The NASCAR Thread

[RallyeMike]

The rainbow warrior is retiring.... that make me feel old. He is still one of the "new guys" to me   

[wingcar]

It would be hard to actually "retire" a number as somewhere down the road you would start to run out of numbers unless you went to three digits.  You may say that would never happen, but...first you retire the 43 and 3, and then other fans are going to ask why their favorite driver didn't have their number retired?   And, what about other big names from the past, such as "Fireball" Roberts, Tiny Lund, David Pearson, Rusty Wallace, (insert your driver) etc, etc....

A few years back NASCAR.com I believe did some "Family Trees" on various numbers including the number 3 and number 43 showing the different drivers who used the numbers through the years...very interesting.

[TruckDriver]

Jeff Gordon to be Fox guest analyst during XFINITY season

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jeff-gordon-fox-guest-analyst-during-xfinity-season-212607712--nascar.html

[HeavyFuel]

By the numbers.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/nascar-nation/nascar-edu/rules-guy/breaking-down-car-numbers.html

[wingcar]

Here is the "Family Tree" for the number 43

[el dub]

commercial:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wi68a0LsLDA&x-yt-cl=84924572&x-yt-ts=1422411861#t=2

[JB400]

One more reason not to watch Nascar this season

[wingcar]

Seriously, can NASCAR do any more damage to its image in the eyes of the main stream?   Many already think it's a "Redneck" sport......they don't need clowns like this stating it over and over.....good grief.....

[A383Wing]

It just pisses me off now that every damn race we watch this year we're gonna be hearing about cry-baby Gordon retiring on TV...whether it be interviews or the on track announcers bringing it up again...and again..and yet again...

thank God I usually record the races and fast forward through all the commercials and the 24 & 48 interviews

[nvrbdn]

  you are not kidding. all year it will be the talk before every race how we are losing another great competitor.

   and the suck up announcers constantly talking about how it would be great for him to win a championship in his last year...... blah bla blah blah blah

[wingcar]

Maybe Gordon will give us all a parting present and "accidentally" take out the number 48 and his chance for another championship.....(OK, just dreaming)

[TruckDriver]

NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson recovering from stroke

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR Hall of Famer and former three-time Cup champion David Pearson is recovering from a mild stroke he suffered on Dec. 9.

Pearson's family released a statement Wednesday that says he is ''doing great and well on the road to recovery.'' The statement said the 80-year-old Pearson is ''80 to 85 percent back to normal'' and a full recovery is expected soon.

The family says the stroke affected his left side, but he is able to walk slowly and his arm is continuing to gain maneuverability. He is continuing to undergo therapy on his arm and leg.

[TruckDriver]

Richard Petty Motorsports committed to running Hornish Jr

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Sam Hornish Jr. is finally back in the Sprint Cup Series after a four-year absence, in a ride Richard Petty Motorsports insists it is committed to fielding for the entire year.

RPM has 26 unsponsored races as it heads into next month's season-opener. Twisted Tea will sponsor the Daytona 500 and the July race at Daytona International Raceway, and team co-owner Andrew Murstein is willing to provide some funding through his Medallion Bank.

Hornish replaced Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 Ford, and is teammates with Aric Almirola, who made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season.

RPM director of operations Sammy Johns said he's moving forward as if the organization will have two full-time cars all season, despite the lack of sponsorship for Hornish. RPM said Almirola's car is fully funded.

[TruckDriver]

Chase Elliott in the #25 car for 2015, #24 car next year

Chase Elliott, who became the youngest national series champion in NASCAR history last season, will join Hendrick Motorsports as a full-time Sprint Cup driver beginning in 2016. Elliott's #24 Chevy team will be led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, who has earned 19 wins, 18 pole positions, 98 top-five finishes and 165 top-10s at the elite Cup level.

http://www.jayski.com/news/teams/story/_/page/25-Hendrick-NASCAR-Team-News

[Ponch ®]

Chase Elliott in the #25 car for 2015, #24 car next year

Chase Elliott, who became the youngest national series champion in NASCAR history last season, will join Hendrick Motorsports as a full-time Sprint Cup driver beginning in 2016. Elliott's #24 Chevy team will be led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, who has earned 19 wins, 18 pole positions, 98 top-five finishes and 165 top-10s at the elite Cup level.

http://www.jayski.com/news/teams/story/_/page/25-Hendrick-NASCAR-Team-News

no pressure or high expectations there for the kid...

