The graphics on TV at the beginning of the race clearly said "500 km" after an odd-mile figure.
Carleton From: Kilopascal [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 23:09 To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:49943] NASCAR Subway 500 It is interesting that you mention Subway. I discovered recently something interesting about their sandwiches. As you are most likely aware they are the only sandwich restaurant to use the footlong trade name. I thought this would hurt their business when commodity prices rose and they couldn't reduce their product in size like their competitors as is normally done instead of raising the price. But they did find a way to reduces their product in size. They are now narrower. I noticed recently that when I ate their sandwiches recently that I was still hungry. Then the last time I bought one, I noticed that they are giving less of the pickles, peppers, olives, etc. as before but also the width of the bread is half the size. I can't say for sure, but I bet the width reduction was gradual or it would have been noticed sooner. BTW, there really is no sixinch size. They take the footlong size and cut in half without measuring. So it is possible to get a shorter than half or a longer than half, depending on how your luck is running for the day. But since the chain is offering most sandwiches for 5 $ for the footlong, and the sixinch is priced over 4 $, no one is buying the sixinch. It is better to buy the footlong and eat what you can and save the rest for later or sell half of it to someone else for 2.50 $. As for Phoenix, I highly doubt the people there, except the Mexican and other foreign immigrants, happily accept the 500 km race. Unless proved otherwise, I'm sure that those interested are asking for a translation in to "'merican" or already know it. What I found interesting from the Wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_Fresh_Fit_500 The race will be 312 laps, where each lap is a mile, thus the race is 312 miles or 502.115 km. The race is not a true 500 km race. The race has been run since 2005 and it appears calling it a 500 km race for the past 6 years hasn't done one thing to help metrication. Why should this year be any different than the previous 5? Also look at the charts for the past results. The miles are round and the metric contains 3 decimal digits in parentheses. Average speed is given only in mph. Where are the km/h figures? So much for it being a metric race. [USMA:49943] NASCAR Subway 500 Pat Naughtin Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:15:37 -0800 On 2011/02/28, at 07:42 , [email protected] wrote: > Well, right now I'm watching the NASCAR Subway 500 from Phoenix. That's 500 > km. Really. > Carleton Dear Carleton, Back in the olden days in Australia we had a car race for modified production cars called the Bathurst 500 -- meaning 500 miles. At metrication this was changed to the Bathurst 1000 -- meaning 1000 kilometres. This is the way it is still held; see http://www.bathurst1000.com.au <http://www.bathurst1000.com.au/> and play the video for the full vroom - vroom! By the way Carleton, given the sponsor for the NASCAR Subway 500, I have to ask: Is the race sponsored by the SIXINCH or the FOOTLONG? The fact that the people in Phoenix can happily accept a 500 kilometre race just supports the view (which I often repeat) that the metrication of the USA is inevitable -- it cannot be stopped. However, support from people like the members of this forum can, and will, influence the way it is done and therefore the speed with which metrication can be completed. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/ApproachesToMetrication.pdf Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia
