Javelin wrote:Zomby Woof wrote:Uh, what? RALLY isn't racing?!? Okay then...SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: My opinion is, if autocross is not racing, neither is drag racing.And you'd be wrong. If you can pass, it's racing. If not, it's not. Because trying to pass the guy in front of you is what racing actually is
A rally driver CAN pass the car in front of him, it's just rather difficult.
If you pass the car in front of you at an autocross, something's went very wrong. 
I HAVE caught the car in front of me at an a-x ...
Knurled wrote: I don't see what the big deal is. Racing is a subset of motorsports, just because it is not racing does not mean that it does not take a significant amount of skill to be at the pointy end. The whole thing reminds me of people saying "They're not DOLLS they are ACTION FIGURES." No, Johnny, your GI Joe is a doll. Don't hide from it, own it.
I agree with that. It is fun no matter what you call it; why engage in endless semantic battles that don't matter anyway? Done both, enjoyed both.
BTW, drag racing runs two cars at once on a double wide strip for a better spectacle. They could just as easily run one at a time on a single strip with exactly the same results (unless the guy before you dumps his pan, in which case you could all have a time out).
If the ability to drive fast when you're in the only car on the track were the same as the ability to impose your will on other fast drivers in wheel-to-wheel battles, Danica Patrick would definitely have won more than one race.
Saw this article already. The guy romanticizes danger at best, or is a click-baiting troll at worst.
Reminds me of a 6 page discussion a few months ago: But is it "racing"?
wbjones wrote: here we go again
I believe that the last time was due to this very same article, as well.
ProSolo is autocrossing someone head to head like a drag race. Hmmm...
In drag racing, what any other competitor is doing has no bearing on what you do on any given run, unless he loses control of fails in some other way. Exactly like autocross, there isn't any interaction on the track between competitors on any given run. You run the same as you would if the other competitor was not there.
It is still way more fun than I thought it would be.
Zomby Woof wrote: HUH ? since when do you PASS a car in autocross . Drag racing you do beat the other car.SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: My opinion is, if autocross is not racing, neither is drag racing.And you'd be wrong. If you can pass, it's racing. If not, it's not. Because trying to pass the guy in front of you is what racing actually is
One car at a time on a course is Time Trials. Two or more cars competing against each other is Racing.
Drag racing comes some where in between.
I have to say autocross falls under racing for me. It may not be most peoples idea of racing but it is. You are racing time so its racing.
Not sure how it can be argued that it isn't. It's a timed event against other competitors. Sounds like racing to me.
Not my cup of tea anymore, but it's absurd to say it's not racing.
Some similarities?
But I'm really okay with the 'not racing' analysis - especially if the Gecko is listening in.
Ice racer: pick up a dictionary, and you'd discover, to your surprise, the actual definition of the word racing. Which differs from your own (invented) definition.
iceracer wrote: And you'd be wrong. If you can pass, it's racing. If not, it's not. Because trying to pass the guy in front of you is what racing actually is
Tactical Penguin wrote:Javelin wrote:A rally driver CAN pass the car in front of him, it's just rather difficult. If you pass the car in front of you at an autocross, something's went very wrong.Zomby Woof wrote:Uh, what? RALLY isn't racing?!? Okay then...SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: My opinion is, if autocross is not racing, neither is drag racing.And you'd be wrong. If you can pass, it's racing. If not, it's not. Because trying to pass the guy in front of you is what racing actually is
At least in Targa competition, if a car catches you, you are supposed to let them by. Because obviously they're a whole lot faster.
Keith Tanner wrote: At least in Targa competition, if a car catches you, you are supposed to let them by. Because obviously they're a whole lot faster.
AH HA! The smoking gun! Let them by indeed! Practically speaking, it's a panel of judges away from ice dancing.
GameboyRMH wrote: Saw this article already. The guy romanticizes danger at best, or is a click-baiting troll at worst.
Danger doesn't need to be romanticized. It's already romantic. Neither should danger be trivialized.
Nathan JansenvanDoorn wrote: Ice racer: pick up a dictionary, and you'd discover, to your surprise, the actual definition of the word racing. Which differs from your own (invented) definition.iceracer wrote: And you'd be wrong. If you can pass, it's racing. If not, it's not. Because trying to pass the guy in front of you is what racing actually is
Actually iceracer didn't say that, somehow his quotes got messed up.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: At least in Targa competition, if a car catches you, you are supposed to let them by. Because obviously they're a whole lot faster.AH HA! The smoking gun! Let them by indeed! Practically speaking, it's a panel of judges away from ice dancing.
If you are caught, it is because you are weak and unworthy and should not even try to fight those who have proven their superiority!
In reply to Keith Tanner:
Just like an HPDE? Wait...now I'm confused.
HPDE isn't racing because there's no timing. You can't win an HPDE...but you sure can lose.
In reply to Keith Tanner:
Of course you can win! You just need to be moved to the fastest run group so you can run flatout!
Thread TL, DNR.
I can only say this; and I have autocrossed and mean no disrespect to the cone dodgers among us. When I did auto-x I called it racing. When I started road racing I laughed at myself for having called auto-x racing. Night and day difference between the two sports. Ultimately it's a pointless discussion much like "What is a sports car?". It probably has more to do with where you are on the pyramid than a book definition.
For those who never saw it The Pyramid of Speed.
According to Bill Clinton: "I did not drive a car to it's limits in order to compete against others doing the same"
The mere conversation is silly (ZERO offense meant to either side).
I abhor the line "it is what it is" because seemingly no one uses it correctly but IT IS WHAT IT IS guys.
Automotive competition is automotive competition is automotive competition.
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