A racing series allowing blocking, ramming and pit-maneuvers

[g-force_addict]

It would be awesome to watch such a contact motorsport.

Maybe it would need dirt tracks to reduce vehicle speed and adhesion allowing cars to slide after collisions.
Any other ideas for not having to resort to bumper cars for safety?

As for it being to dangerous remember that there is already an (insane) competition where dirt-modified like cars crash when crossing an 8 shaped track.

[Lycoming]

Just watch death race or fast five if you want to see that kind of thing. It's ludicrously immature and in real life, would not be as awesome as it sounds in your head.

[xxChrisxx]

It would be awesome to watch such a contact motorsport.

Maybe it would need dirt tracks to reduce vehicle speed and adhesion allowing cars to slide after collisions.
Any other ideas for not having to resort to bumper cars for safety?

As for it being to dangerous remember that there is already an (insane) competition where dirt-modified like cars crash when crossing an 8 shaped track.

So why don't you? You've even answered your own post. Demolition derby and banger racing. Oh and to and extent, race 3 on a touring car weekend.

[autogyro]

I hate banger racing and demolition derby's.

When I raced oval circuit hor rods, the bangers would leave all sorts of metal rubbish on the track.
We would be continualy replacing our racing slicks from punctures.

Anybody who likes or races 'contact' formula is childish and a second rate driver.
It is very easy to hit another car but takes real skill to avoid contact.

IMO short oval racing is the most skilled and under rated form of racing in this respect.
Drivers often race inches apart at over 90 mph.

[turbof1]

It's not a bad idea.

You would need to design special circuits for it, as well as limiting car speed and make them essentially tanks in order to keep the drivers safe. It would be nice for a change though to have a less serious racing series out there. Although I doubt it would ever be a feeder series for formula1 .

[xxChrisxx]

Anybody who likes or races 'contact' formula is childish and a second rate driver.
It is very easy to hit another car but takes real skill to avoid contact.

To be fair, it's different strokes for different folks. I personally find the most entertaining BTCC race is the last one of the weekend where the drivers all go mental for points, with all the extra door banging action that goes on.

Like when Plato tried to punt Collard off at Donington last year, and ended up spinning himself off. You may argue 'crap racing' but good entertainment.

The main point was that the op is asking 'wouldn't it be awesome if...'. When it already exists, though it is a niche market because most find it puerile (myself included) to have a race where the point is to have a crash.

IMO short oval racing is the most skilled and under rated form of racing in this respect.

And I'd have to say i'd agree with this. I've done some high speed proving ground driving on an oval/bowl, and i had a new-found respect for oval drivers. I found it mentally exhausting doing 20 mins there. I just can't imagine a full race, with people nudging you from behind and someone sat inches to your side.

[Tommy Cookers]

IMO short oval racing is the most skilled and under rated form of racing in this respect.

is this a loose track surface ?
or are we saying the difficulty is the circuit being mostly corner ?
'proper' circuits traditionally had about 7 corners per lap, now they have 19 in F1

some ovals (not short ones) have as much skill in cornering as the railways do
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was designed for such 'hands-off' driving (at 90 mph)
Brooklands and Monza were designed to be hands-off at very high speeds (but became like rollercoaster riding)

do people know (with ovals) what they are watching ? (I know that I don't)
eg on old footage it's not clear what the surface is
and people see what they expect/want to see ...... a loose-surface powerslide-fest ......
when the surface is actually fairly stable and (much of the time) both ends of the car are drifting
eg ask these simple questions
do drivers brake at Indy ? (and when did they start doing this ?) or what do they do ?

[autogyro]

IMO short oval racing is the most skilled and under rated form of racing in this respect.

is this a loose track surface ?
or are we saying the difficulty is the circuit being mostly corner ?
'proper' circuits traditionally had about 7 corners per lap, now they have 19 in F1

some ovals (not short ones) have as much skill in cornering as the railways do
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was designed for such 'hands-off' driving (at 90 mph)
Brooklands and Monza were designed to be hands-off at very high speeds (but became like rollercoaster riding)

do people know (with ovals) what they are watching ? (I know that I don't)
eg on old footage it's not clear what the surface is
and people see what they expect/want to see ...... a loose-surface powerslide-fest ......
when the surface is actually fairly stable and (much of the time) both ends of the car are drifting
eg ask these simple questions
do drivers brake at Indy ? (and when did they start doing this ?) or what do they do ?

We raced on a wide range of surfaces, concrete, tarmac, shale and even grass when invited to grass track or autocross/rallycross events.
Most of the tracks were 1/4 mile ovals with solid steel fence posts with thick wire rope fences right around the circuit, although I have raced at 'flapping' tracks (concorde raceway was one) that was grass with the car trailers parked around it to form a barrier to the crowd.
I hit a fence post backwards at one track and the post ended up next to me in the car, made all my teeth go loose.
Fractured my back on that one.
Another time I cartwheeled along the fence and took the roof off the car.
My local track at Bovingdon near Watford had a ditch on either side and was part of the old Runway where I had flown a few times before as a cadet.
I certainly used brakes on 1/4 ovals, dont know about the American high speed stuff.
We also tried super stocks, midgets and stock cars, the last are limited contact formula'.