2025 NASCAR Discussion ThreadNASCAR

[Blitz24]

It should take Briscoe 3 races, 4 max, to move back ahead of Cody Ware. Ware and Todd Gilliland (and their teams) each lost 10 points for ballast violations.

If there was no charter system, it might have taken longer if there were more than 40 cars. Remember how Waltrip was in the red until May in 2007?

 

[Eggstor]

If there was no charter system, it might have taken longer if there were more than 40 cars. Remember how Waltrip was in the red until May in 2007?

Of course, back then, at least the owner got points for trying and missing a race, so while Waltrip the driver was in the red until May, Waltrip the owner got into the black well before then.

 

[Northstar]

Sounds like Dodge/Ram is potentially making a return to the series. It will be interesting to see who runs them in Cup if they fully return considering it seems like manufacturer ties are far stronger than the last time a new manufacturer entered. Other than maybe Trackhouse it seems like they may have to settle for some mid tier teams and hope like hell they can step up.

 

[Eggstor]

Corey Heim will become 23XI's first developmental driver, and will make multiple Cup starts in the #67 (the first at Kansas in May) and Xfinity starts for Sam Hunt Racing (the first at COTA).

Meanwhile, Fords dominated qualifying for the Cup race at Atlanta, taking the first 5 spots (Ryan Blaney on the pole) and the real Ford teams (i.e. the ones not run by Haas or Ware) taking 10 of the first 11, with only Kyle Busch breaking up the Ford domination.

 

[Dolph Drago]

And tonight NASCAR throws the caution immediately on the final lap tonight...while the leaders are 3 wide. There was carnage on the backstretch and turn 3, not completely unlike Daytona last week. I don't understand their reasoning for when they decide to go yellow or not.

 

[TrdScionxB2]

And tonight NASCAR throws the caution immediately on the final lap tonight...while the leaders are 3 wide. There was carnage on the backstretch and turn 3, not completely unlike Daytona last week. I don't understand their reasoning for when they decide to go yellow or not.

I remember one of the commentators saying something like, “because there were cars behind the wrecking cars they threw the caution.” But if that’s true then shouldn’t the caution been thrown at the Daytona race as well?

 

[Dolph Drago]

I remember one of the commentators saying something like, “because there were cars behind the wrecking cars they threw the caution.” But if that’s true then shouldn’t the caution been thrown at the Daytona race as well?

Exactly. Their consistency is confounding.

 

[TrdScionxB2]

Exactly. Their consistency is confounding.

Does NASCAR have different race directors for different races or is it always the same race director/group?

 

[Blitz24]

Does NASCAR have different race directors for different races or is it always the same race director/group?

Same director(s) for every race.

 

[EngieDiesel]

Sounds like Dodge/Ram is potentially making a return to the series. It will be interesting to see who runs them in Cup if they fully return considering it seems like manufacturer ties are far stronger than the last time a new manufacturer entered. Other than maybe Trackhouse it seems like they may have to settle for some mid tier teams and hope like hell they can step up.

Yeah, it is time for the bi-annual rumors of new manufacturers, isn't it?

Given that Stellantis is in the middle of searching for a new CEO after several years of misunderstanding the North American market and are looking to ax some of their brands as a cost cutting measure, I can't see them stumping up the immense funds to start an engine program from scratch now and come in with a few nobody teams to piddle around in the backfield. If they don't get a team on the level of Hendrick or Roush to shoulder at least some of the cost of the engine program, it likely won't happen.

There's also rumors flying around about Honda coming in after their Indycar contract expires, but for one I can't see what car they would want to enter, secondly there's the cost of the engine program again, and frankly it seems far more likely that if they do leave Indycar they'll turn their focus more towards Super Formula and F1 as more manufacturers are moving there in the next few years. The only thing that was a hard no for them in the past was NASCAR using carb engines instead of fuel injection, but since that changed quite a while ago I feel like if they were interested they would have expressed interest already.

 

[Dolph Drago]

5 last lap crashes in the 6 races between Cup/Xfinity/Trucks already and you never know what the officials are going to do. The Iceberg broke down each one in his latest video. To be fair, it would be a moot point if the drivers could just make it through the final lap without wrecking.

 

[Blitz24]

Zilisch had a penalty yesterday and won his 2nd Xfinity race of his career. Today he had a flat tire on turn 1 chaos lap 1, recovered, but got into teammate Daniel Suarez who spun off turn 19 and the 87 will likely finish dead last in his debut.

