NASCAR Thread.

[RACECAR]

Absolutely. There is some willful blindness in some who believe the flaps did what they were supposed to do. To have Edward's car lift up by itself with flaps deployed and total failure for Kenseth's car is unacceptable in my opinion.

Funny, your the last person that should even mention that word given how you've still managed not to notice the decent of Carl's car before the hit from Newman.

 

[Solid Fro]

I wonder, SolidFro. When you complain about the roof-flaps, do you have any aerodynamic knowledge or understanding to support your claims that they failed to do their duty?

Does it look like it?

I want NASCAR to look into why the flaps failed in the Nationwide race and why Edwards car lifted off the ground before being hit in the rear. I figured others would agree with me. Apparently not...

To be criticized here for improving driver safety is scaring me just a bit.

 

[Studentdriver]

We're all for driver safety, but you insist that NASCAR find a way to make it impossible for the wheels of a CoT to lift off the ground, and we don't think that's feasible.

 

[Northstar]

Why? He didn't go over the fence, did he?

[/B][/SIZE]

The car didn't but parts of it did.

 

[Metar]

I want NASCAR to look into why the flaps failed in the Nationwide race and why Edwards car lifted off the ground before being hit in the rear. I figured others would agree with me. Apparently not...

To be criticized here for improving driver safety is scaring me just a bit.

I haven't seen the Nationwide race, so I can't comment on it.

However, as we all repeat time and time again: The Edwards car lifted because of it's shape - it's inherent that any car, and NASCAR cars in particular, generate quite a bit of lift when travelling backwards, due to their wing-like shape. The flaps are a mechanism that prevents that, and indeed did - if you look closely, as soon as they deployed, his car stopped lifting and sunk back down. That first foot of air is something that current designs inherently suffer from - not the flap's fault, and not even the CoT's fault, since this phenomena existed long before them, and was even worse before the separated wing.

I agree with you that it's not good to see the car lift in the first place - and this race showed us just how dangerous it is - but it's nothing we can solve with current car-shapes. At least these days, if you spin, you land back on your wheels, unlike in the pre-flap days.

I'd usually be among the first to join the safety crusades (note: stances on underbody aerodynamics et al), but in this case, we had the worst scenario possible - a high-speed spin in a restrictor-race compounded by a nudge while airborne, sending the car into the fence - and yet every system, from the flaps to the CoT to the catch-fencing, worked in a way that the driver was able to run to the finish, and with barely any spectator injuries.

 

[QSpec]

Unless you decrease the racing speed to 40mph or have everyone race in Honda Fits, I don't think you'll have an unflippable race car.


This sport, by nature, is dangerous.

Unrelated to the flip: I think all tracks should have the 'safer barrier' all the way around the track, not just in places they think cars will wreck.

Or whatever that cyrofoam stuff was that Jimmie Johnson ran into that one time in the Busch Series.

 

[TS]

Unless you decrease the racing speed to 40mph or have everyone race in Honda Fits, I don't think you'll have an unflippable race car.


This sport, by nature, is dangerous.

Unrelated to the flip: I think all tracks should have the 'safer barrier' all the way around the track, not just in places they think cars will wreck.

Or whatever that cyrofoam stuff was that Jimmie Johnson ran into that one time in the Busch Series.

This.

I agree with what Michael Waltrip said a year or so ago when Jeff Gordon hit the inside wall at Vegas hard, there needs to be safer barriers all the way around, because you never know where drivers will find themselves wrecked.

 

[QSpec]

I think the number one cause for Edward's car flipping was the yellow line rule.

 

[CodeRedR51]

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/08/former-suspended-nascar-driver-commits-suicide/#comments

 

[Northstar]

Yes it is sad, but what is even sadder is how many people have nor respect at all.

 

[TS]

Yes it is sad, but what is even sadder is how many people have nor respect at all.

That's typical of NASCAR bashers who will use anything negative that comes out of it just to imply "I told you so".

Which is why I rarely discuss NASCAR outside of GTP.

 

[Earth]

Jeremy Mayfeild is suspended for tonight's Darlington race for failing a drug test

 

[RACECAR]

If I recall, he is suspended indefinately.

