# Stuff and Things > Sports >  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup News/Videos/Pictures

## Knightkore



----------

Kodiak (02-22-2017),LongTermGuy (02-23-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

Yea, I read there was a big uproar over those Monster Energy girls outfits.  BFD.......I'd like to go back to 1969.   :Thumbsup20: .....

----------

Knightkore (02-22-2017),LongTermGuy (02-23-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> Yea, I read there was a big uproar over those Monster Energy girls outfits.  BFD.......I'd like to go back to 1969.  .....


Well Sprint kept the girls dressed in a kind of NASCAR fire suit but were always beautiful.....these new girls.....kind of reminds one of the Winston Cup Girls.....scantily clad in a gothic fashion.....

I'm sure family friendly right?

----------

LongTermGuy (02-23-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

Meh......I never looked at it that way.  No different than what a lot of biker chicks wear, and actually showing a lot less skin.

----------

Knightkore (02-22-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

I also saw that Brian France Jr in his infinite wisdom is going to have the races run in segments this year.  Every year they try something new to boost the audience and ticket sales, but they keep failing.   

He should have just left it alone instead of trying to turn it into a wannabe stick and ball sport using terms like overtime, out of bounds, call an audible, the playoffs, etc.  Now it sounds like he is essentially putting in a halftime.  What's next, officials with striped shirts?

----------

Knightkore (02-22-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> I also saw that Brian France Jr in his infinite wisdom is going to have the races run in segments this year.  Every year they try something new to boost the audience and ticket sales, but they keep failing.   
> 
> He should have just left it alone instead of trying to turn it into a wannabe stick and ball sport using terms like overtime, out of bounds, call an audible, the playoffs, etc.  Now it sounds like he is essentially putting in a halftime.  What's next, officials with striped shirts?


There is an interesting rule now about repairing the cars.....if they get wrecked.....they can't replace bumpers or whole parts.....the race is over for that driver.....

What effect will this have retaliation?

----------

Kodiak (02-22-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

That new rule put Kyle Larson out of the race during the Clash.   I guess the only way to look at it is the rules are the same for everyone.   Although in the Clash, they let Johnson's team repair his fender after he turned Kurt Bush into the wall.  Yet when it happened to Larson, he had to stay in the garage with minimal damage.  It sounds like it will be a judgement call, which can get real dicey and have serious points consequences. 

Again, another rule that will probably piss off a lot of people.  But France knows he has these guys by the b@lls and if they complain........he fines the crap out of them.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> That new rule put Kyle Larson out of the race during the Clash.   I guess the only way to look at it is the rules are the same for everyone.   Although in the Clash, they let Johnson's team repair his fender after he turned Kurt Bush into the wall.  Yet when it happened to Larson, he had to stay in the garage with minimal damage.  It sounds like it will be a judgement call, which can get real dicey and have serious points consequences. 
> 
> Again, another rule that will probably piss off a lot of people.  But France knows he has these guys by the b@lls and if they complain........he fines the crap out of them.


If France fines Larson he can claim that France is racist towards Asians.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> There is an interesting rule now about repairing the cars.....if they get wrecked.....they can't replace bumpers or whole parts.....the race is over for that driver.....


No more classic incidents like Dale Earnhardt finishing the 1997 Daytona 500 with half his car held together with duct tape?

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> I also saw that Brian France Jr in his infinite wisdom is going to have the races run in segments this year.  Every year they try something new to boost the audience and ticket sales, but they keep failing.   
> 
> He should have just left it alone instead of trying to turn it into a wannabe stick and ball sport using terms like overtime, out of bounds, call an audible, the playoffs, etc.  Now it sounds like he is essentially putting in a halftime.  What's next, officials with striped shirts?


YouTube is good for one thing, the ability to watch racing before 2004.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017),Kodiak (02-23-2017)

----------


## StanAtStanFan

> I also saw that Brian France Jr in his infinite wisdom is going to have the races run in segments this year.  Every year they try something new to boost the audience and ticket sales, but they keep failing.   
> 
> He should have just left it alone instead of trying to turn it into a wannabe stick and ball sport using terms like overtime, out of bounds, call an audible, the playoffs, etc.  Now it sounds like he is essentially putting in a halftime.  What's next, officials with striped shirts?


I am old school NASCAR, rarely watch it anymore but when living in Virginia, was affiliated with one of the touring companies, and we went to all the races except California, by bus. I don't drink, so was always a bus captain, responsible for rounding up everyone at the end of the race. We only ever misplaced one, at Darlington, last I saw him, he was stumbling drunk, and fell in a mud puddle and got arrested. You have to really be drunk to get arrested at a NASCAR race. Been to Daytona and Homestead dozens of times, even worked security at Daytona several times. Wouldn't go back if they gave me free garage passes, dull dull dull.......my era was Earnhardt; Waltrip; Elliott; Petty; Allison (Davey and Bobby); Kulwicki; Pearson, etc. We held dozens of season tickets at Richmond International; Martinsville and Dover, which were the closest tracks to Virginia Beach. Also have Jeff Gordon's autograph on the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis which he won, on the ticket, with a video of him signing it. My brother and I were there that day, third turn at the end of the backstretch, great seat (but Indy is only worth one visit). Also have his autograph and photo (a gift from a Nestle's VP in Charlotte), of his Baby Ruth car. Would like to sell em, should stick em on e-bay!

NASCAR went downhill fast for several reasons. The first one cited, the rules change. Never was a Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, he would win three races a year, and take the title with the points, while guys like Waltrip and Elliott would win 11 races the same year and finish second and third. NASCAR has never figured out that the guy who (or girl, think Danica is still running), wins the most races is their champion, end of discussion.

