|| *Comments on the 2013 Cheez-It 355 at the Glen:* First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page | View All On One Page View the most recent comment | Post a comment <#post> 1. KFC bone eater posted: 08.10.2013 - 12:47 pm Rate this comment: (22) (144) Biggest cheaters in the history of the NASCAR in Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson is starting 18th. Eats a bucket of KFC(I eat the bones! I ate the Bones!). Come on give me 75 thumbs down. (Those chicken bones are tasty) 2. Smiff_2 posted: 08.10.2013 - 12:48 pm Rate this comment: (27) (3) Dude, just stop.... 3. Smiff_2 posted: 08.10.2013 - 12:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Great qualifying run for Dinger! (I'm assuming this to be JTG-Daugherty's best qualifying run ever....lol) 4. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.10.2013 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Also a good qualifying run for Michael McDowell, who is starting 12th. Hopefully they aren't planning to park the car this week. 5. numbah48n10hatah posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) So far, so good for my pick to win this week, Marcos Ambrose. 6. Anonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:02 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) People have just made it a game in last week's comments and this week's to psychotically assault NicoRosbergFan. If you people want to act like @1, do you really think he'd ever come back? 7. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Great qualifying run for Dinger! (I'm assuming this to be JTG-Daugherty's best qualifying run ever....lol)" Ambrose put the 47 car second on the grid at of all places Martinsville a few years back. 8. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Is anybody else already getting sick of seeing Clint Bowyer's Duck Dynasty car yet? They keep showing it on TV, yet it is one of the worst paint schemes I've seen in quite a few years. 9. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:12 pm Rate this comment: (10) (0) Webmaster, can you please delete comment #1. A majority of the users on here would like to carry on intellegent conversations, but with comments like that, it's very hard to. 10. KFC bone eater posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (15) I want to break NicoRosbergFan's down record because Nicro doesn't deserve the 60 plus thumbs down on his post for the last race. 11. Eric posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:34 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Great qualifying run by Michael McDowell, but I think he is going to start and park it. As far as this race does, I don't think it is going to change the wild card unless back luck is happening to Marcos Ambrose tomorrow or Truex wins. 12. The Long Shot posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Where in the world has Michael McDowell come from this weekend? How about that 12th place qualifying run! I think we might have the next Boris Said here. Also, let's look at the Hendrick teams' (Hendrick Motorsports, SHR) average starting position during the past 3 weeks. Indianapolis: 9.86 Pocono: 17.71 Watkins Glen: 24.00 I guess it's true that when drivers and teams don't do well at Pocono, they won't do well at Watkins Glen. 13. Daniel posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think the #35 will park it. There would no point in taking out Wise and putting in McDowell in a race nobody would miss just to park it. That plus the fact they have sponsorship from Dockside Logistics leads me to believe that they will be going the full-distance. 14. The Long Shot posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) "I want to break NicoRosbergFan's down record because Nicro doesn't deserve the 60 plus thumbs down on his post for the last race." Actually, I do believe that that particular post deserved the hate it got, as it was one of the most tasteless posts I've ever seen. However, I don't think that should warrant people thumbing down virtually every single comment he posts, which is what seems to have been happening over the past week. He doesn't deserve that. 15. Daniel posted: 08.10.2013 - 1:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Expanding on my post #13, I think there's a possibility that every car may attempt the full race. The only time the #19 attempted the full distance was at Sanoma with Alex Kennedy behind the wheel and MediaMaster sponsoring, just like this week at Watkins Glen. Brian Keselowski has also stated that his team is planning to attempt to go the full distance in the races they attempt. 16. 18fan posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This could be the race where Allmendinger gets his first Cup win. 17. Eric posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The Long Shot, There is one thing to look at for NicoRosbergFan post for the last race. While NicoRosbergFan deserved thumbs down that 60 plus thumbs down on one post, did it occur to you that someone might have thumbed down a post multiple times. I am saying that because on this site, you can thumb down a post or give it a thumbs up once every day and that means I don't think there were over 60 people thumbing down a post. 18. Anthony posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (10) Why does it have to be every race where people throw shit on the 24 car. Bitter Bitter Bitter Why Why Why please someone tell me why is Jeff been the quote "Monkey In The Middle" in points and qualifying. God help us now this is trouble boys. 24 will win! Five-Time Watkins Glen champion so to come! 19. Anthony posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (5) Well the odds for Gordon R higher than Jimmie He'll Yeah! 20. Eric posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I do agree AJ Allmendinger of having a win at but it hard to beat Truex, Bowyer, and Ambrose for it. The 47 car has good cars for Road Courses in the past dating back to Marcos Ambrose. 21. Eric posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Long Shot, I don't support comment#1 and #10's post even though I do think some people were giving NicoRosbergFan's post a thumbs down more than once in the same week. 22. Schroeder51 posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Who actually thumbed-up comment #1? 23. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anthony, that's because of reputation. But the plain truth is that Gordon is not nearly as comfortable at Watkins Glen as he is at Sonoma because Sonoma is a precision track, while you have to "throw" your car around at Watkins Glen, and Gordon's never been that comfortable at tracks where you have to throw your car around. But none of the HMS cars have a realistic chance to win this week, though I give Jimmie the best chance to win. That's why I always pegged this as a "survival" race for Gordon's chances at making the Chase, because I didn't really think he'd be that good, nor do I think he's going to be that good at Michigan, but if he just "hangs in there" at Watkins Glen and Michigan, he should make it. He got what I thought he could get out of Indianapolis, while he got far more than I ever expected him to get out of Pocono. Even though I didn't expect much out of Gordon, his 28th place qualifying effort was abysmal. And with Kasey Kahne now locked into he Chase for all intents and purposes with his second win, all of HMS' resources should now be focused on the #24 team, since the others teams are all in the Chase, and if Gordon continues to be slow on these high-speed tracks, changes might be in order for the #24 team, because Gordon's been slow on the high-speed tracks ever since Alan Gustafson became his crew chief. And as Pocono proved, you can finish in the top five with a slow car, but you can't win with a slow car. 24. TS1420 posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like Marcos Ambrose has a good shot at the three-peat & the MWR cars are poised to have another stellar run on a road course. Not impressed with Mad Max's qualification run in the 14... 25. The Long Shot posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I am saying that because on this site, you can thumb down a post or give it a thumbs up once every day and that means I don't think there were over 60 people thumbing down a post." I don't think so, either. And by the way, there is no thumbs up/thumbs down limit. You can vote as many times as you want per day. 26. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 2:49 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) TS1420, the Hendrick malaise this week seems to have also spread to SHR, because counting the three cars from SHR, the highest qualified of the seven Hendrick or Hendrick-related cars was Ryan Newman in 14th, so it might be a case of the Hendrick chassis not taking a liking to the track this weekend, sometimes that happens. 27. Ferret posted: 08.10.2013 - 3:08 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Been going back and watching Ambrose's V8 races in Aus. Even 10 years ago he could wheel a car that wasn't supposed to be at the front week in, week out, up there and he won. That takes guts and talent 28. Destroyahirismix666 posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cheez-it 355 at the Glen? Three thoughs: What ever happened to the Sirius Sattelite Radio at the Glen? Why such weird numbers? '355'. Why not just lengthen the race? I'd say make it a 400 miler. And CHEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEE-IIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSS ARE THE GREATEST SNACKS EVER! I know this sounds ridiculous coming from anyone on this site, but I'm SO stoked that Cheez-it is, indeed, sponsoring this race! Also, Why do I have a feeling that Jimmie Johnson is going to win? I woulnd't complain in the lsightest, but just, I've got that feeling. Then again, last time I had that feeling, Casey Mears won. And the time I had the feeling before that, Stewart won a championship with Bobby Labonte as a team-mate. Maybe this will be your guy's lucky week. Also, I know most of you HATE Nation-whackers! So what did you think of Mark Martin when he would run occasional Busch/Nationwide races post-2005? 29. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:26 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) But the plain truth is that Gordon is not nearly as comfortable at Watkins Glen as he is at Sonoma because Sonoma is a precision track, while you have to "throw" your car around at Watkins Glen, and Gordon's never been that comfortable at tracks where you have to throw your car around. CAUSE HE IS A WUSS AND HAS NEVER HAD BALLS LIKE EARNHARDT HAD! Just kidding. That was my weekly potshot at Jeff by DSFF sponsored by Blue Moon Belgian Beer. The truth is that once again, cjs, you have underestimated Jeff's ability to wheel a racecar. There are wheel holders like JJ and KK who can hold a pretty wheel and go fast when given fast cars and don't have to fight other cars. But Jeff is a wheel man and always has been. He has obviously had fast cars for his entire career. But when things go haywire, Jeff can give it that extra speed from the driver's seat by geting up on the wheel and manhandling it. I feel like, even after all these years, you are still being fooled by his less than imposing physical stature (putting it mildly lol). Make no mistake, Jeff is a wheel man, has huge balls, and is a damn shark on the racetrack when he can sniff the lead. People get fooled by their polar opposite public images, but when racing for a win, Jeff is most similar to Dale. Ruthless. Don't be fooled by Jeff's All American, clean cut, straight from a Norman Rockwell painting image, and Dale's Clint Eastwood loveable bad guy, bad as hell anti hero, coolest superhero ever Intimidator image (even cooler than Batman). Give either of them a shot at your rear bumper with a win on the line and you will lose. Quit underestimating Jeff, cjs. Unless the Summer is over. Then you can. 30. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @28, the "355" in the title of the race represents 355 kilometers, since the race distance is actually 220.5 miles (90 laps on the 2.45 mile track). They do the same with the races at Phoenix, advertise it as a "500", even though those races are 500 KM long. I do agree, especially with the lap times that are run now, that the race should be lengthened to between 100-120 laps. A 120 lap race on the layout NASCAR runs on is still slightly below 300 miles (294 miles, to be exact), so if they wanted to run a 300-mile race there, which I think is doable, they would need to run 123 laps. If they wanted to make it a 250-mile race, which I think should be the minimum length anyway, all they need to do is to add 12 or 13 laps to the current race distance. I think it should either be 250 miles/400 kilometers (102 or 103 laps), or 300 miles (122 or 123 laps). At the speeds that are attained at Watkins Glen, I think that's easily doable. 31. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Nico, that is another reason we need you around. We are always the first to notice Jeff going into "Jaws Mode", even before his fans notice. Seriously NASCAR networks, instead of buying the rights to lame modern music, buy the rights to the Jaws theme and play it when Jeff is stalking the lead like a shark stalking his prey. 32. We need more Onion posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sirius Satelite Radio at the Glen? No, it's Bud at the Glen. BTW, great job by McDowell, his second best qualifying effort ever. Would look funny on the standings if he gets a top 10, 20 starts - 4 finishes - 2 T10s. But he has a history of bad luck here. Allmendinger should also get a great finish, both he and his team need it. On the topic of the #14, I've never seen anything in Papis as a Stock car driver, I think it wasn't the best choice to get him in the car. (No bad feelings on Max, he used to race for my favorite CART team, I really liked him back in the day and still do.) "Also, I know most of you HATE Nation-whackers! So what did you think of Mark Martin when he would run occasional Busch/Nationwide races post-2005? " Well, pre-2005 I hated his Busch appearances, post-2005 I even wanted him to win sometimes. Same applies to Bobby Labonte. 33. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 6:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, I don't think he's been that comfortable at Watkins Glen for years, and having to throw the car around, rather than being precise, as you have to do at Sonoma, is a big reason why. Having to throw the car around at Watkins Glen doesn't affect his performance as much as it allows the other drivers to throw their cars around and get away with it. That's the reason Gordon's results are so much better at Sonoma. It's not what Jeff can't do at Watkins Glen as much as it is what others CAN do there that they can't at Sonoma. Marcos Ambrose is a perfect example of this. He likes to throw his car around, and he's the easily the best there is at Watkins Glen, because he doesn't have to be precise there, but at Sonoma, where you have to be precise with every move you make, he's always struggled because he's not a precise driver. Jeff Gordon beats you with precision, not throwing the car around, and that's a big reason why he's not been a serious factor at Watkins Glen for years, while he's always a factor at Sonoma, even though he hasn't actually won there since 2006. It's not what he can or can't do at Watkins Glen, but rather what his competition can do there that they can't at Sonoma. 34. David posted: 08.10.2013 - 7:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "And Nico, that is another reason why we need you around. We are always the first to notice Jeff going into "Jaws Mode", even before his fans notice." Oh yeah?? :) And in case you haven't noticed, he /is/ a Jeff Gordon fan. 35. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.10.2013 - 8:48 pm Rate this comment: (4) (1) Oh, I know Jeff doesn't LIKE throwing the car around. But when the time calls for it, Jeff CAN and WILL throw the car around as well as anyone currently racing. He wasn't using a great deal of finesse at the end of Atlanta '11 or Richmond last year when he just abused the field over the last 100 laps with the damn suspension sawed off in a last ditch effort. 36. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 9:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And DSFF, that's part of his problem at Watkins Glen. But a bigger part of why he doesn't fare well at Watkins Glen is because it permits other drivers that aren't as precise as he is to get away with small mistakes and still keep going. Watkins Glen rewards the sometimes-out of control driving of a Marcos Ambrose or a Juan Montoya more than the precision of a Jeff Gordon or a Mark Martin. That wasn't always the case, but I think Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart changed that at the beginning of the last decade. Their more aggressive driving style changed the way the races at Watkins Glen are driven. Again, there's a reason why Stewart and Ambrose have been far more successful at Watkins Glen than they have at Sonoma, and that's because Watkins Glen does not always penalize mistakes, and rewards aggressive driving, while Sonoma has always rewarded the more precise driving style that drivers like Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin have preferred. It's not that Gordon can't drive that way and be effective, but rather it's because other drivers can drive that way and be effective without much of a penalty for overdriving the car that Gordon's success at Watkins Glen has been pretty much non-existent over the last decade or so. He looks much better at Sonoma because others can't get away with the aggressive driving there that they can at Watkins Glen, which is why drivers like Marcos Ambrose and Tony Stewart tend to struggle much more there, but often succeed at Watkins Glen. Juan Montoya seems to be the one driver that succeeds equally at both tracks, as he would have been second at Sonoma this year had his team put enough fuel in on the last stop, and Montoya is equally good at Watkins Glen. 37. Anonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 9:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (9) With all those stupid paved runoffs instead of gravel, the Glen isn't much more than a glorified Loudon anymore 38. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 9:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Again, one of the reasons they did that, #37, was to keep cars from stopping in the gravel and causing caution periods, thus giving the race a better flow, but it has really reduced the fear of the penalty for making a mistake, cause drivers can now get 10-15 feet or more off the racing surface, and not pay a penalty for that, and it has really changed racing at Watkins Glen because it has really reduced the penalty for making a mistake, if not eliminated any kind of a penalty, other than losing time and positions in the race. There's also a safety element in that because cars did tend to skid on the grass or the gravel and hit the barriers harder, but with the asphalt, the chances for that are reduced, so I can see why they did that. But it has really changed the racing there, because precision is no longer important, and I've always viewed racing as a precision sport, for obvious reasons. 39. Anonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 10:17 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) CJS, I think you've actually got the driving style of the two road courses backwards. Due to the high speed and flowing nature of the Glen, a smooth and fluid style is required to carry speed throughout the course. Because of the layout of the track, an error at one turn can impact the driver for many corners after that. For example, a pass at the inner-loop is actually setup by a good run through turn one and a pass at the second last corner begins by a good exit from the inner-loop. Watkins Glen = slow in, fast out. Sonoma on the other hand, has plenty of stop start, which is where can through a car around without it having much of a negative impact. I know I've heard Marcos describe the two tracks in this exact manner. However, this can all change driver to driver, of course. 40. jabber1990 posted: 08.10.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Sirius Satelite Radio at the Glen?" Sirius is one of those companies that really doesn't need to advertise and #38? maybe NASCAR could enact a "double yellow line" rule at Watkins Glen? 41. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @39, that's incorrect in this case, because they can slide the cars a lot more at Watkins Glen due to the track layout. Not only do you have the "esses" that lead to the back straightaway, but leaving the inner loop, as well as the turn after that, drivers hang out their cars a lot more than they can at Sonoma. In fact, the turn leading out of the inner loop is even banked about 6-10 degrees. And there's so much runoff room at Watkins Glen now that drivers can overdrive the car and it not cost them much more than a few positions in the race. At Sonoma, they can't overdrive the car because there isn't a lot of runoff room there. As a result, the drivers have to be much more precise there, plus there aren't many places where you can slide the car at Sonoma. That's a big reason why the races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen are so different. The drivers that typically slide their cars a lot and drive a bit wilder so fare much better at Watkins Glen because the track layout allows that. And jabber1990, what would a "double yellow line" rule accomplish there? That rule is in place at the plate tracks so drivers can't gain positions by driving on the apron. But drivers don't actually gain anything by overdriving the car and going extra wide. They just don't lose nearly as much as they used to by overdriving the car. It used to cost them laps and possibly a car, as well as bring out caution flags for stopped cars, but now it just costs them time and positions in the race. 42. Anonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Protip CJS - sliding=slow. 43. cjs3872 posted: 08.10.2013 - 10:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe, @42, but at Watkins Glen they have room to do that, but at Sonoma, they don't because Sonoma's more enclosed than Watkins Glen is in the areas where guys tend to overdrive the corners. there's a wall exiting turn four at Sonoma, grass exiting turn 10 there, and the pit wall if you overdrive the last turn, and there's also grass in turn one at Sonoma if you overdrive that corner. But at Watkins Glen, there quite a bit of runoff area, except in the esses or off the last turn, which makes the drivers much bolder at Watkins Glen than they'd be at Sonoma, because they know that, even with the slower speeds at Sonoma, a mistake is penalized more there than at Watkins Glen because of the layout of the track. 44. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 11:26 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) If NASCAR had F1's old 107% rule, Brian K would have missed the race... was he so slow because he was protecting his equipment, the equipment is that bad, or he is that bad of a road racer? 45. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.10.2013 - 11:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oops, momentarily forgot that F1 restored that rule a couple of years back. 46. kobaltman48 posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) Surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but what a fantastic qualifying run for Michael McDowell in the #35. I'm pretty sure he's running the full race, so it'll be interesting to see what he can do. 47. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:33 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but what a fantastic qualifying run for Michael McDowell in the #35." It was only mentioned four times. And a fantastic run it was, too. 48. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:12 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Not surprisingly, it sounds more and more like Ryan Newman may end up at RCR next year (with Matt Borland coming along in a package deal). Also, apparently JTG Daugherty and RCR are having discussions about JTG coming over and being a satellite team with them. And in addition, Furniture Row has had talks with Toyota. So it looks like there's a ton of wild stuff that is going on in and around the RCR camp right now. 49. Biscuits In A Red Bull posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This could be quite fun... 50. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "If NASCAR had F1's old 107% rule, Brian K would have missed the race... was he so slow because he was protecting his equipment, the equipment is that bad, or he is that bad of a road racer?" The equipment is easily the worst, but also Brian is a horrible road racer. 51. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:14 am Rate this comment: (3) (9) ""If NASCAR had F1's old 107% rule, Brian K would have missed the race... was he so slow because he was protecting his equipment, the equipment is that bad, or he is that bad of a road racer?" The equipment is easily the worst, but also Brian is a horrible road racer. " Brian's also a fat-ass. 52. Rexrobe posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:48 am Rate this comment: (4) (0) "If NASCAR had F1's old 107% rule, Brian K would have missed the race... was he so slow because he was protecting his equipment, the equipment is that bad, or he is that bad of a road racer?" Yes to all three. You have a micro-sized team that only has one car and a stretched out motor, trying to make it go right and left, and a driver that is very inexperienced on road courses - of course they are slow. But, they showed up, put the car on track, and intend to run the race with it; so they deserve respect even if they are well off the pace. I'd rather see Brian K out there, working on his own cars and hanging in there, than the latest Hendrick/Gibbs/Roush teenage wonder driver du jour. "Surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but what a fantastic qualifying run for Michael McDowell in the #35." I've told everyone who will listen that the Front Row cars are good cars. The team simply does not have the money for top secret aero massages or enough rebuild from a lot of crashes. So the drivers have to be conservative by necessity, and anything other than going balls-to-the-wall in Cup gets you 20th-30th place nowadays. On a road course, the driver is still king, so someone like McDowell can make it happen. 53. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:45 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) If his car can hold up, I think Michael McDowell will have an excellent run today. As for McMurray's 44-1 odds? I would bet on that. He's not a favorite, but is one of the better road course drivers in NASCAR. Heck, just risking five dollars would make for a nice payday. 54. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well Rexrobe, Front Row Motorsports has done something Penske hasn't been able to do this year, and that's win a race, doing so with David Ragan leading a 1-2 finish at Talladega. And murb, it appears JTG-Daugherty has figured out just what a mistake it was to try to go it alone, if what you said about them possibly pursuing an alliance with RCR is true. Just before they broke their ties with Michael Waltrip Racing, it appeared that they might be on the verge of doing what Furniture Row Racing has done, which was to go from a team that occasionally could run up front to one that could do it more often. And Martin Truex, Jr. has given JTG-Daugherty a lot of credit for his sudden prowess at road racing from what MWR was able to learn from JTG-Daugherty when Marcos Ambrose drove there. If they align themselves with Childress next year, then we may see an improvement in their performance by 2015. And the report about Furniture Row possibly going to Toyota makes more sense than one might think, especially if Kurt Busch stays there, because they can align themselves with Joe Gibbs Racing and have Kurt and Kyle Busch work together to some degree. 55. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:11 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) It seems like I'm not the only one that thinks that the spin Jeff Gordon had near the end of the 2007 race at Watkins Glen has had an adverse effect on him there. On this morning's edition of "NASCAR Now", Ricky Craven also said that the spin late in the 2007 race has had an adverse effect on him there. Craven, who raced against and was a teammate of Gordon, also said something that most of us agree with, and that is that Gordon has lost his edge. Now I don't know if he was referring to Watkins Glen, or whether that was a general comment. If that was a general comment, then that might very well back up my thought of Gordon being an "old" 42. 56. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:20 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) For anyone who has SPEED, tonight at 8 pm is the 590th and final episode of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. The episode will feature long time guests Bob Varsha, Robin Miller and Jeff Gordon. As a viewer of that show for the past few years, I am absolutely devastated by this. Really this is the main reason I have been dreading the Fox Sports 1 switch. With this show plus SPEED Center leaving, I think it's safe to say that motorsports as a whole in the U.S. is left without a dedicated news show. My last hope is NASCAR Race Hub, which, obviously, is limited only to NASCAR. 57. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:32 am Rate this comment: (5) (1) 22 years ago today, we lost legendary underdog J.D. McDuffie in an accident in Turn 5 at Watkins Glen. This is an interview with former McDuffie crew member Marty Burke, conducted 2 years ago by, guess who, Brock Beard. http://brockbeard.blogspot.com/2011/08/20-years-later-former-70-crewman-marty.html 58. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Wow, even when being given a prestigious induction to the Hall Of Fame at one of the most historic tracks in the world that is just a stone's throw from where he grew up, Geoff Bodine still is a smart mouthed yankee bastard jerk. He talks about his win at the '96 Bud At The Glen and totally trashes 1992 Winston Cup championship crew chief Paul Andrews and makes him look like crap. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_NASCAR_BODINE_HONORED_BLOG?SITE=GENERIC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-08-10-14-07-16 59. Anthony posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (6) Here's what needs to happen. Folks pay attention: Jeff Gordon will win Watkins Glen. He will beat Ambrose to the line by the closest finish ever! And Jeff will no longer be the "Monkey In The Middle" and another thing is is that Jeff will win 7 races in 2013 4 of the next 5 and 3 in the chase and he will be the champion of 2013! Jeff has a better effectioncy rating to win than all drivers combine I'm not saying as a #24 fan but honestly Jeff is better driver than all racers he's surpass Dale Earnhardt for wins top5 top2 top3 and so forth. He will surpass Dale for top10s this year! No question about it! Jeff Gordon as far as I look he's already won Watkins Glen! 60. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There's no plans to have Wind Tunnel online-only or on Fuel/FS2? 61. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I may be wrong about this SpeedWorld97, but I suspect that won't be the case for long. First, NASCAR Race Hub will not be the only nightly motorsports show, as ESPN2 still has NASCAR Now, though it's on an irregular schedule, and like Race Hub, is limited to NASCAR, and is probably going away after next year. Secondly, we don't know if NASCAR Race Hub is even going to continue, though I suspect it will, at least through this year, though 2014 is a question mark. Furthermore, I suspect either Fox Sports 1 or the NBC Sports Network will begin to have motorsports shows, especially next year. I think the NBC Sports Network will want to present a show, considering that they'll have the big three in motorsports in 2015 (NASCAR, IndyCar, and F1). But I agree that motorsports needs a show dedicated to motorsports in general on a regular basis. whether that's on a daily or weekly basis, I wouldn't know what the answer would be there. And of course, where would some of the older races be shown for those wanting to see those, because there really won't be a place. Certainly some of those older races may show up on ESPN Classic from time to time, but they won't have any "fresh" material to show, because I suspect that ESPN will be frozen out, just like they were from 2001-'06. So where older races would be shown is another question that would have to be ironed out over time. 62. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:42 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Who's going to be able to even get Fox Sports 2, #60? Comcast is, according to what I've heard, the only cable outlet with an agreement with Fox Sports 1, and even they don't carry the cable network that will become Fox Sports 2. I know because I'm a Comcast customer. 63. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @cjs, I'm waiting until next Saturday to see what happens with the channel lineup. My channel guide hasn't even changed their programming to accompany the channel changes. (I have Verizon FIOS, btw) I know that Speed will change to FS1 and I'm curious to see what happens to the channel Fox Soccer occupies. My provider doesn't have Fuel either. I was hoping the Wind Tunnel show could continue on through either platform to give those of us who follow something other than the main racing series (NASCAR, IndyCar, F1). 64. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It will be very interesting, #63, but as I said before, and I can only say is from the viewpoint of a Comcast customer, what I think will happen is that Fox Sports 1 will be given right away, but it will take time for Fox Sports 2 to be an available channel. Believe it or not, it took a couple of years for ESPN2 to become available in the 90s. think ESPN2 was lunched in 1994, and it didn't become available where I lived (San Diego, where I had COX Cable back then) until 1996, so I think it will take time for FS2 to become available, but I could be wrong about that. 65. epzik8 posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It won't be the same without Tony Stewart. He's a five-time winner of this race. This will be the first Cup Series race without him since the 1998 season finale at Atlanta. 66. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Tony's injury adds yet another excuse to the Danica Excuse Generator 5000. She doesn't have Tony there to feed off of. 67. ch posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Directv has Fuel, and they are working moving it to a lower packages like they did with NBC Sports Network. TV providers don't have to reach an agreement for FS2 like they do for FS1. I scanned through the guide for the next few weeks on Fuel, and didn't see Wind Tunnel on their at all. I did see a bunch of Continental Tire Sports Car Racing / Lucas Oil Motorcycle Racing / Rolex Racing. Also, Fuel / Fox Sports 2 will have the Truck Series Qualifying for Bristol instead of Fox Sports 1. They will also air the modified race from Bristol live on Fox Sports 2. As I said a few weeks back, I'm afraid that over the next year or so, the Truck races themselves are going to be pushed off of Fox Sports 1 and onto FS2. 68. ch posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Pretty much if you can find Fuel on your TV Package you WILL have FS2, but just because you have Speed right now doesn't mean that you will have FS1 right away. 69. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Right now Lord knows how many people are saying "who the hell is Dick Hutcherson?". 70. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I've read that FOX Soccer will be replaced by a second FX channel, FXX (which I personally think is incredibly stupid). 71. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, I finally found Fuel TV on my cable system. (For some reason, next to E!) The Truck Series may stay on FS1(the races) in '14, but when Nationwide comes along in '15, it'll definitely be relegated to FS2 in '15 save for Daytona. 72. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Right now Lord knows how many people are saying "who the hell is Dick Hutcherson?". " Eh, he's only one of the most incredible people who's ever been in the sport. He only won 14 races in 3 years, running full-time once in 1965. He only built some of the most successful chassis' run in the sport in the 70s-90s. He only has the best top-5 percentage, average finish, and average starting position in NASCAR history!!! If you don't know who he is, shame on you and look him up! 73. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Where was Dick Hutcherson mentioned? 74. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not to mention the fact that he was A.J. Foyt's crew chief for many years in the NASCAR races he ran in the 70s and 80s, #72. In fact, Foyt ran two cars in the 1978 Daytona 500, and they qualified second and third with Ron Hutcherson, Dick's younger brother, actually outqualifying Foyt. A.J. still qualified third, then won his qualifying race to keep that spot. Of course, everyone knows that Foyt had a terrible crash in the Daytona 500 that year, but what many people forget is that Ron Hutcherson ran strong all day, and wound up in a photo finish for third with Benny Parsons, who eventually was ruled to have finished inches ahead of Hutcherson for that third position, with Ron taking fourth. Foyt and Dick Hutcherson made a very good tea when it came to NASCAR racing, and they ran quite well in Foyt's infrequent appearances until it became too much of a task to run so infrequently and remain competitive. But Dick Hutcherson, along with 1958 Southern 500 pole sitter Eddie Pagan, a 4-time winner himself in NASCAR's top series, created a great car building empire, virtually equal to that of Banjo Matthews, and I believe Hutcherson-Pagan still exists today, even with both Dick Hutcherson and Eddie Pagan gone. 75. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 12:48 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) It would be cool if NBC Sports created an "RPM2Night" style show since they're gonna have all of these different motorsports rights. 76. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:02 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) That GPS flashback segment was one of the stupidest things I've seen on BSPN in a long time 77. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Awwww! 78. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Recalculating. Recalculating. Recalculating. Recalculating." 79. Baker posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) With Tony Stewart out for a while and obviously out of the championship hunt I honestly don't know who I want to cheer for anymore. I have nothing else to do today and I have always enjoyed Watkins Glen so I have to watch. I hate Marcos Ambrose and his fake ass personality so I need someone to root for to beat him. I also need someone to root for to take down. I don't think he has the team to do it with, but Kurt Busch is starting to grow on me. I have always hated him but this year he has proved enough to show he has grown up and matured a lot the last 2 years. I think he is going to be my driver for this race and I want to see him race his way into the chase. 80. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does ESPN seriously think that the finish today will be just like last years. They keep showing last year's finish over and over. There's probably a 95% chance of that not happening today. 81. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wish I knew about FS2, cjs3872. I've been trying to get answers from Comcast for well over a month. I agree with your earlier post about it being a lengthy time before they finally give in and reach an agreement. I'm holding out hope that it somehow appears next Saturday, however. I think Fox probably plans on moving most truck action to FS2 over the next year, but the Camping World owner has voiced his displeasure about that, so I think NASCAR may try to keep that to a limited amount. 82. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Does is surprise you, SpeedWorld97? This is the same network that hyped up the Brickyard 400 as some type of competitive race for the entire two weeks leading up. I'm not saying promoting is a bad thing, but too much of it is definitely overkill. 83. AveryNH posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wonder if tony can still do those splits 84. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) BSPN is just trying to convince us that EVERY single race is going to be a highly competitive bona-fide classic. 85. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Reutimann has engine problems. Caution. 86. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David Reutimann stalls on the track to bring out the first caution. Meanwhile, Gordon is struggling and has already backed up several spots. 87. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They had a stat list of best average finishing position by driver by track with at least 5 starts, and Hutch had 3 of the Top 5. 88. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad spins in turn one. 89. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Keselowski spins out. 90. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gilliland taps the wall and comes to pit road. Problems for Keselowski. 91. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Gordon wrecks it hard. 92. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (4) Gordon's Chase chances=over 93. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Gordon with a big hit coming out of the esses. 94. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Crap. Gordon wrecks hard. 95. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) It's just not fair.... 96. epzik8 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Not Jeff Gordon!!! 97. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 98. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I don't think they're fixing that car. 99. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (4) (1) Between Gordon and Hamlin, they're gonna find every wall in NASCAR without a Safer barrier. 100. Baker posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tony Stewart's injury, Gordon and Keselowski already having problems. The door is now wide open for guys like Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch to make some big moves. 101. Mr X posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was a very odd misjudgement from Gordon. 102. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Right when things were going so well. 103. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You little twerp, I defend you and you wreck yourself. He has been tormenting me since 1995. 104. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Is Gordon hurt? I haven't seen him get out of his car. 105. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I know this isn't what a lot of you guys want to hear, but CJS might be right about this whole "Jeff is uncomfortable at Watkins Glen" thing, because to me that was a sign of an uncomfortable driver. 106. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:50 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Okay, so BSPN is putting Gordon's Chase chances to rest immediately after this one wreck, and yet they STILL say that Denny Hamlin has a chance? 107. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Is Gordon hurt? I haven't seen him get out of his car." No, he got out. 108. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Man that sucks for jeff i hope they can fix it, 109. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Schroeder51, Jeff's Chase chances aren't over by a long shot (no pun intended), but this just kills that momentum he had going from the last few races. What is it with Jeff Gordon and the Glen??? Ever since he won his fourth race here in 2001, it's been nothing but headaches for him! 110. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Jeff can't get a break this year. I hope he can somehow get a win before the chase. 111. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Keselowski wins yesterday, Gordon wrecks today. This month cannot possibly get worse for me 112. Anthony posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) f**k it were done #24 had a chance but this sucks. 113. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) One thing about Jeff, he will always, ALWAYS bounce back. He's not out yet. 114. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Obviously, we haven't heard from Jeff Gordon, but I've never seen a car hit there, and I have to believe, as hard as it is to believe, that Gordon's crash is a case of aero-push. They're going fast enough at that part of the track where aero-push may be a factor before this day is done, and Gordon's crash seems to be a case of aero-push, because he was going okay until he closed in on Denny Hamlin, and when h closed in on Hamlin, the car stopped turning, so this looks to be a clear case of aero-push. Of course, Gordon should never have been in that position to start with, and this is the second time in the last couple of months he's been a crash he shouldn't have been in because of a poor qualifying run. But we've never really seen aero-push be a factor on a road course in NASCAR, until this incident, because that was a classic case of what an aero-push can do. 115. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It just seems this year that Gordon can't put more than three complete good races together without having something happen. That's why I don't like Gordon's chances to make the Chase at all right now. He's poised to lose six, maybe even seven spots in the points if they don't get it back out. The way Gordon's year's been going, I'm honestly expecting him to crash AGAIN in the next 3-4 races. 116. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Dog gone it I get back from church just in time to see Jeff Gordon crash out. He just can not catch a break this season. 117. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But then again, I AM the pessimist around here... 118. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Wow, that is as despondent as you'll ever see Gordon on a TV interview. 119. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 1:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I've never heard Jeff that disappointed in an interview before... If there's anyone that can bounce back from this, it's that driver in the rainbo-...er, flam-...er, I mean, AARP car. But seriously, I have confidence in him. 120. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, I don't think I've EVER heard Gordon sound THAT bummed out. 121. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Is Travis Kvapil Danica's nemesis now? They're running alongside each other yet AGAIN. 122. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Truex looks like he has just as good of a car as he had at Sonoma. We might see a road course sweep this year. 123. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's the most down I've ever seen Jeff in a interview, still think he'll find a way to come back from this though. 124. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, he (Gordon) did it to himself by qualifying where he did, just as was the case at Michigan. But the aero-push was definitely a shocking thing to see, and Gordon basically admitted, without using the actual term, that his crash was caused by aero-push. But without a win, and with Michigan coming up, I'd say his Chase hope may be done. He had to keep pace through Michigan, and he couldn't do it, and with a high-speed track coming up, he stands to lose even more ground. I'd say his Chase chances are done for this year, unless he manages to win TWO of the last three races before the Chase cutoff, which to me, would be nothing short of a miracle. 125. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What happened to Bowyer? He was second just a minute ago, and now he's in danger of falling out of the top 5. 126. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm still not gonna count Gordon out of making the Chase until the checkered flag at Richmond. 127. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) The reason you heard Gordon sound so low is because Michigan is next, and he'll be lucky to run in the top 10-15 there due to his lack of speed. Had this crash occurred there, it might look better for his Chase chances, but he'll probably qualify close to where he did in June (20th-30th), and he'll have a hard time coming back from that, if he doesn't end up in another early crash. that's why I say he's through for this year. 128. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm the ultimate "never count Jeff out" guy, but after hearing last week's interview and now this week's interview, I might have to break my own rule. He just sounds like he has lost confidence in Jeff Gordon. That is a bad sign. He just seems to be out of mental energy. He has done things and showed signs of emotional fatigue I have never seen from him before this year and last (Phoenix was the perfect example). Maybe he is done. Maybe. I'll be less than surprised if he isn't. 129. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ok cjs but he's got three racetracks that he can compete at coming up after Michigan, and those are Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond! Top-10's at each of those races could push him back into the top-10 in points, especially if the guys around him have trouble. 130. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "The reason you heard Gordon sound so low is because Michigan is next, and he'll be lucky to run in the top 10-15 there due to his lack of speed" Every time you say this (for the last 3+ years) one of the following happens: Jeff wins; Jeff has the best car and gets screwed by either his crew, fake debris, or someone else's wreck; or Jeff drives like hell to finish in the top-10 or top-5 (like last week) when every one of the other 42 drivers would just quit and run 25th because they don't have Jeff's shit-load of talent. 131. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:10 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) If Ambrose wins this race and manages to stay at least 20th in points, he MIGHT make the Chase... This is why I have a bit of a problem with the Wild Cards. Not that I would mind Ambrose winning, but has he really put together a season worthy of having a shot at the title? 132. JG24shouldbe5time posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:11 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) My boy Gordon hasn't given me much to cheer for this weekend. Maybe he'll surprise us in the long run. 2 things I'd like to mention 1) Watkins Glen just isn't what it once was. Maybe I'm pining nostalgic for something that never really was, but it seems like ISC has slowly neutered the place with the paved run-offs, etc. It's been mentioned by several how Sonoma is a finese track while The Glen is about brutishness and I agree. Don't get me wrong, I love The history of the Glen and I understand that tragedies have caused the changes over the years (I remember McDuffie) I just don't like it as a NASCAR course. I'd rather see CoTA or Road America,on the Sprint Cup schedule but that probably won't happen. 2) I read a good article about the end of SPEED. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/08/05/Media/Speed.aspx Good article, but if you don't like reading links, I'll summarize: FOX was very embarrassed that ESPN outbid them for the rights to the BCS ; they figured they needed to find a way to match ESPN financially and decided to go head to head with them via a multi-sport network. Speed, being widely available, was their target since they could easily (and relatively cheaply) re-launch it. You can also see that FOX decided to cancel some of SPEED's popular programs (i.e. Wind Tunnel)since they skewed to an "older" demographic. Personally, I will not watch FS1/2 for anything but NASCAR,USCR and MotoGP, if I can even get them. I could give two cares less about college football and basketball outside of my local university and their rivals and even then, I don't follow it closely (especially basketball). I'll watch UFC if someone puts it on, but I'm not all that into watching two buffoons beating the heck out of each other. Well, I'll tune back in later and see who's up front and see if we get a good finish. 