Is Formula 1 racing a redneck sport in Europe?

[theevilsanta]

In America Nascar (our equivalent to Formula 1 i guess) is considered a "redneck" sport. Basically its biggest fans are under-educated, lower class, rural country folk. Most "intelligent" people consider a fondness for it to be a "lower class" pastime. Is it the same in the UK or Europe in general? Do upper-middle class snobs look down on it?

 

[hudsonzero]

no its not classed as our red neck equivalent of a sport

 

[Michael Ellis]

No, what the hell gave you that idea?

If there's any sport in Europe that's fandom consists primarily of imbeciles, it's Soccer.

 

[zfactor]

Nascar (technically NASCAR) actually has the most fans of any sport in the USA. All people I know do not "look down" on fans of it because it is a "redneck" sport. Some of the smartest people in the world design those cars, so I (and everyone I know) consider it an "intelligent" pastime. I'm "upper-middle class" by the way.

 

[tomtom94]

I hope I'm not a redneck...I love that sport.

 

[hudsonzero]

Does Europe have rednecks, or are they called something else? I don't mean people who are called imbeciles and what-not. Perhaps some term that isn't used in the States?

well in England it depends on where your closer to scottland or dover on who you insult

 

[Something Amyss]

In America Nascar (our equivalent to Formula 1 i guess) is considered a "redneck" sport. Basically its biggest fans are under-educated, lower class, rural country folk. Most "intelligent" people consider a fondness for it to be a "lower class" pastime. Is it the same in the UK or Europe in general? Do upper-middle class snobs look down on it?

I don't think the primary draw to an F1 event is the crashes.

 

[Michael Ellis]

Dude, EVERY continent has idiots. We just don't give names to the white ones.

 

[Blame]

Proper Football (Soccer,) is the equivilent of what you're looking for, specifically English football. This is partly due to it's incredible popularity all over the world except America and Canada. SOME English fans are definatly your archetypal football hooligan, whereas the football hooligans in Europe are downright dangerous, (re: Poland, Italy, Spain, Russia.)

Formula 1 is considered, (by me anyway,) to be the elite of motorsport. Not in excitement, but definatly in skill and technical achievement. I don't think the oval-ringed precession of NASCAR can compare, (except those brief, glorious, explosive, horrific crashes that appear to happen only once every 5 races.)

 

[Kernow Chris]

[\quote] well in England it depends on where your closer to scottland or dover on who you insult[/quote]

Love that sentence! So true btw...

Football isn't a "redneck" sport either, I am a massive football fan...which doesn't make me a hooligan. Btw I'm talking about soccer for our cousins to the west XD

And I've never understood the appeal of watching cars go around a ring with only 2 corners 500 (or however many) times...

 

[Blame]

Is the term redneck used? My ignorance led me to believe it was an American term not used by others.

The closest thing I think we have, (in England,) to Rednecks are 'Pikeys' and 'Chavs'. Niether of them are really a synonym for the American Redneck.

 

[CountryMike]

Does Europe have rednecks, or are they called something else? I don't mean people who are called imbeciles and what-not. Perhaps some term that isn't used in the States?

In Belgium they're called klootjesvolk lol

 

[Owlslayer]

I don't really think so. But i rarely watch it myself.
As a fanbase, the soccer one has the most insane/stupid people just cause it so damn popular. I like football, it's great, but there ARE some fans that go over the top. SOME. But still, most of them are quite normal.

 

[Blame]

Football isn't a "redneck" sport either, I am a massive football fan...which doesn't make me a hooligan. Btw I'm talking about soccer for our cousins to the west XD

Yeah, it doesn't fit perfectly, but I think it's the closest thing. I'm a football, (Chelsea, specifically,) fan and I consider myself middle class. But some of the people I stand next to on the terraces certainly are not. But who cares, there's not that much violence, (compared to on the continent,) nowadays.

 

[GrinningManiac]

Europe isn't hemoganized (sp?) to the same extent as the States, so we don't have a "European redneck" stereotype because we don't really have blanket European stereotypes at all

in answer the the question, thuogh. No, it's a very high-tech sport with a lot of techno-babble. It's all about the engies and the aerodynamics and all manner of engineering

Think of it less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

No, it's not. It's actually incredibly popular with people from all areas of life, not just "rednecks".

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Nascar (technically NASCAR) actually has the most fans of any sport in the USA. All people I know do not "look down" on fans of it because it is a "redneck" sport. Some of the smartest people in the world design those cars, so I (and everyone I know) consider it an "intelligent" pastime. I'm "upper-middle class" by the way.

Having a team of incredibly intelligent people pouring every ounce of their intellect and creativity into such a project does little to detract from the following facts:

1) Most of the people who openly profess to like NASCAR will appear to be of less than stellar intelligence.
2)Most of the people who regularly win the races speak as though they are from a rural area (and the presumption of being a redneck follows naturally unless overwhelming evidence proves otherwise of course)
3) Those who watch the sport often assert that they only do so to watch the crashes
4) The races themselves consist of a series of cars that look fairly identical traveling very fast around a track that consists entirely of left turns. While it may be extraordinarily difficult in actuality, it appears both easy and, for most of the world, boring.

 

[Gardenclaw]

F1 is pretty elite and for the wealthy. Just check out who is in the paddock/pits during a race and you will see . A more "redneck" motorsport here would be Grasstracking. Not a very popular motorsport but involves driving old bangers around a track in a muddy field. Touring cars is a closer relative of NASCAR and has more of a "redneck" crowd than Formula 1.

For those pointing the finger at Football. (soccer) Have you ever seen a darts match crowd? Now there is a redneck sport!