The NASCAR Thread

[Mike DC]

  

jimmy is a good driver but the pre-madona drivers of today dont equal to what the drivers in the past had to go thru. no air conditioning, additional safety gear, safety walls, good brakes, power steering, being flown to all the races, huge car haulers,  exc...a frail little girl could race the cars of today. so he may be 7 time champion but he is not equal to petty or earnhardt.

On the other hand the field of competitors was not as tight as it is now.  Petty or Earndhardt might have been dealing with 3 or 5 serious competitors in a given race.  Now there will be a dozen cars with a shot at winning.  Somebody like Petty in the 1960s could also afford to run more races than most teams.  And everyone was still finding WAY, WAY bigger holes in the rulebook & inspections than today.

It's hard to really compare the two eras.

[odcics2]

On yet another hand, Petty ran against Pearson, Yarbrough, the Allison Brothers, Foyt, Baker, Glotzbach, Jones, Gurney, Isaac and others with good equipment equal to his...

Most of the guys today "can win", but hardly ever do. 

[400/6/PAC]

Biffle to part ways with RFR after 19 Years.
He say's It's a mutual agreement.
I wonder where He's going or if He might retire with smoke.

[Aero426]

 

It's hard to really compare the two eras.

Absolutely right.      At the minimum you can say that Petty, Earnhardt and Johnson are the best of their own eras.       

While apples to apples is hard, I will say this:    Johnson has won 7 titles in 15 years.    That is no BS.     With the number of drivers competing on superteams that are all "haves" , it is much harder to win repeat titles today than it was in in the not so recent past.   

Johnson  has won titles in each of the three formats: 
1- the original "Winston Cup" points system,   
2- the first version of the Chase
3- the current "winner take all"  Chase

I have no doubt that some people do not like Johnson because he's vanilla.   He's not flashy.   He does not speak badly of others.   He's like a machine clicking off laps. 

[Aero426]

When Johnson was interviewed on track before going to victory lane, he thanked a bunch of people.   One of them he mentioned was Al Schill Jr.     Al's father is a living short track legend in Wisconsin.   His son Al Jr was also a racer with talent that passed at the age of 24.   When Johnson was learning how to race oval track pavement cars in ASA (at the time, he wasn't all that good),  he hung out with Al Jr and they would race cars around the family junkyard.  At night.   In the dark.    When Johnson mentioned Al Jr, whom almost no one tuning in would know, that was total class move.

If you consider Johnson to be a silver spoon driver, please read this piece from 2007.    

http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/autoracing/29325009.html

[bristol]

That article is a good read.

My favorite quote:
"You say I'm a silver-spoon kid? It would have made life a lot easier for me. But my mom's a school bus driver and my dad is a heavy equipment operator."

[400/6/PAC]

No more Sprint cup series.
Starting 1/1/17 it will become the Monster energy cup series.

[Chargen69]

i thought they were dropping the word "cup"

[TruckDriver]

When Johnson was interviewed on track before going to victory lane, he thanked a bunch of people.   One of them he mentioned was Al Schill Jr.     Al's father is a living short track legend in Wisconsin.   His son Al Jr was also a racer with talent that passed at the age of 24.   When Johnson was learning how to race oval track pavement cars in ASA (at the time, he wasn't all that good),  he hung out with Al Jr and they would race cars around the family junkyard.  At night.   In the dark.    When Johnson mentioned Al Jr, whom almost no one tuning in would know, that was total class move.

If you consider Johnson to be a silver spoon driver, please read this piece from 2007.    

http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/autoracing/29325009.html

That IS cool of Johnson to do that, but I still don't like him. He just seems to "cocky" to me.

[TruckDriver]

Saw this on Facebook, thought it is worth posting here too....

[Chargen69]

When Johnson was interviewed on track before going to victory lane, he thanked a bunch of people.   One of them he mentioned was Al Schill Jr.     Al's father is a living short track legend in Wisconsin.   His son Al Jr was also a racer with talent that passed at the age of 24.   When Johnson was learning how to race oval track pavement cars in ASA (at the time, he wasn't all that good),  he hung out with Al Jr and they would race cars around the family junkyard.  At night.   In the dark.    When Johnson mentioned Al Jr, whom almost no one tuning in would know, that was total class move.