 

[JohnBM01]

Wow... that's terrible news for Kevin Grubb (Post #1,449). Suicide is NEVER cool. My deepest thoughts and prayers go out to him, his friends, his family, and all whom have loved him.

On a much lighter note, 43 cars are trying to dance with the Lady in Black known as Darlington. She's a bad mamma jamma, you know!

 

[LancerEvo7]

Waltrip caught fire going into Turn 3, he's okay.👍

 

[JohnBM01]

According to an RSS feed I picked up, Mark Martin won at Darlington. Man... I don't want to go along with old jokes, but he's found the Fountain of Youth by racing hard. If he wins the title this season, he can basically retire with it. He's NASCAR's tragic hero- in the series for years, been competive all of his time, winning races... but NEVER a championship. Ten years ago, I remembered Mark Martin in the good old #6 Valvoline Ford Taurus. Then too, there was no Chase for the Cup or anything like that.

Up next is Charlotte (Lowe's Motor Speedway nowadays). The overhyped All-Star Race is next Saturday, and the Coca Cola/the World 600 the week after. Enjoy your racing from Charlotte these next two weeks!

 

[DaddyVDUB]

All I can say is Mark do it for all us older guys!!

 

[TS]

If I recall, he is suspended indefinately.

According to Mayfield, he failed the test for only taking OTC medication along with medication prescribed to him.

lolwut

I understand suspending drivers and crews for doing illegal drugs and narcotics, but to do it for medications that are legally prescribed (like I'm assuming in Mayfield's case) is over doing it imo. Unless if those medications could cause performance effects in the race (ie drowsiness) then I would probably only suspend them for a few races and have the doctors review their prescriptions with NASCAR.

 

[JohnBM01]

Ron Hornaday Jr. (?) won his 40th race in NASCAR Trucks with a victory at Charlotte/Lowe's Motor Speedway. Saturday night is the overhyped NASCAR All-Star Race, in which it has to be counted down even before Daytona Speedweeks. Good luck to all participants.

 

[Metar]

Guess I'm really late with my NASCAR viewing schedule - I'm now halfway through the Sprint race at Darlington (though in my defence, part 2 only arrived tonight).


I do have a question, though, after watching the Nationwide race. Doesn't it bother you guys that the first two thirds of the race, or even more sometimes, don't really make a difference? Kyle Busch dominated the race, yet two laps into the finish, an accident spread debris and, under caution, he picks up a flat and finishes 14th. From my admittedly-limited NASCAR experience, it appears as if all but the final 20-30 laps are nothing but preparation - as long as you don't damage your car too bad, you're good to go. These late-race cautions just re-sort the field in what seems like a completely random way, unrelated to the pace over the whole race.

I mean, many complain (and rightfully so) that the latter two thirds of an F1 race are dull, and that the order doesn't change - but doesn't it bother you guys that the opening two thirds of a NASCAR race just don't matter to the final result?

 

[01GTP]

The fact that Sprint Cup races are so long makes them endurance races also.
I realise you are talking about a Nationwide series race but in general NASCAR races are about putting yourself in position to win the race and to finish first you must first finish.
To race to the front each and every lap will use up your tires early on in a run with nothing left for later in that same run.
These races are long enough to pick your way through to the front so no need to punt your way there.
I believe each racer would lead every lap if they could except during the restrictor plate races where some decide to run in the back of the pack (to avoid the big one) and with limited laps left in the race head towards the front.
Edwards did that, was battling for the win, crashed and did not finish the race. Good strategy untill the crash.
Sometimes strategy alone can win a race and sometimes the best strategy gets foiled by any number of circumstances.

To win an NASCAR race you need good equipment, a good pit crew and just as important (if not more) is luck. Good luck on your part and bad luck for your opponents.
One dropped lug nut during a pit stop can certainly cost you a win.
In Busch's case a flat tire.

I don't see these races played out quite the way you do Metar but I do enjoy them very much. I have watched them now for many years and I think it's great every race, the whole race. Attending them is even better.


