2023 NASCAR Discussion ThreadNASCAR

[Suzuki-Cara]

Bob Pockrass is the National Enquirer of NASCAR reporting.

To be fair, he's not Jim Utter.

 

[Dylan]

Daytona 500 sold out once again.

 

[Dylan]

It’s officially Speedweek!

First official NASCAR race of the season starts at 9:00pm ET tonight as the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series kicks off their 2023 season with their annual race at Daytona.

 

[Blitz24]

Halfway through qualifying and we already know that the 84 of Jimmie Johnson and the 67 of Travis Pastrana will be running in the Daytona 500 Sunday. The 36 of Zane Smith, 62 of Austin Hill, 13 of Chandler Smith and the 50 of Connor Daly will be trying to earn the final 2 spots in the 500.

 

[Dylan]

For the 6th year in a row, Alex Bowman will start on the front row. Pole for Bowman. Larson 2nd.

 

[Eggstor]

The rest of the open drivers:

• Zane Smith will start 15th in Duel 1
• Chandler Smith will start 21st/last in Duel 1
• Hill will start 16th in Duel 2
• Daly will start 21st/last in Duel 2

One of the Smiths and either Hill or Daly will be racing Sunday; the other Smith and either Daly or Hill will be going home Thursday.

Amplification (via Bob Pockrass):

• Zane Smith in if he is the top open finisher in Duel 1, or if Johnson or Pastrana is the top open finisher in their respective Duels.
• Hill in if he is the top open finisher in Duel 2, or if either Johnson or Zane Smith is the top open finisher in Duel 1 and Pastrana is the top open finisher in Duel 2.
• Chandler Smith and Daly need to be the top open finishers in their respective Duels to race Sunday.

Johnson (Duel 1) and Pastrana (Duel 2) can improve their tentative 39th/40th starting positions by finishing ahead of the other open drivers in their respective Duels.

 

[Dylan]

Joey Logano wins Duel number 1. Zane Smith clinches a spot for Sunday. Chandler Smith is bumped.

 

[Eggstor]

A Ford-heavy inside lane for the Daytona 500 (pending cars going to the back):

#48 - Alex Bowman (fastest time in qualifying; finished 17th)
#22 - Joey Logano
#20 - Christopher Bell
#12 - Ryan Blaney
#17 - Chris(topher) Buescher
#34 - Michael McDowell
#4 - Kevin Harvick
#23 - Bubba Wallace
#36 - Zane Smith (the top-finishing open driver)
#21 - Harrison Burton
#24 - William Byron
#1 - Ross Chastain
#43 - Erik Jones
#3 - Austin Dillon
#16 - AJ Allmendinger
#47 - Ricky Stenhouse
#54 - Ty Gibbs
#51 - Cody Ware
#77 - Ty Dillon
#84 - Jimmie Johnson (in on time; finished 14th)

Going home - #13 - Chandler Smith (finished 18th)

 

[Blitz24]

The 50 of Connor Daly is having suspension issues. That car hasn't turned a lap and already looks like he's going home.

 

[Eggstor]

Disaster for Austin Hill - he got caught up in the punting of Busch.

Pastrana also caught up in it.

 

[LumpiestFish]

That looked like an accident waiting to happen for about 2 or 3 laps. Suarez was pushing like crazy but wasn’t lining up, not sure what he was thinking. Was inevitable.

 

[Eggstor]

Hill and Pastrana retired from the race. Daly will be in, Hill will be out.

 

[Pyle_PMG]

I see my guy Suarez got signed to a contract extension, absolutely love what Trackhouse Racing has been doing in Cup since Marks took over the former Ganassi team.

 

[Eggstor]

That looked like an accident waiting to happen for about 2 or 3 laps. Suarez was pushing like crazy but wasn’t lining up, not sure what he was thinking. Was inevitable.

He was probably counting the zeroes in the check from Floyd Mayweather </sarcasm?>

 

[Dylan]

Aric Almirola wins Duel 2, and Conor Daly makes the show. Austin Hill is heading home.

 

[Eggstor]

What a save from Gilliland, spares the field and especially Larson. Almirola with the win.

Outside line for the Daytona 500 (pending cars going to the rear):

#5 - Kyle Larson (2nd-fastest time in qualifying; finished 6th)
#10 - Aric Almirola
#2 - Austin Cindric
#9 - Chase Elliott
#6 - Brad Keselowski
#7 - Corey LaJoie
#38 - Todd Gilliland
#19 - Martin Truex Jr.
#11 - Denny Hamlin
#41 - Ryan Preece (got some damage from a wreck)
#42 - Noah Gragson
#99 - Daniel Suarez
#45 - Tyler Reddick
#31 - Justin Haley (got some damage from a wreck)
#14 - Chase Briscoe
#78 - BJ McLeod
#50 - Conor Daly (the only open driver to be running at the finish)
#8 - Kyle Busch (involved in a wreck)
#15 - Riley Herbst (involved in a wreck)
#67 - Travis Pastrana (in on time; involved in a wreck; finished 21st)

Going home - #62 - Austin Hill (finished 18th; involved in a wreck)

 

[yellosnake]

Feel bad for Austin Hill. He would at least been decent in the 500. But gets wrecked by the gimmick in the field known as Travis Pastrana. He was awful in Xfinity in good equipment in the #60. How do you not get your car stopped running 16th when the accident involves the leader?

 

[Dylan]

Very “meh”

 

[EngieDiesel]

Very “meh”

I've seen worse, but it is very "press release photo" looking. Though really I'm sure we're all more interested in its track performance than its looks anyway.

 

[Dylan]

Spotters guide for todays Daytona 500.

 

[Blitz24]

Good luck trying to figure out quickly if the 54 or the 45 is right behind you.

 

[Dylan]

My pick for the win is Kyle Busch.

 

[JohnBM01]

2023 Daytona 500, the 65th Daytona 500 in the 75th season of NASCAR. Ready? Let's get it!

 

[Dylan]

Halfway and only one incident of note with Herbst spinning at the first pit stops. Nice and clean so far.

 

[Dylan]

First crash of the race happens as soon as fox goes to commercial. And stays in commercial for another 3 minutes before going back to the race.

 

[LumpiestFish]

Blaney came so close to holding onto it.

 

[Blitz24]

Fox should offer a commercial free feed. I remember in 2001 when they broke from commercial to cover a wreck (or stopped from going to commercial multiple times). This wreck looked imminent right when commercial break started as Reddick was unstable with the 4 of Harvick pushing him.

 

[Dylan]

If ESPN can show F1 races in their entirety with no ads, then Fox and NBC should be able to do something similar. Even if we can’t get rid of all of them, they can be GREATLY reduced.

 

[LumpiestFish]

Damn was really interested to see how they’d all blend in together, real shame.

 

[Dylan]

A lot of Fords taken out there.