The NASCAR Thread

[472 R/T SE]

Hey, we landed on the moon.   

[Aero426]

Anybody else watch the Hub tonight on Speed?  It seems Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse are together.  This ought to be fun to watch.  Both are vying for the Rookie of the Year.  Question is, can she keep her personal life emotions off the track?

The relationship has been going on at the very least since sometime last season.   (The NASCAR motor coach lot is a small world.)   She won't be close enough to the front for it to matter anyway.   It does make for good tv though.  

[Ponch ®]

I would find it highly unlikely, but anything is possible.  Only problem is they are in cohoots with DEI.  That would mean DEI would either have to switch as well, or go to Hendrick for engines.



Did anyone else notice on all that fiscal cliff nonsense, that Nascar and other franchises received a little padding in thier pockets?

I remember reading recently that DEI was pulling out of the joint engine program precisely to go with Hendrick. By the way, DEI is now Earnhardt-Ganassi, and Ganassi was a Dodge team for a long team, so the connection may have made sense before EGR's pull out. Neither of these things, of course, mean that RCR will now go to Dodge. I gotta say, it'd be weird to see RCR in anything but Chevy cars.

[JB400]

Just a reminder for everyone, the Unlimited race (Bud Shootout) is this Saturday night at 8 pm est.  BK isn't in the race  Only 19 cars are running.

On another note, Nascar is now using a new type of track drying system.  No more Jet dryers.   No word on whether it has a bullseye on it or not  It uses compressed air.  They have a semi with air compressors on the inside of the track while pickups pull a small trailer with the air nozzles.  It looks like they connect 2 or 3 pickups to the semi via hose and all these vehicles go around the track.  Dunno if the jet dryer will still be used for wreck cleanup though.

Here's driver lineup for Saturday


1   Kasey Kahne     Chevrolet

2  Marcos Ambrose   Ford

3  Denny Hamlin      Toyota

4  Tony Stewart      Chevrolet

5  Greg Biffle            Ford

6   Kyle Busch         Toyota

7  Matt Kenseth      Toyota

8   Joey Logano       Ford

9   Jeff Gordon       Chevrolet

10  Kevin Harvick   Chevrolet

11  Ken Schrader    Ford

12  Juan Pablo Montoya  Chevrolet

13  Aric Almirola    Ford

14 Jimmie Johnson  Chevrolet

15  Mark Martin    Toyota

16 Martin Truex Jr.  Toyota

17  Kurt Busch    Chevrolet

18 Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Chevrolet

19  Carl Edwards   Ford

[TruckDriver]

First time I heard that. I don't know why they don't still use old tires like they do at the short tracks. It's not like there is a shortage of old used tires, and that keeps the rubber on the track too.

[odcics2]

Nothing there I'd wanna see...

[JB400]

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/the-sprint-unlimited.html

This is so everyone can vote on what format the Race will be run it.  Some expire tonight, some Saturday.

[TruckDriver]

voting closed already

[JB400]

They must have closed it for the computer guys, but I guess if you have a Sprint mobile device, it's still open.  At least I got my vote in I voted for the 50/40/10 lap system with mandated 4 tire pitstop in the first segment and no drivers getting voted out.  I want to see how well these new cars are going to handle the draft and whether they suck up real well.  If so, we could see the slingshot.  That will make for some good racing come the 500.  I doubt that the 2 car tandom will be much of a factor, but it could be.  Besides, with a 10 lap shoot out at the end, things are almost guaranteed a spectacular finish

[TruckDriver]

There is a ARCA race too on Speed before the Sprint shootout thing. That starts at 3:30pm central time. I love watching the ARCA cars run too.

[JB400]

I do to.  Actually, I'm glad that they stuck with the older Nascar stockcars.  Not only do I get to see up and coming talent, but racing like what I grew up with in the 90's and 00's

[Aero426]

Only 45 cars entered for the Daytona 500.   That means only two cars go home.    That is the smallest 500 entry list I can remember.  

http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2013/story/_/page/01-Daytona-Entry-List

[TruckDriver]

Yeah, I think you are right. Useally it about 47 to 53 or so.

[JB400]

The race format voting is closed, but the other voting options are still open.  Caution, the new Nascar site sucks and takes forever to load up, even with high speed net

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/the-sprint-unlimited.html

The format that won was a 30/25/20 lap segments.

Terry Labonte is going to replace Shrader in the 32 for Saturday

[A383Wing]

Terry Labonte is going to replace Shrader in the 32 for Saturday

that sucks

[JB400]

Terry Labonte is going to replace Shrader in the 32 for Saturday

that sucks

I would agree.  I would rather see Shrader run than Terry.  Nothing wrong with the Iron Man, but Shrader has a friendlier personality and I consider him more of a talented driver.


Change of topic:

Regarding this gen 6 car, which drivers do you think will benefit from this car the most?  Will gen 4 drivers like Gordon, Edwards and Dale Jr. have better luck with this style of car, or do you think Cot drivers like Johnson, Hamlin, and Harvick still reign supreme? 

[TruckDriver]

Already in the first hour of practice for the Sprint Shootout on Speed, they had a 5 car crash started by Matt Kenseth

[JB400]

Who all was involved?  I just tuned in.

[TruckDriver]

Here's the crash...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmd8g9MsUXs&feature=youtu.be&t=4s

[JB400]

Being that Kenseth replaced Logano, does that mean he's going to start driving like Logano?   He's off to a good start

[JB400]

Anybody else into the Fantasy Live deal on Nascar.com?



By the way, the new Nascar.com website sucks

[Chargen69]

yes it does, i hope they read the web stats and find out how many people arent coming to the site anymore

[TruckDriver]

Being that Kenseth replaced Logano, does that mean he's going to start driving like Logano?   He's off to a good start

I do like Kenseth though. He raced locally here for years. I remember his rookie season too. I also talked to him in the pits here a lot when he raced here. He is a good guy.

[Aero426]

Matt is about as close to a regular guy as a person can be.    He hasn't forgotten where he came from.

[A383Wing]

Matt is about as close to a regular guy as a person can be.    He hasn't forgotten where he came from.

he reminds me of Mark Martin