133. Anthony posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (9) Well Kenny Schrader once said if have a DNF you can't go back out there. And that's what happen 42nd place on a late 42nd birthday. I didn't see the interview but unless someone told me what he said I'll wait till further notice. I've never been devastated like this in my life I'm shocked. I'm crying because Jeff Gordon don't know now. I wish this was 1998. 134. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brian Keselowski spins. 135. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:15 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Well Kenny Schrader once said if have a DNF you can't go back out there. And that's what happen 42nd place on a late 42nd birthday. I didn't see the interview but unless someone told me what he said I'll wait till further notice. I've never been devastated like this in my life I'm shocked. I'm crying because Jeff Gordon don't know now. I wish this was 1998. " This is a person, right? He's crying over a race? How old is he? 12? 136. Rexrobe posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #132, I think the Glen would be a better track if NASCAR used the full course and not the cutoff. The Boot really is quite different than the rest of the track - it would be a true road course and not a "distorted oval" like it seems now. 137. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:17 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Danica hasn't pitted and she's STILL behind the top-3. 138. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I would laugh at NASCAR for years if Ambrose wins today, wins at Michigan on fuel mileage, and sneaks into the Chase. 139. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Tough break for McDowell after that good qualifying run. 140. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McDowell breaks a track bar. 141. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:19 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I know it's probably not right of me to say this (people have been calling each other out frequently here lately), but I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish Anthony would just STOP posting here. He's clearly young and immature and every time he posts something here, he makes an absolute fool of himself. Michael McDowell breaks a trackbar, blows out his tires, and brings out a caution. Shame, I thought he might get a good run. 142. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yellow for McDowell blowing a tire due to broken track bar. 143. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McDowell in the garage. 144. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) After last year's performance, I AM NOT counting Jeff out until he is actually out. 145. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Was that suspension camera on Danica's car really necessary? 146. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If Ambrose made the Chase, it would be interesting to see if he could break Vickers' record for "Worst Chase Performance". 147. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "Was that suspension camera on Danica's car really necessary?" How else will we be able to see what a suspension toe-out looks like after she puts it in the wall? 148. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Even crazier, suppose Ambrose makes the Chase and then SOMEHOW (I know it won't happen, obviously) goes on to win the championship? How messed up would that be if someone who ran basically mid-pack all year with one win went on to win the title? 149. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon is back out on the track. I could have sworn that car looked like it was absolutely totalled after that wreck. 150. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kvapil wrecks. 151. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kvapil and Fellows wreck. 152. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Travis Kvapil and Ron Fellows crash. ...Was Danica involved? That is what I am immediately wondering. 153. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn, 36 and 87 crashed big too. Along with Fellows. 154. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Tomy Drissi and Victor Gonzalez are involved too. What the hell happened over there? 155. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gonzalez and Drissi also involved. 156. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 87 car doesn't have a front end anymore. 157. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Three ringers involved. 158. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If Ambrose made the Chase, it would be interesting to see if he could break Vickers' record for "Worst Chase Performance". Does that record count Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr who have all missed raced during the Chase? Why did they just have to wreck half of the small budget teams? 159. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Landon Cassill has damage too. Damn, how many cars did they tear up?! 160. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Does that record count Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr who have all missed raced during the Chase?" I don't think so. 161. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was sad seeing all those underdogs in one wreck 162. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon back on the track. 163. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag. Lots of stuff to clean up. 164. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, Kyle did take himself out of contention by getting suspended over events that occurred in a minor league race 165. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Thank you NASCAR for stopping them before they greased up the entire track and caused a 40 minute caution. Wow, I'm giving NASCAR kudos and considering giving up on Gordon ever doing anything worthwhile again. Bizarro world. 166. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red flag is out. 167. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Boy that's not the first time we've seen a stack-up in the esses portion. I remember a Busch North race in 2001 that had a huge wreck there on the first lap, and the Cup race in 2006 had a big one too. Jeff Gordon is driving a modified. Also, in response to cjs saying earlier that he's never seen a car hit the wall on the "backstretch" area where Jeff Gordon crashed, the only other time I remember seeing a car wreck there was in the 2003 Cup race when Boris Said spun and hit the wall (driving the 01 car). 168. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Michael Waltrip also crashed on the "backstretch" area of the track back in '05. 169. Anthony posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (5) That's why I said I wish this was 1998 170. Anthony posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) @135 15 171. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Johnny Benson had a hard wreck over at that part of the track too when he was driving the 26 Cheerios car for Roush. 172. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Somebody get King David (not RR's David) to come post a Youtube video to harp playing to ward off the evil spirit in this website. 173. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:45 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) I would have honestly guessed that Anthony was no older than 10. 174. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wait so what was Bestwick talking about when he mentioned that NASCAR was bringing a new tire to Atlanta? Will it be a softer tire? 175. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hey, JG24shouldbe5time, do you have a Sports Business Journal account? If so, can you summarize the article about having two Speed Networks? I've heard speculation about it, but I'm not sure what the "filler" Speed Channel will feature. 176. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was watching every week in '98, it was tough watching the same car win over and over and over again. Don't worry, it lives on in YouTube. 177. epzik8 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Before the red flag came out (during the initial yellow period) I went outside for a few minutes to do a little yardwork. So I'm thankful for this red flag, because it means I didn't miss anything. I also set my DVR to record the next timeslot (SportsCenter) because the race will probably run over to that timeslot now. 178. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm glad NASCAR threw the red flag for that oil, and that they stopped the #36 from greasing up the whole track and causing them to have to spend a lot longer cleaning it up. 179. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) They're going again. 180. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I will say this. Jeff Gordon may not be in as bad a position as many, myself included, though he'd be in, as he would drop just to 13th, and of course, some of those others may also have trouble before this race is over. Remember that Brad Keselowski has already spun out once in this race, and I'm not sure how Greg Biffle is running, and Kurt Busch is also up there in front of Gordon now in points, and we know that if he runs the rest of the race and keeps minimum speed, Gordon stands to gain at least four positions (those that were wrecked). My worry for him is Michigan. Again, if he winds up within 20 points of 10th (and he was 23 back according to ESPN's rundown with a possible four being knocked off that deficit), he has to keep that pace at Michigan, or he may be done. Frankly, I think he has to hope practice and qualifying gets rained out, because he'd start better in that case than h would start if thy had practice and/or qualifying there. He has to be within 20 points of 10th to have a shot of getting in by points, and that's the only way he can get in, because I don't see him winning one of those three races after Michigan. But his spirit being down and out reminds me of what Dale, Jr. was going through about three or four years ago when he had the exact same outlook. Jeff may need someone to help cheer him up more than anything else right now. 181. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 2:58 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Lol, BSPN can't understand why the HMS cars aren#t doing better. It's because it takes a wheelman, not a wheel holder to do good on a road course, and their one wheel man took himself out in a rare unassisted crash. 182. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Back green. 183. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff may need someone to help cheer him up more than anything else right now. No, needs someone to remind him he's Jeff Freaking Gordon. 184. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mad Max off the pace. 185. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Somebody painted their Whelen Modified to look exactly like Jeff Gordon's Cup car. Oh wait... 186. TheHardTruth217 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @174 http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#20130810 187. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers made a trip to the garage, and didnt lose a lap? imagine the upset if a driver who went to the garage won a race 188. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Vickers made a trip to the garage, and didnt lose a lap? imagine the upset if a driver who went to the garage won a race" That would be all kinds of both messed up and amazing. 189. Jim Davis posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:15 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) " It's because it takes a wheelman, not a wheel holder to do good on a road course..." That would explain Earnhardt's lack of success on road courses. 190. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ron Fellows has a broken track bar. 191. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I am so freaking sick of hearing about Mary Decker. She's not the only person who choked on a big stage. 192. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also has anyone noticed AJ Allmendinger in 3rd-5th the entire race! great run! 193. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Also has anyone noticed AJ Allmendinger in 3rd-5th the entire race! great run!" The curse of RR... 194. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Something is wrong with Allmendinger. You just jinxed him, DB1995. Aric Almirola crashes hard. 195. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ah damn it. 196. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I am so sorry to every Allmendinger fan out there... 197. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Noooo Allmendinger. And now Almirola just plowed into the tire barrier, this will change everything. 198. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Marcos is going to have to earn his third win, if he's able to pull it off today. This caution will kill him. 199. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like Almirola blew a tire and went straight in. 200. epzik8 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think Marcos Ambrose wanted this caution. 201. JG24shouldbe5time posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rexrobe posted: "#132, I think the Glen would be a better track if NASCAR used the full course and not the cutoff. The Boot really is quite different than the rest of the track - it would be a true road course and not a "distorted oval" like it seems now." Agreed. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: "Hey, JG24shouldbe5time, do you have a Sports Business Journal account? If so, can you summarize the article about having two Speed Networks? I've heard speculation about it, but I'm not sure what the "filler" Speed Channel will feature." Sorry OldSchool, I don't. I found that article via speedtv.com's comments section. 202. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn damn damn. One damn for Aric crashing One damn for Dinger's kick ass run going to hell One damn for Ambrose and his botched strategy 203. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DB1995, that demonstrates just how long it takes to run a lap under caution at a road course. They could probably make a pit stop of over 2 minutes and not lose a lap, so if it's something that can be changed in 2 minutes, it's not inconceivable that they could do that and get back out without losing a lap. And DSFF, not only does it take a wheelman to succeed on a road course, but it's also entirely possible that the Hendrick chassis just don't agree with the track this weekend, because it's not just a HMS problem, but SHR is also suffering from the same malady, so it might just be a HMS chassis situation not agreeing with the track. Roger Penske had that same problem in the 1980s, and a didn't even run his chassis for three or four years. And Marcos Ambrose's team just put him behind by not pitting him, because his teammate Aric Almirola just crashed bringing out the caution with Marcos Ambrose still out on the track. That's probably the only thing that could cost him the race, short of a mechanical problem. A boneheaded move by Ambrose's crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. Ambrose is now going to be behind all those guys that stopped. 204. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "" It's because it takes a wheelman, not a wheel holder to do good on a road course..." That would explain Earnhardt's lack of success on road courses." And Marcos Ambrose is the best active driver in the Cup Series. Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya, now they're wheelmen. Jimmie Johnson is a mere wheel holder and so was Dale Earnhardt. Still amazes me how sometimes people don't seem to realize oval driving and road course driving require two completely different skill sets. Marcos Ambrose could win Sonoma and Watkins Glen every year but it wouldn't make him any better of an overall NASCAR driver because road courses account for less than 5% of the overall schedule. 205. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "A boneheaded move by Ambrose's crew chief Drew Blickensderfer." Not the first time this sentence has been uttered. He's one of the key members of the Bonehead Crew Chief Club (along with Alan Gustafson and Todd Berrier). 206. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Almirola's good start to the season continues to spiral downward...good thing those tires were there to cushion the impact. So how many drivers will Ambrose (and the rest of these yellow-flag pitters) have to restart behind? 207. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This should be fun watching Ambrose come from behind though. 208. Rusty posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose with the tough break. This race has at least gotten a little interesting. 209. JG24shouldbe5time posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry to bring this up so late... But I'm trying to find the post-wreck interview with Gordon. I'd like to see if I agree with all of you about him being in the dumps. It's understandable though. The guy's been in the sport for over 20 years, (counting then Busch series and Cup) came in to the Cup as a "Wonderboy", won a major race early, won a season title early, came close the next year. Dominated two straight years and all of the sudden, lost his crew chief. He was still young, so he bounced back, won the 2001 Cup,then his personal life fell apart. I really feel that effected his 2002/2003 performance. In 2004, things turned around on and off the track and he had a real shot thanks to the first chase. 2005 was a disappointment. Up and down 2006... What really changed things: 2007. 30 top tens, 6 wins, but loses the Chase. He has an arguably dominant year, something that would've allowed a guy to RUN with the title just a few years earlier, and he finishes second in the title hunt. More or less, the same thing happens again the next few seasons... This is just my opinion, but I think that's what really changed JG. Point is, Jeff is resilient, but too many bad breaks over the last few years and everything seemingly against him are catching up to him mentally, IMO. Who knows, maybe this year will be the final straw for Gustafson and Hendrick can convince Evernham to climb on top of the #24's pitbox; Hendrick/Gordon supposedly signed with Axalta through 2016. Maybe he can have a Dale Sr. like twilight of his career (minus the tragic ending). 210. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That was some pretty cool racing right there. 211. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Boris Said in the tires. 212. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Boris Said crashes but gets going again, no caution. 213. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dammit, Said spins and damaged his car. 214. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Brad might win this race. 215. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose still hasn't gotten by JPM, it's gonna take a miracle for him to get back up front. 216. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Juan impressed me with being clean and fair with Mears, I was sure JPM was going to dump him. 217. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 20 to go is a long way. I'll be pretty surprised if there isn't another caution. 218. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose cant move in traffic, his most dominant run will end up being his worst finish at the glen 219. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle has Brad covered on speed. Look for Brad to try to just lock down a Top 5 for points. 220. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The fact that Marcos Ambrose hasn't yet moved up is another case of this aero-push problem that I can't remember being a problem at a road course before today. That's also a reason why Brad Keselowski can't stay right up on Kyle Busch, because if he tried to stay there, he might have the same problem that Jeff Gordon had, and he can't afford to crash because of the points situation, because he'd be worse off than Gordon if he did. But now that Kyle's pulling away, it looks like he might be in the clear if there are no more caution flags. 221. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn again. Burton spins. 222. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) NASCAR should let Victor Gonzalez back on track with 5 to go, BSPN would love it 223. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeff Burton spins out. 224. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:45 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) BK Racing has had absolutely no luck this season. 225. loomer posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not sure what Truex is whining about. He basically forced Kyle into the grass in the interloop , not much Kyle could do there 226. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, am I alone in thinking that with the nature of how road course racing is with the passing difficulty and short length of races, and with how fuel strategy begins when the engines fire, that we never really see who might have the dominant car and that the cars out front leading laps are just benefiting from the conditions of road racing? Watching how Ambrose led the entire race until getting shuffled back and now going nowhere with Casey Mears in front of him speaks volumes to me 227. 18fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I assume Truex thought he had position and that Kyle would back off and let him go. 228. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Right before they went to commercial it looked like someone lost a wheel in the chicane. 229. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution is apparently out. 230. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:48 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) Tire falls off car!... Lets go to Commercial without mentioning it! 231. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Are my eyes deceiving me or did I just see a tire fall off a car? 232. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You could see the tire falling off the car on camera, ESPN however didn't. 233. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yellow for someone slow with a beaten-up car. Was it Kvapil? 234. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A tire just fell off of a damaged car. 235. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A tire falls off a car just as ESPN goes to commercial....caution. 236. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It was Kvapil. 237. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah I think it was Kvapil. 238. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:50 pm Rate this comment: (10) (2) ESPN The Worldwide Leader in Bullshit 239. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kvapil crashed a second time and lost a tire. 240. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It wasn't the tire, but rather the casing that came off the left front tire on Kvapil's car that brought out the caution. 241. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It would make BSPN's day for Truxe to take out Kyle on the restart. 242. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Two wheel-holders crash. 243. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Big wreck. 244. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another big crash. Kasey Kahne and Dale Jr. are heavily damaged. 245. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Everyone but the golden boy got hit there. 246. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Huge wreck for Kasey Kahne and Dale Jr. 247. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Esses bite again. 248. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) LOL, Stenica comes through the mess unscratched. 249. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) He's destroyed both of my cars. HE'S DESTROYED BOTH OF MY CARS!!! 250. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) BSPN: Bullshit programming network 251. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth, Jeff Burton, and David Ragan also involved. 252. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Kenseth just tried to Brian Vickers his way through the field, hard hit for Mini-Vanilli 253. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Three Hendrick drivers have crashed today....guess which one has escaped it all??? 254. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) This was again a great display of Kenseth's non-existent ability to race road courses. 255. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Just red flag it, no need for 5 or so laps under caution. 256. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 3:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Got the feeling we might see multiple green-white-checkereds... 257. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Geez NESPN, you have on-board cameras for half the field yet every replay is from a camera perched on Lake Oneida. 258. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) BSPN: Where the opinion on whether a wreck was "just racing" entirely depends on the driver that triggers it 259. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Where did Brad come from to get to 2nd? he was running 8th on strategy last time i looked 260. JRacingfast posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) If fox had been covering this race theyd be having a rageing hard on over Danica making it through then that wreck 261. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:02 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Well Matt, you are now enemy #1 for Joonyerr Nation. 262. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) "BSPN: Where the opinion on whether a wreck was "just racing" entirely depends on the driver that triggers it." Right! Busch[es]: Vile monster Johnson: Racing Kahne: Racing Junior: Racing Bowyer: Vile monster Gordon: Racing Danica: the other driver was satanically seeking to murder her out of jealousy 263. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oh great, now Bro Jackson is going to start his conspiracy theories about Jr. falling out of chase contention. 264. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Those guys batting for the Wild Card spots did not want to see the #5 car get wrecked, because of his two wins, because he may drop out of the to ten in points as a result, though it also helps somewhat in terms of them getting back into the top ten. But with two wins, Kahne would take up one of those Wild Card spots if he falls out of the top ten in points, so he was the last guy they wanted to see have problems. 265. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm not sure who to blame for that wreck. The way it started was weird. 266. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't THINK Junior will miss the Chase, but it's not impossible. If he has several more bad races like this in a row, it MIGHT happen. But I don't think it's very likely. 267. Sean posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Geez NESPN, you have on-board cameras for half the field yet every replay is from a camera perched on Lake Oneida." Oneida Lake is 10 miles north of Syracuse. Watkins Glen is on Seneca Lake, not Oneida Lake. I don't know if you did that on purpose or not, but it makes the joke so much funnier. 268. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) As a Jr. fan, I don't see anything wrong with what Kenseth did there. It was just a racing accident. But I guess that's just me, a mature Dale Jr. fan. 269. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:06 pm Rate this comment: (6) (0) "I'm not sure who to blame for that wreck." That's a penalty for Grosjean then. 270. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another wreck in the esses as Ambrose slows everyone up for the second restart in a row. 271. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NOOOOOOO AMBROSE!!! 272. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose crashes! Yep. I told you. Multiple green-white-checkereds. Hate to see that for Ambrose though, he could have won if things had turned out differently... 273. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Who else wrecked? 274. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose is furious, real furious. 275. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oh, it was Vickers that also wrecked. 276. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vickers was the other car involved. 277. Rusty posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (5) I'm glad Ambrose isn't going to win. Didn't really want him to find a way into the Chase because he is good at one track a year. 278. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Would love to see a fistfight between Papis, Harvick and Ambrose. 279. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose should have won this race but ends up wrecked. I would be mad as well. 280. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Hard hits for Vickers and Ambrose. Feel terrible for Brian too, he was ahead of that and had nothing to do with it. Something was wrong with the #9 and the Papis Punt happened 281. Kubica Fan Ireland posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If there is a green white checkered who has the fuel 282. JRacingfast posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I gotta ask does anyone else think this should raise the.question of double file restarts on restrictor plates and road courses? 283. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Montoya has the fuel for one GWC. Menard, Stenhouse, Patrick, those who came under the Hendrick wreck do have enough fuel for multiple GWCs. 284. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) BSPN: Oh my God, Danica is 19th! Oh my God, Danica is 19th! Oh my God, Danica is 19th! Oh my God, Danica is 19th! Oh my God, Danica is 19th! Oh my God, Danica is 19th! 285. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) did the 14 team really say "good job Max, good job"? 286. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You could see his track bar had broken. 287. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:13 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) They're just gonna wipe out cars with wrecks and fuel until the race ends under caution, Casey Mears wins and Danica gets a top 5. BSPN explodes and we lose race coverage for the rest of the year, missing Mears go on a tear and make the Chase, winning it with strategy wins at Charlotte and Phoenix and winning Dega too 288. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) These drivers are racing like real idiots out here today. 289. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) If they keep wrecking like this, /Jeff Gordon/ will win. 290. AveryNH posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Indeed that was the radio transmission. If I'm Ambrose I'd be waiting to slap Mr Papis 291. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The scenario in #287 is perfect, let's see it happen. Mears winning, haha. 292. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If they keep on tearing them up like this, the top 3 at the end of the race will be: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Ron Fellows Jeff Gordon 293. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wouldn't have a problem with Mears winning. 294. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) A classy interview given by Marcos Ambrose. I wouldn't expect anything differently from him. 295. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Quite classy interview considering how mad Ambrose was. 296. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:16 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Max Slapis 297. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Nice interview by Ambrose. Here we go. 298. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Going green...will they wreck again? 299. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ambrose's wreck proves that no one is impervious to trouble at their best track. 300. Jorge posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Everyone Fantasy Racing League took a big hit.... 301. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last lap... I bet this race ends under caution. 302. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Third year in a row Brad is second in this race. 303. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Busch wins. Pretty good race. 304. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) 1-2 finish for the horses 305. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Busch wins and all but ensures that he will make the Chase. 306. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) At least this wasn't the top 2 yesterday. 307. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nope. Busch avenges the losses of the last two years. 308. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) On a positive note, AJ Allmendinger was able to recover for a top 10... in a JTG-Daugherty car! 309. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NASCAR's brightest new star manages to squeak out a top-20 finish. 310. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) After what happened to him last year, Kyle deserved this one. Third runner-up finish in a row for Brad, this will help him points wise as well. 311. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Everyone is cheering for Kyle. When the hell did he suddenly become popular with the fans? 312. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) Brad didn't have the balls to dump Kyle for his first win in a series that matters this year like Kyle does to minor league drivers all the time for meaningless wins, which would give him insurance in the form of a wild card. Once again, focusing on the owner's championship is costing Brad real wins and a shot at defending his title 313. We need more Onion posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I feel bad for many guys, but mostly for BK Racing, 2 engines and one body written off and a chassis with considerable damage. But now I want to see Max Slapis Part III: The Revenge of the Slap. 314. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like Rowdy learned how to do burnouts from Kyle Larson....pretty good one btw! Keselowski has got to be tired of finishing second at Watkins Glen. 315. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (4) (2) Upstate New York, home of the Buffalo Bills who finished 2nd in the NFL 4 years in a row. That is 3 runner ups in a row for Brad. 316. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:26 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) I love the Glen We need more tracks like it 317. New14 & 88Fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Once again, focusing on the owner's championship is costing Brad real wins and a shot at defending his title" At least he and Kyle aren't running Mid-Ohio next week(Ambrose is, but he hardly ever does double duty.) 318. AveryNH posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I understand it's kyle Busch and he's far from many people's favorite but I would've lost a lot of respect for Brad if he dumped kyle there. Good clean finish after this one turned into a bit of a wreckfest. 319. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad will win at The Glen one of these days if he keeps having races like this there. He still has Bristol to hopefully snag a win at before Chase time, if he doesn't win there then I will start worrying about him going winless this year. 320. Sean posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:28 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "When the hell did he suddenly become popular with the fans?" He's been top ten in the Most Popular Driver rankings the past several years, which his brother never was. Judging by what I've read here and elsewhere, I think people will cheer any win except Jimmie these days... 321. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A tough break for Ambrose. The wild card battle will go on to Michigan. and this one is for DSFF, Brad Keselowski in 2013 4 Nationwide Series Wins 0 Cup Series Wins 322. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse 20th in points. Wow. 323. JG24shouldbe5time posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (4) Lol. I refuse to congratulate Kyle Busch (aka Kryle Shrub). Nap-time managed to finish 8th? Too bad for Ambrose. He was FUMING in that car. Classy interview though. It was exciting watching BK2 ALMOST get Busch going into the last turns. That #2 Penske seems like it's always near the front at the road courses. First Rusty, then Kurt, now Bad Brad. I'm flipping over to ALMS @ Road America. I'm more of a fan of the 'Vettes, but it's cool to see the SRT underdogs leading the GT class. 324. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Only 15 away from 10th? Jeff WILL make the chase. 325. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Next Saturday at Mid-Ohio should be a barn burner with Ambrose, Allmendinger, and Fellows, etc. 326. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Keep the faith ex-Rainbow Nation... Refuse to Lose. 327. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) And somehow through all of the late-race carnage, Jimmie Johnson finishes 8th. 328. Bro Jackson posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (10) Well, that'll do it for Dale Jr.'s Chase hopes this season. Bad luck and poor reliability among other things cost them. Wasn't meant to be this year. 329. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Max "Popeez" is how BSPN's Vaguely Sportscenter just pronounced it on their race rundown 330. Eric posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle now has 27 career cup wins and is 1 win away from tying Rex White and Matt Kenseth with 28 career cup wins. 331. Bro Jackson posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) That 88 team reminds me of the NFL teams who start like 4-0, reach December needing just one or two wins to clinch a playoff spot and get blown out every game. Not that they were gonna do anything but finish 12th anyway. Oh well, next race I'll watch will be next year's Sprint Unlimited. 332. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) Seriously, Bro Jackson...Junior's not going to miss the chase unless he really screws up the next few weeks. I don't see it happening. 333. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:38 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Could Stenhouse finish in the top 20 in points without a top 10 finish? When was the last time that happened? 334. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Max "Popeez" is how BSPN's Vaguely Sportscenter just pronounced it on their race rundown" I think that's the correct pronunciation in Italian. I know from the 1995 Formula 1 game for PlayStation that Murray Walker pronounced his name that way also. 335. Frank posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (5) (3) Troll Jackson loves to stir a pot. 336. Bro Jackson posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (6) Problem is they also have reliability issues, in addition to poor strategy/luck/mistakes. Their engines can't last a full race at fast tracks, and if they do, something else goes wrong. It's strikingly similar to 2007 for him. 337. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It all depends on whether he can maintain touch at Michigan, DSFF, because I think that's about all he can hope for there. But all those guys going for the Wild Card desperately want to see Kasey Kahne and his two wins re-enter the top ten, because as of now, only one spot is available for the likes of Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, and Joey Logano, who also can't be counted out. If Kahne can get back into the top ten, two spots would be available, but as of now, only one is available for the Wild Card hopefuls with Kahne outside the top ten. Gordon can make up 15-0 points in three races, but if his deficit grows to 30+ at Michigan, he's likely through. In fact, if McMurray and/or Logano passed him in the points next week, I wouldn't be surprised. And speaking of Logano, with Penske being winless this year, there stands a chance that this could be the first year since Penske returned to NASCAR in 1991 that his team doesn't win a race. Penske's team has won at least one race every year for 22 consecutive years, but his team is still winless in 2013. 338. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:46 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "When was the last time that happened?" I went Bill Weber and looked it up so you didn't have to. Buddy Arrington and Michael Waltrip both did it in 1986. 339. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I think Keselowski was driving not to win but to play it nice & safe, Here's some advice for Brad You Drive to win the Race hello, You Drive to win the race you don't just race to lose or play it safe. 340. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:48 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) What the hell are you talking about Bro? Junior's currently IN the Chase! And Sky Warrior, I'm not surprised at SportsCenter butchering Max Papi's name...pretty standard for them. 341. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And as for Bro Jackson's comment about Dale, Jr. possibly missing the Chase. If he has a bad race at Michigan or Bristol, he certainly would go into the danger zone, as he's currently 47 points up on 11th. But one more bad race and he could be sweating it out a little bit. If he falls to within 20-25 points of 11th with three races to go before the start of the Chase and no wins, he is, by no means, safe, but he's safe now with a full race up on 11th. But he certainly lost some breathing room today. 342. Chives5150 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Watch Hendrick Motorsports get revenge at Michigan next week by finishing 1-2-3-4. 343. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If anything, I'd say Kenseth is in more danger of dropping out of the top 10 than Junior. He's only about 30 points or so ahead of 11th (I didn't get to see the standings after the race, someone can give me an exact number). If Kenseth has a few more bad races, he might dip outside the top 10... ...and if he falls outside the top 10, that's BAD news for those in contention for a Wild Card back there. 344. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:54 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) It's pronounced "Pah-pees" with 'a' said like 'ah' as in "Father" and the i is given the long double-e like 'ee' in "keep." Trust me, I'm Italian. 345. 18fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Watch Hendrick Motorsports get revenge at Michigan next week by finishing 1-2-3-4." Based on what happened in the June race 1-2-3 with Johnson, Kahne, and Junior is definitely possible. We don't know exactly what Gordon could've done since he wrecked about 5 laps into the race. 346. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) As for Gordon...it all depends on Michigan. If he can survive Michigan and get a decent finish, he'll still have a chance. If he duplicates his performance in the June race and finishes below 30th, it would probably be safe to count him out of a spot in the Chase. I also have to worry about Bristol too; though I don't DOUBT Gordon will run well there, he's crashed there fairly often quite frequently, so there is a good chance he might get wrecked out of that race. 347. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Benjamin, Brad Keselowski had to play it safe, because if he runs into Kyle Busch and crashes, and fails to make it back to the S/F line, he finishes 28th or 29th (29 cars finished on the lead lap), and it would be curtains for him, even if he wins a race because of his points position. He had to play it safe, as much as he didn't want to. He could not afford to lose 25+ points if he had crashed, which is why he had to play it safe. Had he tried to cram it on the outside of Kyle Busch, and both cars crashed into the outside barrier, he would not have made it to the finish, so I think he made the prudent decision, under the circumstances. Had he been solidly in the Chase or been down in the high-teens in the points, I think he would have taken the risk, but he can't afford to do that at this time. 348. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Let me correct post #346...Gordon has crashed at Bristol fairly often RECENTLY. I have a bad habit of being redundant at times! 349. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 4:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) One guy that no one really talks about falling out of contention is Biffle. Other than a top ten at Pocono last week, he's been pretty horrible over the past five or six weeks. He's also got some pretty bad tracks coming up. He does have Michigan next week which is probably his best track, but after that he has Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond, all three of them tracks that he's always struggled at for the most part. If he doesn't win next week in Michigan, then I'd say he's in pretty bad shape. 350. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I think Keselowski was driving not to win but to play it nice & safe, Here's some advice for Brad You Drive to win the Race hello, You Drive to win the race you don't just race to lose or play it safe." Who knows what will happen in the next four races, so you are danged if do and danged if you don't. The Brad of 2011-12 would have dive-bombed the final two turns if that means losing positions on the track, but the 2013 incarnation seemingly is comfortable with points racing and taking the car and Kyle to the edge but not crossing the threshold of being out of control. 351. DB1995 posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I dont see where brad could had won this race without wrecking Kyle, the car wasnt all that fast the rest of the race and wasnt gonna get him, he was driving like hell just to stay in touch with kyle 352. Leroy Jenkins posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Problem for Dale Jr is they can't afford to make another mistake or have bad luck or part failure. 47 points ahead is not insurmountable especially given how the teams behind them are running, like Kurt, Truex, Biffle, etc. Can't shoot yourself in the foot. 353. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) 18fan, Johnson, Kahne, and Dale, Jr. might have run 1-2-3, but Gordon would have had problems even getting into the top dozen because his car just doesn't have any speed, especially compared to the other HMS cars. Gordon's car is just 2-4 MPH slow when compared to the other Hendrick cars, and that difference in speed showed up at Pocono last week. It's either a lack of speed in the car, or as Ricky Craven said earlier today on NASCAR Now, Gordon just doesn't have the edge he once had, and that's costing the team speed on the high-speed tracks, because he's a half-second off his teammates on that kind of track. That's why Gordon has to just hope he can maintain his position in points relative to where tenth is and wait for Bristol to start to make his move. Once he gets to Bristol, I think he'll make his move, but he just has to hold on until then, which means hope for a top 12-15 at Michigan and hope the drivers he's racing to get in finish around his position, and hope that Kasey Kahne gets back in the top ten in points. If that happens, I like his chances to get back into the top ten, but if he loses another 10-15 points and falls to 15th in points behind the likes of Newman, McMurray, and Logano, I think he's through for this year. 354. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:14 pm Rate this comment: (8) (1) Alright, here are the stakes if cjs agrees. If Gordon makes the chase he must post a video on his YouTube channel of himself doing 24 backflips (I'll even allow you to take a break every so often to puke if you get dizzy and need to, that's how nice of a guy I am). But if he misses it, I will post, on YouTube, an over the shoulder video of myself watching the last lap of the 1989 Holly Farms 400 24 consecutive times without stopping, from the spin to Geoff Bodine taking the checkered flag. What do you say? 355. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Alright, as I look at the standings, in my mind I have 11 drivers who I think will make the Chase for sure. 1. Jimmie Johnson 2. Clint Bowyer 3. Carl Edwards 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Kyle Busch 6. Matt Kenseth 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Brad Keselowski 9. Martin Truex Jr 10. Kasey Kahne 11. Ryan Newman (WC) I think the first six drivers are pretty self explanatory, so I won't talk about them. - Dale Jr will make it barring an EPIC collapse in these final few races. They aren't running great right now, but I think they'll still run good enough over these last few to make it in. - As for Keselowski, they've picked up the pace a ton in the last few weeks, so I feel like they're solid enough at this point to make in through the top ten. - I feel like Truex has some of his strongest tracks coming up (Bristol, Atlanta, Richmond), so I think he'll put up enough good finishes to make it in. - Kahne obviously has two wins, so he'll make it in one way or another. - And with Stewart out of action, I think Newman is now in the catbird seat to get one of the Wild Cards. Kurt Busch or Jeff Gordon will have to win a race AND stay ahead of Newman in points for Newman to not make it, and I'm not sure how likely that seems. So to me, there's basically one spot open. I feel like those 11 drivers will be in for sure. I think the 12th and final spot will come down to Greg Biffle (as I mentioned in post 349, he's running pretty bad right now - I think he needs to win at Michigan to solidify his spot), Jeff Gordon (today's wreck REALLY hurts him - I think he'll need a win, but if anyone can do it, he can), and Kurt Busch (needs a win). It should be interesting. 356. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) @DSFF (354), YES!!!! 357. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:21 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I think that had Brad been in a more secure position to make the Chase, he would have at least roughed up Kyle a bit more (which is the only way I think he could have won given that Kyle's car outclassed Brad's in speed today) but I have no doubt he was trying all he could to pass him yet at the same time not give up many spots by making a bad move and wrecking himself. 358. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So really HMS should mainly be focused on the #5, 24, and 88 the next few weeks, because I think Johnson is already locked into the chase. He can afford to take the risks with their equipment if need be. If Hendrick really wants all four of his cars in the top 12, what he needs is to make sure that Kahne, Gordon, and Jr. get reliable race cars and hope they stay out of trouble these next few weeks so they can all comfortably make it into the chase. Here's my analysis of the three: Kahne: He's run well at Michigan the past few races, but with bad luck. Just needs to make it to the finish there. He won at Bristol in March, so he should be a favorite there. He's also run well at Atlanta. But he already has the two wins so he should for the most part be a lock. Gordon: Like cjs said, he needs the speed at Michigan. He's been pretty good lately at Bristol and Atlanta has been one of his stronger tracks the last few years. Richmond, however, has seemed to be a hit or miss track for him lately. But I wouldn't count him out until the checkered flag at Richmond. Earnhardt Jr.: Michigan has been his strongest track lately, depending on whether or not his car is reliable. He hasn't been too bad at Bristol lately, Atlanta has been either hit or miss and same goes for Richmond. But if he can finish top 15 in each of these races like he has most of this season I don't see him falling out of the top 10 in points. 359. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (2) By the way, Android #1 clinched his Chase spot today. 360. 83andJoe posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >Was that suspension camera on Danica's car really necessary? Seeing as the /only/ time we saw anything from it was that one pitstop, that's a nope. 361. 83andJoe posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) -Max Papis' first start since Michigan in 2010, and his best finish since he was 8th at the Glen in 2009. -Owen Kelly's first career start. -Alex Kennedy's best career finish (3 starts) -Brian Keselowski's best career finish (3 starts) 362. Ed posted: 08.11.2013 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon wasn't involved in the crash with Kahne and Jr, that was Ragan 363. Eric posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:01 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Murb, I think you are overrating how bad Biffle is at Atlanta. Greg has 3 top 5's and 9 top tens there in 18 career cup starts. That means Greg isn't bad there, but he's not great either. The real concern should be Roush at Atlanta because mile and half tracks isn't there strength this is year. I agree with you on Biffle for Bristol and Richmond being bad tracks for Biffle. 364. Eric posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think Matt could be okay without taking a wild spot. Matt can be good at Bristol based on the fact he has 2 wins there and had the car to beat in the spring before Jeff's car got into Matt's. Matt been good at Michigan also. Atlanta also is a historically a good track for Matt with 8 top 5's and 14 top 10's in 24 starts. The only question with Matt is how the horsepower for Toyota is on mile and half tracks. 365. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The sixth caution in this race was not for the #38 of David Gilliland hitting the turn 4 wall, it was for the #93 of Travis Kvapil hitting the wall in that spot. 366. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Eric, the reason why Bristol and Richmond are weak tracks for Greg Biffle is because Roush treats all the short track races as "throw-away" races, and has for years. That's why his team is rarely competitive Martinsville, and are hit-and-miss at Bristol and Richmond. Sometimes they run well at Bristol (they won the August night race four years in a row from 2005-'08), but other times struggle there. If Greg Biffle falls out of the top ten in points, it will be because Roush has not put much focus on the short tracks, and hasn't for some time. They struggle on the road courses for the same reason, though Carl Edwards was a top five runner for practically the entire race today. What Matt Kenseth did earlier this year may be the best proof of how Jack Roush has, at times, held back his drivers. 367. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sounds good, DSFF. What is your Youtube, anyways, and do you post videos on it often? 368. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Eric, that's something I haven't even considered until you brought it up. If Matt Kenseth has problems in the next few races and has to take a Wild Card, that would change everything. Remember that with Michigan and Atlanta, two high-speed tracks coming up, and with Toyota's record with their engines, Kenseth's potentially one engine failure away from possibly using up one of those Wild Card spots in the Chase. And remember that Atlanta is a 500-mile race, so with Kenseth now just 36 points ahead of 11th place, if he has an engine failure at either Michigan or Atlanta, he could possibly have to take up one of those Wild Card spots, and that changes everything if that were to occur, because he would lose those 12 points, plus take a Wild Card position away from those battling for it if he needs it. And if, for some reason, both Kenseth and Kasey Kahne need Wild Cards, the rest of those below tenth in points are out of luck. 369. Nascar Lead Lap Points posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:19 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) So Happy to See Humphrey-Smith team get a top 30 finish and finally finish a race 370. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Long Shot, DSFF's YouTube channel is "CarolinaFanJase". We should all get together on YouTube sometime. 371. Kubica Fan Ireland posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Logano has really impressed me the last 10 weeks or so 3 top10s on the spin, a good recovery after Loudon and Daytona.Kurt Busch will make the chase as a single team if they just play it safe and have 4 top15 finishes.he scored a top5 at bristol and richmond so if he avoids trouble next week I rckon he makes it, really hope it happens. I know I should see it before I believe it but Kyle may well be the only one to stop JJ this year.He is bound to at least challenge for the title eventually 372. Jarrett88fan posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Biffle is likely out of the Chase picture (baring a Michigan sweep) due to the reasons CJS so eloquently explained. Kahne holds the keys to the kingdom in the whole race to the Chase. With the two wins, he is almost a certain wildcard lock, but with a little consistency, that team is borderline top ten. The real darkhorses in the next four races are Logano as he was surprisingly strong at Bristol and Richmond earlier in the year and Kurt Busch who might turn the clock back ten years at Bristol and score a win. Sadly, the Race to the Chase is the only positive intriguing thing for the Cup Series right now. 373. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "We should all get together on YouTube sometime." Mine's "docripoff19". I have no videos though. 374. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) *Yet. 375. Eric posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think in terms of the chase, Truex, Kurt,Newman, and Biffle are in the wost positions. I mention Ryan Newman for a reason. Ryan at the only 2 mile tracks races this year is a 10th, and an 18th. It terms of Auto Club, the only reason Ryan got 10th place finish there was because the Hamlin and Logano wreck. That meant Ryan really has top 15 to top cars at 2 mile tracks. Ryan is anywhere from a top 10 to a top 15 on mile and a half tracks this years. I mention Truex because his team is weaker this year than last year. Today's race for Truex was his first top 10 since Kentucky. Truex's best finish at a short track this year is a 12th at Bristol. I mention Kurt Busch despite being 11th place in points for a reason. While Kurt has 2 straight top 10's, asking the 78 team to get 4 more top 10's is a lot. The 78 team has a great driver, but the pit crew is the problem. The pit crew and the crew chief could put Kurt is a bad spot for Bristol and Richmond and got into a wreck that isn't Kurt's fault. My mentioning of Biffle is caused by a couple facts. The 16 team is behind and Roush hasn't impressed me with their intermediate program this year despite Greg's win at Michigan. The other problem with Greg is the fact he has the most wins in cup of all time without a win on a track less than a mile. 376. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The thing about what if Kahne and Kenseth take the wild card spots is, when they or someone else with wins falls out of the top 10, someone battling for a wild card spot gets into the top 10. I think that's a part of the argument that gets ignored too often. Whichever drivers happen to be just outside the top 10, like Gordon or Kurt, isn't in as much trouble as those who only have a shot at the wild card 377. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yes, maybe we can share our NFL picks for the season via personal message. For instance, I have Atlanta winning the Super Bowl over New England. I made mine yesterday. But the final four races before the Chase will be interesting, and the specter of Matt Kenseth possibly having to take a Wild Card if he has a engine failure at one of the two high-speed tracks has the chance to change everything. Let's also remember that the race at Atlanta is a 500-mile race, and that extra 100 miles has the chance to gum up the works for someone. Remember that there's not been a race over 400 miles since the Coca-Cola 600 back in May, so having to run a 500-mile race just before the start of the Chase could have some dramatic results, especially for those trying to get into the Chase. I think there could be some engine issues at that race at Atlanta, though it's impossible at this time to tell who might have the "ball drop on them" with an engine problem in that race. And if Toyota is going to get more aggressive on the engine setups, there might also be issues at Michigan, which could lead to the possibility of Matt Kenseth being forced to battle just to stay in the top ten. He's in the Chase, but he really holds the key for a number of drivers, and if he falls out of the top ten, which could very well happen if he has an engine failure at Michigan and/or Atlanta, that changes the entire championship picture. 378. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well cjs........ 379. 83andJoe posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Note: the #51 was also involved in the last accident. 380. Jared DiCarlo posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Marcos Ambrose had a good run going on, but he had to ruin it all. And another thing... How is Snorefest still leading the points? He didn't lead a lap at all! Also, when is BSPN going to do Side-by-Side coverage again? I haven't seen it once this season! 381. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Niners are gonna get #6 this year, beating the Houston Texans. 382. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "We should all get together on YouTube sometime." Mine is 88Doka, but I don't post videos. 383. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Amen, DSFF; power to the 49ers! 384. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Speaking of football, I'll be watching a few NFL games this fall and waiting for a player to commit a hold just so I can yell "OH, HOLDING PENALTAYYYY!!!!!!!", just to annoy my dad. 385. Sky Warrior posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "We should all get together on YouTube sometime." I'll get in on this too. Same name on YouTube as I post with on here, I have a few videos, mostly racing stuff 386. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, the fact that anyone's picking the Texans to get to the Super Bowl just tells me why I picked New England to get there. Because the entire AFC is about as bad as I've ever seen it, and that includes those years when they lost 13 consecutive Super Bowls. New England's gone down a notch or two and they're still the favorite. I don't think any team among the top AFC teams has improved, and I still like Tom Brady over anyone else among the QBs when it gets down to crunch time. Pittsburgh's not very good, Baltimore's gone down somewhat, and I'm not sure I trust Schaub (Houston) or Dalton (Cincinnati) in a big situation, and Peyton Manning's arm strength is still an issue in Denver when it gets down to the post-season, not to mention is history, and the Colts did it last ear with smoke and mirrors. Given all that, I still favor New England, since they've got a walkover in the AFC East, but I don't think anybody in the AFC is a match for any of the NFC's top teams. The fact that I actually picked San Diego to get a Wild Card says something about the weakness of the AFC as a whole. 387. Eric posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:45 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My thought on Kahne is the short tracks and Michigan determine if he takes up a wild card. Kasey is stronger at Bristol than Richmond. Since 2007, Kasey has 1 win, 4 top 5's, and 7 top 10's. Richmond isn't exactly a good track for Kasey despite his win. Kasey has 2 wins at Atlanta in his cup career and has finish in the top 10 at that track 50 percent of the time. Kasey finished 11th at Texas and 2nd at Charlotte. That means Kasey should do good if there isn't a tire or a parts problem. The problem with Michigan for Case is He has 7 finishes 20th or worse since the start of 2007 season at Michigan and only has 4 top top 10's there since 2007 with 3 top 5's. Kasey only has 6 top 15 finishes at Michigan since the start of the 2007 season. 388. The Long Shot posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Yes, maybe we can share our NFL picks for the season via personal message." Personal message? Just share your picks on my UPCOMING BLOG!! (yay for self-promotion). Coming shortly to a forum near you (actually, this one): a preview of my blog in which I give brief analyses of all 32 teams and their chances to make the NFL playoffs. "We should all get together on YouTube sometime." I don't have a YouTube account, so I'd have to miss out. God dang it. 389. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 6:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'll put the Denver situation in simpler terms: Peyton + Welker + John Fox = EPIC PLAYOFF COLLAPSE Still waiting on a yes or no for our Gordon wager. 390. Baker posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:02 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Jimmie Johnson has had far and away the most dominant car in the last 8 straight oval races, yet for the 2nd consecutive road race he has been a complete non factor. He has always been and will always be the least talented Nascar Champion of all time, but because of modern day media will go down as one of the 2-3 greatest ever. 391. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) But if I recall right Eric, Kahne was terrible at Atlanta last year, finishing 23rd, two laps behind, so that's no guarantee either. Greg Biffle wasn't that good there, either, so a number of teams may go to Atlanta knowing they have to perform, but realizing they were well off the mark last year. And again, the fact that the race at Atlanta will be the first race over 400 miles since May will have a lot of teams worrying, especially the Toyota teams, because of their engine problems this year. I think there will be engine problems in that race, because of the fact that it will be the longest race run since May, but the question is, who will be the ones to suffer from those problems? The answer to that question may end up deciding who gets in the Chase this year. 392. Baker posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Super Bowl runs through Baltimore in the AFC despite the lost of some key vets. The road to the Super bowl runs through San Francisco in the NFC as long as they can keep Colin Kaepernick healthy. If Kap gets hurt then the 49ers could all together collapse and miss the playoffs completely. I speak as a Browns fan and that is exactly how bad Colt McCoy is as and NFL QB. I have missed a lot of pre season action and offseason stuff since the draft ended and we bought a fixer upper house, but I typically follow the NFL extremely close and have always been pretty darn accurate on predictions unlike my failed attempts to predict winners in NASCAR. If NFL talk keep popping up on these boards I will post my final predictions before the start of the regular season. 393. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:07 pm Rate this comment: (3) (3) DSFF don't waste your time hoping for Gordon to make the chase. He no longer has what it takes to get it done in this sport anymore. He needs to hang up the helmet and call it a career. 394. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I might shock a few people with My Superbowl Prediction: The Seattle Seahwaks defeat the New England Patriots 395. NascarFan1 posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) I agree with what Baker posted, without Chad Knaus and the Chase he would have no championships. 396. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:11 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) Again Baker, could it be that the #48 team used this race as a "throw-away" race because there are no road course races in the Chase? If there are no road course races in the Chase, and a team's already locked in, why would they put any focus on the road course races, because putting any focus on the road course races would divert their attention to the races that matter. That's why I dislike the Chase, because every race should count, and the road course races clearly don't count toward the championship, which is why I've said the Chase cheapens the championship. To be a champion, a driver needs to have to excel at every kind of track, but to truly contend for a championship today, all a team has to do is to focus on the intermediate tracks (of which half the Chase is made of), because if they excel there, stay out of the wrecks at Talladega, and have a decent run at Martinsville, they'll be in contention for the championship every year. That's why the #48 team is ahead of everyone else in terms of Chase success, because they know where to focus, and where they don't have to bring their best to the track. 397. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Again Baker, could it be that the #48 team used this race as a "throw-away" race because there are no road course races in the Chase? If there are no road course races in the Chase, and a team's already locked in, why would they put any focus on the road course races, because putting any focus on the road course races would divert their attention to the races that matter. That's why I dislike the Chase, because every race should count, and the road course races clearly don't count toward the championship, which is why I've said the Chase cheapens the championship. To be a champion, a driver needs to have to excel at every kind of track, but to truly contend for a championship today, all a team has to do is to focus on the intermediate tracks (of which half the Chase is made of), because if they excel there, stay out of the wrecks at Talladega, and have a decent run at Martinsville, they'll be in contention for the championship every year. That's why the #48 team is ahead of everyone else in terms of Chase success, because they know where to focus, and where they don't have to bring their best to the track." From this, we can surmise that when raw talent is the deciding factor, Johnson can be shit on by about 30-35 of the drivers in today's field. 398. cjs3872 posted: 08.11.2013 - 7:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Not at all, #397. What I'm saying is that Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team could be far better at the road course races if they had to be. But the plain truth is that, with the Chase not having a road course race, why focus on a road course race when you don't have to? I believe that Jimmie could and would do better on the road courses if he needed to. Actually, when you think about it, Jeff Gordon's decline when it comes to the road courses also coincides with the advent of the Chase. Not counting 2004, when there was no blueprint on how to run the season with a Chase, since that was the first year of it, Gordon has only won on a road course once since then, and that was at Sonoma in 2006, so it's obvious to me that they also lessened their focus on the road course races because they no longer mattered when it came to the championship. Johnson can run a lot better on the road courses if he had to, unlike some of the other drivers like Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who are notoriously terrible on the road courses. 399. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Watching SPEED right now is giving me mixed emotions. Both SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel are airing their final shows before the channel becomes FOX Sports 1 next Saturday. What a shame these shows are ending. Also -- C'mon people, we only need 23 more down thumbs to get to 75 on the first comment on this page! 400. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ben, I definitely agree Jeff is nowhere near what he used to be. But 40% of the late 90's Jeff is still enough to be Top 10. He still has that ability to, once or twice a year, break out the old Rainbow Warrior. And the last two years, that throwback run has come at this point in the season. And historically, this has been his time of the year, late summer. He'll make it, but the Fall was ugly for him even in his prime. Can't imagine what this Fall will look like. As for retiring, I guess in a perfect world he'd have retired right after last year's Richmond race. We may wind up looking at that race as his version of Dale in the 2000 Winston 500, or in another sport, Montana against the Oilers in the '93 playoffs. His last miracle. The year since has given us some unpleasant memories of the legend. The supposed return of "The Stache" which he shaved before it ever was noticeable (a real disappointmenthe didn't let that grow out a bit), another disappointing Fall, Phoenix, an approved public tongue lashing from 3rd year driver Brad Keselowski who, like me, was just 8, soon to be 9 when Jeff won his '93 Daytona qualifying race, Daytona 500 quals where he was just happy to be in the presense of The Baroness, an uninspiring year thus far while Nap Time and Nap Time Jr, his teammmates, have shown unreal speed this year, and two straight dejected interviews where you wanted to hide all sharp objects from him. Maybe he will have an "Earnhardt in 2000" season at some point. Next year will be his 22nd full time season, the same number Dale ran. Last year he quietly passed Dale in career starts. While his win total was higher, that was about it. He needs to get back on that horse, people forget quick. 401. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This Wind Tunnel episode is very emotional. I don't know how many times I've said this but I will miss that show. 402. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Robin Miller is being awesome on Wind Tunnel right now!!! LOL!!! 403. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "I hate Michael Waltrip's act." - Robin Miller What a legend. 404. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Lol, Robin Miller just said how he hates Michael Waltrip. 405. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:13 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I've seriously got chills watching this episode of Wind Tunnel. Despain, Miller, Varsha. They all rule. 406. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The morons running Fox Sports 1 should be forced to watch this last episode of Wind Tunnel. They should be ashamed of themselves. 407. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Robin Miller is a kick-ass commentator and writer through and through. People hate him, but when he makes a prediction, he bats almost a thousand. 408. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Is Jeff Gordon....crying? (on Wind Tunnel) 409. Chad's Hair Plugs posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A mullet-headed Jeff Gordon holding Kyle Larson in basically his diapers. That is a really neat picture. 410. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:23 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Oh no DSFF you will find that it is you who is mistaken about a great many thanks (including Jeff Gordon) 411. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also don't be surprised if Robin Miller is fired from NBC. I thought I heard him say something like "I hate the way NBC covers IndyCar." 412. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) He said ABC, Speedworld. lol at Elliott Sadler's stage dive fail. 413. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "He said ABC, Speedworld." Oh, I just misheard then. 414. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Oh no DSFF you will find that it is you who is mistaken about a great many thanks" Your overconfidence is your weakness. 415. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I really wish I could have seen this last episode of Wind Tunnel. 416. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm still waiting for the "Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. suck at road courses so they are crap drivers" crowd to say with a straight face that they think Marcos Ambrose, A.J. Allmendinger, and Juan Pablo Montoya are three of the top 10 drivers in NASCAR. Even Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin just plain stink (much worse than Johnson) at road courses and I don't think anyone would say they could be "shit on by about 30-35 of the drivers in today's field." 417. Anonymous posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Marcos Ambrose, A.J. Allmendinger, and Juan Pablo Montoya": given equal cars against 40 other drivers, yes at least one of them and maybe all of them finishes outside the top-30. 418. Rexrobe posted: 08.11.2013 - 8:59 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) If someone recorded Wind Tunnel and would be willing to upload, a few of us would be very grateful... 419. murb posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Speaking of Michael Waltrip's act, here's another show all about him. I guess it's pretty cool how they're giving people chances to show what they can do in stock cars. Sort of like the old Roush Gong Show. 420. ch posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor Changes: 1 - McDonald's Monopoly 9 - Stanley Tools / DeWalt 15 - Duck Dynasty / Peak 19 - MediaMaster 36 - IMCA Dominican Republic / Mobil 1 421. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) On a somewhat bright side, Dave Despain said that he will occasionally host NASCAR Race Hub later this year. 422. MStall41 posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:21 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I've been going to the Glen since '07, and I sit in the same spot in the same grandstand every year. I just love the place. I was at this race and I can honestly say it was the second best race I've seen at the track live, just an awesome show from start to finish and probably one of the best races if the year. It was a tad bit harder to pass this year compared to last year but it was balanced out by how hard the drivers were able to drive into the corners, and there was a lot of passing throughout the race from where I sat. As for the stands, they were f****** PACKED. Without a doubt the biggest and most energetic crowd I've seen for a Glen weekend. Overall, a great show, a great weekend, and I highly suggest you all see a race live at the Glen at some point. Amazing facility. 423. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:47 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) MStall41, glad to hear you enjoyed the race. Road courses are always fun tracks to watch a race. Next weekend, I'll be at Mid-Ohio for the Nationwide race. Should be fun! 424. joey2448 posted: 08.11.2013 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) MStall41, where do you sit usually? 425. Schroeder51 posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I went to the Glen in '08 and '09 to see the IndyCar races there while I was visiting my family; it was quite an experience to go there! I sat around turns 9 and 10 in the grass-a part of the track that NASCAR doesn't race at. I remember in the '08 race that virtually every accident in that race seemed to happen right where I was sitting! 426. MStall41 posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I always sit in the Argetsinger Grandstand, which is to the left side of the track in Turn 2. From where I sit you can see the cars coming down the Frontstretch into Turn 1 then watch them fly up the esses and fight for position heading into the backstretch. Pretty much all the passes and wrecks happened in our field of view, and to top it all off, there's a massive Jumbotron directly in front of the grandstand on the opposite side of the track. Absolutely the best place to sit in the house. 427. TS1420 posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I only got to watch the last 25 laps of the race, but they were pretty good. Glad to see Kyle win today. He deserved it after the last two races at The Glen (especially after the screw-job that happened last year that robbed him of a chase clinching win). Good to see Keselowski race Kyle clean at the end too. Sucked to see Ambrose's good day go to utter crap in the last 1/3rd of the race. Pretty much expected all hell to break loose in the final ten laps, and it did. Funny how 2 Hendrick cars wind up in a pile-up and the 3rd one with the golden horseshoe sneaks on by.... "He's destroyed both of my cars. HE'S DESTROYED BOTH OF MY CARS!!!" DSFF, I bet Tim Daland Rick Hendrick was really saying "Thank god Jimmie wasn't one of them. THANK GOD JIMMIE WASN'T ONE OF THEM!!!" I wouldn't count Gordon out of the chase 'til the checkers fly at Richmond. There are three people I don't bet against in NASCAR. Jeff Gordon & Tony Stewart for their abilities to go into beast mode, defy all logic and muster home amazing comebacks. ...and Chad Knaus for his ability to patch together the 48 "Million Dollar Man Style" after Jimmie pulls one of his driving out of his ass when he gets mid pack moments and get the 48 back into the top ten/five/contending for the win. I give this race a 7.5/10. I won't be commenting on next weeks race as I will actually be at MIS :D 428. David posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "There are three people I don't bet against in NASCAR. Jeff Gordon & Tony Stewart for their abilities to go into beast mode, defy all logic and muster home amazing comebacks. ...and Chad Knaus for his ability to patch together the 48 "Million Dollar Man Style" after Jimmie pulls one of his driving out of his ass when he gets mid pack moments and get the 48 back into the top ten/five/contending for the win." Yep, that pretty much sums it up, haha. 429. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "Oh no DSFF you will find that it is you who is mistaken about a great many thanks" Kenny, is that you? 430. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.11.2013 - 10:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I missed Wind Tunnel, but I will catch the 12:30 re-air. 431. Iona Outhouse posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Well, I'm interested in seeing how well the racing at Michigan will be next week. The last couple of races there have actually been pretty entertaining. 432. Baker posted: 08.11.2013 - 11:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I now know what it is like to blow an engine to pieces. A few weeks ago my wife said he car started making a really loud banging noise(it was knocking very hard). She gets it home and I check the oil and it is damn near 4 quarts low. I had just changed the oil on Friday and this was a Monday, so I thought oh F I didn't tighten the oil filter or plug all the way. Wrong, they were perfectly snug without a leak anywhere. We sat the car for a little of a week with fresh oil and not a single drop of oil showed up on the concrete. Recently took the car to my step dads to verify that he was indeed blown up. He verified and even said he didn't know how it made it as far as it did. Anyway, we went to pick up this car tonight and on the way home about 1000 feet from where we were going to park the car it let go. Sounded like a tiny bomb went off banging and clanking sounds all under the car and a huge cloud of black smoke was trailing the car. I coasted into the drive way and the entire bottom of the car was covered in oil and still dripping like crazy. We owned the car for 3 years and put just over 63,000 miles on it. I changed the oil every 3000 miles(the furthest it got on me was 3,008) took it to my step dad for normal maintenance all the time. I even used Castrol synthetic which supposedly will last 5,000+ miles. The car only had 69,000 on it when we bought it and was just over 132,000 when the motor blew. I have been a Ford guy my entire life because that is what my dad brought me up to be, but I am unbelievably pissed at Ford right now. There is no reason an engine should blow up after only 132,000 miles especially as well and as often as I had it in for maintenance. I can tell you next time we right a huge check for a car like we did for the Ford Escape it sure as hell won't be a Ford. I also feel like I should root against all Ford drivers in NASCAR now too. 433. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Attendance: 90,000 434. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) May have been more and many journalists estimated it was close to a record crowd. 435. TeamPlayersBlue posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Watkins Glen has to be proud, they've maintained their crowd base if not expanded it while most NASCAR tracks have lost it. Great place to watch a race, especially if you have the right location (cough, turn 1, cough). Never would have thought Watkins Glen attendance would be the same if not more than July Daytona attendance. 436. MStall41 posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:13 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) From my seats, and just judging from the number of bodies I saw milling around all weekend, it looked like there were over 100,000 people there. It was definitely the healthiest crowd I've seen in my 7 years of attending the Glen. Coupled with the fact that TV ratings have been up over 2012 for the 5 races in a row, its certainly a good sign for the health of the sport. 437. Watto posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Baker, there definitely could be a lot of reasons for that. Some people claim that the 3.0s found in Escapes are fairly prone to oil leaks. They often leak from the front timing chain cover and things like that. If it wasn't a mistake of some sort, it could've been something like that... something that only really shows when the car is running as opposed to sitting. Another thing is that I would advise against synthetic oil in higher mileage cars. It's often debated, but in my experience, synthetic will be more prone to be troublesome in cars with any kind of mileage on them. It'll be more prone to leak, more prone to burn. Any time a car runs with less oil than required, it's going to fail big at some point... depending just how dry it is. Sorry to hear of your luck. A lot of my friends who are totally into Fords seem to have good luck with them, but their cars are very different powertrains - usually one of the trucks or a Crown Vic or Mustang with either the 4.6 or 5.0. It wouldn't be worth rooting against drivers for their manufacturer having possible design flaws, because I can give you horror stories about any car from any manufacturer :) Hope you have better luck with your next car. 438. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:16 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) The crowd was huge because THE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN IS FREAKING AWESOME!! You give a good show, people will show up. 439. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "It was definitely the healthiest crowd I've seen in my 7 years of attending the Glen." Any coincidence that this came after the most awesome finish ever at the Glen the previous year? I think not. 440. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:42 am Rate this comment: (10) (1) Just saw the re-air of the final Wind Tunnel which turned out to be the final 30 minutes of the SPEED network. So many emotions for me for this. The episode ended with that bobblehead of Dave and a message saying "Thank you Tunnelheads". No, thank YOU Dave Despain. 11 years hosting a fan oriented show. Pretty kick ass if you ask me. And it was emotional. That was a show of real emotion. None of this manufactured crap. And Robin Miller made my day saying ue was sick of Michael Waltrip's act. Miley represents everything that is wrong with racing. EVERYTHING. Everything witu him is phony and preplanned. And comes off like nails on a chalkboard. Gonna miss the realness of Wind Tunnel. And I am gonna miss the hell out of SPEED. I feel like as that episode ended then all the boring ass talking heads of FOX sports showed up to announce Fox Sports 1, I was watching a part of the motor racing world die. SPEED was our last place to turn for shows with no gimmicks. Now that it has the FOX name, that is over. Political correctness and gimmicks are the order of the day now. Ugh. Goodbye SPEED/Speedvision. Thanks for the memories. 441. The Long Shot posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Amen to that, DSFF. 442. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And I am gonna miss the hell out of SPEED. I feel like as that episode ended then all the boring ass talking heads of FOX sports showed up to announce Fox Sports 1, I was watching a part of the motor racing world die. SPEED was our last place to turn for shows with no gimmicks. Now that it has the FOX name, that is over. Political correctness and gimmicks are the order of the day now. Ugh. Goodbye SPEED/Speedvision. Thanks for the memories." This makes me sorry that I never was able to watch SPEED on a regular basis. But I'll tell you one thing: I'll make sure to watch that final episode on Wind Tunnel. 443. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) *of*. Darn it. 444. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.12.2013 - 12:58 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) It's difficult seeing SPEED leave, because I think it does make motor sports suffer even if NASCAR is profiting financially. However, SPEED began to die when it was bought out by FOX in 2001. For the first few years after the purchase it was fine. But, after a few years, the channel began to deteriorate. Before long, it began to feature mostly reality shows themed around racing. Even the NASCAR programming began to get silly. I'm certainly sad to see it leave, but this channel had been suffering for quite awhile. 445. Chives5150 posted: 08.12.2013 - 1:01 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I remember watching CASCAR races on SPEED in the summer when I was younger. Everyday was CASCAR and Labatt Blue commercials with that talking bear. Those were the days... 446. 12345Dude posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Haven't had internet since the 5th because I was at my grandparents. It was cool to see 12 people post in depth stuff about the drivers in NASCAR/ and their favorite drivers. Very cool. I was just focusing too much on the negative. And happy everything is good murb! I only saw the last 2 laps of the race but it was crazy. Amazing racing. No passing between Kyle and Brad but you were still on the edge of your seat. I wonder if that's why F1 is so popular. I watched a little bit of a race once, it was the race with all the tire failures. Not much passing, but you were on the edge of your seat because the battles were so good. 447. 12345Dude posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) *The tire failure race in 2013. I believe it was the Britain Grand Prix 448. AveryNH posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:43 am Rate this comment: (4) (0) I remember watching Inside winston cup way back when with A.B. Johnny Benson, Ken Schrader, and yes Mikey. That was can't miss t.v. for me as a young nascar fan. Couple that with NBS 24/7 which was so kickass and it really made me want to give up my day dreams of being a race car driver and go on one day and work as a fabricator or an engine mechanic. It taught me an immense amount about the inner workings of a nascar race shop. Speed channel introduced me to a wide variety of motorsports. My naive childish mind thought there was just nascar, dirt racing, trans am (thanks dad!) and randomly every memorial day the indy 500. When I stumbled across world rally cars and f1 I was mystified and curious. I began watching champ car races and eventually grand am and ALMS races. Speed channel is essential to my becoming an all around race fan. I'm so sad/aggravated/annoyed that it must go. But business is business I guess. The highlight of the last episode of wind tunnel, well next to the last eye candy was Bob Varsha uttering the word bitch. I laughed till I cried at that. He's always such a polite guy, a Dartmouth grad, esteemed race broadcaster. I guess it just caught me of guard but it truly made my night. R.I.P. Speedvision/Speed Channel 1996-2013 449. Mr X posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:51 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Baker, I work full time at an automobile scrapyard and believe me there is a reason why I don't call myself a Ford person. From what it sounds this developed fairly quickly. Nothing will do more to extend a cars life then regular fluid changes, particularly engine oil changes. The engine oil is contaminated by the combustion process, and the combustion process is contaminated by the oil. The pistons in an engine have three rings, on top is the top compression ring, below is a second compression ring, and below that is an oil control ring designed to scrap oil off the cylinder walls and thus keep as much as possible out of the combustion process. When fuel and air burn cleanly there is virtually no residue left in the engine. For it to burn cleanly it must burn completely, which requires optimal ambient cylinder temps(basically an engine at operating temperature, warm up your vehicle for short trips), and ideal air fuel mixtures and atomiztion of the fuel, a strong spark in a concentrated area will also help greatly(basically more spark and compression). Incomplete fuel burning causes carbon buildup, which is a product of and engine not reaching operating temperature. The piston will also seal much tighter to the cylinder wall when it's warm as the piston expands, and the compression ring gap shrinks, resulting in less blow by(compression gases escaping past the piston). This blow by creates pressure in the crankcase and is vented by the PCV in modern cars to protect the environment as it contains unburnt gases and other pollutants. Old cars just vented it straight out. With a PCV these gases are vented into the intake manifold where the will tried to be burned a second time. It is critical though that the PCV valve is designed well as to not suck up oil and send it through the intake resulting with oil contaminating combustion resulting in yet more carbon buildup. If the valve is plugged it can keep the crankcase from venting which will push oil out as well. This carbon is absorbed by the oil, it's what turns the oil black and if left for too long it will become too concentrated and stop absorbing carbon all together. It also makes the oil slightly acidic at which point it can start eating the rubber seals, and metal components if left in the engine for two long. This can result in some leaks when you do your next oil change and swap the cruddy old for new, and synthetic is generally better able to find these leaks. However given regular oil changes you should be okay, especially if you use synthetic regularly. It's also worth mentioning that all engines use a mechanically driven oil pump of some sort, which pumps oil around the engine to wherever its needed via the oil passages. It is critical that these passages direct the right amount of oil at the right parts of the engine and that the oil can drain back to the pan quickly, or else the engine will not last long regardless of how it's treated, some engines historically have proved to be strong or weak in this area. I don't know what engine you had in your Escape so its difficult to say, however these would not cause problems quickly. In my eyes the most likely cause was a spun bearing, that is the only real way for a bottom end knock to devolop so fast, if the bearings are starved of oil sooner or later one of the main or rod bearings will spin, which will cut off the oil flow and the bearing will get pinched and start grinding away at the crank, which will loosen up tolerances leading to some serious rod knocking. Keep in mind that a spun main bearing will cut off oil flow to the rod bearings. Like Watto says every single automobile has something about it's design that just doesn't function as well as it should, and every vehicle has something that works brilliantly. Personally my job doesn't involve fixing cars, it involves taking a late model car that has been deemed a total loss for whatever reason(crash, fire, flood, etc.) and separating them into their component parts as quickly as possible. I've worked on hundreds of cars and dozens of different models from the Smart Fortwo to Full size heavy duty diesel pickups. This is where my general dislike of Fords comes from. Me and my coworkers get regular reminders constantly that Ford assembles vehicles with little to know thought towards the people who may have to service or work on them one day. It really does seem quite often like Ford was working hard to ensure their vehicles are very difficult, time consuming and expensive to service. There are exceptions, and most extremely new stuff from Ford is much better, but while General Motors certainly doesn't have a perfect track record of designing vehicles like this they are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Ford. Many of GM's designs are as straight forward as the average fisher price toy. Bottom line be careful buying a car, all the automakers certainly make a lot of money off people who don't know what they're buying. 450. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:05 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Well said Avery. I feel the exact same way as you. I already knew of most of the racing series as a kid, but Speed played a major part in my full understanding of each of them with their programming. All I can say to Fox Sports is what Rusty Wallace said in his retirement speech after his final race at Homestead in 2005. "I hope they don't screw it up." Unfortunately, they probably will screw up their pending motorsports programming, most likely in favor of MORE NFL shows (I know it's the most popular sport in America, but seriously, how many god damn roundtable talk shows about the NFL do we need on TV?), MORE UFC shows, and some Regis Philbin garbage that I saw they are gonna do. Bottom line: The more I think about it, the more I feel like I'm gonna miss Speed. 451. joey2448 posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The highlight of the last episode of wind tunnel, well next to the last eye candy was Bob Varsha uttering the word bitch. I laughed till I cried at that. He's always such a polite guy, a Dartmouth grad, esteemed race broadcaster. I guess it just caught me of guard but it truly made my night." Word, good sir. Hahahaha! Hopefully we'll still be seeing guys like Dave Despain, Bob Varsha and Robin Miller. 452. 12345Dude posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:49 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) @396 Also CJS the 10 races in the chase are the same every year. Since it's creation in 2004. (other than Auto Club and Atlanta used to be in, and now Chicago is in) The 13 tracks that aren't in the chase aren't even close to the importance of the 10 chase tracks. It's not even close. Teams are always testing and working to become the best at those tracks. Tracks like Bristol,Watkins Glen, Darlington etc. aren't even close to the importance to the drivers and teams. Yes you can't bomb at them if you want to make the Chase, but really if your not at the top of your game at the 10 chase tracks, then who really cares if you make the chase. Instead of finishing 14th you finish 10th. Big deal. Just like Jeff Gordon said, that is the problem with the chase. There should be 3 new tracks in it every year. At least. And don't forget the drivers who know there going to be in the Chase. There taking off-weeks now. The season is 36 races. Let's rest up and take a few weeks off. It shouldn't be like that. Which is the other problem with the Chase. The "Regular Season" isn't important enough. Wow you get 3 bonus points per win. The difference between max. points and min. points in 1 of 10 chase races is 47 points. That means you can make or lose 4700 points in the Chase. Do these drivers really care about 3 bonus points? Of course not. It's all about being un-beatable at the 10 chase races. In other sports doing good in the regular season determines home field advantage, what team(s) your going to play (depending if you advance, then it's multiple teams it determines). If you get an off week. Plus it's not so easy to make the playoffs. Last year 24 full time teams got 1 top 10 (including #47 JTG-Daughtry team). 12 of them got to make the chase. In order to fix the chase you need 2 things. 1. 3 New Chase Tracks Every Year 2. More Bonus Points For "Regular Season" Success 453. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, if anybody is interested to learn more about the SPEED/Fox Sports 1 switch, you have to see this: http://sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/08/05/Media/Speed.aspx? 454. Benjamin Lowe posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) At post 429: Nope I'm Not Kenny I just wasn't focused on the tisk at hend (BTW I typed that last part out on purpose) 455. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 7:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) And 12345Dude, among those teams that have had at least one top ten finish this year are the #10, 13, 36, 47, and even the 95 and 98 teams, but not the #17 RFR car. What's wrong with that picture? And also, the problem with the reseeding of the Chase is not the three points give for each win. I have no problem with that. My problem is that what the teams have done for the first 26 races is thrown out, as if it didn't even happen, except for the race wins. That's why I post what the Chase standings would look like using a weighted system I devised last year that seeds the drivers in the top ten based on points position first. After that, then I add the three points for a win. A case in point this year is Matt Kenseth. Under my system, Kenseth would currently be sixth entering the Chase because of his points position of seventh, but NASCAR would have him a co-leader entering the Chase because he has four wins, never mind the fact that he has only one other top five finish this year. But I do agree that there should be some changes in the Chase. The possibility that the Brickyard 400 could be the Chase opener in a few short years is a good idea, because there's no track like it. I also liked the fact that the Southern 500 at Darlington was a part of the first Chase, because Darlington is a track like no other. And I have long thought that there should be a road course in the Chase, because I think the champion should have to prove himself on all types of tracks, and right now, all a driver has to do to contend for the title if he makes the Chase is to excel on the intermediates, stay out of the wrecks at Talladega, and have at least a moderately successful day at Martinsville. That's all a driver has to do to contend for the title. But I think the true test of a champion is to excel at all types of tracks, and right now that's not required. That is why I say, and will always say that the Chase cheapens the championship, no matter who wins it. 456. The Long Shot posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) My NFL blog preview posts don't seem to be posting. Oh well. 457. Anonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) *Warning - first part of this post brought to you by a heavily disappointed, disgruntled and slightly drunk Marcos Ambrose fan* Yep. Alrighty. Have just finished watching the race. I don't live in America, NASCAR is relatively new to me, in terms of my motor racing life. And bloody hell, they're so close but yet so far!! NASCAR would have, without doubt, the BEST iteration of car racing in the entire WORLD....be it not for a few tiny little things that unfortunately ruin the experience overall... For starters - the "pits are closed under yellow" rule.....where did that come from, why does it exist and what is the intention of that rule? If it is something oval specific, why does it exist on road courses? To expand on that a but further, the die-hard Ambrose fan in me is looking for something to blame. No lies there, happy to admit it. But my guy should've won today. Would've won today. There was no toughing him and no one can dispute it. But....the pitstop thing. The coverage didn't really show how or why it happened, but did the #9 get left out due to a hopeless crew-chief call? Or was he past pit entry, which then meant that the rules left him out to dry and screwed him over? Ah well. Enough bitching. It is what it is and despite being upset about it, complaining will change nothing :) Something a little more serious however, is the demeanor of the man himself. It's something that has left me slightly worried. Marcos left for America for a reason and it's something that I don't think I've ever seen the Americans cover or delve into (but maybe no one over there is particularly aware of it). For years now, there has been frequent talk of Marcos coming back to the V8's and despite all the talk, I never even considered the possibility. Seems as if I had been right, but the race today.....his reaction after the crash has me seriously worried. It's unlikely that you guys know the story, but (based on my personal experiences at least), I believe that Marcos left the Australia for NASCAR because he needed to change who he was. The man has built a reputation in the US for being incredibly friendly, laid-back and approachable. The multiple times that I met him as a fan whilst he was a V8 Supercar driver and then, V8 Supercar Champion, he definitely was those things, but as his time with us grew nearer to a close, you got the impression that things were not as simple as they appeared. The last time I met Marcos was only a few months before the end of his final V8 Supercar season. The next race to follow was the 2005 Bathurst 1000. It was a ride day with Stone Brothers Racing, the team that had brought him such fantastic success during his time with us here. Marcos was as friendly, approachable and honest as I had come to expect and was genuinely excited and looking forward to his future NASCAR endeavors. But when talking about leaving the sport and the country, it wasn't quite as positive. He seemed disappointed. At the time, I wrote it off as the obvious - leaving your home country, uprooting your young family and leaving behind everything you know for an attempt at life on the opposite side of the globe....before the announcement he made to leave the sport - I wasn't even aware of the EXISTENCE of NASCAR! That's how big a deal it was to us! Over time, I began to develop an understanding as to exactly why Marcos had made the move. Everything I saw of him Stateside gave the impression of a man absolutely loving life - everything was positive, he was always happy, how good is it? And that made me look back and remember - that was the Marcos I knew from meeting him in isolation, but as part of the V8 Supercar circus - it wasn't that simple. Believe it or not, there was actually a very large contingent of fans who really didn't like him. Not at all. To a large portion of the crowd, he even became a bad-guy of sorts - and I don't believe he ever wanted that image. And so to me, it seemed like he was never able to be perfectly comfortable with the way that being in the spotlight as a superstar meant that people would pre-judge you and sometimes it looked like he couldn't deal with the pressure. Surfers Paradise 2004, Bathurst 2005, if you're looking for examples. And so now I'm genuinely worried. The anger and frustration that I saw from that man today....it's the same anger and frustration that I saw from him nearly 10 years ago. I can understand why, but I sincerely hope it isn't getting to him. Because as much as part of me would love to be able to see him in person again, it would be somewhat heartbreaking for that to be possible due to a feeling of personal failure :( 458. The Long Shot posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) First off, Anonymous, please try and post with an actual name. We have way too many people named "Anonymous" on here, and the majority of them are trolls. "For starters - the "pits are closed under yellow" rule.....where did that come from, why does it exist and what is the intention of that rule? If it is something oval specific, why does it exist on road courses?" If there is debris near the pit area, the pits are closed until the debris is removed. It's as simple as that. "But....the pitstop thing. The coverage didn't really show how or why it happened, but did the #9 get left out due to a hopeless crew-chief call? Or was he past pit entry, which then meant that the rules left him out to dry and screwed him over?" That was a crew chief blunder, without a doubt. Ambrose was one of the only cars who didn't pit under caution, so when his teammate Aric Almirola wrecked to bring out the caution, Ambrose was forced to pit, was mired deep in the field, and eventually was caught up in a wreck. The rules had nothing to do with it. Drew Blickensderfer just made a bonehead move. 459. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 11:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And bloody hell, they're so close but yet so far!! NASCAR would have, without doubt, the BEST iteration of car racing in the entire WORLD....be it not for a few tiny little things that unfortunately ruin the experience overall..." I'm glad you feel that way. "For starters - the "pits are closed under yellow" rule.....where did that come from, why does it exist and what is the intention of that rule? If it is something oval specific, why does it exist on road courses?" That rule is enforced under every caution for the first lap or so, so they can check if there is debris at the pit entry. But the manner in which it is enforced can cause some headaches. For example, at the other road-course race this season, my driver (Jeff Gordon) was headed to the pits when the caution came out. About a half-second (maybe even less) before he crossed the entry line, the light signaling that pit road was closed came on, so he technically entered pit road before it was open, which results in a penalty. The unfair part is that he had NO time to react. "But my guy should've won today. Would've won today. There was no toughing him and no one can dispute it. But....the pitstop thing. The coverage didn't really show how or why it happened, but did the #9 get left out due to a hopeless crew-chief call? Or was he past pit entry, which then meant that the rules left him out to dry and screwed him over?" Unfortunately, your driver's crew chief belongs to the "Bonehead Crew Chief Club". "I wasn't even aware of the EXISTENCE of NASCAR!" Where have you been? Haha, just kidding. You obviously just talked about it. Actually, NASCAR has run exhibition races in Australia, at Calder Park. They ran two in 1988, one in February and one in December. One last thing. If you're going to continue to post here, I suggest you use a username, to avoid getting confused with the other anonymous users. 460. MStall41 posted: 08.12.2013 - 11:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Anonymous, I think Ambrose would've been able to rebound were it not for the fact that he had a problem brewing in the rear end of his car after the botched pit call was made. Way before Ambrose wrecked, I watched Ambrose come up the esses multiple times and every time he came up his rear end wiggled oddly as though a track bar was coming loose in the rear. 461. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 11:50 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @457, Marcos Ambrose was unusually upset after his crash for two reasons. The first was the king-sized blunder by his crew chief Drew Blickensderfer to leave him out when others, most notably Kyle Busch, had made their final scheduled pit stops, because Drew was just asking for trouble, which came in the form of his teammate's left front tire problem. The second thing that got him upset (and his crew chief somewhat off the hook) was the mechanical failure that caused two separate incidents late in the race. Marcos knew, or at least suspected something was wrong at the back of the car, but decided to try to ride it out. But when Marcos' car went wide, precipitating the incident involving the two Hendrick cars, something had to be up. He backed off, resulting in Matt Kenseth running into the back of him, which eventally caused both Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to end up wrecked. On the ensuing restart, he went wide again and got hit by Max Papis, causing both Ambrose and an innocent Brian Vickers to end up wrecked. But Ambrose knew, or at least suspected something was wrong with the rear of his car, which was why he was swerving it as violently as he did before the restart. And on the replay of that I could actually see the rear end move in a way it's not supposed to, so he definitely had a issue there. And unfortunately, seven cars got involved in wrecks because of it that otherwise would not have gotten involved in those crashes. Of course, that's on Marcos, as well for not bringing the car in, but he knew he still had a chance at a good finish, something that has been few and far between for him this year, so he chose to ride it out, and it was a bad decision that affected the days of about six other drivers (Kahne, Kenseth, Dale, Jr., Vickers, Papis, and David Ragan). But I also wonder if this is a case of Richard Petty's cars starting to fail again, just as they did in 2010, because Aric Almirola's fortunes have plummeted since mid-season, and now this unforeseen failure on the most dominant road course car in years. If we see more failures of Richard's cars, then t's time to worry about that team again. And also, the "pits closed under the first lap of caution" rule goes back to 1989, and it was originally put n for scoring issues that arose when the leaders would come in when they first saw the caution flag, and that created problems. One of the more famous incidents occurred in the 1986 Daytona 500 when Geoff Bodine pitted as the caution came out, and the pace car driver didn't know who the leader was, and as a result, three cars, including A.J. Foyt, passed it, with each incurring a 1-lap penalty for the infraction. Also, drivers that were lap down frequently made up laps when the leader pitted because they stayed on the track. Darrell Waltrip made up a lap on that same caution when Bodine pitted, and when asked about it, he said that he wasn't surprised, but rather elated at that turn of events. Rusty Wallace made up a number of laps at Charlotte on route to winning a few years later using that same method, and made up 2 laps at the Daytona 500 in 1989 that way. NASCAR realized they had a problem and created the rule that closed the pits on the first lap of caution until the field could bunch up behind the pace car before opening the pits so nobody could get an unfair advantage by pitting or staying out when the caution came out. 462. 18fan posted: 08.12.2013 - 1:33 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) This was easily the most satisfying Kyle win in a long time, not only because of how he lost the two previous years but also because Kyle usually ends up on the losing end when he and Brad go head to head for the win. I enjoyed this race for more reasons than just Kyle winning. There was good racing throughout the field and some guys we don't see at the front very often had strong performances. 463. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.12.2013 - 1:48 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) In all honesty, the pits closed under caution nowadays is part of the NASCAR Welfare system. It allows all the cars to bunch up nose to tail to pit allowing for more changes in position. NASCAR is legendary for penalizing working to build up an advantage. They love bunching everything up. That is the purpose of debris cautions, lucky dogs, wave arounds, and the chase. If they allowed cars to pit before being bunched up, a car with a big lead would be virtually impossible to pass in the round of pit stops barring a major blunder or penalty. 464. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, the thing closing the pits for the fist lap under caution does is to bunch up the cars AFTER the caution flag is out so nobody gets an advantage, especially lapped cars because guys used to make up laps very cheaply by staying out when the leaders came in, as Rusty Wallace did in the races mentioned in post #461, one of which he went on to win after being four or five laps down. And it also made for potentially confusing scoring-related situations, and the one in the 1986 Daytona 500 I brought up, when Geoff Bodine pitted as the caution came out in one instance, really gummed up the works because the pace car driver did not even know who the leader was (it was Cale Yarborough, by the way), which resulted in three cars passing the pace car as it looked for he leader, and 1-lap penalties for each of them, while Darrell Waltrip made up a lap on that very caution when Bodine pitted, because he beat the new leaders to the line as a result. What closing the pits does is allows the field to solidify under the caution flag before the pits can open while preventing cars from making up cheap laps. And if a driver does open up a big lead, the fact that only lead lap cars can pit on the first lap of caution almost guarantees that he'll keep the lead because there's likely to be a big gap between the leader and the second place car where the lapped cars between them at the time of caution were. 465. Daniel posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Well, it will be Austin Dillon driving the #14 at Michigan. 466. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "it will be Austin Dillon driving the #14 at Michigan" Really?!?! Are they nuts?!?! Out of all the potential replacements, they picked Dillon? 467. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:51 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Well, it's been decided that Austin Dillon, despite the fact that he'll be racing at Mid-Ohio the previous day, will be driving the #14 car at Michigan. I think that's a BIG mistake for all parties involved. I still think that Stewart's team should have gone with a more experienced driver that's less likely to be overzealous behind the wheel. And I think it's an equally big mistake for Dillon, considering it's going to divert his attention away from trying to win the Nationwide Series championship, since he'll be shuttling between Michigan and Mid-Ohio this weekend. If Stewart wanted to go the route of a younger driver for this weekend's race, James Buescher would have been a far better choice, since he's already going to be racing at Michigan in the #31 Turner-Scott Motorsports truck, so he wouldn't have to be shuttling, plus he's not currently in a championship battle. If Stewart and Greg Zipadelli want to go with a driver in the Nationwide Series, they should try to get one that's not battling for a championship, unless Stewart doesn't want Dillon to win the Nationwide Series championship this year. Remember that Stewart IS aligned with Hendrick Motorsports, as is Regan Smith through his connections with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., while Dillon drives for Richard Childress Racing, and Stewart may not want to affect a fellow HMS-affiliated drvier's chances at the Nationwide Series title this year. But if his team did not want an experienced driver, what Stewart's team should have done is to go with a Truck Series driver this weekend (such as Buescher), since they're racing at Michigan with the Cup Series, and then if he wanted to go with a Nationwide Series driver, do so when the two series hook back up together at Bristol. But this is a bad idea for all parties involved to have Austin Dillon in the car this weekend at Michigan. 468. Daniel posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's what it says on Jayski. Disappointed in the selection, I was hoping they'd give Riggs or Bobby Labonte a shot. 469. Anonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:53 pm Rate this comment: (7) (0) Austin Dillon: Grandpa, I want my big boy car and I want it now *kicks Richard's shins* Richard Childress: Ow! You little shit! *writes check to get Austin in the car* 470. AveryNH posted: 08.12.2013 - 2:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also of note, Shocking news!! (Not) MWR will announce Brian Vickers as the driver for the 55 next season. As a long time Mark Martin fan I'll be quite interested to see what Mark plans to do for 2014. Maybe he'll finally hang it up for good. 471. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, as for Bobby Labonte, who to me would have been the obvious choice, I think he may be in the #47 car, so he may well have been unavailable. Remember that A.J. Allmendinger, who drove that car to a top ten at Watkins Glen, will be racing for Penske at Mid-Ohio. For all we know, Labonte may have been their first choice for this weekend, but could have been unavailable due to other commitments. But I do agree that Austin Dillon is a bad choice for this weekend, as would be any other Nationwide Series driver. As I said, if they wanted a younger driver, they could have chosen James Buescher, who's a Chevrolet driver not in a championship battle at his moment. But I believe Stewart may have, for all intents and purposes, been out of options except for the one he chose. If he was, indeed, stuck with Chevrolet drivers, there weren't any in the Nationwide Series out there, and two of the most prominent are battling for he Nationwide Series championship, and Stewart chose to go with the one that won't affect the HMS-affiliated driver in the Nationwide Series championship battle, since Regan Smith is a HMS-affiliated driver and Austin Dillon is not. Makes you wonder if Rick Hendrick had any influence in this decision. 472. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "In all honesty, the pits closed under caution nowadays is part of the NASCAR Welfare system. It allows all the cars to bunch up nose to tail to pit allowing for more changes in position. NASCAR is legendary for penalizing working to build up an advantage. They love bunching everything up. That is the purpose of debris cautions, lucky dogs, wave arounds, and the chase. If they allowed cars to pit before being bunched up, a car with a big lead would be virtually impossible to pass in the round of pit stops barring a major blunder or penalty." NASCAR does love bunching things up, but more than half of the things you mentioned weren't created with that purpose in mind. The free pass was created to replace the old gentleman's agreement that allowed (multiple) lapped drivers to get their laps back after a caution came out. The free pass only aids one driver every caution, so it's much worse for helping lapped drivers make up laps than the previous system, which was pretty much rendered obsolete after Robby Gordon's 2003 Sonoma maneuver. Wave arounds, as much as I hate them, aren't really for bunching things up even if they have that effect. NASCAR was just trying to make things simpler and have the leader always be the one to take the green instead of potentially mired back in the pack behind slower cars. "Debris" cautions and the Chase definitely are utilized for that purpose (well, the Cha$e is all about money, which is the end result of making 12 drivers have pretty much the same amount of points with 10 races to go, and debris cautions could also serve the purpose of allowing for more commercial breaks). Also, I do believe the closed pits at the beginning of a caution rule was created for legitimate safety concerns, as well as a means of keeping things fair. Imagine if the caution came out just after the leaders passed the pit entrance, but some mid-packers were able to come in, perform service without penalty, join the end of the pace line, and move up to the front after the leaders pit on the next lap. It would be totally chaotic and in fact detrimental to the front runners. 473. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Makes you wonder if Rick Hendrick had any influence in this decision." Well, it could be that Stewart-Haas is more independent of Hendrick than some would like to believe. A great example of this would be when SHR signed a deal with Mobil 1 oil that started in 2011, after being affiliated with Quaker State the past two years. Hendrick still has Quaker State as a sponsor, so it follows that Hendrick must not control SHR as much as some think. 474. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:15 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wish it would have been someone else in the 14. I think Scott Riggs, Bobby Labonte, or even someone like Landon Cassill would have been a better decision than making an NNS driver go back and forth between Michigan and Mid-Ohio. 475. The Long Shot posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It isn't the experience level or the fact that Austin is running the Mid-Ohio race the day before that confuses me about this decision. It's the fact that a Childress driver will be running for a Hendrick-affiliated team while he's still under contract for Childress. Not to mention that the said driver happens to be Childress' grandson. 476. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) On the contrary, David. It's quite possible that Hendrick, or someone at HMS didn't want the team with which they're affiliated, the #7 of Regan Smith, to have their driver's championship aspirations affected by having their driver's attention diverted between the Nationwide and Cup Series, so rather than do that to a fellow HMS-affiliated driver, they hit Richard Childress Racing in that manner, diverting Austin Dillon away from the Nationwide Series championship battle to fill in for Tony in the #14 car, diverting him away from the #3 NNS car to fill in. But as I said, Tony might have been out of options. That's why I said they should have tabbed a Truck Series driver to run the #14 this weekend and then if they wanted to, run a Nationwide Series driver when that series reunites with the Cup Series at Bristol. Why Richard Childress would agree to this, I have no idea. Remember that in the fall of 1985, Darrell Waltrip got out of his Nationwide Series car at Charlotte because he was battling Bill Elliott for the Cup Series title, which he won that year, and put Terry Labonte in his Nationwide car at Charlotte, and Terry won that race, so this has been an issue, one way or the other, for a very long time. 477. Daniel posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 44 entered at Michigan: -Austin Dillon in the #14 -Mike Bliss in the #19 -Trevor Bayne in the #21 -Timmy Hill in the #32 -Landon Cassill in the #33 -Josh Wise in the #35 -J.J. Yeley in the #36 -Bobby Labonte in the #47 -A.J. Allmendinger in the #51 -Mark Martin in the #55 -Joe Nemechek in the #87 -Scott Speed in the #95 -Johnny Sauter in the #98 478. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The #44 team that Riggs valets for showed up at the first Michigan race so they may also be entering this event, though Riggs would have to be extremely loyal to choose a handful of valet jobs over possibly driving the rest of the season in a legitimately competitive car. I'm disappointed SHR is going with a Nationwide driver but their decision is understandable, except for the fact that Dillon will be going back and forth between two completely different tracks. If I was making the decision and I couldn't get Riggs, I would probably start contacting truck drivers who will be at Michigan anyway, and then go after semi-retired guys like Terry Labonte if none of the top truck drivers would do it for whatever reason. I guess they just wanted to go ahead and get one guy in the seat now who will be there until Tony returns instead of playing musical chairs. 479. 18fan posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Maybe Childress saw this as an opportunity for Austin to get more Cup experience. 480. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^ OK, you can scratch what I said about the #44 team since they're apparently not entered. It's good to see Johnny Sauter getting a chance, even though he'll probably have to park if he makes the race. 481. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, just as I suspected, with Bobby Labonte in the #47 car for this weekend's race, he was unavailable for SHR, and A.J. Allmendinger is in the #51, so he will be running both events. That's what I meant by Stewart not having very many options left, but he chose the one that helps HMS' chances at a Nationwide Series title this year through Dale, Jr.'s team, and that's to use Childress' driver, instead of the HMS-affiliated driver. Also, I don't know how often we'll see the #51 car on the track the rest of the year, and if we do, how often Regan Smith will be in that car. Austin Dillon may have been Stewart's ONLY option, since Ford and Toyota drivers are off the table. I think Stewart's tabbed him for the races he'll be out, though I can't be certain of that. It wouldn't surprise me if Regan Smith was offered the ride, and he turned it down, instead going for the Nationwide Series title, as well as having potential conflicts with the #51 car. 482. Anonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Austin Dillion finished 11th at Michigan in June with the #33 car 483. AveryNH posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) So did Phil Parsons fire McDowell or something? He of course ran the 35 last week in place of Wise, and I was rather shocked to see Sauter on the entry list for the 98 this week. 484. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, We don't know for sure if Ragan Smith turned down ride for Michigan. I am saying that because the 14 car sponsors have a say on who gets in the car since Austin Dillon has a history with one of Stewart's Sponsors. Lets remember that Bass Pro Shops is one of Tony Stewart's Sponsors on the 14 car and Austin Dillon had Bass Pro Shops in the Truck Series as a Sponsor and at selected races in the Nationwide series in 2012. Lets say Bass Pro Shops is Stewart's sponsor for Michigan and it would make since for Bass Pro Shops wanting Stewart Haas to select Austin Dillon since Dillon won a truck championship with Bass Pro Shops in 2011. 485. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I meant to type Regan Smith instead of "Ragan Smith". 486. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, I think your own theory on Stewart-Haas putting Austin Dillon in the car was for hurting Austin's chances on getting the Nationwide championship on purpose is off based. I am saying that based on 3 facts. 