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NASCAR 2011

arch101

arch101

Commodore
Commodore
OK Good 'ol boys and girls (and pretend good 'ol boys and girls), the 36-week stock car festival is about to start again. Anyone out there getting excited about this? If NASCAR can keep their hands off the rulebook, the Daytona 500 could be a really interesting show. I will, of course, be pulling for Juan Montoya and Robby Gordon, who have the worst luck in the series and will win nothing.
OK, I'll hedge my bet by pulling for Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and, of course, Jr. (no guarantees here either)
 
the new points system could make things interesting.
But so far viewer-ship is down
I'd like to see Harvick win the title this year.
and did any body watch "The Day, Remembering Dale Earnhardt" on speed last week?

10 years later you could tell it still how tough it was for Richard Childress, Micheal Waltrip and Ken Schrader to talk about it. Kenny especially as he was the first to see what happened.
 
Boy, was The Day ever so sad. I wonder if anyone ever did a show like that about Ayrton Senna?
I'm finding myself pulling for Nelson Piquet in the Trucks. I'd like to see the kid vindicated. F1's loss is our gain, I think.
 
arch101 said:
Boy, was The Day ever so sad. I wonder if anyone ever did a show like that about Ayrton Senna?
I'm finding myself pulling for Nelson Piquet in the Trucks. I'd like to see the kid vindicated. F1's loss is our gain, I think.
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here is a story at NASCAR . com
I Knew

also some reporters accounts.
A look back

Now on a Bright note what a 1st win for young Trevor Bayne in his Second Cup race the DAYTONA 500!:bolian::techman:
 
I can't decide who I'm happier for; Trevor Bayne or the Wood Brothers. Mikey's win on Friday night was pretty good, too. Smoke's win on Saturday was scary close. All in all, a pretty good speedweeks.
 
My dad was good friends with Dale, Sr. (I admit, I never liked the guy.) It still affects Dad when he talks about it. It was a little painful to see DW tear up in his interview. The push for driver safety after Earnhardt died will be his true legacy.

I was privileged to have a dad who was a well known driver in NASCAR, so accidents on the track are nothing new to me. However, a few of my own racing friends have died over the years. Here are a few:

I still miss Lil Ricky (Rick Hendrick, Jr.) whose big smile and warm hug would always make me happy, from the time he was in diapers. His sister was in my Sunday School class and she made me very proud as a spokesperson for the family after Lil Ricky's death.

Adam Petty was one of those little track brats, like many other children of drivers and crew, who could be annoying yet life would not be the same without them. I could see early on that he would one day take his place in the family racing empire. Kyle never got over losing Adam and it showed on the track.

Alan Kulwicki was one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. Dad did the lettering on his Hooters car (back when a human being actually painted the lettering and numbers on cars). The Hooters parties were always a lot of fun, even though I was usually the Designated Driver. Whenever you see a driver, who just won a race, make a victory lap backwards around the track, thank Alan... it was his trademark... the Polish victory lap, as we always called it.

Just as our nation remembers our servicemen who lost their lives, I think we should make a time in NASCAR to remember ALL drivers who died doing what they loved, not just one.
 
Sector 7 said:
..

Adam Petty was one of those little track brats, like many other children of drivers and crew, who could be annoying yet life would not be the same without them. I could see early on that he would one day take his place in the family racing empire. Kyle never got over losing Adam and it showed on the track.

...
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I think Adam's legacy is the Victory Junction Camp he wanted to start before his death, I saw clip on how he reacted with sick kids it was truly touching the kid had a heart of gold.
 
I was a big fan of Mr. Kulwicki and his "Underbird". I often think of what the sport would have been like if he and Davey Alison (who would have been 50 yesterday) were still here. I also wish we had gotten to see Dale Sr. at LeMans. If he'd have gone there, I would have too.
 
Congrats to Jeff Gordon for winning the first race in 66 races. I was watching the end (final 20-25 laps) and the pass he made against Busch on Lap 9 was awesome. Watching him creep up each lap and then make it happen is good solid racing and I'm glad he finally got the monkey off his back. Hopefully it's a sign of good things to come for #24 this season.
 
^^ As an "anyone but KY Busch" person, I was pretty happy. That it was Gordon made me VERY happy. Only 2 more wins and he'll be the undisputed #3 all time which is where he will end his career. That's a pretty respectable stat.
In other news: now I know what Smoke was losing all the weight for. It's worth it.
 
Well most pf you know I'm not a fan of Hendrick Drivers , and I was surprised Kyle didn't get out and whine. I was hoping for a better finish from the 11 & 17 cars in my Pools but at least its better than last week when I had The 29,31 & 39.
any how in the mean time it look like Smoke will try an F1 car like JMP & Jeff Gordon did a few years back
Stewart to drive F1 car in exhibition
 
Danica's starting to look better in a Nationwide car than in an Indycar. Robin Miller says she's a done deal to move to NASCAR next year. I hope her handlers are smart enough to run her in a full season of NNS with selected Cup starts before tossing her into the big show.
 
nascar schoolBondurant School gives training on various courses like, high performance driving, which is oriented towards improving the skills of ordinary drivers and not necessarily with a racing ambition. It is available in 2 and 3 day versions. Students may use a Ford Mustang that belongs to the school or even their own cars. The first version is used Autocrossing, while the second is spent working on the Skidpad, and the 3rd day is spent on the Race Track which is not obligatory. Prices are $1,895 for 2 days and $2,850 for 3 days.
Click to expand...
You might want to driving at a race car driving experience or track day, it will change your mind.
 
Fun. It was my first time to a NASCAR event, and I enjoyed it. We got there early enough to watch qualifying and Sprint Cup practice, so we made a day out of it. You can see 99% of the track from every seat in there apparently. It was fun to be able to follow a single driver all the way around. Beer is pretty cheap too. You could get a 24 oz. for $7. About half the price of one at Turner Field!
 
Okay, the Winst---SPRINT Cup season this year has been absolutely fantastic.

The Daytona 500 was quite a show. I seem to be one of the few who likes the two-car packs, and it was fantastic to see the Wood Brothers finally get back to victory lane. Trevor Bayne also seems to have a good future ahead of him; most of his problems this year have been equipment malfunctions or rookie mistakes. (Or, in the case of Talladega, racing.) His run in the Nationwide race (and the Cup race, before he was wrecked) at 'Dega makes me think that it's just his inexperience holding him back at most tracks. (Remember that everyone has to relearn the plate racing with these new drafts.)

It's also been great to see so many different drivers winning this year. I can't believe how long it took Jeff Gordon to get back to Victory Lane, nor can I believe how much support he got when he finally took the checkered flag again (especially compared to the reactions he used to get).

Bristol finally seems to be making a comeback after Bruton Smith ruined the track with a completely unnecessary repaving several years ago. It's not the old Bristol, but it's something new: two-lane racing. It won't be long before Bristol is just as exciting as it ever was.

Thank goodness we're only going to California once this year. Does anyone remember when we used to enjoy the buildup to this race? (Hint: It was in 1997.)

Martinsville was its usual short-track self. This is one track that should never, ever be changed.

I love seeing Paul Menard finally doing well. I've always thought that he is a good driver (not a great driver mind you, but a good one) who simply needed some stability. He was showing promise at DEI before everything went to hell in a handbasket and he started getting shunted around to different teams. RCR is finally giving him what he needs.

Talladega was the first time in a long time I haven't been annoyed at a Jimmie Johnson victory. It was also one of the best finishes I've ever seen. Superb race.

Texas...I dunno. Texas is a wonderfully-promoted track, and it always hints at being enjoyable, but in the end it's just another cookie cutter. It needs some banking, or something. (Same goes for Charlotte. Atlanta needs to be restored to its original configuration.)

All-in-all, I think that the Cup Series is doing incredibly well; this is by far the best season in years.