In their entire history, NASCAR has only ever had three people killed in the pits. But when Ricky Rudd's car slid into the rear of Bill Elliott's at Atlanta in 1992 I think (Petty's final race, Gordon's first), killing the rear tire changer, the next week, France acted, and everything since then except the restrictor plate, has been stupid. These cars have no speedometer, requiring a driver to bring these 600-700 horsepower cars down to 55-mph from 180-200 mph on the track going into the pits - absolutely dumb. If you are out running on the green, and sacrifice 600 feet per second of track to come into the pits under green flag racing, you should be allowed to roar in and roar out. Some justification for pit road speed limits on the caution - when the majority pit, but that entry speed needs to be in the 75-90-mph range, not 45-55. Also - the "Lucky Dawg Rule" that the lead car one lap down, automatically gets the final spot on the lead lap when a caution comes out ????? Those driver's I mentioned above, if they happened to be the last car on the lead lap, would drive 3-solid hours and insure you didn't pass them to gain your lap back - that is how competitive they were - and if your car can't catch the last car on the lead lap, why should you get promoted onto it for nothing ?????

Marketing. The back-to-back championship's of Matt Kenseth finished NASCAR. Kenseth wasn't marketable like an Earnhardt, Sr., or Junior (who really isn't much of a driver), or Jeff Gordon, Waltrip, Rudd, etc. That was followed by some Gordon championship's, Earnhardt's death at Daytona, than a major building project with huge cookie cutter tracks being built in Chicago; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Texas; Miami; Fontana, California, et al. Coupled with Michigan; Daytona; Talladega; the series turned into pacing, not racing. Go Fast, Turn Left. Big Deal! No competition, they are just running against a clock. 

Than in came Jimmy Johnson, another driver who couldn't be marketed, and he wins five straight championships, and six of the past seven? All of these cars allegedly go through the same inspection before they race - there is absolutely no way Johnson can win the title five straight times against that alleged equal competition and standard. NASCAR has been giving him an engineering break every race for almost a decade. As Gordon's career is fading, we get "Smoke" Tony Stewart, a superb driver out of the Indy circuit, he wins a couple of titles, but has a bit of a temper. NASCAR became popular with a big fight on national tv on ABC's Wide World of Sports, in the pits at Daytona. Smoke punches out a photographer that enters the trailer area without a pass (these are the driver's homes during the season, which runs almost continuously). NASCAR fines him, and suspends him, for protecting himself in an area where the media has no credentials to be in. They nail Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with a 100-point penalty after he wins at Talladega, when a reporter asks him if he was proud of the victory, and Junior says, doesn't mean "shit" - my Daddy won this race 10-times. Cost him a shot at the title, and then they put in the challenge races, where you have to have a certain amount of points to qualify, and they end up the season in Miami, sometimes with only 2-3 driver's in contention for the title. 

Homestead is a friendly place, but NASCAR and the NFL dislike each other, the NFL has scheduled the Miami Dolphins for a home game on November 18th, the day of the Homestead closing race, almost 10-years straight. Means 70,000 at Homestead will be driving north, and meet 75,000 football fans at the Florida Turnpike at the exact same time. Usually takes 24-hours to straighten out the traffic mess. NASCAR has appealed to the NFL dozens of times to have the Dolphins play on the road that day, the NFL says absolutely not.

There are a lot of things NASCAR could do to make their series competitive and exciting again. The restrictor plates are necessary at Daytona and Talladega, because of the speeds - car could fly over the catch fence. But, it guarantees a huge wreck, and everyone knows and waits for that, and usually the winner is some second tier driver who managed to sneak through the tangled mess from the back of the pack and win. The Memorial Day 600 race at Charlotte, NC, this is a fuel efficiency test for the gas companies (think Sunoco provides the fuel right now). Race is as boring as it can get, they might as well run it with 18-wheelers, they go as fast for 600-miles. If they got rid of the 500-mile races, other than Daytona (the July 4th Pepsi 400 race at Daytona is always better than the dull Daytona 500 and any other race running 500 miles). 

Bottom line, except for Dover; Bristol; Richmond; Martinsville; Watkins Glen and Sonoma (the latter two road race courses, which are exciting as hell, because those heavy stock cars can't stay on the track), NASCAR is just    B O R I N G.......the France family has litigated all the competition out of the sport (term used loosely, it isn't a sport, any more than the circus is a sport, it is just drivers), and they have been losing sponsors, revenues, fans and television viewers for the past 20-years. Every year they try something new - every year Jimmy Johnson wins the title - the entire system is rigged engineering wise, and the France family rules it with such an iron hand, that the driver's have no say in anything, and nothing is competitive. 

Me? I would make sure they ran 6-8 road courses every year, and as many 1-mile tracks as possible, like the "Monster Mile" at Dover. Bristol has been described as flying jets in a gym - most exciting race on the circuit - they should run 6-races there a year. Starting with their version of the Super Bowl in February in Florida, is stupid. They want to run here, they should open at Homestead, and save the Daytona 500 for July 4th, and move the Pepsi 400 back a week, and run it back-to-back. They spend two weekends in Charlotte, why not move their most hyped (usually dull), race, the Daytona 500, for the holiday, and stay the week for the Pepsi 400? Travel is horrendous for the sport, and the television product is dull, like hockey, television audiences have no concept of the noise or the speed. But, it does draw a lot of "track bunnies" who would do anything to get near a driver (most of them are married - the driver's not the bunnies). You don't want to take a date to her first NASCAR race or her first hockey game. That nice young lady you brought to the race will go absolutely nuts once those engines are turned on, and you become just transportation. Also, surprising, ladies usually don't like boxing, but at their first hockey game? The minute the goons start punching each other on the ice, your date can be found climbing the glass boards screaming "hit em" "bite him" "kick him where it hurts." Rather embarrassing.......... Stan      :Smiley ROFLMAO:

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

Stan Fan, I have been following it since the early 80's when it started being televised on cable.  Being on the west coast, we had no race here except Riverside, which was too far to go for a road race.  Once they closed Riverside and started running Sears Point in 91 or 92, I went every year for 14 years, then it got too expensive and commercialized as well, plus we moved further away.  


I remember that incident with Rudd and Elliott well and watched it live.  It was horrible to see.  I didn't pay much attention to Cup for several years, until a sprint car/midget racer from our home town started running in it.  That would be Kyle Larson.  We used to watch him on dirt when he was a teenager and he was spectacular.  I am still pretty disgusted with how France has turned it into a circus, but will keep tuned in because of the home town boy.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

Wow.....I wish I had watching NASCAR sooner.  My very first race was Daytona 2001.  What a difference Dale's death had on the sport.  It seemed to change NASCAR profoundly.  Some things for the good.  Other things not so good.  NASCAR keeps trying to fashion the sport to "compete" with other sports, specifically the NFL and every time the changes they institute seem to backfire and less people are in the stands.  Now I will have to say that part of that is technology, being able to watch the races in different ways.....but NASCAR has lost its roots and the NASCAR tree is on the verge of dying.....

----------

Kodiak (02-23-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> I am old school NASCAR, rarely watch it anymore but when living in Virginia, was affiliated with one of the touring companies, and we went to all the races except California, by bus. I don't drink, so was always a bus captain, responsible for rounding up everyone at the end of the race. We only ever misplaced one, at Darlington, last I saw him, he was stumbling drunk, and fell in a mud puddle and got arrested. You have to really be drunk to get arrested at a NASCAR race. Been to Daytona and Homestead dozens of times, even worked security at Daytona several times. Wouldn't go back if they gave me free garage passes, dull dull dull.......my era was Earnhardt; Waltrip; Elliott; Petty; Allison (Davey and Bobby); Kulwicki; Pearson, etc. We held dozens of season tickets at Richmond International; Martinsville and Dover, which were the closest tracks to Virginia Beach. Also have Jeff Gordon's autograph on the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis which he won, on the ticket, with a video of him signing it. My brother and I were there that day, third turn at the end of the backstretch, great seat (but Indy is only worth one visit). Also have his autograph and photo (a gift from a Nestle's VP in Charlotte), of his Baby Ruth car. Would like to sell em, should stick em on e-bay!
> 
> NASCAR went downhill fast for several reasons. The first one cited, the rules change. Never was a Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, he would win three races a year, and take the title with the points, while guys like Waltrip and Elliott would win 11 races the same year and finish second and third. NASCAR has never figured out that the guy who (or girl, think Danica is still running), wins the most races is their champion, end of discussion.
> 
> In their entire history, NASCAR has only ever had three people killed in the pits. But when Ricky Rudd's car slid into the rear of Bill Elliott's at Atlanta in 1992 I think (Petty's final race, Gordon's first), killing the rear tire changer, the next week, France acted, and everything since then except the restrictor plate, has been stupid. These cars have no speedometer, requiring a driver to bring these 600-700 horsepower cars down to 55-mph from 180-200 mph on the track going into the pits - absolutely dumb. If you are out running on the green, and sacrifice 600 feet per second of track to come into the pits under green flag racing, you should be allowed to roar in and roar out. Some justification for pit road speed limits on the caution - when the majority pit, but that entry speed needs to be in the 75-90-mph range, not 45-55. Also - the "Lucky Dawg Rule" that the lead car one lap down, automatically gets the final spot on the lead lap when a caution comes out ????? Those driver's I mentioned above, if they happened to be the last car on the lead lap, would drive 3-solid hours and insure you didn't pass them to gain your lap back - that is how competitive they were - and if your car can't catch the last car on the lead lap, why should you get promoted onto it for nothing ?????
> 
> Marketing. The back-to-back championship's of Matt Kenseth finished NASCAR. Kenseth wasn't marketable like an Earnhardt, Sr., or Junior (who really isn't much of a driver), or Jeff Gordon, Waltrip, Rudd, etc. That was followed by some Gordon championship's, Earnhardt's death at Daytona, than a major building project with huge cookie cutter tracks being built in Chicago; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Texas; Miami; Fontana, California, et al. Coupled with Michigan; Daytona; Talladega; the series turned into pacing, not racing. Go Fast, Turn Left. Big Deal! No competition, they are just running against a clock. 
> 
> Than in came Jimmy Johnson, another driver who couldn't be marketed, and he wins five straight championships, and six of the past seven? All of these cars allegedly go through the same inspection before they race - there is absolutely no way Johnson can win the title five straight times against that alleged equal competition and standard. NASCAR has been giving him an engineering break every race for almost a decade. As Gordon's career is fading, we get "Smoke" Tony Stewart, a superb driver out of the Indy circuit, he wins a couple of titles, but has a bit of a temper. NASCAR became popular with a big fight on national tv on ABC's Wide World of Sports, in the pits at Daytona. Smoke punches out a photographer that enters the trailer area without a pass (these are the driver's homes during the season, which runs almost continuously). NASCAR fines him, and suspends him, for protecting himself in an area where the media has no credentials to be in. They nail Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with a 100-point penalty after he wins at Talladega, when a reporter asks him if he was proud of the victory, and Junior says, doesn't mean "shit" - my Daddy won this race 10-times. Cost him a shot at the title, and then they put in the challenge races, where you have to have a certain amount of points to qualify, and they end up the season in Miami, sometimes with only 2-3 driver's in contention for the title. 
> ...


I was raised watching the Nascar races at that time. Usually only on shows like Wide World of Sports cause it still was not a weekly thing. Cale Yarborough, Pearson, Petty (early days) Buddy Baker are the names off the top of my head. 

We went to Daytona a couple years in a row when I was a teen and had my first car (65 Mustang convertible). We would not take any food but we had some beers and we slept (if you could call it that) in the car. Of course this was infield only as that was all we could afford. 

Later I married and moved to Toledo, OH which put us somewhat in the middle of MIS (Michigan) Bristol and Pocono Raceway. I was big, I say BIG into Nascar during the 1980's. Dick Trickle was a good ol boy who just did not have $$ to run every week. The TV networks loved to give him a few minutes of coverage every week because of his name. 

Nothing can compare though to the great cars and racing that took place in the 1960's. The early 60's had the big boat cars running (59 Chevy, 62 Galaxie and such). The later 60's saw what a "fastback" car could do. This was not fully understood until the next decade with the Ford Thunderbird when it annihilated the competition due to its sloping roof line to the rear deck lid. I think this was Elliot's heyday due to this car. 

I am going to tell you a little secret so don't spread this around, OK? In the 80's when we would go to Michigan Speedway in the Irish Hills, we would take a coffee can full of different colored markers, sharpies, crayons and colored pencils. We would proceed to the gate and see what the color and design of the re-entry "stamp" was for the back of your hand. Usually the letters MIS or MICH in a color that varied year to year. Upon seeing the color and design, we would hurry back to the car and imitate the re-entry stamp as best we could. Smear it a little, spill some beer or coke on it, you know, make it look "used". Got us in every year, every time. 

Of course we never had an assigned seat, but you would plop your ass in one and if the right ticket holder came by, we would just move to another, no big deal, Anyway, keep this between you and I, Okay?

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017),midgardian/OHL (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> Never was a Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, he would win three races a year, and take the title with the points, while guys like Waltrip and Elliott would win 11 races the same year and finish second and third. NASCAR has never figured out that the guy who (or girl, think Danica is still running), wins the most races is their champion, end of discussion.


That would be a better change than implementing the "Chase" format, which only makes some races more valuable than others and was done to "compete" with the NFL.  It was entirely unnecessary because if I recall correctly, NASCAR was already taking a lot of viewers away from the NFL. I always wondered if that was why the NFL started having games played outside of Sunday and the Monday night game.

While a "most wins" format is intriguing, and of course is not what exists now since a driver only has to win an early race like Atlanta, Vegas, or Fontana and they are "in", there was nothing ever wrong with rewarding consistency over time.  The Strictly Stock, Grand National, Winston Cup champion always had to do well on all types of tracks, including the short tracks when there were more of them.  Maybe they had to place well at Riverside, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, but road courses weren't critical.  What was important was demonstrating that they were the best all around driver who was fast in qualifying, smart in racing, and skilled/lucky enough to avoid wrecks and mechanical issues. 

As for the argument that the champion sometimes was determined before the season ended at Riverside, Atlanta, Homestead, one only has to look at the English Premier League, one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, which determines its champions in a similar manner to NASCAR pre-2004.  Sometimes a driver wrapped things up a few races early, but we have now been robbed of classic finishes like 1992 with Alan Kulwicki beating Bill Elliott because he led one lap more in the final race in Hampton.

NASCAR had a good thing going, and it was ruined because they tried to be something that they are not.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

> Wow.....I wish I had watching NASCAR sooner.  My very first race was Daytona 2001.  What a difference Dale's death had on the sport.  It seemed to change NASCAR profoundly.  Some things for the good.  Other things not so good.  NASCAR keeps trying to fashion the sport to "compete" with other sports, specifically the NFL and every time the changes they institute seem to backfire and less people are in the stands.  Now I will have to say that part of that is technology, being able to watch the races in different ways.....but NASCAR has lost its roots and the NASCAR tree is on the verge of dying.....


It wasn't just his death, but it was also the first year the networks took over broadcasting it.  Leading the circus atmosphere was Darrell Waltrip with his childish......."boogity, boogity, boogity".   Unfortunately, the crap has lasted 16 years and we will probably hear it again Sunday.   Personally I cannot stand him or his retarded "isn't Nascar just swell!" brother.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> It wasn't just his death, but it was also the first year the networks took over broadcasting it.  Leading the circus atmosphere was Darrell Waltrip with his childish......."boogity, boogity, boogity".   Unfortunately, the crap has lasted 16 years and we will probably hear it again Sunday.   Personally I cannot stand him or his retarded "isn't Nascar just swell!" brother.


Have you heard the announcers on Sirius/XM?  THAT kind of announcing is what brings the race alive.  Wish they could have that on any of the televised broadcasts.....

----------

Kodiak (02-23-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

{Here is a modern classic finish.....one of my favorites.....}

----------

Authentic (04-10-2022)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> The back-to-back championship's of Matt Kenseth finished NASCAR. Kenseth wasn't marketable like an Earnhardt, Sr., or Junior (who really isn't much of a driver), or Jeff Gordon, Waltrip, Rudd, etc. That was followed by some Gordon championship's, Earnhardt's death at Daytona, than a major building project with huge cookie cutter tracks being built in Chicago; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Texas; Miami; Fontana, California, et al. Coupled with Michigan; Daytona; Talladega; the series turned into pacing, not racing. Go Fast, Turn Left. Big Deal! No competition, they are just running against a clock.