If you consider Johnson to be a silver spoon driver, please read this piece from 2007.    

http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/autoracing/29325009.html

That IS cool of Johnson to do that, but I still don't like him. He just seems to "cocky" to me.

if anybody has the right be cocky it may be JJ, I mean, he has been whipping the dog mess out of jeff gordon since he has been there

[TruckDriver]

Chrysler eyes return to NASCAR racing

http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/20161204/chrysler-eyes-return-to-nascar-racing

"DAYTONA BEACH — Sergio Marchionne, who is the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said he spoke with NASCAR vice-chairman Jim France and International Speedway Inc. CEO Lesa France Kennedy about the return of Dodge to the stock-car series.

The three had dinner Saturday night during the Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Daytona International Speedway. Marchionne, who is also CEO of Ferrari, was in town for the Ferrari-only World Finals and Sunday's Formula One exhibition.

Dodge returned to NASCAR in 2001, then exited in 2012 just after Brad Keselowski won the Cup Series championship for the American-made nameplate.

Asked about the return to NASCAR, Marchionne said, "Yes," then explained it.

"I talked to Jim France about this (Saturday) night," he said. "I was the one who made the decision to pull out of NASCAR. I am the guilty party at the table. In 2009, we came out bankruptcy and tried to race NASCAR (but) with the big bills and make payroll was a stretch.

"We are in a different place now. I think it is possible we can come back to NASCAR. I think we need to find the right way to come back in, but I agreed with both Jim and Lesa we would come back to the issue."

France confirmed that he had spoken to Marchionne about bringing Dodge back into NASCAR's top series, now sponsored by Monster Energy.

"Yes, we talked," France said. "He is a very intelligent man. We had a good discussion."

[thedodgeboys]

So according to this timeline they would be 2 years out at best 

Any manufacturer wanting to come into NASCAR for the 2017 season would have had to make a formal request by September 2015. The current NASCAR rules require race-car renderings for new models to be submitted by more than a year before they ever are raced on the track. The deadline is Oct. 1 (more than 15 months before the actual debut), if the production car is already in production, and Jan. 1 (13 months before the debut), if the production car will start being sold in the year the Cup model debuts. A full-scale race car must be submitted to NASCAR by April 1 prior to the year of debut. To accomplish those tasks, an incoming manufacturer likely would have to hire some top personnel away from current NASCAR teams, and that has yet to happen (ESPN)

[Aero426]

People are tripping all over Sergio's comments.  If there is one thing that Sergio loves, it is the sound of his own voice.    He is a narcissist of the first order.  

He really said nothing, other than "it would be nice to be back".    Yet he says killed the program.    He killed the Viper race program the day after they won the title.  

What Sergio did not say is who would pay for everything.  The Dodge dealers covered the cost of the last go 'round.    The other question is, "Who are the teams that would come back to Dodge for start-up program?"     The teams won't do it on their dime.   You think it's any cheaper now compared to when they pulled out?     It would be very expensive.    

It would be nice to have Dodge back.  But I think this talk is nothing more than "making nice" for the media at a company event at Daytona.

[Aero426]

That article is a good read.

My favorite quote:
"You say I'm a silver-spoon kid? It would have made life a lot easier for me. But my mom's a school bus driver and my dad is a heavy equipment operator."

More.    This is Johnson's home where he grew up.   #silverspoon

[Chargen69]

I aint a carl fan at all, but this is shocking

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/carl-edwards-will-not-race-in-2017-to-pursue-other-interests-153715718.html

[JB400]

That is a surprise.  Who would have thought.  Best of luck to him wherever he goes.  It must be pretty big whatever he's going to do to quit on top of his game.

[Ponch ®]

That is a surprise.  Who would have thought.  Best of luck to him wherever he goes.  It must be pretty big whatever he's going to do to quit on top of his game.

