| When you talk car racing most people
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| | track.
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| think of NASCAR - National Association
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| | INDY RACING LEAGUE:
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| for Stock Car Auto Racing. It is,
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| | The Indy Racing League (IRL) sponsors
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| perhaps, the most popular sport in
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| | races primarily on oval tracks with the
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| America. Along with NASCAR, there are
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| | centerpiece being the Indianapolis 500,
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| three other major types of car racing in
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| | which is held every year on Memorial Day
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| America - Formula 1, Champ Car, and Indy
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| | weekend at the Indianapolis Speedway. The
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| Racing League. Taken together, these four
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| | schedule, which has the fewest races of
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| racing groups offer a range of
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| | the four major racing organizations,
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| competition and challenges for drivers
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| | produces 14 events. The IRL season kicks
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| and exciting experiences for racing fans.
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| | off in late March and runs until early
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| FORMULA 1:
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| | September. The only road course for this
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| The Formula 1 race calendar starts in
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| | series in 2006 is the Infineon in Sonoma,
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| March and goes into October with 18 races
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| | CA and the only race held outside of the
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| in 18 different countries. The American
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| | U.S. occurs at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan.
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| race is held at the Indianapolis
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| | The IRL was founded in 1996 and, since
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| Speedway, with the 2006 contest occurring
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| | that time, has gone through various
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| on July 2nd. The race covers
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| | growing pains. Like the Champ Car World
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| approximately 190 miles or 73 laps on the
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| | Series, its cars are open wheel racers
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| Indy road course.
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| | with a central cockpit. At first the IRL
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| Formula 1 cars have open cockpits, open
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| | had difficulty attracting top drivers;
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| wheels, and are very low to the ground.
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| | however, as the organization gained
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| They're made with one primary goal in
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| | credence, it was able to attract some
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| mind - speed. Extremely fast speeds
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| | competitive drivers.
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| define Formula 1 racing.
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| | In 2007, as part of an environmentally
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| The chassis, which must be constricted by
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| | friendly policy, all IRL cars will be
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| the racing team, are made of ultra-light
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| | running on ethanol. Indy circuit cars
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| materials such as carbon fiber, allowing
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| | have tires that are similar to those used
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| the cars to jet down the track. They also
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| | on Formula 1 cars, while their agility
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| have wings in the front and back, which
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| | and weight are akin to that of the Champ
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| are designed to keep the cars low to the
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| | racers.
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| ground and to help them cut down air
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| | Of the four racing groups, the IRL may be
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| resistance. Every aspect is dedicated to
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| | the weakest when it comes to financial
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| precision and speed and thus an unneeded
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| | stability and name recognition. Many
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| feature like bumpers have been
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| | fans, sports writers, and officials who
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| eliminated. The intimate cockpit is in
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| | are interested in open wheel racing have
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| the middle of the vehicle, giving the
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| | called for the unification of IRL and
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| machine a strong center of gravity. All
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| | Champ Cars, making one organization with
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| of these elements help make them
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| | the very best drivers and most
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| extremely aerodynamic and fast - their
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| | competitive races. Many feel that
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| speeds top 200 mph.
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| | American Indy car racing would benefit
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| One of the major challenges for drivers
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| | from the strength of having a single
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| of these cars is the complex course they
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| | group in charge, resulting in a less
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| run. The Indianapolis track has 13 turns,
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| | diluted product while helping to
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| including hairpins that demand a driver
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| | establish dominance over Formula 1.
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| quickly downshift from a speed of almost
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| | NASCAR:
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| 200 mph to 86 mph and then to 36 mph.
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| | Even if you don't know what the letters
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| Then the driver pushes the throttle up to
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| | stand for or you've never been to a
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| 160 mph. All of this happens during a
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| | NASCAR sanctioned race, everyone knows
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| five-turn sequence that covers about 1/2
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| | that NASCAR is about stock car racing.
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| mile on the 2.6-mile course. Many Formula
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| | Stock cars are simply racecars that take
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| 1 races are run in city streets that
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| | road models or common stock as the
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| become racetracks just for that event.
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| | foundation from which the racecar is
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| Along with the blinding speed,
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| | created.
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| lightweight vehicles, and complex courses
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| | The Nextel Cup Series, NASCARS' premiere
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| come the dangers of this sport. When a
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| | event, starts in February and finishes up
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| car going 200 mph loses its grip on the
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| | in November. Along with being the longest
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| track, spins and nails a retaining wall,
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| | of the race seasons, NASCAR also boasts
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| other drivers have to instantly adjust.
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| | the most events - 39! Additionally, they
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| If they don't, the results can be deadly.
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| | have the most drivers - 50 as opposed to
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| Of the four major categories of car
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| | the approximately 20 involved in each of
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| racing, Formula 1 is the least popular in
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| | the other organizations.
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| America. Perhaps this is due to the
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| | NASCAR races are held on road courses,
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| international nature of its venues -
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| | ovals, irregularly shaped tracks, and
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| there's only one race in America - along
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| | circular raceways. Three things that make
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| with the fact that the races are run
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| | NASCAR popular are the regularity of its
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| every other week, unlike NASCAR that runs
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| | schedule, the expert machines, crews, and
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| every week except on Easter Sunday.
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| | drivers, and the ability of the
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| CHAMP CAR:
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| | organization to be innovative while still
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| The 16-race Champ Car World Series starts
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| | holding to tradition.