This post requires some clarification.  There have only been three drivers who have won back to back championships in the last 30 years, and Kenseth is not one of them. Dale Earnhardt did it three times - 86-87, 90-91, 93-4 - Jeff Gordon in 97-98 - and Jimmie Johnson who won five straight 05-10.  Matt Kenseth won his sole championship in 2003.  Jeff Gordon won his last championship in 2001 after Dale Sr.'s death and before Kenseth and Johnson won theirs.

I agree with the tracks creating boring racing.  Kenseth's 2003 championship is often cited as the reason for the format change, but that alone is unlikely to have been the instigator  NASCAR wanted to make a drastic change and Kenseth's season coincided and gave a handy excuse.  NASCAR began its decline the moment they abandoned tradition and tried to compete with "stick and ball" sports by emulating them.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Kodiak

That was one of the greatest finishes ever.  I was really happy for Ricky Craven that day.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

On the 6-8 road courses per year idea - this could be done.

I can think of only three candidates off the top of my head to join Sonoma and the Glen.

Pacific Raceways would give Seattle a NASCAR date, though I would prefer that Evergreen be added to the schedule because the circuit needs more short tracks.

Whatever they call the old Busch/Nationwide Series these days already runs at a road course somewhere in Ohio.  Xfinity.

The truck series use to run the road course at Heartland Park Topeka as well as at Evergreen Speedway, so both of those have some "big-time" credentials. Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine used to drive races at Evergreen in the 1980s when the Northwest Series was active.

Does Atlanta still have a road course inside the oval - it could be a fifth date?

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

I must clarify that I usually cheered for anybody but Dale. 

Whomever was ahead of Dale, got my rootins! 
Could not stand his arrogance.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> I must clarify that I usually cheered for anybody but Dale. 
> 
> Whomever was ahead of Dale, got my rootins! 
> Could not stand his arrogance.


There is a reason why Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was consistently "Most Popular Driver" while the Intimidator was most dominant.  Hard to beat Earnhardt fans loyalty though.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

{Here is a NASCAR driver that had potential.....he still races off road and has his energy drink company.....}

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Petition to NASCAR: Bring back North Wilkesboro and Rockingham.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

9/29/96 - Jeff Gordon wins last Cup race at North Wilkesboro.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> There is a reason why Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was consistently "Most Popular Driver" while the Intimidator was most dominant.  Hard to beat Earnhardt fans loyalty though.


Still see to this day, hillbilly's driving around in their 30 year old 1987 Monte Carlo's with a big #3 on the door.

----------

Knightkore (02-23-2017),midgardian/OHL (02-23-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> Stan Fan, I have been following it since the early 80's when it started being televised on cable.  Being on the west coast, we had no race here except Riverside, which was too far to go for a road race.  Once they closed Riverside and started running Sears Point in 91 or 92, I went every year for 14 years, then it got too expensive and commercialized as well, plus we moved further away.  
> 
> 
> I remember that incident with Rudd and Elliott well and watched it live.  It was horrible to see.  I didn't pay much attention to Cup for several years, until a sprint car/midget racer from our home town started running in it.  That would be Kyle Larson.  We used to watch him on dirt when he was a teenager and he was spectacular.  I am still pretty disgusted with how France has turned it into a circus, but will keep tuned in because of the home town boy.


After I discovered World of Outlaws, I never looked back at NASCAR. There are similar series like the Buckeye Sprint Series that played all the little town dirt tracks in the Midwest. The famous tracks throughout America's heartland like Bakersfield, Attica and Freemont Raceways are big draws for when the World of Outlaws come to town. 

Eldora Raceway near Wapakoneta, Ohio has the King's Crown on its high banked oval dirt track. You have not lived until you go home with a gallon of dirt and rubber in your hair from the cars getting wheelies out of turn 4 at 100 mph!

----------

Knightkore (02-24-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> After I discovered World of Outlaws, I never looked back at NASCAR. There are similar series like the Buckeye Sprint Series that played all the little town dirt tracks in the Midwest. The famous tracks throughout America's heartland like Bakersfield, Attica and Freemont Raceways are big draws for when the World of Outlaws come to town.


I just checked the schedule.  That is great there are several events per week and they stay in a region for a while hitting all the dirt tracks in the area!  

AND they race at a place called Weedsport Speedway!

----------

Knightkore (02-24-2017),Rickity Plumber (02-23-2017)

----------


## StanAtStanFan

> On the 6-8 road courses per year idea - this could be done.
> 
> I can think of only three candidates off the top of my head to join Sonoma and the Glen.
> 
> Pacific Raceways would give Seattle a NASCAR date, though I would prefer that Evergreen be added to the schedule because the circuit needs more short tracks.
> 
> Whatever they call the old Busch/Nationwide Series these days already runs at a road course somewhere in Ohio.  Xfinity.
> 
> The truck series use to run the road course at Heartland Park Topeka as well as at Evergreen Speedway, so both of those have some "big-time" credentials. Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine used to drive races at Evergreen in the 1980s when the Northwest Series was active.
> ...


