Wondering what NASCAR fans thought made the sport fun to follow, I dove into some research. A lot of people suggested that it was the close finishes, and the fact that the cars drive so close together that makes it exciting. But what I have an isssue with, and many seem to disagree, is the fact that NASCAR will throw out fake cautions in order to let all of the cars regroup for a close finish. I don’t appreciate fabricated excitement in sports. So this begs the question, why is it so popular in the United States?

On the other hand, Formula 1 tends to catch my excitement for several reasons. First and foremost, is the fact that the cars are more like spaceships on the ground. They are some of the most technologically advance pieces of equipment on the planet.

Next, is that the tracks are not boring circles. The drives must have quicker reflexes and be ready to slow and brake depending on the angle of the turn.

Third, I appreciate the fact that they are willing to race in the rain. This makes the racing even more intense because even though the drivers use rain tires, the slippery track is still a danger for spinouts.

Finally, the strategy involved in F1 compared to NASCAR is exciting in iteself. One of the rules of Formula 1 is that the drivers must start the race with the amount of fuel that they end qualifying with. So, if the driver has a light fuel load to begin qualifying, in order to get a good starting position, then that driver will be forced to pit earlier. A lot of other F1 strategy comes in the actual building and running of the cars. As opposed to NASCAR, Formula 1 teams keep their designs extremely secret in order to make their cars preform better than the competeting teams. Such as the Ferrari team using carbox dioxide in their cars’ tires. In NASCAR, all of the cars are essentially the same.

At the root, I guess it’s merely an opinion question. Do you find excitement in close races even if they are, at times, fabricated? Or do you prefer technologically advanced cars and difficult tracks even though the races may, at times, end with a thirty second or more difference between first and second place?