Doing my part to reach 500!!
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+1
And a big +1 to reaching 500 posts!
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ā¦ even though the person who started this thread is now under suspension for two months, as a result of his consistently combative nature.
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500, Popular length, in miles, for NASCAR.
Now that I brought up NASCAR, I want to see an end of season race where drivers race showroom stock versions of their race cars.
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Is there anything stock on their race cars?
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Darlington, Daytona and Talladega (2), 4 races out of 36.
Sounds unnecessarily dangerous and ghoulish.
Out of curiosity, I extracted (cut-n-pasted) the text from this long thread, and ran it through one of the free online AI sites, and I asked it to summarize it. None of the posterās names or pictures were copied. Just the raw text of each post including the highlighted inlined quoted reply sections:
After about 5 seconds of digesting it, hereās what it returned:
*********************************************************
Summary:
This document is a lengthy, informal forum discussion centered on the technical and subjective merits of different tire sizes, profiles, and brands-especially as they relate to handling, ride quality, and vehicle safety. The conversation is sparked by a review of a Chevy Spark and quickly broadens into a spirited debate involving several experienced automotive enthusiasts and engineers.
Key Themes and Arguments
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Tire Size, Aspect Ratio, and Handling
Participants debate whether narrower or wider tires, and higher or lower aspect ratios, provide better handling and ride quality.
Some argue that narrower, higher-profile tires offer better ride comfort and snow performance, while others maintain that wider, lower-profile tires improve handling, cornering, and safety-especially on modern vehicles.
Real-world anecdotes and engineering experience are cited on both sides, with references to specific cars (e.g., Corvette C4, BMW 528, Audi A4, Mustang Mach 1) and tire tests.
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Brand, Pressure, and Tire Type
The discussion highlights that tire brand, inflation pressure, and category (all-season, summer, winter, touring) can have as much or more impact on handling as size alone.
Several participants stress that even within the same brand and size, different models can behave very differently.
Proper inflation and tire maintenance are emphasized as critical to performance and safety.
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Suspension Design vs. Tire Choice
A recurring point is that suspension design and alignment have a significant, sometimes greater, effect on handling and ride than tire size or profile.
Examples are given of cars with advanced suspension systems mitigating the downsides of wider, low-profile tires.
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Objective Data vs. Subjective Feel
The thread features a tension between those who prioritize objective test data (lateral Gs, ride harshness, etc.) and those who rely on subjective driving impressions.
Some posters express frustration with othersā unwillingness to accept data or engineering consensus, while others defend personal preference and āfeelā as valid.
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Tire Trends and Vehicle Design
The group discusses the automotive industryās shift toward larger wheels and lower-profile tires, often attributing it to aesthetics rather than engineering necessity.
Concerns are raised about the practicality of low-profile tires on family vehicles, citing increased risk of rim damage and harsher ride.
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Historical and Generational Perspectives
Nostalgia for older cars and technologies (bias-ply tires, analog radios, etc.) is contrasted with acknowledgment of advances in safety, performance, and comfort in modern vehicles.
The conversation includes playful generational banter, with āBoomersā and āGen Xā participants reflecting on changes in car culture, technology, and even music.
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Additional Tangents
The thread occasionally veers into related topics: metric tire sizing, tire construction, unsprung weight, acronyms in automotive language, and even personal anecdotes about classic cars and car interiors.
Humor, sarcasm, and occasional friction are present, with moderators stepping in at times due to combative exchanges.
Conclusions and Takeaways
There is no single ābestā tire size or type for all situations; the optimal choice depends on the vehicle, intended use, and driver priorities (comfort, handling, snow performance, aesthetics, etc.).
Tire performance is a complex interplay of size, profile, construction, brand, inflation, and-crucially-vehicle suspension and alignment.
Modern trends toward larger, lower-profile tires are driven as much by style as by engineering, and may not always serve the best interests of ride quality or practicality for everyday drivers.
Objective data and engineering principles are important, but subjective preferences and real-world experience also play a role in tire choice.
The discussion illustrates how strongly car enthusiasts feel about tires, and how debates on the topic can be both technically rich and deeply personal.
In summary:
The document is a sprawling, passionate debate among car enthusiasts and engineers about the effects of tire size, profile, and type on vehicle handling and ride, blending technical expertise, personal experience, and generational perspectives, and ultimately underscoring that tire choice is a nuanced, context-dependent decision.
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I canāt believe you actually did this but that would shave about three hours or reading time and 400 comments. Plus might reduce blood pressure a little. In other words everyone should do what they want and shut up.
Ford wins because they run a āMustangā. There are no more Camaros, and the Camry is, well, a Camry!
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No, not for a very long time.
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I used to race in the SCCAās Showroom Stock class B back in the 90s. There was also a pro Showroon Stock series that ran 4, 6, 12 and 24 hour races. Install a roll cage, sticky street tires and.go racing. Lots of fun.
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That was the most important part for me
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I donāt know if I am impressed or scared of what the future will bring .
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I stopped watching NASCAR after Dodge pulled out, mainly due to working every Sunday, and havenāt followed it at all in a whileā¦ But I turned it on the other day and thought gee those wheels look bigger and the tires look much wider and lower profile (started in 2022?).. OK cool whatever, then I watched a pit stop and was like, wait, did I see that right, one hit with the wheel gun?? Next pitstop shown looked a little harder (man they are fast lol) and thought, wow, those look like Centerlock hubs/wheels?.?..?
Looked it up and was like yupers, those are them there fancy type of wheels them F1 guys are running (and many others)ā¦ Next they will be going to the incar jacks I reconā¦ And wow has the drivers changed since around 2005 when I stopped watching all the cup races, I watched most of the night races when I could up until around 2012ish when Dodge finally pulled the plug and now if I ever channel surf over to it for any length of time I watch the Camrysā¦
But yeah, I think the 15" 5 lug wheels were about the closest thing left to being stockish that NASCAR had left, and now itās goneā¦ Yes I know alot of cars havenāt had 15" wheels in a while, just sayingā¦ But the cars do look better with the 17"s (?) and wider/lower tiresā¦ I think they are wider anyway, might be wrong on that, hadnāt looked it upā¦ lol
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That was pretty cool, thanks for taking the time to do it, it was interesting to say the leastā¦
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Yes, both impressive and scary at the same time.
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When Hudson was a major contender in stock car racing, allegedly some racers would drive their car to the race. As the 50s progressed NASCAR allowed modifications to creep in, NASCARās position, no it isnāt stock, but it is necessary.
Mustangman got my point, a showroom stock Mustang GT vs a Camry, I think most of us could predict the winning brand.
Been a long time since I watched any racing. I remember in the 60s, in drag racing there was all sort of variations of āstockā.
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Thanks for the response, and it was a rhetorical question.
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Gonna put Cliff Notes out of business (if they are still around). 
If the straight stock races take place, Toyota could substitute a GR Supra with a supercharged V8. It would be the homologated edition, just like the old days!
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