- 2,980
- Brankston
- gokartman
GTP NASCAR Sprint Cup S4 Champs: Akmuq, Hendrick, Chevrolet
- Thread starter Niop
- 3,170 comments
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- 5,629
- North Carolina
- Droptop2001gt
The Southern 300 Race Preview:
This week, the GTP NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads down to the swamplands of South Carolina to run the first inaugural Southern 300 at Darlington Raceway. Because this is the first ever race run at Darlington, there are a lot of unknowns for the drivers and teams going in to this race.
Red Bull Racing was here early in the week doing their homework, logging tons of practice laps. I'm wondering how many miles they might have put on the 2010 model car this week alone. Let's hope the car doesn't fall apart out on the track this weekend from wear and tear.
Joe Gibbs Racing will be missing Mudd again this weekend. Rumor has it that he may have actually contracted the plague. Again. We are hearing that he might be in the Mayo Clinic, attempting to find a cure for his condition. At last check, bags and bags of peanut M&Ms weren't curing him. We'll provide more updates on Mudd's condition as it becomes available.
The entire HMS team, we heard, was still stuck in Italy, as they stubbornly refused to cut in line at security checkpoints in the airport. Or, they might still be waiting for ACDC to finish the race. We're not sure.
Ford is down at least one driver so far this week. We know Drop is in town, but we haven't seen him at the track yet. We're afraid that there might have been a right-hand turn on the way from the airport, and he hasn't figured out how to get through it yet.
SGR is supposed to be in town already, but we heard that team boss Furi might be out on the town today courting a potential new sponsor for next season. Our sources have it on good authority that John Deere Lawn Tractors loved Furi's performance this past weekend, and want to do some commercials with Furi cutting corners on a John Deere tractor, instead of in his race car. These should be some of the best driver/sponsor tie-in commercials since Dale Jarrett drove the truck for UPS a decade ago.
GTP Sprint Cup Power Rankings - After the Red Bull 175km:
1. RFLX_Niop - RFLX logged his first career win at Monza, in what was likely the track's last Sprint Cup race ever to be held on the famed circuit. RFLX became the first driver to ever win a race without actually leading a lap, due to the win being vacated because of excessive penalties. Let's hope this is both the first and last time that this ever happens.
TRENDING: UP
2. Spurgy777 - Spurgy dominated the race in all three national series this past weekend. Unfortunately, this new-to-NASCAR driver wasn't fully aware of the more strict NASCAR regulations, and lost team points in the Nationwide series and time on track in the Sprint Cup series. Spurgy may have had his win vacated from the Sprint Cup record books, but the domination displayed on track can't be erased from the memories of the drivers that witnessed it first-hand. Spurgy has got to be the odds-on favorite to win the last two road course races left on the schedule, at High Speed Ring and Suzuka East.
TRENDING: UP
3. MULE_9242 - Mule might have already experienced the highest high and the lowest low of the entire season in just three short weeks. Mule stole the show at Daytona, winning the biggest race of the year, at a track where he wasn't a heavy favorite. Two weeks later, where he's the defending race winner, he has the worst weekend possible, finishing next-to-last. Was this a disastrous one-week blip, or will the Jekyll-and-Hyde act continue for the rest of the season?
TRENDING: DOWN
4. Droptop2001gt - Drop had a terrible run at Monza, but everyone else that was just under him in the power rankings either didn't show up, or ran equally terrible. So, Drop didn't really have anywhere to fall. I guess not losing ground to most everyone is something positive to build on for the driver of the 43 car.
TRENDING: DOWN
5. ACDCROCKS123 - ACDC finally ran his first career road course race. In the very first corner, he got helped off the course when Knelly's car slid up the track from the inside grass. That was not a good way to start his first Sprint Cup race going left and right. Not yet ready to give up, AC made a valiant effort, slowly clawing his way back up as high as 7th or 8th. But, he was a little too aggressive on his tires while doing so, and wound up spinning out. This caused an earlier-than-planned pit stop before the halfway point, which led to another spin and a late pit stop at the end of the race, resulting in a last place finish. Had the race started differently, it's possible AC might have remained in the top 6-8 spots. But, we'll never know now.
TRENDING: DOWN
6. MattyMc1996 - Matty put together a strong run at Monza. Because he managed to drive fast and stay on course, he finished on the podium. With all the drivers ahead of him absent or much deeper in the field, Matty vaulted himself up in the standings, landing in a Chase spot for the moment. Now comes the hard part for Matty, trying to hold on to it as everyone shows up this weekend wanting to get their points totals back up again.
TRENDING: UP
7. Carbonox - Carb had an OK day at Monza that became a good day by the end. He decided to make a second pit stop with a few laps to go, banking on his fresh tires to help him make up ground on everyone else on their old tires. It worked, as Carb finished 6th, and got into a tie for 6th in points. Due to the tiebreaker rules, Carb is officially listed as 8th in total points. However, as of right now, he's the last driver that would be in the Chase if it started today.
TRENDING: UP
8. Tom_97_COD - Tom combined bad luck with decent driving and lots of adherence to the rule book, and came out with a positive overall result. Not every day can be great, so turning potential bad days into somewhat better days is critical for the drivers that want to make the Chase. Tom was able to do that at Monza. As of right now, Tom is in the Chase on points, but with a lot of drivers breathing down his neck.