[JB400]

I wonder who's listed as the owner of the 25?  One owner can only have 4 cars   Never mind, found out the reason:  Chase Elliott is rumored to be running a limited Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2015 after winning the Nationwide Championship in 2014. A team with four cars can run a fifth team with a rookie driver for up to seven races.

I wonder if Elliot will end up being the next Kyle Busch or Joey Logano.  Both drivers started really young, ran for a couple years, then got shown the exit.

[Ponch ®]

I wonder who's listed as the owner of the 25?  One owner can only have 4 cars  Never mind, found out the reason:  Chase Elliott is rumored to be running a limited Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2015 after winning the Nationwide Championship in 2014. A team with four cars can run a fifth team with a rookie driver for up to seven races.

I wonder if Elliot will end up being the next Kyle Busch or Joey Logano.  Both drivers started really young, ran for a couple years, then got shown the exit.

Hopefully not. Busch was talented but a hothead from day one and Hendrick wouldnt have it...surprised he's still at JGR considering the behavior issues he's had there. Logano had to deal with being the 3rd banana behind KB and Hamlin at JGR +  the pressure of supposedly being a Lebron-type prodigy of NASCAR. He's come into his own at Penske.

[thedodgeboys]

Sounds like Chase may get the 9 if he and Rick want it...

Richard Petty: #9 is Chase Elliott's if he wants it: On Wednesday, NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Richard Petty said he's not "emotionally attached" to #9, which Marcos Ambrose carried at Richard Petty Motorsports and which Sam Hornish Jr. will carry this year. "We inherited that number [when Petty bought the remnants of the Ray Evernham/George Gillette team]," Petty said. "It doesn't mean anything to me, but it does to the sponsors we'd already signed for this year. If the kid wants it next year, though, that's fine with us."
"The kid" he refers to is Chase Elliott. His famous father carried number 9 for most of his career, getting 38 of his 44 victories and his championship with it. "Awesome Bill" carried 17 other numbers during his Sprint Cup career, most notably 11 with Junior Johnson, 21 with the Wood brothers and 94 with the team he created and owned late in his career. Chase Elliott will run five Cup races this year in #25 for Hendrick Motorsports. Don't be surprised if that number is 9 when the 2016 season opens in Daytona Beach.(AutoWeek)(1-29-2015)

[JB400]

I think the 24 is more important to Hendrick.

[A383Wing]

As much as I dislike Hendrick....I think the 9 car would suit Chase better because it was Dad's number......

[JB400]

That leaves him with a dilemma, does he want to continue on his dad's legacy, or build his own?

[Ponch ®]

That leaves him with a dilemma, does he want to continue on his dad's legacy, or build his own?

most "son of....." drivers shy away from running the numbers their father did for that very reason. Invites too many expectations, comparisons, etc. Kyle Petty didn't do it, Dale Jr. didnt do it,  and I don't think Chase Elliott will do it. Sure the 24 has weight of its own, but not as much as when there is a familial relation.

Plus yea, for Hendrick the 24 = $$$

[thedodgeboys]

That leaves him with a dilemma, does he want to continue on his dad's legacy, or build his own?

most "son of....." drivers shy away from running the numbers their father did for that very reason. Invites too many expectations, comparisons, etc. Kyle Petty didn't do it, Dale Jr. didnt do it,  and I don't think Chase Elliott will do it. Sure the 24 has weight of its own, but not as much as when there is a familial relation.

Never mind the fact that he has already been running the 9 as he has worked his way up...

I agree Rick and Jeff want to see the 24 contuine, I wonder wat NAPA wants?

[Ponch ®]

Never mind the fact that he has already been running the 9 as he has worked his way up...

Its one thing to run it at the lower levels...everybody thinks its cute, etc. But when you get to Cup, that's when it goes from "oh look..he's trying to be just like his daddy...how cute" to "he shouldnt be running that number if he can't drive for shit and win championships like his old man".

[TruckDriver]

Its one thing to run it at the lower levels...everybody thinks its cute, etc. But when you get to Cup, that's when it goes from "oh look..he's trying to be just like his daddy...how cute" to "he shouldnt be running that number if he can't drive for shit and win championships like his old man".

TOTALLY!