Doesn't Rusty Wallace own a track in Iowa? Also, even though they run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Brickyard 400 once, the lower series, which used to be called the Busch Series ran a race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and it was always exciting as hell! The track in Kentucky where the Indy series runs is one of the most exciting in that series - and NASCAR abandoned their short track at North Wilkesboro and the match to Darlington, forgot its name, but Kyle Petty used to win it in the Mellow Yellow car routinely. NASCAR could also do well by going to Saturday night racing under the lights, and stop competing with the NFL on Sunday. There are plenty of tracks where they don't run, which would love a race. Track size, and attendance are not the most important thing, because they would be bringing in the television revenue. You could run two races at Watkins Glen and two at Sonoma easily (BTW, lots of big track drivers skip the road races, and put driver's in their cars who have road race experience to pick up points). The big stars like Earnhardt, Wallace, Waltrip, Elliot, finally learned how to run those road courses, and win on them, because they were losing valuable points by sitting them out. The entire NASCAR schedule needs to be revamped, with Bristol, Richmond and Dover receiving a third race every year. Pocono is the lead in track for Indianapolis, so it stays with a pair, if you can run well at Pocono, you will usually run well at Indianapolis. Another thing I forgot to mention in my original post, about the things that are killing NASCAR, is the multi-car teams. BTW, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., on many occasions, loaned Dick Trickle and J.D. McDuffie, marginal drivers not well sponsored, new engines and tires to keep them running. He never spoke about it, but did it all of the time. McDuffie died at Watkins Glen when he flew of the S-curve at 160-mph. Also, to add road courses, NASCAR could schedule and run just about any of the Grand Prix courses of that circuit. What they would need to do is run Saturday night - Sunday back to back's to accomplish it. The idea that they only run on Sunday is ridiculous. Nobody shows for the truck series, or the old Busch Series on Saturday's, so move the top circuit to run a few races on tracks they don't usually visit, on Saturday night's, and they will get their quota of races in. As far as consistency and points being the determining factor for crowning the series champion, that system was so flawed, that even the drivers hated it. Waltrip and Elliott won 11 races each on separate years, and didn't take the title. Quit messing with how you declare a champion - stick with wins - nobody cares about second or third place........Stan

----------

Knightkore (02-24-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> NASCAR could also do well by going to Saturday night racing under the lights, and stop competing with the NFL on Sunday. There are plenty of tracks where they don't run, which would love a race. Track size, and attendance are not the most important thing, because they would be bringing in the television revenue.


The night race in Daytona is extremely popular here. Who in their right mind would want to sit in the Florida sun in the middle of summer? 

Many tracks have gone the way of installing lights for nighttime racin'. 

Get r dun

----------

Knightkore (02-24-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> Doesn't Rusty Wallace own a track in Iowa? Also, even though they run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Brickyard 400 once, the lower series, which used to be called the Busch Series ran a race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and it was always exciting as hell! The track in Kentucky where the Indy series runs is one of the most exciting in that series - and NASCAR abandoned their short track at North Wilkesboro and the match to Darlington, forgot its name, but Kyle Petty used to win it in the Mellow Yellow car routinely. NASCAR could also do well by going to Saturday night racing under the lights, and stop competing with the NFL on Sunday. There are plenty of tracks where they don't run, which would love a race. Track size, and attendance are not the most important thing, because they would be bringing in the television revenue. You could run two races at Watkins Glen and two at Sonoma easily (BTW, lots of big track drivers skip the road races, and put driver's in their cars who have road race experience to pick up points). The big stars like Earnhardt, Wallace, Waltrip, Elliot, finally learned how to run those road courses, and win on them, because they were losing valuable points by sitting them out. The entire NASCAR schedule needs to be revamped, with Bristol, Richmond and Dover receiving a third race every year. Pocono is the lead in track for Indianapolis, so it stays with a pair, if you can run well at Pocono, you will usually run well at Indianapolis. Another thing I forgot to mention in my original post, about the things that are killing NASCAR, is the multi-car teams. BTW, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., on many occasions, loaned Dick Trickle and J.D. McDuffie, marginal drivers not well sponsored, new engines and tires to keep them running. He never spoke about it, but did it all of the time. McDuffie died at Watkins Glen when he flew of the S-curve at 160-mph. Also, to add road courses, NASCAR could schedule and run just about any of the Grand Prix courses of that circuit. What they would need to do is run Saturday night - Sunday back to back's to accomplish it. The idea that they only run on Sunday is ridiculous. Nobody shows for the truck series, or the old Busch Series on Saturday's, so move the top circuit to run a few races on tracks they don't usually visit, on Saturday night's, and they will get their quota of races in. As far as consistency and points being the determining factor for crowning the series champion, that system was so flawed, that even the drivers hated it. Waltrip and Elliott won 11 races each on separate years, and didn't take the title. Quit messing with how you declare a champion - stick with wins - nobody cares about second or third place........Stan


This is a great post @Stan Fan. 

I remember when McDuffie bought it. Also remember that the bigger teams would help out the likes of Trickle to keep him racin. The teams that donated never made an issue out of it. Got to give a guy much credit for spending that much money just to get out there and race. Even though Trickle spent small amounts compared to the big boys, it would still be considered a fortune to us. Can you imagine the cost alone just for 4 or 5 sets of new Goodyears?

----------

Knightkore (02-24-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Ha! In the first minute of this clip from the 1996 Goodwrench 400 at Rockingham, the TNN sportscaster gives out a phone number that people can call with questions that they want addressed on air.  The question will then be faxed to the broadcast booth.  This was before e-mail became widespread in use.  I think that I last used a fax machine about 2004.

Just after that gem, Ward Burton spins out and hits the wall.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

NASCAR is being idiotic.  They interrupt a perfectly good green flag run with a _planned_ caution.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

I get the rationale now, it provides an excuse for us to have to sit through more commercials rather than watch the boys (and lady) race.