The Truck Series also seems to be doing well. It finally got a huge influx of new drivers this year, most of whom have full sponsorships and are neatly holding their own against the veteran drivers. Yes, Cup drivers have won 3 of 4 events, but one (Mikey) isn't running the full schedule and another (Kasey) won during a Cup off-week. Not to mention the fact that there are usually 2 Cup drivers at most running the series, and the Truck regulars are getting much of the attention.

Unfortunately, there is one black eye for NASCAR: the Nationwide Series. The whole points thing is an unqualified disaster. They have got to do something to stop the Cup drivers running the whole schedule, whether it's moving race or limiting the number of entries, or the entire series is going to wither and die. There is no new talent coming up, and no way to get sponsorship unless you also run Cup. Insane.
 
Turbo said:
Okay, the Winst---SPRINT Cup season this year has been absolutely fantastic.

The Daytona 500 was quite a show. I seem to be one of the few who likes the two-car packs, and it was fantastic to see the Wood Brothers finally get back to victory lane. Trevor Bayne also seems to have a good future ahead of him; most of his problems this year have been equipment malfunctions or rookie mistakes. (Or, in the case of Talladega, racing.) His run in the Nationwide race (and the Cup race, before he was wrecked) at 'Dega makes me think that it's just his inexperience holding him back at most tracks. (Remember that everyone has to relearn the plate racing with these new drafts.)

It's also been great to see so many different drivers winning this year. I can't believe how long it took Jeff Gordon to get back to Victory Lane, nor can I believe how much support he got when he finally took the checkered flag again (especially compared to the reactions he used to get).

Bristol finally seems to be making a comeback after Bruton Smith ruined the track with a completely unnecessary repaving several years ago. It's not the old Bristol, but it's something new: two-lane racing. It won't be long before Bristol is just as exciting as it ever was.

Thank goodness we're only going to California once this year. Does anyone remember when we used to enjoy the buildup to this race? (Hint: It was in 1997.)

Martinsville was its usual short-track self. This is one track that should never, ever be changed.

I love seeing Paul Menard finally doing well. I've always thought that he is a good driver (not a great driver mind you, but a good one) who simply needed some stability. He was showing promise at DEI before everything went to hell in a handbasket and he started getting shunted around to different teams. RCR is finally giving him what he needs.

Talladega was the first time in a long time I haven't been annoyed at a Jimmie Johnson victory. It was also one of the best finishes I've ever seen. Superb race.

Texas...I dunno. Texas is a wonderfully-promoted track, and it always hints at being enjoyable, but in the end it's just another cookie cutter. It needs some banking, or something. (Same goes for Charlotte. Atlanta needs to be restored to its original configuration.)

All-in-all, I think that the Cup Series is doing incredibly well; this is by far the best season in years.

The Truck Series also seems to be doing well. It finally got a huge influx of new drivers this year, most of whom have full sponsorships and are neatly holding their own against the veteran drivers. Yes, Cup drivers have won 3 of 4 events, but one (Mikey) isn't running the full schedule and another (Kasey) won during a Cup off-week. Not to mention the fact that there are usually 2 Cup drivers at most running the series, and the Truck regulars are getting much of the attention.

Unfortunately, there is one black eye for NASCAR: the Nationwide Series. The whole points thing is an unqualified disaster. They have got to do something to stop the Cup drivers running the whole schedule, whether it's moving race or limiting the number of entries, or the entire series is going to wither and die. There is no new talent coming up, and no way to get sponsorship unless you also run Cup. Insane.
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It''l be the best season in years if Jimmie doesn't win #6.

As for the point system and declaring what series you want to run for points I think its working, the Cup guys just show up for the $$$$, they cant ban them as I believe you have "A right to work" law in the US.
if they wanted to "ban" them NA$CAR would have to "Jeremy Mayfeild" them.
 
NASCAR made the change to forcing drivers to declare only one championship far too late for this year. Most driver's deals were done last fall locking them in to a certain number of appearances in Nationwide and Truck races this year. Now that the new championship rule is in place, I expect to see a much smaller pool of Cup drivers running the other series next year. It will be much tougher to justify the expense to a sponsor if you can't "steal" a minor league championship with a major league team.
 
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