NASCAR reaching out to Trans Am refugees?

[Jag_Warrior]

Looks like I may be attending more Busch series (or whoever the series sponsor will be) races beginning in 2009.

I certainly give this one a big :up:

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/busch/40293/

[Jonesi]

If all they're going to do is reskin the old Cup cars I don't think they're going to look much like a Mustang, Camaro, etc. Will Nascar resist the urge to make them all the same with just different emblems & light decals?

[Robert Ryan]

This change could make the Busch(or whatever it will be called) as distinctive as the Pickups.

[ms0362]

I've said they should create a series like this for years. I'm looking forward to it. The Busch (or whatever they're going to call it next year), needs an overhaul.

[trumperZ06]

:rolleyes: Damn.... The SVT Mustang guys have been trying to resurrect the Trans Am series with the Mustang vs. Carmaro vs. Challenger pony cars wars from yester-year.

Now NA$CAR, the 500 lb. Gorilla, is planning to cut them off @ the pass.

And how do they plan on doing this:

NA$CAR's going to allow the use of the obsolete old style cup chassis... (plentiful supply... old racing cars aren't worth much),

with some kind of.... does anyone wanna guess/bodies.

;) I hope Detroit gets behind the Trans-Am series and we get to see modern Pony Cars racing with one another.

[muggle not]

It is too bad the old attempt at the Trac Racing Series didn't take off. I think it would have been great.

[Jonesi]

It is too bad the old attempt at the Trac Racing Series didn't take off. I think it would have been great.

I don't think the city franchise thing would have ever worked and I think the national franchise will prevent A1GP from being sucessful. To me the cars looked like ALMS vettes.

[wbcobrar]

I am torn by this . GT1 racecars are the coolest things in motorsport , with the death of Trans Am and only 2 Vetts in ALMS , they seem to be dinasours on the verge of extinction . NASCAR running pony cars in Busch is brilliant for them but is it good or bad for GT1 ?

[muggle not]

I don't think the city franchise thing would have ever worked and I think the national franchise will prevent A1GP from being sucessful. To me the cars looked like ALMS vettes.
Why not. It was similar to Nascar Cup. Cup allows 4 teams and Trac allowed 3 teams. They still raced at tracks around the country. The "kicker" with Trac was they also had an identity with a City......like the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

For those not familiar with TRAC I have posted their description:

Team Racing Auto Circuit (TRAC) is a newly formed national motor sports league debuting in 2004. By combining the best qualities of traditional motor sports with the best attributes of traditional team sports leagues, TRAC is creating a new and exciting form of stock car racing designed to reach the mainstream sports fan. Initially, the league will consist of ten, three-car teams that will be located in major U.S. cities with motor sports venues in the area. Each team will represent its city or region and will participate in a season long schedule of races, in addition to an all-star event and concluding with a season-ending championship race.

[RaceFanStan]

I look forward to seeing the "pony" cars in the sub series. (previously known as the Busch Series).
It will set a completely separate identity for the sub-series & it will be very different than the COT. :D :up:
The advantage of a Cup driver racing on Saturday & then again on Sunday will be gone.
No doubt the result will be less Cup drivers racing in the sub-series .....
that will make some people happy ..... (I imagine many Busch regulars will be really happy) :D

[RaceFanStan]

As to Trans Am/ALMS/TRAC/GT1/etc series ..... I think the NASCAR ponycar sub-series won't be anything like them !
You can expect NASCAR to go to great lengths to be sure of that !

Yes it is rumored the cars will use the current Cup chassis, however I would expect some modifications .....
the size of the current Cup car is reasonably close to that of the ponycars .....
I expect the chassis may be lowered a bit but the length & width should work fine. :D

[Jonesi]

Why not. It was similar to Nascar Cup. Cup allows 4 teams and Trac allowed 3 teams. They still raced at tracks around the country. The "kicker" with Trac was they also had an identity with a City......like the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

snip...By combining the best qualities of traditional motor sports with the best attributes of traditional team sports leagues, TRAC is creating a new and exciting form of stock car racing designed to reach the mainstream sports fan. Initially, the league will consist of ten, three-car teams that will be located in major U.S. cities with motor sports venues in the area. Each team will represent its city or region...

It's the "identity with a City" concept that I don't think helps any and may detract from it's viability. If someone is Team Atlanta or Team Dallas its limiting their ability to attract sponsorship from anywhere else. I don't think you can emphasize one city without alienating the rest of the country, and it's hard enough to find sponsorship. (This is probably more drastic in the case of countries with A1GP and there are a lot of unsponsored sidepods) In N Cal we had the ACRL Amercian Cities Racing League with Team San Jose, Team Stockton, etc really didn't draw any meaningful media attention or sponsorship.
I also think the concept is pandering to lazy sports reporters who can't cover an event without a local 'angle' or playoff situation, which is probably why "The Chase" was created.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The city concept has not worked in any way shape or form in racing, and NASCAR wasn't scared of TRAC believe me.....

I think what they are doing is brilliant and if they can bring new blood in as drivers to this series and make it more unique in that respect, it would be a bonus. I know the Buschwackers will still be there (we wont be able to call them after this year) but maybe this new start will maybe push out some of the Cup teams and force new blood into the series. AT some point, the series has to be more unique, and this new car concept is absolutely the best idea NASCAR has had in a long time.