----------

Rickity Plumber (02-26-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

This "break" is lasting way too long.  Is Brian France insane?  The sport is going downhill and NASCAR thinks the way to fix it is by manufacturing caution periods.  Racing fans don't want to see cars going around the track at a crawl.  We want to see racin'.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Finally...

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Harvick is my driver but I like upsets, so it would be cool to see either Eliot Sadler or Brendan Gaughan win.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Kyle Busch just took  potshot at Goodyear : "Goodyear tires aren't very good at holding air."

----------


## Dan40

> No more classic incidents like Dale Earnhardt finishing the 1997 Daytona 500 with half his car held together with duct tape?


Duct tape is allowed.  Replacing body parts is not.  So a taped up car without a fender or 2 can still run.  But the tape up must be done in the pit, not in the garage, and must be done within 5 minutes on a stop watch and then the car must be able to maintain 160 mph or better or be disqualified.

If a car is wrecked so bad it must go to the garage, it is DONE, even if the damage happened in the first lap..

Mechanical problems can be fixed in the pit without a time clock.  Not sure if mechanical problems can be fixed in the garage, probably not, too easy to cheat that way.

----------

midgardian/OHL (02-26-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> Kyle Busch just took  potshot at Goodyear : "Goodyear tires aren't very good at holding air."


Not very nice thing to say when they are writing big ass checks.

----------

midgardian/OHL (02-26-2017)

----------


## Dan40

> This "break" is lasting way too long.  Is Brian France insane?  The sport is going downhill and NASCAR thinks the way to fix it is by manufacturing caution periods.  Racing fans don't want to see cars going around the track at a crawl.  We want to see racin'.


One year working safety at the Sebring 12 hour race, it poured rain for more than 8 hours.  *COLD ASS rain!*

And we safety workers had to stand on the corners and watch the pace car lead the field thru the rain hour after hour.

I doubt there was a FAN left out of their camper or tent and sober.  But there were none of the usual infield bonfires that year.

----------

midgardian/OHL (02-26-2017)

----------


## Rickity Plumber

> One year working safety at the Sebring 12 hour race, it poured rain for more than 8 hours.  *COLD ASS rain!*
> 
> And we safety workers had to stand on the corners and watch the pace car lead the field thru the rain hour after hour.
> 
> I doubt there was a FAN left out of their camper or tent and sober.  But there were none of the usual infield bonfires that year.


always wanted to see the LeMan series cars at Sebring since it is so close. Do they still run? You know, GTE class . . . the Corvettes, Jags and Porsche. Did not care much for the prototype cars. 

I would get a bigger boot if they raced factory production cars. Always have liked the competition between the Big 3 seeing who could produce the baddest of the bad ass cars.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Didn't see that coming.  2nd time that Kurt Busch wins something big the first time NASCAR changes the rules.

----------

Knightkore (02-27-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Ha! Busch calls his wife over and he sounded like he meant business - "Ashley, Ashley!"

----------

Knightkore (02-27-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Michael Waltrip finished 8th in his final race.

----------

Knightkore (02-27-2017)

----------


## Dan40

> always wanted to see the LeMan series cars at Sebring since it is so close. Do they still run? You know, GTE class . . . the Corvettes, Jags and Porsche. Did not care much for the prototype cars. 
> 
> I would get a bigger boot if they raced factory production cars. Always have liked the competition between the Big 3 seeing who could produce the baddest of the bad ass cars.


The 12 Hours of Sebring will be Mar 15.  Rain or shine.  It is always around St Patrick's day.  There will be qualifing and practice for a few days prior.  Also they'll have a night practice since the race ends in the dark.  Race is 11AM to 11PM I think.  As A race official I was always on track about dawn anyway so did'nt really pay attention to the exact times.

Usually there is a Vintage Race Car exhibition "race" on race day morning.  You can see some cheery old race cars then.  And sometimes they get fired up and it is more RACE than exhibition.  Old rivalries die hard.  I did the race for nearly 20 years but I'm too damn old now be be all over that track for 4 days with damn little sleep till its over.  The youngsters can have the "fun" now.

----------

Rickity Plumber (02-27-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> Michael Waltrip finished 8th in his final race.


Helmet hair.....

----------


## Knightkore

> Not very nice thing to say when they are writing big ass checks.


There has always been a contention with Goodyear by many of the drivers.....

----------


## Knightkore

Kurt Busch #41 Haas/Monster Energy car wins the 2017 Daytona race.

----------


## midgardian/OHL

"Except for sex and good food, there's nothing like (racing)."

- Don Simpson (co-producer of _Days of Thunder_).

----------

Knightkore (03-01-2017)

----------


## Knightkore



----------


## midgardian/OHL

Great song from when racing was still good (early 2000's, though I think this was released in 2005).

----------


## StanAtStanFan

> Great song from when racing was still good (early 2000's, though I think this was released in 2005).