 

[Eggstor]

In penalty news:

• Austin Cindric loses 50 points (not extending to the owners' points on the #2) and $50,000, but will not be suspended for punting Ty Dillon on Sunday because (officially) the punt was on a "slower" road course and/or (unofficially) Cindric is on a name team with a real shot of making the playoffs, so losing any potential playoff points from the regular season would be problematic.
• Kyle Larson's team loses 2 crew members for the next 2 races for losing a wheel on-course.
• Chase Briscoe and the 19 team won their appeal in full as the appeals board determined that the elongation of the holes on the spoiler base was a result of "the process of attaching that specific spoiler base to the rear deck and not modification of the single source part." That puts Briscoe in a tie for 14th with +72 points, and knocks Denny Hamlin out of the top 16.

Speaking of Hamin, NASCAR has counter-sued 23XI, Front Row and Curtis Polk (Michael Jordan's agent) claiming anti-trust violations, and asking for the elimination of the guaranteed charter race spots if 23XI/Front Row continue to pursue their suit.

 

[Eggstor]

As a reminder, the option tire is in play this weekend on the Cup side. Teams will have 1 set of primary tires and 1 set of option tires for practice (45 minutes, no groups), another set of primaries for qualifying (which they can carry over to the race), and 6 more sets of primaries and 2 sets of option tires for the race, along with 4 sets of wet tires should weather call for them. Presumably, they can switch to the option tire after qualifying without penalty.

 

[Eggstor]

Minor change in the Project91 Provisional - if it is in play, there will be 41 cars taking the green flag even if it is ultimately not needed. No word on whether the 41st entry gets paid if it isn't the 91.

Edit - It sounds like the 91 won't get paid if there are 41 cars, and also NASCAR at its discretion can exclude races from the Project91 Provisional option.

 

[Blitz24]

In what might be considered an upset, Josh Berry wins his first career race at Las Vegas in the Wood Brothers #21.

 

[Eggstor]

Kyle Larson got robbed out of a 3-series sweep at Homestead as a late caution in the Xfinity race that he had been dominating in long runs cost him. Meanwhile, thanks barely to the 10-point penalty to Cody Ware and the 51 from Daytona, Jimmie Johnson and the 84 (in 1 start) still have a 7-point lead for 36th six races into the season.

 

[Blitz24]

Kyle Larson got robbed out of a 3-series sweep at Homestead as a late caution in the Xfinity race that he had been dominating in long runs cost him. Meanwhile, thanks barely to the 10-point penalty to Cody Ware and the 51 from Daytona, Jimmie Johnson and the 84 (in 1 start) still have a 7-point lead for 36th six races into the season.

Which just shows how Cody Ware is not a Cup driver.

 

[Eggstor]

Which just shows how Cody Ware is not a Cup driver.

NASCAR should have seized the charter last year.

 

[Dylan]

Hi from Martinsville!

 

[Blitz24]

View attachment 1439982

Not shown: he has missed the last 100 laps due to being violently ill from the hot dog.

 

[TheHun99]

Hello Everyone,

I'm typically just lurking here as NASCAR isn't really my jam (sports- and touring car fan since the early '90s) but I'm fully aware that oval racing isn't exactly a piece of cake. Additionally, I do like the good ol' V8s and would like to experience a NASCAR race in person. Unfortunately, this never worked out for like 16 years or so but this is the year that I bought tickets to the Pocono truck race. Given my general non-existent knowledge about NASCAR and the quirkiness of the trucks I thought I wanna watch them rather then the Xfinity and Cup races - plus tickets were cheaper.

From what I can see, track action is kept to a bare minimum, I'm wondering whether we should be there for the qualifying or just the race. I didn't get paddock tickets, they're 50 bucks for Sunday only (not particularly helpful on a Friday afternoon/evening) or $75 for the weekend - at an IMSA race that's included in the price ($75 at Mid-Ohio for a weekend ticket), so thank you but no, thank you.

Is there any advice what to do beyond watching the race and make sure we have ear-plugs? Due to food allergies we won't have anything to eat there, just drinking, so I'm not worried about the food vendors' quality level either.

I'm definitely looking forward to it, I expect a pretty good experience.

PS: unfortunately it's not in the cards this year, but trucks running at Lime Rock is definitely something very appealing.