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Game Theory at 190mph
cameronm writes "A recent article in Slate discusses the value of NASCAR racing as a tool to study Game Theory. You can view the original study at FirstMonday."
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Game Theory (GT) is a mathematical field all about choices: given a set of knowledge, build a set of choices that will lead to the greatest expected outcome.
GT can be applied to games, since games generally consist of a set of choices. But the term is more often heard in economic circles: stock market, insurance calculations, portfolio planning... But don't limit it to that either. GT can be applied to most any sort of competition, such as competition for food sources between predator species, or trying to find the shortest/quickest way through the lines at a supermarket.
A number of different factors influence your choices. How much information do I know? How much information does my opponent(s) know? Do they know I know what they know? Can I influence my opponent's choices such that we both get a better outcome? All these things will change my strategy.
Well, if you don't win, you don't get paid. As it should be. Most drivers, say Dale Jr, Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarett, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon win a few times a season and barring winning, finish in the top ten. Plus if you get high in the points race you get paid money too. So saying that they don't get paid millions is not showing much insite there.
On the other hand, most teams and drivers will bend over backwards to do things for the fans. They have appearances, they sign autograph after autograph at special sessions and right in their locker room, the garage area. This has slowed down a bit. It had gotten so bad that they had to issue Hot and Cold passes because asshole fans got in the way (last year, Tony allegedly pushed a fan out of his way on the way to his trailer. Ends up they were just trying to egg him on.). The new rule was made to protect fans from flying tools, cars, and to give the racers some time to get away. Now they can walk from their RV to their trailer without a crowd behind them when it's close to practice times and race time. Imagine if football or baseball was this way even a little. It would never happen.
Very rarely do you hear racers bad mouthing each other and 2 years ago when Dale Earnhardt Sr. Died, there was an outpouring from fans AND drivers.
NASCAR drivers are usually clean cut. OH they may toss back some clydesdales, but that's about it. You don't hear much about this driver is doign this and this driver is doing that. Noone to my knowledge has ever been caught doing drugs and you usually don't hear of them beating their wives either. They are generally alot better then the majority of the public, but human all the same.
NASCAR is more then just getting in your car and going fast. You got to MAKE SURE your car is fast. Tweak the camber hear, round of track bar there...a few tenths of a pound of air in a tire, patching your car so it's still aerodynamic. NASCAR racing can be incredibly geeky and usually is. Races like Daytona and Talledega are like chess matches instead of races. Get the help of the draft to get ya up front. Block the others to stay up front. No when to pit and when to stay out. When to two tire and when to get 4 new tires.....on and on. Crew Chiefs not only have to know alot about cars, they have to be able to interpret the driver and tell the pit crew what to do on a pitstop. They calculate fuel mileage so they know to the lap when they can stop to get tires and gas. They also do quick thinking on the spot when a driver has some damage to his car. NASCAR is one of the most complex sports of all since it's really more then just the driver and the car. Recently, they added crew names to the pit crews uniforms. Without men like Chocolate Meyers and Slugger Labbe, these guys would be driving Go Karts. NASCAR IS A COMPLEX sport as well as a honerable one. One I am proud to show my son and say go ahead and give it a try Not like other sports where you don't need people of high intelligence.
Gorkman
I am not a big racing fan and have never really understood the allure, but the section Basic Dynamics of Drafting is a fantastic read. It gives great insight into tactics used by these highly skilled drivers.
European racing grew out of an entirely different concept. There the idea was the "test." Pitting the machines of different manufacturers against each other to see which one could best negotiate its way between two points over the road. The driver was considered largely incidental. There merely because someone had to be there to operate the machine.
This is incorrect. While european auto racing did stem from testing the superior vehicles that europe produces, the driver has always been a celebrated element. The "checkered flag" which nascar fans seem to enjoy so much was first used by the Germans.
My largest (technology oriented) complaints with nascar are the ancient technology used in the engines (pushrod V8's, what is this the 1950's?) and the fact that it's called "stock car" racing. There is not one single part in common between the nascar ford taurus and the ford taurus you get at the ford dealer. nascar is not stock car racing. Real stock car racing is called "Touring Car" racing, where the cars are basically showroom stock, as they are at any dealership.
I'd rather be a conservative nutjob than a liberal with no nuts and no job.