General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Indy Track Almost Too Dangerous. Obsolete W/Newer Formula 1 Cars. [View all]hunter
(38,264 posts)Racing vehicles have diverged from ordinary passenger vehicles. Most every technology on modern high end race cars -- tires, brakes, entire engines -- are essentially throw-aways, definitely not designed to last 250,000 miles or more... (My wife and I both drive cars with this kind of mileage on them. I'm an indifferent mechanic, but we know some of the best mechanics in town; people who love cars. I don't like cars, but I can repair most things.)
Citing two of your examples, short-lived goopy race car tires are nothing you'd want on your own passenger car. DOT rated "competition" tires are derivative of passenger car designs, not the other way around, with mostly cosmetic changes like different sidewall decorations and a more aggressive looking tread design. Short-lived racing brake pads are similarly useless on passenger cars. DOT rated "competition" brake pads are derivative of ordinary passenger car designs. (The move away from asbestos brake pads was driven by health concerns, not competition. Asbestos is a carcinogen.)
Don't take my car skepticism personally. I have two brothers who are car and motorcycle enthusiasts and both did a lot of racing when they were young, with all the scars and permanent injuries that go along with that. They always had bikes like this:
and the occasional dangerously over-powered Lamborghini or Porsche.
Yeah, I've driven those, but I'd never buy anything like that. Hell, I'd be happy if I never bought a car again and my current car reaches 500,000 miles or beyond.
I seem to be missing whatever gene it is that makes people appreciate aggressive driving and fast cars and bikes, but my wife has it, and one of our kids has it. Our kid learned the hard way that owning a high performance car and driving it too fast attracts the attention of the Highway Patrol. He sold the fast car and bought a boring entirely nondescript car just one ticket away from license suspension.