What kind of automotive racing requires the most skill? Which do you prefer to watch?

Question

In my opinion it would be those Rally racers! They're insane!!! The in-car videos make you wonder how they remain calm!!!

Answer 1

Rally. Hands down. I would love to be  a rally racer. Drifting on the gravel, riding through deserts and tarmac. It looks so amazing and the jumps make it real entertaining. Rally video games are fun too.

Aside from that, I think Formula 1 would take the most skill.

On the bottom of the list is NASCAR. 250+ laps in a big oval are INSANELY boring. I really don't know how people can watch that.

The skill necessary to drive a rally race and a NASCAR race are incomparable. Rally driving requires so much more skill than turning left over and over for hours.

Answer 2

Off-road racing.  Either closed course, or open, those 900 h.p. trucks are a blast to watch. Crandon is the place to watch.

Answer 3

F1 wich i will be racing someday still in karts but im young.rally is also exciting.nascar is boring indy car is o.k and drag racing is boring.

Answer 4

Rally by far.  We race on dirt, snow, ice, tarmac, at night, during the day, during snow storms, rain storms sometimes all in one race.  We contend with jumps, exposure, live stock, flat tires on stage which we have to fix, houses, trees, large rocks, unpredictable and changing conditions, and on very rare occations; pissed off hunters or locals driving backwards on course!  6 to 12 hours a day of racing and often more than one day with limited resources to service with.  It's a difficult game for the mechanics, driver, and co-drivers.  If you wreck and only have one wheel left, you drive until you can't any more.    

-Drag racing is cool but I consider it a mechanics event.  Yeah you have to be fast but only from 6- 12 seconds or so.  Shifting fast and keeping it under control is the only skills you need.  I want to loose my **** out there and risk my life.    

-Nascar sucks but I bet it would be awesome to race stock cars with a bunch of your best buddies.  Thats the only way I would do it.  But at that point; I'd rather hop in a road car.  

-F1 is ok but Too static for me.  Not enough veriables.  

-Desert racing is the bomb, but I think buggies are stupid looking.  Trophy trucks or class 11 is awesome.  But the sport is way too expensive.  

-Now sprint boats!  Thats something I would love to do.  But the wife draws the line there.  Sprint boats should use irrigation ditches and go cross country with them.  That would be the sickest thing ever.

Answer 5

Rally is tough because the driver doesnt know the course..

That and F1 are my votes..

Answer 6

in my opinion the NHRA, i dont really know much about Rally racers so i cant really say anything. but i know that top fuel dragsters are running on part nitro methane, a very volatile substance, and they have about 8,000hp when the weather conditions are right. they also can cover a 1/4 mile distance in less than 4 seconds going over 300mph most of the time. it requires great reaction time and reflexes, and you have to deal with the intense amount of g forces. i think its more entertaining to watch live because when top fuel goes down the track it feels like an earthquake with just two cars, you can feel the vibrations in your heart, up through your shoulder blades, and throught your whole body. not to mention your eardrums shaking is the weirdest feeling ever. and i think that's what makes the NHRA so interesting to watch live.

Answer 7

It's problematic to say which form requires the "most" skill, because for all the examples you have, you are looking at different skills.

Rally driving present some unique challenges, and probably a key reason why it has been mentioned so often thus far.  Though the real unique challenge in a Rally is the lack of driver recon.  This, along with the challenges of different surfaces and multistage events make this a definite contender for the most challenging... however, the individual stages themselves are much shorter than other competitions making endurance and long term focus less of an issue on a per stage basis.  And since events are essentially time trials, setting up for a pass and protecting your line - two of the most important and difficult skills in most motorsport - are entirely missing.

Formula 1 and Sports Prototypes can be considered as there are also unique challenges in handling cars capable of their cornering speeds.  Further, the aero-sensitivity of these cars makes passing even more difficult, thus magnifying one's ability to setup a pass.  The forces involved also make physical fitness a major issue, and the potentially longer stints for prototypes in Endurance racing make this even moreso (though most stints will be in the same range as an F1 race, making these similar in terms of driver skill and ability).  Further, F1's standing starts add a complexity on their side not seen in most sports car racing (though shared with Rally).

While other forms require alot of skill and a wide range, they do not require the range or depth of the above.  Which is "most" will ultimately depend on what you consider most important (though in terms of difficulty and what's involved in driving any of these cars, it seems clear in most answers in this catagory that the people answering don't have any real seat time).

As for my watching preferences, I greatly enjoy F1 and often enjoy many of the open wheel spec series when they are broadcast.  Though I definitely enjoy others, they are well behind F1 on my personal preference list.

Answer 8

World of Outlaw Sprint Cars and World of Outlaw Late Model Series. I love this racing because these drivers seem to drive their cars beyond what average people think is possible. They race side by side while sliding sideways at over 120mph running 3 and 4 wide. This is an incredible sight. Drag racing DOES NOT require the most amount of skill.. I cannot believe that someone actually thinks that. I mean sure, those drivers need good reaction time and quick shifts but what makes that different then every form of racing. Every driver needs good reaction time and shift speed. If you think drag racers are the best drivers, then watch the prelude to the dream race at Eldora speedway..  Two drag racers were put into real racecars and they SUCKED!!!! Last place.

I do like rally also.. Those guys have huge kahoonies for going that fast down a little trail with trees on both sides...

Answer 9

Not a big rally fan, but I do agree that a lot of skill is required.  Narrow roads, tight turns, speed and sometimes dark conditions.

Motocross would have to be up there too.  You need skill not just to make left and right turns but to jump and land.