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| in late March and run into the middle of
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| | The look of the stock cars, unlike the
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| November. Fourteen of its races are in
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| | racers for Formula 1, Champ Car or IRL,
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| the U.S., Canada or Mexico, with two
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| | make NASCAR the race of the people
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| other contests being held in Australia
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| | because we all drive vehicles that look
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| and South Korea. Bridgestone is the major
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| | like the cars that Jeff Gordon. Sterling
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| sponsor of Champ Car (Champ Car is the
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| | Martin, and Jimmie Johnson maneuver each
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| short for Championship Car).
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| | week. Few of us can see ourselves behind
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| Although a few of the races are run on
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| | the wheel of a Formula 1, but many of us
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| ovals, most of the contests are held on
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| | drive a Chevy like Tony Stewart, a Dodge
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| road courses. In fact, many of the races
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| | like Kyle Petty or a Ford like Dale
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| are held on city streets that have been
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| | Jarrett. This connection that fans make
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| converted for that one weekend into a
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| | with the stock car certainly helps extend
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| road course. Cities that set up temporary
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| | the popularity of the circuit in the U.S.
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| tracks include Long Beach and San Jose,
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| | Also, unlike the other three
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| CA; Houston, TX; and Denver, CO. Although
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| | organizations, NASCAR runs their races
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| some are shorter and others a bit longer,
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| | every week. It's grueling, but it also
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| most Champ courses run about 2 miles in
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| | creates a great competitive atmosphere
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| length. Like their Formula 1
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| | and a large following that wants to know
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| counterparts, Champ Cars reach speeds of
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| | if Sterling Martin is going to cut off
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| close to 200 mph.
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| | Jeff Gordon just like he did last week;
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| The Champ Car raceways, for the most
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| | and if he does, what will Gordon do about
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| part, are shorter than Formula 1 tracks
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| | it?
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| and also have fewer and more gradual
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| | Stock car races tend to include many lead
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| turns. You'll find Formula 1 courses
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| | changes, sparring amongst drivers, and
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| feature between 12 and 20 turns with at
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| | athletic pit stops. Also, NASCAR holds
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| least one tight series of hairpins, while
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| | all of its races in the United States,
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| Champ Car tracks average approximately 9
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| | giving the entire circuit a specific
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| turns, and although they certainly demand
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| | national focus.
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| tight maneuvering, they don't offer the
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| | Although NASCAR is not the only game in
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| complex, extremely narrow angles of
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| | town, they are the best known and most
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| Formula 1.
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| | organized, offering fans weekly
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| Because Champ cars race on ovals along
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| | competition with an intensity and drive
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| with street courses, they are heavier and
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| | that no other racing organization has
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| have a longer wheelbase. Oval courses
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| | rivaled. The other groups certainly have
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| with their lack of turns encourage higher
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| | their following and produce a great
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| speeds, and these speeds put more stress
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| | product, but Formula 1 may be too elite
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| on a car; thus the wheelbase on a Champ
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| | to ever reach Americans the way NASCAR
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| Car is sturdier but less agile than those
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| | has. Champ Car is more grounded in
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| on Formulas 1 racers. These less
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| | America but lacks the weekly head-to-head
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| maneuverable wheelbases are one of the
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| | competition and IRL has been unable to
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| primary reasons that Champ Cars do not
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| | exploit the mystique of the Indy racecar.
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| have to negotiate the ultra-tight street
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| | It may behoove you to check out all four
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| course curves that their counterparts do.
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| | of these major racing organizations and
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| There is certainly a rivalry between the
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| | their events. If you're a NASCAR fan, you
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| American based Champ Car enthusiasts and
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| | may find something unique in Formula 1
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| the international Formula 1 fans that
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| | that you can also enjoy. Champ Car lovers
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| focuses on which is the better circuit,
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| | should be able to get into the non-stop
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| has more competitive races, and the best
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| | nature of stock car racing. Formula 1
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| teams. In looking at each type of car,
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| | folks may enjoy the variety NASCAR
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| it's hard to tell the difference between
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| | offers, while IRL enthusiasts might like
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| them. They are very similar but each has
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| | the international flavor of Formula 1.
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| unique characteristics.
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| | Then again - these camps and their
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| Formula-1 racecars are powered by
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| | allegiances may not be interested in ever
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| gasoline and are not turbocharged,
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| | crossing over to the other side.
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| whereas Champs burn methanol and utilize
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| | ONLINE BETTING
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| the turbo. Champ Cars also use
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| | If you think that sports wagering is
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| non-grooved tires, and they are allowed
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| | limited to the four major sports
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| to incorporate a set of softer compound
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| | (football, basketball, baseball and
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| wheels, providing them with an edge over
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| | hockey), think again. A number of online
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| other cars, making the outcome of the
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| | sportsbooks offer race fans an
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| race less predictable.
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| | opportunity to cash in on their
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| Some race fans prefer Champ Car to
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| | favorites. You can easily find odds
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| Formula 1 due to the fact that lead
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| | online on which driver or team will win a
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| changes are more achievable in the former
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| | race, capture the pole position or finish
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| and also because the less stringent tire
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| | in the top three.
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| rules allow for creativity that can yield
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| | The cars are running - take part in the
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| excitement and positive results on the
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| | excitement on race day.
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