to be nearly as competitive, and the "team rules" things is just WRONG.
All in all I would say that I rate F1 and NASCAR drivers on an equal skill level. They excel in their own form of motorsports, and I think each would perform at about the same level in the other's. Speaking in general terms, of course.

 

I agree it would be great to see but the regular drivers would not give any slack to the interlooper. F1 requires a top notch car and a top driver. NASCAR requires a top driver and a great team.

 

I think it would go something like the formula driver taking a few races to get into the flow of the bigger car and style of driving. (we will see with juan pablo montoya next year) but I can't see a NASCAR driver being successful in an F1 car, they just aren't at the same level of fitness and skill.

I was just reading some comments on an ESPN.com forum and I was suprised that people actually thought NASCAR drivers were the top drivers in the world, and wondered if maybe I was off by thinking formula1 was the pinnacle of motorsport, so I came to the always trusty FTE for some reassurance.

To those who watch formula1, this chase for the driver's championship is getting more intense every week. I really would like to my favorite driver, schumi, go out on top.

 

I think either one is entirely different animals. F1 is more finese with a lot of horsepower, handling and agility. Nascar is more the old school. A fair amount of horsepower, with handling that isn't that precise and not much technology allowed in the running of the car. Thinking that they only turn left and so it has to be easy isn't giving credit to the difficulty of running in a pack of cars all around you, trying to find a line that keeps changing. I kind of lean to the idea that it is easier to run fast in a fine tuned precise handling car than in a car that doesn't have the handling ability, tires and aero.

 

This is a great year for the championship....a great one.

 

I would think it would be the other way around. I'm not too sure what a F1 car pumps out for horsepower but a Nextel Cup car is pushing 700 or even more. Add in the weight of a stock car and try muscling that around for 4 hours. As for being successful in other series, it is all up to the natural talent of the driver and quality of ride he is in. Take the best driver from the best team in NASCAR and put him in a Sauber or any lower funded team in F1 and he isn't going to do sqwat. Vise versa for the F1 guys in NASCAR.

There is only 2 guys fighting it out in F1 for the championship and it's been like that for years, sometimes it's over with a few races to go in the season. Right now in the Nextel Cup there are 6 -7 drivers that can win it all. It hasn't always been like that but it sure makes for an exciting last 10 races. Since they introduced the "playoff" format 3 years ago the championship has been decided in the last race and even the last lap. Again, just putting in my .02!

 

you really cant say. f1 can handle both tracks. road courses for nextel drivers arnt as harsh as f1 courses. two different types of drivers, i think the conversion for a nextel driver into an f1 car would be easier than an f1 driver to nextel. f1 drivers dont have a pack of 12 cars doing 180 within 13 car lengths for most of the race.

 

I think the f1 cars at right around 750-800hp these days, it was over a 1000 for a few years but the FIA cut it down by taking 2 cylinders away.

FIA allows for more advancement of the cars and the teams with bigger budgets usually end up with the best cars (though not the case for toyota...)

its really just watch you enjoy watching after all. I honestly don't think you could take someone like tony stewart and put him in an f1 car and him be competitve. I don't think nextel cup drivers have the level fitness or skill that the f1 guys have.

 

While I agree Tony Stewart doesn't look like your fit racecar driver that doesn't mean he isn't a skilled driver. Lets for example strap Alonso into a sprint car, Stewart would probably wipe the track up with him. Put Stewart into a F1 car and it would probably go the other way. Are they both unskilled drivers?

 

You hit the very nail on the head as to why I don't like NASCAR.
Why do you think there are 6-7 drivers competing on the last lap of the championship for victory? - regulations artificially creating it prehaps.?

Don't get me wrong, it makes for a fantastic viewing specticle, but racing it ain't, where the best win.

 

We'll see next year when jpm finds his way into a cup car..