Is Auto Racing the ultimate competition?

[Syclone0044]

I was at GLD on opening day and I saw some older guys maybe 40-50 years old, in the stands and I could tell they were watching their driver race a car that perhaps they all worked on together. It occurred to me that adults of all ages enjoy auto racing in its many forms and I am wondering if it is in fact the ultimate competition that mankind has devised so far?

I figure I'm biased since I love auto racing, but when I tried to think of contenders for the title, all I could come up with was baseball/football/basketball which are by far and large spectator sports, so nobody's really participating seriously except the Pros themselves. In Auto racing you have a low price of entry (almost everybody owns a car for transportation at the very least) and nearly anyone can participate.

What else is there? :D

[Al]

To me, a fight to the death is the ultimate competition. But as I mentioned in another thread, auto racing is a glorified form of chivalry. It traces its roots somewhat back to the days of duels with swords.

Think about it: people have a very similar approach to it. Waaay back then, you could challenge someone to a duel for whatever reason. To accept a match and then back out (chickening out) is a loss of personal honor. But sticking with it to the end, despite knowing that losing was inevitable, could help one maintain their honor in the worst of circumstances.

Also, just like they did centuries ago, men would go off riding in search of adventure. Kinda like so many do today when we go cruising.


In reguards to sports, i'd say DFC and boxing is a little more extreme.

Inreguards to everyone liking a sport, I'd agree with racing, but not cars, rather anything.

[Syclone0044]

You make some good points about the duels.

But I should clarify ; I guess when I mean the ultimate competition; I was thinking about in terms of the most money, time, and effort invested by the largest amount of people. Fortunately, not too many people participate in duels to the death nowadays :D

[Prince Valiant]

I would never equate cruising to explorations of old...but that's just me. It's that whole, "show me your tits" thing vs sailing off into the blue yonder, where no one had been known to venture before :goof

I think drag racing equates nicely (on the surface, at least) to the purest form of competition there is...of course, that being a foot race, and especially the 100 meter sprint. It's short, concise, and you can't make an error in starting or your screwed...and more than a few races have been lost because of broken parts (rods & axles vs hamstrings & achillies). It's exciting to participate in, and to root for your guy, either way.

Taken further similar analogies can be made, such as the skill of running full speed vs driving a car in the quickest and most effiecient manner (both may seem outwardly easy...because for those that excel at either make it look so...but then look at the inexperienced in either comp, and they look like 'tards) or the amount of prep...

...but from there it's vastly different. But running is still the purest form of competition, equalled quite possibly by wrestling (with similar man vs man themes in it, disimilar to running).

[Al]

Supposedly, the Kentucky derby has the highest money-per-minute deals going on at any time. As for a global market, I think football (as the rest of the world calls it) wins. In the US, it is either NASCAR and the NFL.

[SSmike1]

Josh,
i agree wholeheartedly!

ALL ages enjoy cars, and all forms of car competition!
and
some facts,
the WORLDS highest paid athlete, is Michael Schumacher,
a F1 driver. Auto Racers have had the Highest Athletes Saleries for like 40 years or more, !!!!!!!
and
the Single Largest Attended event , IN THE WORLD, is Auto Racing,
with the Indy 500 holding the world record of 550,000,
and continues to beat all others!

and if you look at Nascar's yearly attendance,
it will prolly beat NFL's yearly game attendance?
10 million people attended NASCAR events last year.

:banana

FACT = MOST of the people here, (car nuts), and people i meet at the race tracks, are VERY COOL & nice people.!

:goof

[Al]

But it seems that there are sooooo many people who have no interest in cars. On a daily basis, i might come across somone with even the slightest knowledge of them.

Also, the majorty of the racing fans are men, but there are about 1-2% more women in the US...things get a bit weird.


BUT...
Formula 1 is the most popular sporting event around the world despite being second to NASCAR in the US. Because it goes to 6 continents, there is a good chance that one will be within a days drive of 90% of the global population.

Also, some of the F1 drivers are the highest paid athletes of ALL sports! This just reflects how popular the sport is.

[Pig Pen]

I don't agree with that. There are a ton more people then the 10 million going to NASCAR events(?) that don't even consider racing of any form a sport. I'd have to say there is alot more blood, sweat, tears, and money spent on training a prize fighter in any form of fighting in many aspects of thier training to thier diet. And it was already stated that horse racing is by far the most expensive.

[Pig Pen]

Also, some of the F1 drivers are the highest paid athletes of ALL sports! This just reflects how popular the sport is.

Two words, A Rod. Nuff said.

[Al]

Two words, A Rod. Nuff said.

You lost me on that one.



Actually, I think the pylon racers are the most expensive machines intended to race.

As for fighters, that seems to be more of a one-mans passion. Wasn't it Tyson who did a KO in three minutes and established the Highest wage of X-million dollars in that three minutes?