TRENDING: STEADY
9. JoeOfTheFire - Joe returns to action this week, following a week spent at home for a family emergency. Now that everything is better back home, Joe will get back behind the wheel of his Ford Fusion. I'm sure Joe wishes he could have made it to the race at Monza, where a lot of drivers around him faltered, which would have been a golden opportunity for Joe to really separate himself from this huge pack of drivers currently residing from 5th to 15th place in points. Maybe Joe can do that this weekend in the Southern 300.
TRENDING: STEADY
10. Furinkazen - Furi should be packing his bags for Vegas instead of Darlington. On the current points table, his run of "7 7 7" would be a welcome site to see on a big-money slot machine at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino, or on a blackjack table at the Bellagio. While Furi's in Vegas, he could also go ahead and put a few bets down in a sports book on Spurgy to win at HSR and Suzuka East. If he's willing to double down on those bets, I'll stake half.
TRENDING: STEADY
Also considered: GTP_Litchi, RedPartyHat, Knelly
Previous Power Rankings:
Pre-Season
After Race 1
After Race 2
- 44,185
- Blackburn
- Furinkazen_54
I am laughing so hard. Harsh but funny 
- 11,637
- Intercourse, PA
- Carbonox
- 5,629
- North Carolina
- Droptop2001gt
I am laughing so hard. Harsh but funny
They aren't meant to be taken as serious. These are supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. No one outside of Red Bull is even going to get the joke I made at them.
For anyone that is a fan of American pro football, I'm attempting to model my writing style after a football blogger named Mike Tanier. He is witty and sarcastic, and the one writer I thoroughly enjoy reading every week.
http://www.sportsonearth.com/writer/mike_tanier
- 5,619
- Hampshire
- Spurgy777
What's a good time around Motegi, full tank?
- 2,980
- Brankston
- gokartman
33.9/8
- 5,619
- Hampshire
- Spurgy777
Good, done a 33.8 
- 5,717
- England
CarbonoxIt's nice how Drop is making it feel like we're racing at Darlington, but to be honest, I don't see many similarities between that track and Motegi.
Well they're pretty much identical apart from the banking being a bit different; the shape and length are almost bang on.
- 44,185
- Blackburn
- Furinkazen_54
Big day today. Second Major of the season, in unchartered territory. Goning to be an exciting and interesting race.
Oh, and let's steer clear of each other Furi
I don;t mind, if its in a scrap with 10 to go I definitely don't mind
, but not sure if I will be doing full race distance, going to try to.It's nice how Drop is making it feel like we're racing at Darlington, but to be honest, I don't see many similarities between that track and Motegi.
Americans sometimes get geographically confused
- 5,629
- North Carolina
- Droptop2001gt
It's nice how Drop is making it feel like we're racing at Darlington, but to be honest, I don't see many similarities between that track and Motegi.
The shape is all but identical. The only difference is that Darlington is slightly shorter in total distance, and there is less than two lanes banked at Darlington, leaving you no choice but to run right up against the wall all the way around the track. If Motegi was flat in the bottom two to three lanes, and only banked (slightly) on the outside two to three lanes, it would be the same track.
- 11,637
- Intercourse, PA
- Carbonox
Announcement time.
OK, so unlike the loathed Daytona 500 and the even more loathed Coca Cola 600, I can run the whole race here as well as the Brickyard 400 (thanks to clock turning if anything). I'm looking for a top 5 finish to keep going in the Chase battle, although the best I could do on this track is "only" 34.298. Motegi has for its whole existence been, together with HSR, my worst track by a clear margin though.
OK, so unlike the loathed Daytona 500 and the even more loathed Coca Cola 600, I can run the whole race here as well as the Brickyard 400 (thanks to clock turning if anything). I'm looking for a top 5 finish to keep going in the Chase battle, although the best I could do on this track is "only" 34.298. Motegi has for its whole existence been, together with HSR, my worst track by a clear margin though.
- 5,629
- North Carolina
- Droptop2001gt
Great news, Carb! I would bet that anyone that finishes this race will probably get a top 10, at worst. I think at least 4 people will quit or disconnect before the race is over.
- 44,185
- Blackburn
- Furinkazen_54
Going to run as much as a I can... should be good for at least 150. And after last nights Trucks run I feel confident of a good run here.
- 5,619
- Hampshire
- Spurgy777
- 11,637
- Intercourse, PA
- Carbonox
I think I'll start keeping a diary about my SC season to show everyone how genuinely things can go wrong for one innocent penguin, also serving as material when it comes to the unluckiest driver award. Basically, I'm listing all the ways to mess up, and put the numbers of the rounds where that occurred in brackets.
Getting wrecked: 1, 2
Race too long to complete: 1, 7 (that can be put in advance)
Getting lag bombed: 2
Messing up in pits: 3
Getting wrecked: 1, 2
Race too long to complete: 1, 7 (that can be put in advance)
Getting lag bombed: 2
Messing up in pits: 3
- 5,629
- North Carolina
- Droptop2001gt
Room open!
Is anyone other than Mudd taking 2/3 substitute driver points today?
Is anyone other than Mudd taking 2/3 substitute driver points today?
- 1,360
- NJ
- GTP_Rph
Most laps lead, Pole leader, Fastest lap during race
2nd.
Great race probably best race comeback ever
2nd.
Great race probably best race comeback ever
- 44,185
- Blackburn
- Furinkazen_54
Bad handling, too tight, unable to maintain speed, a good scrap with Knelly for last 30 odd laps (some reason he doesn't think so) whilst I acted as Spurgy's tail gunner. Way to go Spurgy, incredible fightback. Hopefully will have a better set up for next race here.
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