Great Tune! Thanx........Just something I forgot to add regarding NASCAR, was their horrible treatment of one of, IMHO, greatest driver's ever, a guy whose competitive spirit always rose highest against Dale Earnhardt, Sr., - Tim Richmond. Died of HIV - AIDS. Drove the Folger's car. Guy was party city (which obviously was how he contracted the disease). The other driver's wore blue jeans, and cowboy hats, Richmond used to show up at the tracks in Corvettes and Rolls Royce's - wearing a Rolex watch; Armani suits with a bevy of beautiful women, everybody drinking champagne. Used to pull up beside Earnhardt, Sr. in that bright red Folger's car, get within a foot of the Intimidator, and race him all afternoon. When the spotters would call him on his radio and ask him how long he could stick with the Number 3 car, Richmond would respond - all-day-long man - all-day long, and he would. Sad farewell when he was so sick at the end, couldn't race, and NASCAR and his team wouldn't release what was wrong with him, terrible stigma at the time, but he wasn't gay. Anybody that classy, with that many blonds (all BHP Club member's), hanging on his arm, racing all day, partying all night, unfortunately caught the disease from one of them. His final farewell was an airplane banner above Pocono Raceway, a track he raced well at all of the time, thanking the fans for their support. NASCAR and the media associated with racing kept his cause of death quiet, and let his memory fade away, nobody wanted to discuss HIV/AIDS. If you wanted your azz kicked for some reason - all you had to do was tell Dale Earnhardt, Sr. something bad about Tim Richmond. Other than Richard Petty and David Pearson, there was no driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr. respected more. To this day, NASCAR doesn't acknowledge, speak about, or have any honors for how competitive a spirit Tim was. Sad.........Stan

----------


## squidward

Stage racing the 500?
Total pus rocket

----------

Knightkore (03-02-2017)

----------


## Dan40

In Bithlo FL, outside Orlando, they have figure 8 stock car racing where the cars race atound the oval and also race through the intersection in the middle of the infield.  Numerous crashes.

Whooda thunk NASCAR would follow Bithlo's lead?

----------

Knightkore (03-03-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Anyone watch Atlanta?

----------

Knightkore (03-10-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

What does NASCAR think they are running, the Tour de France?  I guess Brian does!

1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope finished 36th at the Atlanta race.  Good to see that he's still hanging around.

----------

Knightkore (03-10-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> Anyone watch Atlanta?


Yeah.  Brad won.  Actually not a bad day for Ford.

----------


## Knightkore



----------

midgardian/OHL (03-11-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

> Yeah.  Brad won.  Actually not a bad day for Ford.


I missed it, except for about 5 minutes when one of the broadcast crew was saying that at last year's Atlanta race there were something like only two caution periods.  I commented at the time that there are now at least two yellow flags because they are _planned_. We can now not see the spectacle of a crash free day at Talladega like there was once several years ago.  That _never_ happens at Talladega and now never will again unless we scrap this silly bicycle racing format. Nothing against bicycle racing, I'm looking forward to some of the Spring Classics in Europe, but stage racing belongs to the bike game, not to auto racing.

----------

Knightkore (03-10-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

The cool thing about the cycling Classics in Europe is that they are one day events, and thus similar to a 500 mile NASCAR race.  You ride all day, try to stay out of trouble on the cobblestones and descents, and whoever is stronger overall throughout the course and is wily enough to pull ahead of the competition, wins. The stage races like the Tour de France get the big coverage, but if you can win something like Paris-Roubaix or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, its like being a Daytona 500 champion.

----------

Knightkore (03-10-2017)

----------


## Knightkore

> The cool thing about the cycling Classics in Europe is that they are one day events, and thus similar to a 500 mile NASCAR race.  You ride all day, try to stay out of trouble on the cobblestones and descents, and whoever is stronger overall throughout the course and is wily enough to pull ahead of the competition, wins. The stage races like the Tour de France get the big coverage, but if you can win something like Paris-Roubaix or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, its like being a Daytona 500 champion.


That's actually kind of cool.  Not really for NASCAR but interesting.....

----------

midgardian/OHL (03-10-2017)

----------


## midgardian/OHL

Vegas, baby!

----------


## midgardian/OHL

New Jersey driver Martin Truex Jr. wins the Kobalt 400 in Sin City!

----------


## Knightkore

NASCAR: WATCH: Kyle Busch, Joey Logano accident, comments after fight | NASCAR Talk

While NASCAR must be careful about tacitly celebrating such displays  of violence, attempting to legislate postrace emotion would foolhardy  and run counter to everything preached about why stock-car racing stands  alone as a sport that showcases passion.
 The only area that perhaps needs to be addressed by NASCAR is the  scene that left Busch with a bloody forehead. The Joe Gibbs Racing  driver put himself in that position to great degree, but the postrace  brawls might need better ground rules that put some limitations on how  many burly and physically sculpted pit crew members entering the fray.

----------


## Knightkore

*Martin Truex Jr. (winner): “*We  finally got some (good luck). We definitely had our share of races  where we’ve dominated and gave one away and it looked like today was  going to be another one of those. The runs just didn’t work out the way  we needed them. We were struggling on the really long runs. We had to  run that last set of tires on that last caution longer than we did all  race long. I was out of control and Brad (Keselowski) was really good on  the long run. I hate that he had problems, he was strong and we weren’t  going to do anything with him, but then he lost the brakes or  something. A little bit of a gift, but we have given some away, so it  feels good to come out on the good end for once.”

What drivers said Sunday after Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | NASCAR Talk

----------


## Knightkore

NASCAR Reacts to Kyle Busch Joey Logano Fight - Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series News - MRN.com

Two high-ranking NASCAR officials offered their perspectives on Sunday’s post-race fight between Kyle Busch and Joey Logano.
 The drivers scuffled after Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor  Speedway. They made contact on the track while racing on the final lap,  with the impact sending Busch sliding while Logano went on to finish  fourth. Busch approached Logano on pit road and after punches were  thrown, things escalated when members of Logano’s pit crew became  involved.
 While the incident remains under review, NASCAR Vice President and  Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell - a guest Monday on  SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's "The Morning Drive" - said penalties are not a  certainty.

----------


## Crunch



----------

Knightkore (04-07-2017)

----------