On a similar note, it was good to watch Skinner get out of his truck after such a crash last night with no injures. Wow.
If anyone wants to watch a series that races for the win every lap then watch that series, those guys are nuts.

 

[Metar]

Don't get me wrong, I love the strategy aspects - in fact, that's what pulled me into the series in the first place - but in "true" endurance-racing, as in every motorsport, you have to be fastest over the distance: The only difference is what distance. But when you can pull a 5-6 seconds advantage (which is massive on an oval) on every green period, only to lose that every time some backmarker crashes out, it turns it back into a series of short sprints - especially since these cautions only become more often near the end, when everyone pushes hard.

My gripe isn't with luck, and it's obvious that you need equipment, good pits and all - my gripe is that all that's important about the race gravitates towards the end of it. You can pit under green early on and recover, you can spin and pit for repairs early on and recover, lose a lugnut early on and recover - all three of those happened during the Sprint race at Darlington, they went a lap down or more and then recovered into the top ten thanks to cautions. However, if you had the same problems in the latter stages of the race, it'll put you out of contention immediately.

To put it more simply: My "peeve" with NASCAR is that you can run the first half badly and recover to win, but you can't afford a single mistake (or misfortune) in the latter stages, even if you ran three quarters of the race absolutely perfect.

 

[Northstar]

So I'm guessing your favorite driver isn't Denny Hamlin if that's your pet peeve. Anyways, that's what's kind of exciting bout this style of racing(oval racing in general), you don't have to be the fastest car but just have to be out front at the right time. There are plenty examples of drivers dominating and going on to win the race, Kenseth dominated the second race of the season en route to a win.

 

[Metar]

This is how awesome the #29 crew were. Waltrip was right when he said, "The 29 UPS Ford is out there again! Well, parts of it."

 

[Aldo]

Firstly, that picture is awesme
Secondly, did anyone see the documentary on National Geographic (I think) a few days ago about Jaques Villeneuve (spelt horrendously wrong) and Dario Franchiti (from near where I live) and their transition from F1 for Jaques and Indy Car for Dario into NASCAR?
It was really good
The next one is tonight and its about Juan Pablo Montoya

 

[Studentdriver]

This is how awesome the #29 crew were. Waltrip was right when he said, "The 29 UPS Ford is out there again! Well, parts of it."

#6 It's even on the car...sort of.

Anyway, concerning your issue with how NASCAR races tend to play out...I'm afraid that's just the nature of oval tracks. You see almost the same thing with ICS races. The only difference there is that there's a greater disparity between the good teams and the bad ones.

 

[JohnBM01]

Did anyone see that vicious crash in the NASCAR Truck race last night whee that the guy ended up on his side, bringing out the red flag? I'm glad he was alright after that violent hit he took. Anyone want to make some All-Star picks to win tonight? I always root for the same guys- Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards. This is a non-points race, so I obviously want Jeff Gordon to win and finish consistently.

Never have I doubted Mark Martin as he's been the one that has come on strong as of late, almost as if he was in the #6 Valvoline Ford in the 1990s rather than his current ride. Mark Martin will be a trendy pick for not only this race, but maybe the Coca-Cola 600 as well.

 

[Nicksfix]

Anybody want to pipe in on what you feel is holding Dale Earnhardt Jr. back from winning a race ?

He has talent,he is with one of the best teams Nascar has to offer,why can't he find victory lane ?

 

[JohnBM01]

Tony Stewart was money in winning the $1,000,000 tonight. But I got to give mad props to Jeff Gordon even though he crashed out. He had an amazing shootout performance despite coming up seven laps short.

This insignificant race which Speed has hyped for months on end is over. The REAL race begins this Sunday Night- the 50th Coca-Cola 600.

 

[Metar]

Anybody want to pipe in on what you feel is holding Dale Earnhardt Jr. back from winning a race ?

He has talent,he is with one of the best teams Nascar has to offer,why can't he find victory lane ?

I'm not sure if it's the 88, but I think it was them who had problems at pretty much every pitstop at Darlington and Richmond?

(also, if he has troubles finding it, perhaps his own Dale Jnr. GPS should help?)