Marble racing is now the pinnacle of motor sports
February 19, 2020 1:17 PM Subscribe
With the Daytona 500 in the rearview and the start of the Formula 1 season yet a few weeks away, race fans are finding their fix with the brand new, zero emissions Marbula One marble racing series. First, the racers must qualify, and then they face off in a ten lap grand prix race. (via Jalopnik)
You're kind of selling the marbles short here - we're in the middle of the Formula E season (races last weekend and a week and half from now) and Formula 1 testing has started this week. People aren't turning to it for lack of other options!
posted by Dysk at 1:31 PM on February 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Dysk at 1:31 PM on February 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
Complicated marble racing? Of course it's Jelle :)
posted by filthy light thief at 1:36 PM on February 19, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by filthy light thief at 1:36 PM on February 19, 2020 [9 favorites]
Mrs. flyingfox and I are huge fans if his marble racing channel. I love her dearly even though she doesn't root for the Oooo-Rangers.
posted by flyingfox at 1:36 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by flyingfox at 1:36 PM on February 19, 2020
Their lines are terrible.
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:40 PM on February 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 1:40 PM on February 19, 2020 [5 favorites]
A commenter on Jalopnik also points to this Matchbox/Hot Wheels Die Cast Rally racing series. Unreasonably entertaining.
I'm also reminded of the Saturday I discovered YouTube's extensive collection of electric football videos.
posted by chrchr at 1:53 PM on February 19, 2020 [12 favorites]
I'm also reminded of the Saturday I discovered YouTube's extensive collection of electric football videos.
posted by chrchr at 1:53 PM on February 19, 2020 [12 favorites]
Die Cast Rally FTW!!!
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:09 PM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:09 PM on February 19, 2020 [2 favorites]
At least there is passing at the front unlike Formula 1.
posted by jvbthegolfer at 2:15 PM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by jvbthegolfer at 2:15 PM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
When the commentator said it was the first race of the season, I found myself wondering how they manage the logistics of getting the track and the marbles halfway across the world to get to the next race location. Instead of, you know, just setting up a different track in the same studio.
posted by ambrosen at 2:28 PM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by ambrosen at 2:28 PM on February 19, 2020 [3 favorites]
Lots of action throughout the field, and a ton more passing than in a typical F1 snoozefest. I approve!
posted by Thorzdad at 2:41 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by Thorzdad at 2:41 PM on February 19, 2020
Man this way so fun, I was surprised how much I got into it not generally being into racing sports. I will say that track is awesome and I'm excited for the next run.
posted by Carillon at 3:23 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Carillon at 3:23 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
Marble racing?? How do the drivers stay on!?
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:33 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:33 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is grand.
posted by mightshould at 4:16 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by mightshould at 4:16 PM on February 19, 2020
I found this a week ago (didn't post it because of similarity to the marblympics videos that have already been here) and yeah, it's pretty cool. It works both a a satire of professional sports videos and as its own thang.
posted by JHarris at 4:20 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by JHarris at 4:20 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
BTW a little easter egg for you. In that CG opening clip in the second video that shows off all the team logos, there's a timer that appears, in different places, in the background. That timer actually counts down the length of the opening!
posted by JHarris at 4:22 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by JHarris at 4:22 PM on February 19, 2020
Within 30 seconds I had developed a firm opinion on which marble I was supporting.
posted by solarion at 4:28 PM on February 19, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by solarion at 4:28 PM on February 19, 2020 [7 favorites]
Also, maybe someone here knows:
That ESPN branding on the track. Does that signify that a Deal Has Been Signed, and if so, isn't that awesome?
and
Where do you get a graphics package like the one they use for times and such? Is it custom coded?
posted by JHarris at 4:28 PM on February 19, 2020
That ESPN branding on the track. Does that signify that a Deal Has Been Signed, and if so, isn't that awesome?
and
Where do you get a graphics package like the one they use for times and such? Is it custom coded?
posted by JHarris at 4:28 PM on February 19, 2020
Oh man. After all the discussion of the Elgin Marbles this morning in re Brexit, I was ready for this to be anything. I like what it actually is.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 4:36 PM on February 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 4:36 PM on February 19, 2020 [4 favorites]
Solarion, so did I. My fave started almost last, worked its way nearly to the front, then finished almost last! So nerve-wracking, and great disappointment to see all that hard work amount to so little :(
It looked like at least a few passes took place when one or more marbles bounced off the conveyor belt, which I guess is part of the race, too, though that seemed extra-arbitrary.
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:52 PM on February 19, 2020
It looked like at least a few passes took place when one or more marbles bounced off the conveyor belt, which I guess is part of the race, too, though that seemed extra-arbitrary.
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:52 PM on February 19, 2020
> ambrosen:It's a relatively easy challenge after hosting the Marble League with 16 teams and setting up multiple ad-hoc aquatic arenas to compete.
"I found myself wondering how they manage the logistics of getting the track and the marbles halfway across the world to get to the next race location. Instead of, you know, just setting up a different track in the same studio."
posted by andycyca at 6:31 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
> JHarris:ESPN did sign some partnership with JMR a few months ago and—IIRC—the Formula1 team is OK with the parody/homage that is Marbula1.
"That ESPN branding on the track. Does that signify that a Deal Has Been Signed, and if so, isn't that awesome?"
The IOC on the other hand...
posted by andycyca at 6:36 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
What a weird coincidence that people who do marble racing are also into setting up elaborate domino line patterns.
(because of course they are)
posted by straight at 8:27 PM on February 19, 2020
(because of course they are)
posted by straight at 8:27 PM on February 19, 2020
Bah, new time-sink. This reminds me a lot of James May's Toy Stories where with BBC funding they build a 2.95mi Scalextric (slot cars) racetrack along the path of an ancient overbuilt race track circuit, or built a 10mi stretch of model train track on the path of an old train route that's been turned into a bicycle path. Same sort of more fun than you think it should be.
oh, it's on Amazon Prime.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:13 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
oh, it's on Amazon Prime.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:13 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
I thought this was going to be Marbles on Twitch, but it's real marbles!
posted by dirigibleman at 10:27 PM on February 19, 2020
posted by dirigibleman at 10:27 PM on February 19, 2020
oh man I missed me some Jelle. I totally forgot to make time to watch the Marblelympics last year! (as andycyca noted, the competition name was changed to Marble League due to pressure from the real Olympics, christ what assholes)
posted by numaner at 12:03 PM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by numaner at 12:03 PM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
don't forget to peruse the wiki for team stats!
posted by numaner at 12:04 PM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by numaner at 12:04 PM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
The real Olympics are assholes about many things, and their name is one of their greatest causes of assification. Anything that's named even remotely olympic-like will probably gain their roving gaze-of-Sauron legal ire. They're probably the reason, for example, the old Atari cartridge Video Olympics had to have been renamed "Pong Sports" on recent Atari Flashback units.
posted by JHarris at 11:00 AM on February 21, 2020
posted by JHarris at 11:00 AM on February 21, 2020
RACE 2: On the O'Rangers home track.
Favorite moment: YELLOW FLAG: Safety marble has been deployed
posted by JHarris at 3:45 PM on February 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Favorite moment: YELLOW FLAG: Safety marble has been deployed
posted by JHarris at 3:45 PM on February 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
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Cornering technique seems kinda terrible. Also, marbles attempting to pass often just rear end the marble ahead of them, transferring a boost to the leader.... So the rich often get richer.
posted by kaibutsu at 1:23 PM on February 19, 2020 [1 favorite]