NASCAR driver tries video game move, fails

by Justin McElroy { Sep 29th 2008 at 1:55PM }

We thought no one would be able to supplant Dick Trickle in our hearts as our favorite NASCAR driver, but we'd like to announce that the top slot now belongs to Carl Edwards, who just discovered that things don't always work out the way they do in games. The driver attempted a move called the "slide job" during Sunday's Camping World RV 400 that would have had him sliding behind leader Jimmie Johnson, glancing off the wall and taking first place.

It didn't pan out that way. Sliding into the wall slowed him down more than he thought, leading him to comment after the race, "I always wanted to try to do that. Now I know it doesn't quite work the same as video games." Oh, well, add it to the list with grenade tagging and riding miniature dinosaurs.

You can check out an interview with our new hero about the stunt right after the break.

Tags: carl-edwards, nascar

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

sinai @ Sep 29th 2008 1:57PM

WHAT? Video games are only an approximation of reality and the things contained within them shouldn't be tried in real life? NO WAY!

FSK405K @ Sep 29th 2008 2:25PM

Sure, they are. I steal ten cars per day and have been the pointman for every battle in WWII and the war on terror. What have you done with your life?

sinai @ Sep 29th 2008 2:56PM

i have a job. and a girlfriend.

Red Leader @ Sep 29th 2008 3:04PM

+1 for awesome comeback.

burgerbat @ Sep 29th 2008 2:01PM

Carl Edwards FTW! Kyle Busch is a little bitch! Go 99!

Ben! @ Sep 29th 2008 2:21PM

lol @ you watching racing.

Ben! @ Sep 29th 2008 4:20PM

Quite a few racing fans here I see.

KeenCommander @ Sep 29th 2008 5:42PM

Actually, we just hate trolls...even if we're not fans.

Imadogg @ Sep 30th 2008 4:47AM

lol at both of Ben!'s posts

DangerMouse @ Sep 29th 2008 2:02PM

Someone send this guy some turtle shells. That might actually get me to start watching NASCAR.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Sep 29th 2008 2:21PM

He should try using his car to make crazy loops and jumps like in Trackmania. That'd DEFINITELY get me to watch NASCAR ;D

Obie @ Sep 29th 2008 2:30PM

But if he used the blue-spiked shell, wouldn't he p0wned himself? :O

DWells55 @ Sep 29th 2008 3:12PM

Give him one of those lightning bolt things - now that would be entertainment.

BigD145 @ Sep 29th 2008 4:54PM

It's called the road, it's called the Rainbow Road
It is a road that you go
It's a road that you go when you die!

Obie @ Sep 29th 2008 2:03PM

Daytonaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Announcer @ Sep 29th 2008 2:59PM

Rollllllling

STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART

Jakka(A tribute to whose who fought and failed during the Epic Flamewar of L.A. Noir and MR.ESC) @ Sep 29th 2008 2:04PM

Considering that "Slide Job" is an actual move, I suppose the video game quote is simply a joke.

Don't get too serious people.

kaneda @ Sep 29th 2008 4:44PM

Of course a "slide job" is a real move, just ask your mom!

jk

Morisato @ Sep 30th 2008 4:22AM

I was bored and looked up what a slide job was...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr1-0McXazw&feature=related

For those too lazy to look, it's when you take a corner too tight so when exiting the turn, you ride up the track and in front of the car that was in front of you. This forces that car to slow down, losing momentum while you try to gain control and not hit the wall.

Poisoned Al @ Sep 29th 2008 2:04PM

I want to see if rocket jumping works. I mean it doesn't do the solider in TF2 much harm, so what could possibly go wrong shooting an anti-tank device at your feet?

Jakka(A tribute to whose who fought and failed during the Epic Flamewar of L.A. Noir and MR.ESC) @ Sep 29th 2008 2:41PM

It'd work as long as nobody else gets caught in the blast.

TF2 players will know what I'm talking about.

Suichimo @ Sep 29th 2008 2:05PM

Carl is a good guy and its always nice to see him do his backflip after winning. Although I'm a Dale Jr. fan through and through. He really shouldn't of tried what he did though, yesterday, as he might have won the race if he didn't.

Oh well. I wonder what game he got that maneuver from though. Every simulation racing game I've played slows you down pretty good when you get into the wall.

Roddie @ Sep 29th 2008 2:52PM

Gran Turismo.

Debikul @ Sep 29th 2008 3:01PM

"Gran Turismo"

I was about to say that too.

Crashes in GT are just like the crashes when I was a kid playing with steel cast pocket sized toy cars. They hit each other and bounce. No damage.

Ridgecity @ Sep 29th 2008 4:17PM

Polyphony Is going to kick his ass for doing Dual Shock moves on real life.

Vcize @ Sep 29th 2008 2:27PM

Is there a clip from the race where he tried this out there anywhere?

PsEG @ Sep 29th 2008 3:07PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqTK6GjOIM

The move in question is 1:20 in. Final lap, final turn.

I'm sure the video game comment was nothing more than a joke, as Carl Edwards usually tries something really gutsy like this when he has a chance to win. Sometimes it works better than this.

Obie @ Sep 29th 2008 3:13PM

@PseG: While I am more of a F1 fan, that was actually a pretty slick move. Sooo close!

WiNG [Life in a Game] @ Sep 29th 2008 2:27PM

To be fair to him, the avg NASCAR game is much more of a sim than.. say... GTA 4.

Dacool561 @ Sep 29th 2008 2:30PM

he has obviously never played initial d. Walls = pwn slowage

aristokrat @ Sep 29th 2008 2:39PM

I saw that on ESPN last night, and I kind of get the impression that he was joking around.

McWeen @ Sep 29th 2008 2:46PM

He was probably joking but the real joke is people watching Nascar.

unfriendly_cat @ Sep 29th 2008 3:04PM

I find NASCAR very boring, and would never watch it on tv. However, I've been to two races when visiting a friend in Texas, and live it's an amazing spectacle. Hundreds of thousands of people, and such a glorious sound...

AduroX @ Sep 29th 2008 3:40PM

“Oh, look – they’re making a left turn! Oh, they’re making another left turn! And now they’re making a left turn! I wonder what’s gonna happen next!”

Ben! @ Sep 29th 2008 4:50PM

I got drug to a race once and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Deafening, boring, endless. I'd never go again.

Burnt Meatloaf @ Sep 30th 2008 7:04AM

Car racing is only fun to watch from the inside of the car. That's why I love rally racing so much.

Frankly, any sport is boring if you don't know the rules. When you know how much work goes into building the car, tuning it, and just how they work the controls and search for grip on different parts of the track, it's a lot of fun to watch.

I know nothing about the rules of football, so the only entertainment I get out of that sport is when one of the mascots trips over a bucket.

Ryan LN @ Sep 30th 2008 1:28PM

Wait a second... who are we (okay, *you*) to make fun of anyone for doing anything? The more inclusive "we" are all spending valuable time out of our lives posting our thoughts on a blog that is dedicated to video games- if that's not prima facie evidence of a wee bit of obsessiveness that is easily ridiculed, I don't know what is. Now I'm not saying I'm a nerd or anything, but far be it from me to truck with someone else's favorite pastime because it is "boring", "deafening", or "repetitive"- these sound like the same things my wife says about Gears of War at 1:00 in the morning. Rock on NASCAR fans- it's good to have stuff that you give a shit about and makes you happy.