randyrad (Offline)
#22
8/24/08 4:00 PM
How a race car sounds is almost as important as how it looks (& that's important, just ask USAC & NASCAR).
To my ear, you can't beat a nonturbo V-8. The bigger CID & higher comp ratio the better. The 410's definitely sound better than the 358/360's in Sprints.
The best eng music ever was the supercharged/nonturbo Rolls Royce Merlin & Griffin aircraft engs that used to power the Unlimited Hydro's (especially when echoing off the Ohio River banks at Madison or Evansville). First they went to turboAllisons, which were ok, but when they went to turbines, it became a waterborne vacuum cleaner race. I lost interst & stopped going to watch'em.
Gotta appeal to all the senses to make it a "spectacle" (love a hint of methanol exhaust, as well. ... it blocks out the eau de portajohns). Gettiin' pelted with an occasional mud pellet in the turn4 grandstand keeps you alert. JMO