So, aside from the plausible "personal / health / family issues" explanation, 'they' are saying maybe Dodge offered him a boat load of money to be their guy when they come back in '18 and 'retiring' was a way to get out of his JGR deal.

[JB400]

Interesting theory. We'll have to wait and see if Dodge does officially come back.  I wonder what teams will make the switch to Dodge.

[Chargen69]

That is a surprise.  Who would have thought.  Best of luck to him wherever he goes.  It must be pretty big whatever he's going to do to quit on top of his game.

So, aside from the plausible "personal / health / family issues" explanation, 'they' are saying maybe Dodge offered him a boat load of money to be their guy when they come back in '18 and 'retiring' was a way to get out of his JGR deal.

I'm betting he got his bell rung pretty good a couple of times this year and maybe had concussion things that he only let his Dr wife know

[TruckDriver]

This has a better explanation for why Edwards is leaving racing. In this, it  sounds like he just doesn't want to race no more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carl-edwards-steps-away-nascar-avoids-retirement-153441304--nascar.html

Carl Edwards makes pure and private decision to leave NASCAR

Carl Edwards pauses as he speaks to the media during a news conference at Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Edwards announced he was stepping away from racing. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
More

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Carl Edwards listed reason after reason for stepping away from full-time NASCAR competition this season, less than two months removed from nearly winning his first Cup title.

He's content with his career accomplishments. He wants to spend more time on his outside interests. He's healthy and doesn't want that to change.

Edwards, one of NASCAR's top stars and driver for a top organization, really seemed at peace with a personal decision he made right before Christmas. But for a brief moment, he had to turn his back to the audience and compose himself.

''Yeah, I just want to be a good person, you know?'' he said, his bottom lip quivering.

Edwards quickly recovered and returned to script. He has so many outside interests - aviation, agriculture, a possible career in politics - that he literally has no idea what will come next.

''There's no life raft I am jumping on to, I'm just jumping,'' he said. ''This is a pure, simple, personal decision.''"

[Ponch ®]

This has a better explanation for why Edwards is leaving racing. In this, it  sounds like he just doesn't want to race no more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/carl-edwards-steps-away-nascar-avoids-retirement-153441304--nascar.html

Carl Edwards makes pure and private decision to leave NASCAR

Carl Edwards pauses as he speaks to the media during a news conference at Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Edwards announced he was stepping away from racing. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
More

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Carl Edwards listed reason after reason for stepping away from full-time NASCAR competition this season, less than two months removed from nearly winning his first Cup title.

He's content with his career accomplishments. He wants to spend more time on his outside interests. He's healthy and doesn't want that to change.

Edwards, one of NASCAR's top stars and driver for a top organization, really seemed at peace with a personal decision he made right before Christmas. But for a brief moment, he had to turn his back to the audience and compose himself.

''Yeah, I just want to be a good person, you know?'' he said, his bottom lip quivering.

Edwards quickly recovered and returned to script. He has so many outside interests - aviation, agriculture, a possible career in politics - that he literally has no idea what will come next.

''There's no life raft I am jumping on to, I'm just jumping,'' he said. ''This is a pure, simple, personal decision.''"

This is gonna start happening more and more (athletes retiring while still in the prime or competitive), especially in the high risk sports like racing, football, hockey, fighting. They are becoming more and more informed about the long term risks and make too much money to keep hanging for another paycheck - unless theyre glory hounds, like Peyton Manning.

Good for Carl. Hes basically saying "screw it...gonna enjoy life while im still young"

[A383Wing]

I hope he excels in his next endeavors as well as he did in Nascar....my thoughts are with him and his family.

Thanks for the ride Carl, it was great

[Chargen69]

personally I havent cared a thing about carl since this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlge72GS6rU

cheered against him ever since

[TruckDriver]

I totally agree with you 110% Ponch. And other then what you said, why not, he already has more money then you and me and probably ALL of us on the forum will ever have. Well, maybe not more the Troy because of his rock star status after creating this forum