What's your favourite motorsport to watch

[hayesey]

I was thinking of a poll but I guess there would be miles too many options!

I've been getting back into F1 recently what with Lewis Hamilton livening it up a bit after so many years of Scumacher-dominated boringness.  I guess that's the same for most people.

But I've always loved rallying, the group B era most of all.  Because the cars were just so insane, crazy amounts of power with (compared to WRC cars today) not as much driver aids or easy handling.  Walter Rohl sounds like such a gimpish name but that man had balls the size of the moon.  Plus you know we'll never see anything like it again.

80's rally cars in general make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Now for some roughly related car-porn:









Came across this picture too, Group B Talbot Horizon!  Never actually made it to rallying as far as I know, oozes 80s crazy rally car charm though.

[hayesey]

and dont forget this:

[NeilG40]

[quote pid=2648 author=hayesey date=1216839191]and dont forget this:

[/quote]

As featured on one of the best pieces of  in-car footage ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwvIRuCLbyg

[breadman]

Deffinately the group B stuff was the best without any doubt. That Manta 400 video is epic.
Any tarmac rallying is great though IMO, particularly if its mk2 Escorts! Not so keen on all the mud plugging and slipping about in the forests though. The current WRC don't do much for me.
Don't like circuit racing much at all, unless its bikes! Absolutely unbelievable those GP and Super bike boys are. Those CRAZY riders do things like overtake all the time. One day they'll do that in F1 - maybe!
My absolute favourite though has to be the Isle of Mann TT. Total madness, and all the better for it!

[Tav]

Neil I was going to post the same video.  It looks SO quick at 50seconds-1minute...and of course that near miss is a real hand in mouth moment.  This video is good too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hck7MBnFWPM&feature=related

Apparently Ari never liked the Opel as it tended to under steer...he was much happier in the Escort and the Pug.  Another Manx rally video but a crazy bloke from Belgium in an E30 M3, fantastic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiBoP7tcG_s&feature=related

I'm not really a fan of top flight motor sport...WRC/F1/Le Mans all seem quite clinical and boring at times.  F1 and Le Mans cars are so removed from road cars it further detracts from the experience I think...with that in mind I do quite enjoy BTCC/Australian V8 Super Cars.   Both share one key thing in common...close racing!  BTCC hasn't quite reascended to the heights of the 90's but I hope it does get there some day soon.  1992 season review...some close racing and some great looking cars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_pDjCIkrJA

Watching old motor sport can be so much more exciting...the above rallying videos, classic 70's + 80's F1 and Le Mans and of course Group B.  The technology wasn't as good as todays but they were pushing the boundary each year.  Watching a 550bhp Seirra lapping a wet Brands Hatch is infinitely more exciting that a FWD Vauxhall Vectra clinically lap the same circuit (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEPvDlVK0zA).  Some real driving hero's too...and so many legendary stories.  

I watched Moto GP for the first time last night on BBC iPlayer...absolutely brilliant race from Laguna Seca.  The battle for first was so close...0.092 seconds when crossing the line and I lost count of the times they swapped positions/nearly went off.   I watched the UK Carrera Cup on ITV a few weeks ago and again it was really close, the top 6 were just 1.5 seconds apart!

The Nurburgring 24 hours is worth a shout, so many different cars....SO many...given there are 200+ on track.  Please watch the following 3 part video to get a REAL taste of the 24 hours:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiCqc7jULO8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Myr8DAgTc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyTfhzlOPgE

On board lap at a VLN race, similar to the N24: http://www.race2ube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d6dd6145dcbad5c4ccf6

Tarmac rallying is great as said above, not big on the muddy stuff...can't really relate to the loose surface but quite familiar with tarmac.  A lot to be said for grass roots motorsport...hill climbing + sprinting does it for me...nothing like an all or something sub 1 minute blast in a fast hatch/caterham/single seater up a twisting course.  Hopefully get into it myself some day in the not too distant future.

[NeilG40]

[quote pid=2656 author=Tav date=1216849687]Neil I was going to post the same video.  It looks SO quick at 50seconds-1minute...and of course that near miss is a real hand in mouth moment.  This video is good too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hck7MBnFWPM&feature=related

[/quote]

It's a shame its not the full version which goes on for at least another 5 minutes, you see him having to use the handbrake to get around the tighter right hand corners due to the left front puncture, but he still doesn't slow down that much.

[lance]

group b was car porn shame it got banned it was getting a bit mental tho.

[bushyg40]

group b was the best cant beat the sound of the straight 5 quattro pure car porn but i also watch btcc seat tdis

[Tav]

Just watch BTCC season reviews from 1991-1999 on You Tube, awesome stuff looking back.  It's good when you are as interested in 3rd 4th and 5th as 1st and 2nd places.

[grayg40]

I think watching the SB and GP boy's are brilliant cos most races you get battles right to the end, Touring cars are also good to watch but F1 all you really need to watch is the first 5 laps and then you can nearly tell whos going to win.