Daytona 500 in 7 days

[hutch]

Me and two college buddies are going to be in Daytona next weekend for the 50th running of the Daytona 500.  Anyone else?



My 73

[Shakey]

I'll be watching on the couch:

Lap 1 - 25 -     

Lap 25 - 150   

Lap 150 - end      

[Ponch ®]

I didn't know they moved the 500 to a Friday. Damn NASCAR...always trying to buck tradition.

[Charger_Fan]

I'll probably start the day with full intentions of watching at least the last hour or so...but then I'll probably get sidetracked & miss the whole thing. Just like the previous 3 years.
I'd definitely like to be at the track for a race, one of these days (adding that to my bucket list).

[PocketThunder]

What is the reason for 500 miles anyways?  Why not make it 100 or 50 or 1000? 

Ok i'm off to wikepedia now.....

[Ponch ®]

Now that I think about it, I might be driving back from Vegas during the 500  . At least I'll get to listen to it on Sirius...

[PocketThunder]

i didnt see anything about why the distance is set at 500 miles.  but i did see that they shortened the race to save fuel in '74.  I dont remember this ofcourse, back then i was just a shot in the sheets..

"1974: 450 Miles (180 laps) Race scheduled for 450 miles (90% distance) due to energy crisis"

[hutch]

I didn't know they moved the 500 to a Friday. Damn NASCAR...always trying to buck tradition.

The race is sunday.  I have tickets for races that entire weekend and I get into town Friday morning.  Staying on the beach.

[Ponch ®]

i didnt see anything about why the distance is set at 500 miles.   

Because when NASCAR started out, the Indy 500 was the premier race in the country (if not the world). Then some guy built Darlington and decided to try to make the race as long, so the Southern 500 was born. Then Bill France built Daytona, he went to the FIA and got them to officially sanction the race (which meant that it wouldn't schedule any other races anywhere in the world that day), so he set the distance at 500 miles to at least match the Indy and Southern 500. At the time, they also didn't think cars could last more than 500 miles.

[tomdroptop]

I have a Buddy of mine pitting for Norm Bennings pit crew. They will be trying for one of the 7 or so left over positions still avail by qualifying. If they make it he'll be pitting the Daytona 500 Very cool! If not he'll still be there. He is the gas man. Hope he does well!
Have fun there all who are going!   

[chargerboy69]

I will not be there, but I can not wait.

I will have my fat ass on the couch this Saturday night for the Bud Shootout. I always like watching that as well.

Just hope my boy will have a great year.

[tomdroptop]

My wife is all about Ryan also. Great guy I must say. we were in the pits at Pocono & he went out of his way to come over & sign my wifes t-shirt that read " Future #12 Fan inside" with an arrow pointed to her then pregnant belly. He thought it was great & took a few pictures with his wife.   

[chargerboy69]

My wife is all about Ryan also. Great guy I must say. we were in the pits at Pocono & he went out of his way to come over & sign my wifes t-shirt that read " Future #12 Fan inside" with an arrow pointed to her then pregnant belly. He thought it was great & took a few pictures with his wife.   

Great story with you and your wife.


He is a super nice guy. I have met him and his wife at the last three Brickyards. Last year I gave him a 8X10 picture of my Charger, and put my address on the back. I told him next time he is in Indiana and wants to drive a real Charger, to stop in and we could go for a spin. He just laughed. I was even lucky enough to get a tour of his motorhome. Its not to bad for a $900,000 coach.

[TruckDriver]

I will be watching every practice session, qualifying & race, including the ARCA race tomorrow afternoon at 3pm eastern time, The Bud Shoot out, the twin qualifying races Thurday, and all the Nationwide series (old Busch series) including Saturdays race, and truck race next Friday night. Daytona speed weeks is my favorite time of year.


BTW - Last night SPEED channel had a hour show about some of the commercials over the years using Cup drivers. Looks like this year, there starting to do what they do at the super bowl with hi-tech and funny commercials. Toyota is going to have some good ones. There is one where the cars get radio controlled from the stands, and neither the crews or drivers know about it. Tony Stewart is in it.  Looked like its going to be a pretty funny one.

