Kenny

Racing is a sport that not many people like. There is more work that goes into it than any other sport. People say its boring cause all they do is go in circles and make left turns. Well that is not true. Behind the pit wall it is like a whole new world. There are people running to get parts, there is whines of ratchet guns going off everywhere you go, and the constant chatter of people talking to get new ideas. There is never time to stop or slow down.


Racing is a dangerous sport. If you forget a bolt or make one wrong move, it could be yours or somebody else's life you are putting in jeopardy. Racing is the sport of trust, speed, and knowledge. It has been around for over 100 years and started from the moonshine runners in the south.

Nascar has had many people make a difference or change the sport in some way over the years. The safety equipment and rules are new every day. Nascar has lost many great drivers from deadly crashes. Every day there are changes being made on and off the track to protect the drivers and fans.

Most tracks have stirafome blocks behind the cement walls to absorb the impact of a crash so the roll cage and driver take less of a beating. All tracks are required to have safety fences all the way around so if a car gets in the air the car or parts will not injure any fans. A great addition to Nascar was the introduction of the Car Of Tomorrow in 2007. The Car Of Tomorrow is wider and taller than the current race car. The drivers roll cage has been moved back and the driver's seat has moved in towards the center of the car. This provides a larger crumple zone around the driver and will help protect him in a side impact. The exhaust system has been rerouted and designed to keep heat away from the driver. This will help reduce fatigue and prevent some of the blisters and heat exhaustion that happens very often. Another big aspect of the Car Of Tomorrow is the competitive improvements in the design. The Car Of Tomorrow was designed to provide more passing and make the cars less sensitive to other cars.

NASCAR made a number of changes designed to make the cars less aerodynamic. The windshield is now standing up much straighter causing it to catch more wind, increasing drag and slowing the cars. Also the front bumper has been redesigned with a new front splitter to catch the air instead of cut through it. Another competitive feature is the new and larger wing which should increase the stability of the cars and slow them down. This is another feature designed to make the cars punch a larger hole in the air.

The Car Of Tomorrow will be less aerodynamic and will depend less on the wind for its stability. This will help the cars drive better in traffic and will reduce the "aero push" which currently makes it very difficult for cars to pass on the track at speed.

Samantha

There is just one thing that really ticks me off and that is the guys that think that women are just here for house work and to take care of children. Men are not the superior gender; women can do everything a man can. I think I'm a good example of that fact because I race cars and almost everyone that I've talked to about this thinks that racing is just for the boys. Well its not, I go out there every Saturday and race against the guys who think that just because I'm a girl I can't hold my own on the track. "Oh that's cool that you race. I bet you want to be just like your daddy huh?" That is so not the case, I mean sure my dad races too but I'm not doing it because of him I race because it's what I like to do.

The race track is not the only place that is "run" by guys pretty much everywhere you look there is proof that our world is centered on what men think. For example the word history has the word HIS right there in the beginning. I'm not saying that we need to change the word to our-story or anything it's just evidence of how our world thinks and I do not agree with it. When guys act all high and mighty it makes some women feel useless or unappreciated but other women (like me) feel like we should step up and show/prove that we are just as good as the guys. Not all women are as strongly opinionated as I am but that should not stop us from trying to make a difference and change the way the world views women.


Why do guys think they are so much better than us? If there was any way we could switch roles and live a day in each other's shoes, do you think that would put it in to the guys' perspective that women are treated unfairly? I would really like to see what their reactions would be if women treated men half as bad as they treat us. Who knows if it could work but if it did then I bet there would be a lot changes, hopefully for the better.
I had my dad read this yesterday and asked what he thought about it, here is what he said "I think it's good but what I can't figure out is where all your hate comes from. You know that all guys don't act like that and I feel offended that you would write like that."

I do know that all guys don't act like that but there is a good amount that do. My dad is not one of them; he respects women (Not that he has much of a choice being that he has a wife and four daughters). The thing that I don't understand is how he or any other guy could be offended by what I've written? I don't think I implied that every man is a Neanderthal stuck in the "Me man. You woman." Mind set but interpret it how you want. All I'm trying to say is that men and women are and should be treated equal. What you have in your pants doesn't decide if you're better at anything or anyone.

April

What ticks you off?? There are many things in this world that ticks people off. There are so many people and so many things that tick me off. Well to start off there are so many people in this world that are so rude. There are so many people in this school that are so rude. Let me tell you a story about all the rude kids in this FREAKING school! Well this is the rudest school that I been to, like when you're walking in the hallways people don't even care or watch out where they're going. They just bump right into you all dumb, or if you're talking to one of your friends they just walk right through you. Like my friend Ashley and I were talking in the halls and she was handing me some lip-gloss and this dude just like went through our hands and almost made me drop it, it was so rude. This school is so crowded like you can't even walk around. That's one the things that ticks me off so much is rude people.

Well to talk about rude people in the world, oh gees there is a lot a lot. When I'm driving I hate when people like try to speed up and pass me but I get mad so I don't let them. And I do stuff to tick them off. Like if there is someone like all on my butt than I just drive slower and when the try to pass me I speed up so they can haha they get all mad and flip me off n all this stuff. I love to tick people off I think it is so funny. They get so mad. Now I know why my little sisters LOVE to tick me off, and when they just laugh I get even madder. My sisters are such little brats they go in my room and mess with me just to get me and then they go tell my mom that I did something wrong to they, so I get in trouble. I get so mad at them and want to hit them and if I do I even get in more trouble, so I can't ever do anything to them. They can go in my room, mess with me and not get in trouble.


Another thing that ticks me off is fake people. I hate fake people there such back stabbers. They will be all cool to you face n than go behind you back n talk stuff. That gets me so mad. Why can't they just say it to your face, are they scared of you or something. Umm I don't know!!!! Well let me just tell u something if people do that stuff to you, well don't go up to them and start talking stuff but just don't get on their level. Be above them. FREAKSSSSSS them all don't let it get to you n tick you off.