OK so this may be a little controversial

I've seen several people over the years on the various forums do this.

They have a car they're building or one that may already be done. We have to keep hearing about what a terror they're gonna be on a road course even though they haven't even driven yet.

When questioned about it, they say. Oh, i was a motorcycle racer so it should be no problem with 2 more wheels.

What a huge crock of crap. If that were the case NASCAR, and open wheel racing would be full of motorcycle racers.

We even had one guy not so long ago say he'd kick all our asses (redvet included) on the road course because in his heyday he was a big time dirt bike rider.

:bullshit:

Agree...carts make sense....but not dirt bikes...

I'll kick any of your asses on a road course

I've been practicing on forza 2 :stirpot:

Seems to me that a different set of skills is needed for auto vs bike racing. And honing skills only comes with practice, so even this sideliner can agree with you......I do think that both types of racers must have one thing in common.....big kahunas...

I've raced motocross for close to 20 years and I can't see many if any simularities.

A very close friend of mine was former natl champ in formula atlantic and has a super license for road racing bikes . I asked him what was more difficult between the two ,,,,,,,,,,,,, cars was his response, hands down .



GEE

Big difference between AMA Superbike drivers and Nascar....two distinct skills...
But I think Turtle was refering to a Moped Racer.....dunno...

Qwik502 said:

But I think Turtle was refering to a Moped Racer.....dunno...

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I was talking about the arrogance that motorbike racers of any kind seem to have. It seems like the bike racers are the ones always jawing about what their gonna do with a car on a track....like its just too easy.

I always hit my head on the center t-top bar when i try taking a corner fast,
hurts like a SOB.
Thats my experience,and it was not pleasent ush:

SmokinBBC said:

Seems to me that a different set of skills is needed for auto vs bike racing. And honing skills only comes with practice, so even this sideliner can agree with you......I do think that both types of racers must have one thing in common.....big kahunas...

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Hey Smokin, The SCCA regionals are just down the road from you this weekend, Sat, Sun, Mon, at CMP. Might be some good racing.

I was wrong,, you are just down the road from VIR,,,

Turtle wrote this thread and sent me a pm about it, to instigate another conflict. I am not going to bother arguing that motocross is a far more physically demanding sport than car racing. Turtle, get over me and stop sending me private messages.

Sadistic said:

motocross is a far more physically demanding sport than car racing.

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Now that's a total different issue there. MX is the most physically demanding sport there is. Pinning it and throwing 230lbs around for 30min +1 lap takes everthing you got.

Well I've NEVER done any racing that involved making more than one turn, and that was at the finish line at as slow a speed as possible
I have owned a couple of sportbikes. A Honda RC51 (winner of a few of the Superbike races they have), and a Suzuki Hayabusa (at the time the worlds fastest sportbike...may still hold that title). I can tell you it takes a LARGE set of nads and considerable skill to toss a superbike through a turn at the speeds they do at the racetracks. I've never heard any bragging from racers (and I've know a few amateur ones) about how well they could do in 4 wheel vehicles. Most are too in love with 2 wheels to even think about racing on 4. Only disparaging remarks I have heard from bike racers is towards the owners of Harleys. They can't understand why anyone would own a tank like that prrtt:
And yes, I own a Harley.

Turtle also contacted me about this thread and I read no instigation in his invite. Maybe some folks have a guilty conscience?

Dep

Years ago,friend of mine raced a 70 Torino stock car in the Winston West...on off weekends we would go dirt bike riding...one crazy mofo on a bike...once we were running down a sand wash trying to jump the bikes up a 4 FT embankment trying to ride up over the edge...he finally made it but landed right in a manzanita bush...took me 30 minutes to extract a twig/thorn out of his nose with some needle nose pliers... ha ha ha..
He rode a Kawasaki 3 cylinder and I rode a CZ 400...needless to say,he was a better stock car driver than a dirt bike guy...

My friend from back then...he now lives in Mooresville,NC making waterpumps for Henricks/DEI in his shop...



My son riding my old CZ after I broke my leg...

DJ Dep said:

Well I've NEVER done any racing that involved making more than one turn, and that was at the finish line at as slow a speed as possible

Turtle also contacted me about this thread and I read no instigation in his invite. Maybe some folks have a guilty conscience?