[tomdroptop]

Here is the signed shirt from 2004 Pocono....

[chargerboy69]

Here is the signed shirt from 2004 Pocono....

Very cool. 

[NHCharger]

Three years ago me and my Dad went to Daytona for a few days. Saw the qualifying races, IROC, truck race. Watching the truck race at night at Daytona was one of the coolest things I ever experienced. My only complaint was the food. Only Pepsi products, and four choices of food. Hamburger, cheeseburger, dogburger, greaseburger. And they all tasted the same.

[TruckDriver]

They just had a 8 car crash in practice for the Bud shoot out. Jeff Gorden, Jimmy Johnson, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Clint Boyer and Kenny Schroeder and Bill Elliot. Gorden's and Johnson's are completely totalled out. I believe Newman's car is junk too. The others are fixable. All the drivers are saying these cars are VERY unstable on the track at speed because of the draft they are making, and constantly wanna spin out. They're comparing them to dirt track cars, always sliding. They all agree the races are going to be very interesting right through the 500. It's on for another half hour on Speed.

[TruckDriver]

Tony Stewart, was just going outside of Kurt Busch, and Busch moved up, and got turned into the wall, Steward, went down and hit Denny Hamlin. Then Busch hunted down Steward, started slamming his car off Steward's all the way into the pits.  This is the wildest practice sesion I ever seen so far. Half of the cars have been in accidents already.

[Ponch ®]

All the drivers are saying these cars are VERY unstable on the track at speed because of the draft they are making, and constantly wanna spin out. They're comparing them to dirt track cars, always sliding. They all agree the races are going to be very interesting right through the 500. It's on for another half hour on Speed.

Is this something new tho? They've already tested the hell out of those cars and ran a 500 mile plate race (Talladega). They shouldn't act so surprised.

[Shakey]

All the drivers are saying these cars are VERY unstable on the track at speed because of the draft they are making, and constantly wanna spin out. They're comparing them to dirt track cars, always sliding. They all agree the races are going to be very interesting right through the 500. It's on for another half hour on Speed.

Is this something new tho? They've already tested the hell out of those cars and ran a 500 mile plate race (Talladega). They shouldn't act so surprised.

It's all an act, as if they whine enough NASCAR will change the rules. 

[TruckDriver]

All the drivers are saying these cars are VERY unstable on the track at speed because of the draft they are making, and constantly wanna spin out. They're comparing them to dirt track cars, always sliding. They all agree the races are going to be very interesting right through the 500. It's on for another half hour on Speed.

Is this something new tho? They've already tested the hell out of those cars and ran a 500 mile plate race (Talladega). They shouldn't act so surprised.

They said it is not even close to Talladega because that track has a new smooth surface on it. And the Daytona surface is 50 years old, and very bumpy. Mark Martin said that on this track, these cars aren't producing a lot of downforce. Almost like the cars up to the mid '80s. And he thinks there will be a lot of crashes because, most of the current drivers never drove cars that handle loose like the cars in the '80s did. In fact, a lot weren't born then.

[The70RT]

It looks like it is gonna be a crash fest the way the COT is handling. Especially if there patience runs thin. Looks like Stewart is running tru to form...

[TruckDriver]

It looks like it is gonna be a crash fest the way the COT is handling. Especially if there patience runs thin. Looks like Stewart is running tru to form...

Stewart didn't do anything wrong. Busch started it this time by retaliating for a simple racing accident. Nascar wanted to bring rivalries back to the sport, well, they got a good one going

[General_01]

Busch is such a baby. Tony went low and Busch dove to block him, so Tony took it back up high and Busch then dove high to block him again and ended up catching Tony's nose and turning himself into the wall. What a dumba**! Then he chases Tony down to the apron and pitlane and starts smashing his car into Tony's car. I think Tony was unstrapping and getting ready to get outta his car to kick some Busch butt. Of course Busch drove off because he only uses cars to retaliate with. He is such a baby. I remember when he tried to put Jimmy Spencer in the wall at Michigan,I think. Well Jimmy gave him a black eye after the race for his stunts and this baby filed charges against Spencer. The Busch brothers are a couple of babies as far as I am concerned.