Contrast/Compare
Human beings have been on the move ever since the invention of the wheel around 3,500 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia. By 1200 B.C.E., a more sophisticated model, the spoked-wheel, was used on chariots as a mode of transportation throughout Eurasia, even reaching as far as Egypt, China and Scandinavia. From there, transportation needs did not change drastically until the first true gasoline automobile was invented in 1885 to1886 by Karl Frederich Benz. With the invention of this new “toy”, men felt the need to push the limits of these vehicles for more than just cargo and passengers. By the beginning of the 20th century, automobile racing took off in both Europe and the United States with each having their own fledgling racing circuits. This trend continued up to present time with two of the world’s most popular racing series: WRC (World Rally Championship), which was launched in 1973 by the FIA (The International Automobile Federation.) and NASCAR (The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), which was founded by William France, Sr., in 1948. Although both WRC and NASCAR are extreme and captivating in their own respects there are great differences and a few similarities in the skill level of the drivers, the cars, and the fans.
First, is the huge gap in the skill level between the WRC driver and the NASCAR driver. WRC drivers are some the most versatile and talented drivers in the world. WRC drivers have an endurance that cannot be matched. Each rally is a 3 day event covering typically 15 to 30 courses, or stages, which together can add up to thousands of miles. The NASCAR driver’s one day stint requires him to tackle the course, which is a combination of boring straightaways and left turns repeating over and over, until the required 500 laps have been met. This pattern continues on for a mind numbing 3 to 5 hours. A WRC rally driver’s impeccable reflexes make him capable of maneuvering through an unfamiliar course that never repeats itself on top of effortlessly skimming over every type of surface imaginable: tarmac to gravel and snow and ice to mud, in every weather condition. It is safe to say that all races are off in NASCAR if a drop of rain is threatened in the forecast. The WRC driver can adapt the speed of his coupe from death defying speeds of up to 150 miles per hour through the straights then down to 20 mph at a hair-pin turn. As for the NASCAR driver, he is able to push his vehicle at speeds up to 200 mph while whipping around an ordinary, foreseen, baby smooth, paved, and oval track that is anywhere from one mile to 2 ½ miles around. These differences between WRC and NASCAR drivers are a world apart when it comes to pushing themselves and their cars.
Second, are the differences in the vehicles driven in the WRC and NASCAR. The heart of any WRC vehicle is the six speed sequential transmission easily allowing the driver to simply push or pull a lever causing an up-shift or down-shift in the gearbox. The NASCAR vehicle has only the basic 4-speed manual transmission which in most typical races is perpetually “stuck” in fourth gear. The WRC car is a light-weight, all-wheel drive, turbo-charged, mini, racing machine that uses a dual overhead camshaft engine and up to the minute technology to keep it running in tip top condition unlike the NASCAR vehicle which has a carbureted, push-rod, V8 engine that dates back to the 1950’s. Spoilers and other aerodynamic aids on a rally car have always been permitted by the WRC rules. These designs manage the airflow around the car not only to cool engines and brakes but also to keep the car planted firmly on the road or level in flight. NASCAR, in a total redesign of the race cars in 2007, added a bulky rear wing that was affixed to the car’s rear. It was soon discovered the new detail caused a race car to become airborne while racing down the track. It was replaced with a more traditional spoiler in 2010. The WRC rally car can leave the NASCAR vehicle in the dust.
The third point observes some similarities of NASCAR and WRC fans. Both sets of fans are extremely dedicated and enthusiastic to a fault. The NASCAR diehard can be found at the local motorway parked on top of an RV in the middle of the track, seated in the stands, or reclined on his own couch with a cold cup of beer plucked from an ice chest or the nearest vendor. Most are male between the ages of 18 to 45, Caucasian, and live in the southern United States. The WRC aficionado enjoys a warm beer or two at the local pub. They share the same age demographics as NASCARS fans: however, the fan base is all over the globe and of every nationality. Spectators of both sports love to be in the midst of the action. WRC fans literally become part of the landscape by standing only inches from the edge of course. They are so close that when a car zooms by they can feel the “whoosh” of the air and taste the grit of the gravel sprayed in their teeth. NASCAR fans have a chance for a meet and greet with some of the drivers before the race begins and revel in the celebration of the winners afterward. WRC devotees become true supporters of the drivers and the sport when, in the middle of nowhere, groups of people come out of the bushes, tall grass, and trees to rescue a team by pushing the car back on track. That is genuine dedication! In NASCAR the follower’s only real validation for being at an event is to witness a grueling, twisted, race-stopping, pile up on the pavement- the more smoke and flames the better. The fans of WRC and NASCAR share a love of their respective sports that cannot be denied. Showing the parallels and distinctions of WRC and NASCAR reinforces the thrills and attraction of both sports. Racing has come a long way from the early 1900 events in Europe and the United States and has proved that fans still have an unrelenting “need for speed.” From the invention of the gasoline power automobile in 1886 by Karl Benz, back to the spinning wheel of the chariots in Northern Europe, Egypt, and Eurasia, if the inventors of the wheel were alive today they would be very impressed of how far we’ve come with the simple wheel.