Dep

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Why would I have a guilty conscience? Turtle has been instigating for quite some time now and he is struggling with my presence. The fact is, motocross (not street bikes) is far more dynamic, demanding, athletic, etc. than any auto racing sport. What js292 said, is absolutely true; motocross is the most physically demanding sport in existence. I participated in other sports when I was younger, such as boxing, basketball, baseball, etc. Most of those sports allow a certain amount of "pacing". In motocross, you have no such luxury. A rider exerts himself at 100% for the entirety of the race. That doesn't mean that a motocross racer would win a car race. However, I feel that if one can master motocross, racing a car would be a piece of cake by comparison. Different yes, but a whole lot easier.

Well I won't comment on any sport that I haven't ever participated in. And the bikes I descibed, while sold for street use, are also raced at AMA Superbike tracks. As far as a motocross racer being able to be a "jack-of-all-trades", I don't buy it. Being able to race a motocross bike is a far different matter than racing ANY type of 4-wheel vehicle. Don't beleive it? Take a look at the Indycar and Formula 1 drivers who came to NASCAR to "show the hillbillies how it's done". Most of them have done miserably at NASCAR. And that is switching from 4-wheels to 4-wheels. Does a motocross driver have to draft to pass someone? Nope. Does he drive in a pack of 35+ vehicles at 200 MPH SIDE-BY-SIDE where one goofup and a LOT of people are wrecked? Nope. See any fat slobs racing in NASCAR? Nope. Even the pit crews go through intense physical training during the off season to be able to do their jobs effectively. There are NASCAR drivers that have been racing for YEARS that are excellent drivers and never won a championship. And there are others who have won multiple championships. Piece of cake to drive a Cup car...I don't think so. :bullshit:

Dep

Somehow I still have this vision of someone on a red Vespa with Ferrari stickers on it...dunno why...but....

I am not saying it isn't different. However, there is no doubt that the average motocross racer would do better at car racing than the average car racer would do at motocross. The reason for that is because motocross is a hell of a lot more difficult and athletic. Any pro motocrosser could learn to race a car and be, at least, somewhat competitive. A pro car driver wouldn't stand a chance in hell in a motocross race, no matter how much time he spent practicing. I'm sure that all motorsports are fun. It's just that motocross demands a whole more more athleticism than the others. That's a fact not an opinion.

Having said the above statements, I am not a big fan of street bikes challenging cars to races. In fact, I find them to be annoying dweebs, trying to exploit a power to weight ratio that serves them well. I suggest that the next time a biker asks you to race him with his $6000 motorcycle, you pull out your handgun and ask, "I'll race you with my car if you can beat this bullet. Power to weight, baby".

Well I don't know where the street bike comment came from. If it's aimed at me, you are WAY off target. I don't race ANYTHING on the street. You can ask any of the guys that came here from CF or DC. When someone mentions or encourages ANY type of street racing, be it car, motorcycle, or moped, I am deep in their shit immediately.
If you're talking about places like the strip and bikes challenging cars to a race... if you are racing against the clock and are dialed in with an ET, it's fair game and sorry about that shit. :smash:

I would also like to see that "athletic" motocross kid that's built like a stick handle a 3400 pound stock car. Even with power steering, it's a handfull.

Dep

As far as a motocross racer being able to be a "jack-of-all-trades", I don't buy it. Being able to race a motocross bike is a far different matter than racing ANY type of 4-wheel vehicle.

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Maybe not all but there are some;

Jeff Ward; After retiring from motocross with seven titles and 56 wins, Ward moved to racing cars in the Indy Racing League. Ward finished 6th in series points in 1998, and won the 2002 race at Texas Motor Speedway. He established a solid reputation at the prestigious Indianapolis 500: he was 1997 Rookie of the Year with a third place finish and garnered four top five finishes in just seven starts.

Jeremy McGrath; won a record of 72 250cc Main Event wins and captured 7 250cc Championships between 1993 to 2000. In April 2007, he announced he had signed a driver development contract with the NASCAR team JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with Monster Energy Drink sponsoring. McGrath has occasionally raced in Championship Off-Road Racing off-road races in recent years. He has finished in the Top 10 in several PRO-2 races.

Ricky Carmichael; is a former professional motocross and supercross racer, now transitioning to a stock car career as a development driver with Ken Schrader.Carmichael has been named by many to be the greatest motocross racer of all time. Carmichael is now a developmental driver for Ken Schrader Racing in NASCAR. Carmichael signed to drive for Ginn Racing in 2007 and was mentored by Mark Martin.

Sure there a more but those are the more popular ones. Can't think of any Nascar drivers turn professional motocross.