1.) Stewart has Bass Pro Shops as a sponsor for some of his cup races and Austin Dillon has been sponsored by Bass Pro Shops in the trucks and the Nationwide series in the past. I mentioned on post 484 on this. The fact is Stewart's primary sponsors this year at different races in cup have been Go Daddy, Bass Pro Shops, and Mobil 1 2.) Austin Dillon is naturally not a good road course driver and Austin may think extra time on the road course isn't going to help him at Mid-Ohio as a result even if it means costing him the championship. 3.) Austin Dillon has raced at Michigan in the cup series in the 33 car in 2012 and 2013 with Austin's finishes being 24th in 2012 and 11th in 2013. 487. 83andJoe posted: 08.12.2013 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >So did Phil Parsons fire McDowell or something? He of course ran the 35 last week in place of Wise, and I was rather shocked to see Sauter on the entry list for the 98 this week. McDowell is at Mid-Ohio in the Gibbs #18. Since he has a legitimate shot to win there, he's not S&P-ing at Michigan the same weekend, same as with not running Sonoma because of Road America. 488. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) No Eric, we don't know that Regan Smith was offered, and turned down that ride. That was just a theory of mine. Like many others, I'm also trying to figure out why Dillon was the one chosen for that ride, because it just doesn't make any sense to me, either. But something just tells me that Dillon wasn't SHR's first choice to replace Tony, but they ended up being, more or less, forced to take Dillon. 489. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, Brendan Gaughan will be driving the #51 car this week. 490. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Apparently Brendan Gaughan will actually be driving the 51 car at Michigan this weekend instead of AJ Allmendinger. 491. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Beat me to it, David. 492. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:35 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Beat me to it, David." That's how we roll. :) 493. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) To Chad's Hair Plugs, the thumbs down on post #99 was me, but I meant to thumb it up. Darn Kindle touchscreen. I wonder why Phil Parsons picked Sauter for his car this week. Not that it matters. 494. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That makes more sense, murb and David, because that would allow Allmendinger to put his entire focus on the Nationwide race at Mid-Ohio, and because Gaughan was already going to be at Michigan, since he'll be in the Truck Series event there. Why the brain trusts at SHR didn't do something similar in terms of having someone already there for the Truck Series event to put in the #14 car is beyond me. After all, the reigning Truck Series champion, James Buescher, fits all the requirements to me. He's racing a Chevrolet with a team that like SHR, does have backing from Hendrick Motorsports. And there are other Chevrolet drivers in the Truck Series, as well. Why Stewart had to divert the attention of a championship contender in the Nationwide Series is beyond me when he had guys in the Truck Series to choose from when the Truck Series was already there. This is the second questionable decision that Stewart's made regarding his team, with the other being the dumping of Darian Grubb in 2011, and both involve, or have involved his #14 car. 495. Paul posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "But this is a bad idea for all parties involved to have Austin Dillon in the car this weekend at Michigan." I wouldn't be surprised if Bass Pro Shops played a big role in putting Austin Dillon in the #14 Cup car this weekend. Dillon won a NASCAR championship with them back in 2011 and still has a solid secondary sponsorship package with them in the Nationwide Series (along with brother Ty, who has primary sponsorship from BSP). Bass Pro Shops won't be the primary sponsor this weekend, but will be the #14 car's secondary sponsor for the Michigan race and I'm sure they played a hand in making SHR put Dillon in the car because of their relationship with him. "It isn't the experience level or the fact that Austin is running the Mid-Ohio race the day before that confuses me about this decision. It's the fact that a Childress driver will be running for a Hendrick-affiliated team while he's still under contract for Childress." Dillon has made four Cup starts for Phoenix Racing this season, a team that also has an affiliation with Hendrick Motorsports. This is nothing new to see an RCR driver racing in a Hendrick-affiliated car. "The #44 team that Riggs valets for showed up at the first Michigan race so they may also be entering this event" They're not entered. "though Riggs would have to be extremely loyal to choose a handful of valet jobs over possibly driving the rest of the season in a legitimately competitive car." Believe me, if he had the opportunity to drive a competitive car at the snap of a finger, he'd take it. He was one of, if not, the first drivers to walk away from a full-time Cup ride because of his refusal to start-and-park (Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2009). He only start-and-parks now because his phone quit ringing from competitive teams as soon as he walked away. I think that's the main reason why he took the job as Danica's driver coach this season, as there was the possibility of running a few Cup races for SHR if sponsorship were available. "It's good to see Johnny Sauter getting a chance, even though he'll probably have to park if he makes the race." That's pretty much a given. No primary sponsor was listed for the #98 car on the entry list, and PPR only attempts the full distance when they have a primary sponsor. "So did Phil Parsons fire McDowell or something?" As 83andJoe previously pointed out, he'll be racing at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, driving the #18 Nationwide car for JGR. K-Love, who sponsored him at Road America earlier this year and has been the primary sponsor for two Cup races this season, will once again be sponsoring McDowell this weekend. "Brendan Gaughan will be driving the #51 car this week." By running this race, Gaughan will have made at least one Cup start in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career (he made 4 starts last season for RCR). He says that his goal for this race is to finish inside the top 20, which is a pretty reasonable considering how Phoenix Racing has three finishes of 16th or better in the five 2.0+ mile oval tracks this season, and in the two races where they didn't finish inside the top 16 (Michigan and July Daytona), they had top 20 cars that got taken out in wrecks in both races. Plus, Gaughan has a NASCAR victory at Michigan (Truck Series in 2003) and finished 16th in his first of two Cup starts at the 2.0-mile oval (albeit, both times on the old surface). So based on all that, along with the check that South Point has written out to Phoenix Racing, I think this was a good move by Phoenix Racing, even for one race. 496. Paul posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Why Stewart had to divert the attention of a championship contender in the Nationwide Series is beyond me" I think sponsorship's desire to put Austin Dillon in the car is the most likely reason. This could also be Stewart's way of paying Richard Childress back after he swayed soon-to-be former RCR driver Kevin Harvick to join his team next season by giving Childress' grandson another chance to gain Cup experience at no cost to RCR. But if that did play a role in putting Dillon in the #14 car, it was merely a bonus to the likely reason, which is that Bass Pro Shops wanted Dillon in the car. 497. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, What is your own take on Toyota's engines after Larry Mcreynolds on Race Hub mentioned Toyota is bringing a new engine package for Michigan? 498. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My own take on Toyota having a new engine package Michigan is going to give an indication how the engines will be on mile and a half track. I think this could affect Truex, and Kenseth in terms of being in the top in points currently. I know MWR doesn't have as many engine problems as JGR, but having a new engine package for a race is a risk. 499. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 6:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Having not seen it yet, I'm not sure, but if it's a more aggressive package, it could be trouble for Matt Kenseth's and Martin Truex, Jr.'s hopes for staying in the top ten in points. One blown engine could mean curtains for Truex's hopes at staying in the top ten, and could even put his chances at making the Chase in jeopardy, and one blown engine could even jeopardize Matt Kenseth's chances at staying in the top ten in points, and if he falls out, he can say goodbye to those 12 bonus points. If I were TRD, I would put the more aggressive engine package in the 11, 15, and 55 cars first before I'd put one in the 20 or 56 cars, because if either one of those two suffer a blow engine, it would be disastrous. And I'm not just talking about Michigan, but there's a 500-mile race at Atlanta two weeks later to worry about. I think the 20 and 56 teams have to be conservative on their engines. Put the aggressive stuff in the 11, 15, and 55 cars, because those teams have nothing to lose, but keep them out of the 20 and 56 cars. And if TRD makes a decision that costs either one of those two teams, there could be repercussions down the road, including the possibility of Joe Gibbs restarting his engine program for the Cup Series. 500. Anonymous posted: 08.12.2013 - 7:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 500! Regardless, Austin will do a-OK in that car. 501. Sky Warrior posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) If I was ever in the position of the #14 team, with a championship contending driver out for the year and no hope for the joke called the owner's title, I certainly wouldn't be giving my car to someone who's path to Cup was paved gold over a decade ago. Obviously Bass Pro had quite a bit of say in the decision, but I would hope not more than the car owner, or in this case owner/driver. I'd do what the #14 team did last week, get a guy who hasn't had a shot in Cup in good equipment or who you wouldn't think would ever get a shot like that again. Papis, Bobby Labonte, Riggs, maybe a guy like Jeremy Clements or hell, even a Mike Wallace, Morgan Shepherd, Jeff Green, Norm Benning. Just to see what guys like that could still do given a good car. It would certainly be better for the fans than a choice as vanilla as Austin Dillon. Just my two cents on that. Regarding Wind Tunnel, and to the people who have said it was the last great fan show for racing fans, didn't we all just trade YouTube names? Depending on who knows how to do what, we could do a YouTube/Skype livestream of our own show if we really wanted to. Just gonna throw that out there for everyone to think about 502. The Long Shot posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Depending on who knows how to do what, we could do a YouTube/Skype livestream of our own show if we really wanted to. Just gonna throw that out there for everyone to think about" Gosh mother-flipping dang it (G-rated cursing here, everybody). I have the equipment necessary to do a livestream (webcam, microphone), but again, I have neither a Youtube nor a Skype, nor am I getting one anytime soon (not my choice here, guys), so I'd have to sit that out. Well, if that idea does ever come to fruition, have fun with it. That would be neat to see. 503. 83andJoe posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I agree, it'd be sponsorship most likely explaining A.Dillon. >After all, the reigning Truck Series champion, James Buescher, fits all the requirements to me. He's racing a Chevrolet with a team that like SHR, does have backing from Hendrick Motorsports. Except for the "would be his first Cup Series start" thing. >[Riggs] only start-and-parks now because his phone quit ringing from competitive teams as soon as he walked away. Which is what happens when you're out of sight: you're out of mind. 504. Paul posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Considering that Stewart finished 5th at Michigan in June (the same race at which Austin Dillon finished a career-best 11th place) and led 18 laps at its sister track Fontana earlier this year, I think Dillon will do just fine this weekend, even though he'll be racing in two different states. If he can have a top 10-15 run and/or lead some green flag laps, I will consider it a successful Cup race for him considering both his lack of experience and the #14 team's struggles this season. After doing some research, here's a few other tidbits about the decision to put Dillon in the #14 car that I think will clear up some questions people may have: - Austin Dillon is currently only scheduled to run the Michigan race, with the remaining 13 Cup races being listed as "Driver: TBA." (Note: If they were willing to put Dillon in the car in a non-companion race, chances are they'll keep him in the car the rest of the season if nothing goes wrong.) - Richard Childress gave the OK for Dillon to drive the #14 car over the weekend before the story broke out. Dillon had already tested at mid-Ohio and would be available for Thursday's Nationwide practice before heading north for Friday's Cup practice, and felt that Dillon would be well-prepared for both races. - Speaking of Nationwide practice for the Mid-Ohio race, there will be approximately 8.5 hours worth of practice at the race track; 5.5 hours on Thursday and 3 hours on Friday. So even though Austin will miss Friday's practice session, he will still have completed over half of the total practice time at Mid-Ohio. - For anyone wondering, this will not interfere with Dillon's Rookie of the Year hopes for next season, as NASCAR made a rule change that the 10-race rule (previously 7-races) would not be in effect for drivers not racing for points in that particular series. Dillon has already run 7 Cup races this season, and is free to run as many of the next 14 Cup races if need be without becoming ineligible for Cup Rookie of the Year. - Max Papis, who will be racing at mid-Ohio in RCR's #33 car, will also be practicing Dillon's Nationwide car on Friday while Dillon is in Michigan. - SHR competition director Greg Zipadelli has advised his team to be careful about giving away sensitive team information to Dillon, since he currently drives for a rival Chevrolet team in Nationwide. 505. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A.J. Allmendinger will run the IndyCar finale at Fontana in October for Penske. 506. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 8:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "we could do a YouTube/Skype livestream of our own show if we really wanted to. Just gonna throw that out there for everyone to think about" That would be epic. If enough other people on here wanted to join in, I guess I'd probably be up for it too. 507. Paul posted: 08.12.2013 - 9:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Which is what happens when you're out of sight: you're out of mind." And on the other end of that scale, you have Landon Cassill, who used start-and-parking as a way to keep his name afloat in the sport and was impressive enough in his 21 Cup attempts in 2010 and early 2011 (Yes, there is such a thing as being impressive as a start-and-parker.) that it earned him a full-time ride with Phoenix Racing for the remainder of that season. Fast forward two years, and Cassill now has two full-time NASCAR rides (aside from the occasional sponsorship-related replacement) and is stay in sight in not one, but two different NASCAR series. They aren't glamorous rides by any means, but he's been very respectable this season considering what he's got to work with (33-for-33 in qualifying attempts and only 3 crash-related DNFs). Plus, he's only 24 years old, so there's still plenty of time for him to get a second chance in competitive equipment. Speaking of Cassill, he along with the aforementioned Austin Dillon will be among the five drivers attempting both the Cup and Nationwide races this weekend. The other three drivers are Trevor Bayne, Marcos Ambrose, and Mike Bliss. ("Front Row Joe" will be a Cup-only driver this weekend.) 508. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 9:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That would have been the biggest drawback to having Buescher run the race n such a premium ride. But I would still prefer someone already there racing that weekend that knows the current track conditions than someone racing somewhere else for a rival organization. But I again go to the fact that Stewart and Greg Zipadelli didn't have very many options, and I'm not sure that Dillon was their first option. In fact, I'd almost guarantee he wasn't their first option. But given the very limited options they had, I don't think Dillon was the worst guy they could have brought in by any means. But with Bobby Labonte tied up with another ride for Michigan, A.J. Allmendinger at Mid-Ohio in Penske's #22 NNS car, and Chevrolet effectively forcing their hand on which drivers they could and could not choose, Stewart had only four or five options at the most, and probably just one or two in reality. And they need quality drivers, because they're still trying to get into the owner's Chase, which they would currently be in as the second Wild Card, sitting 11th in owner points. 509. murb posted: 08.12.2013 - 9:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "- SHR competition director Greg Zipadelli has advised his team to be careful about giving away sensitive team information to Dillon, since he currently drives for a rival Chevrolet team in Nationwide." To me, this seems like the biggest reason why this is a bad decision. SHR's fellow Hendrick affiliated team/driver (Regan Smith) IS RACING AUSTIN FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! There's just no way in hell that SHR/HMS team information won't get to Austin/RCR. This decision just makes no sense to me. Yeah, they both have Bass Pro Shops as the sponsor. But is that really worth potentially letting team secrets/info get away to another team? I agree with what some of you guys said earlier. It really does seem like SHR was strong armed into this decision by Bass Pro Shops. I think we can mark this down as yet another example of how sponsors have WAY too much say in this sport these days. 510. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Murb, that's why I said that Austin Dillon likely was not the first choice for SHR. Remember that Regan Smith's name was actually the first one brought up, but he may not want to divert himself from running for the NNS championship, though he had Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s blessing to drive that car if he so chose. (Dale, Jr.'s his car owner in the Nationwide Series, and he subbed for Dale, Jr. in the two races he missed in last year's Chase.) I think that he might have been offered the opportunity first, but turned it down. Again, I have no proof of that. It's just speculation on my part. Remember that Regan Smith may also still have commitments to drive the #51 car in future races, though that may also have changed due to his position in the NNS championship standings, and that might also have interfered with him during the #14 car, as I believe, despite what SHR says, this is for all the races that Tony's out for. 511. Eric posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs3872, I don't think Regan Smith has any commitment or a lot of them left in terms of the 51 car. The fact is the team was sold last month despite there not being an announcement yet and James Finch only has ownership through Atlanta. The new owners of Phoenix Racing operating the team after Atlanta or Richmond. Right now it sounds like AJ Allmendinger is doing rest the races before the new owner takes over the team. The thing is there hasn't been any announcement on who the new owner is although James Finch already said that he sold the team and will being running it through Atlanta. 512. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Eric, we still don't know who the new owners of that car will be, or even if the sale will be finalized, or eventually fall through. I'll also be interested in what the paint job will be, because they ran the Neil Bonnett Country Time paint scheme the last time they ran, which was at Indy. I wonder if he's going to run that through the race at Atlanta, or if they'll go back to their current paint scheme. 513. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And Eric, we still don't know who the new owners of that car will be, or even if the sale will be finalized, or eventually fall through." I think James Finch is giving us the biggest snow job since the Kansas winter storms this year. 514. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "they ran the Neil Bonnett Country Time paint scheme the last time they ran, which was at Indy" And I suppose Owen Kelly fielded the car himself this weekend, huh? 515. cjs3872 posted: 08.12.2013 - 11:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I completely forgot about that, David. Maybe that's because that car was never shown, or even mentioned once for practically the entire weekend. But I do agree with what you said about this whole supposed sale of Phoenix Racing. There hasn't been a mention of it, nor has it been confirmed who's actually supposed to be buying it. That tells me that there's a good likelihood of the proposed sale having fallen through, and that the team will close soon, possibly after the race at Atlanta. If there had been a buyer, we would have heard more about it by now. It could also be that James Finch would rather shut the team down than sell it. 516. David posted: 08.12.2013 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "But I do agree with what you said about this whole supposed sale of Phoenix Racing. There hasn't been a mention of it, nor has it been confirmed who's actually supposed to be buying it. That tells me that there's a good likelihood of the proposed sale having fallen through, and that the team will close soon, possibly after the race at Atlanta. If there had been a buyer, we would have heard more about it by now. It could also be that James Finch would rather shut the team down than sell it." Exactly. Finch has pulled stunts like this before, and guess what? The team continued operations! 517. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:39 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) It's funny that you guys mentioned the possibility of the sale of Phoenix Racing being a ruse because Dave Moody just wrote a blog stating that according to multiple sources, the sale of Phoenix Racing has been finalized to Harry Scott, Jr. (co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports), and an official announcement will take place on September 1st at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 518. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "It's funny that you guys mentioned the possibility of the sale of Phoenix Racing being a ruse because Dave Moody just wrote a blog stating that according to multiple sources, the sale of Phoenix Racing has been finalized to Harry Scott, Jr. (co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports), and an official announcement will take place on September 1st at Atlanta Motor Speedway." Yeah? Well, we'll see on September 1st, then? I had a comment that responded to others about that YouTube show possibility, but because I had ONE word emphasized in italics, it's lost in cyberspace. 519. Anonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:11 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I had a comment that responded to others about that YouTube show possibility, but because I had ONE word emphasized in italics, it's lost in cyberspace. " Webmasters need sleep too, y'know? 520. Flywheel posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (2) And people jumped on me earlier this weekend when I accused CJS of talking ex-rectum. Thanks for proving my point! 521. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:09 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) This may be a bit off topic, but it's great article from a few years back about the history of Speed/Speedvision/Speed Channel. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-speed-channel-turns-10 522. Anonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:19 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And people jumped on me earlier this weekend when I accused CJS of talking ex-rectum. Thanks for proving my point!" Thanks for proving your point about talking ex-rectum on yourself! cjs has made THREE, count them, THREE factual errors in all his comments here, and two of them were simple matters, like calling Speedy Thompson a 19 race winner instead of a 20 race winner (not a real example). 523. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:10 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) "I think we can mark this down as yet another example of how sponsors have WAY too much say in this sport these days." Let me preface this by saying that Murb is one of the posters I actually enjoying reading. Just because I take issue with what he said below doesn't mean I think he's an idiot or unworthy of posting here. I'm not saying I think putting Dillon in the car was the wrong decision and I'm not saying I think it was the right one, either. But Murb, how and why do you expect a company that pays millions of dollars to fund a team not to have a say in who gets to represent them? As is pointed out on a regular basis NASCAR is completely different than other sports and the need for sponsors is one of those examples. Sure other athletes have endorsements, but the ability to compete in those sports isn't contingent on those. These drivers are brand ambassadors for their sponsors. The drivers not only work for their team, but they work for their sponsors as well. Shouldn't a company have the freedom to decide who does and doesn't work for them? I certainly wouldn't want someone who I didn't approve to represent my company or receive my money. Would you? If NASCAR and/or the teams tried to impose rules on sponsors that would essentially decide how they can spend their money, why would companies want to remain active in the sport? That could have dire consequences because the sport probably wouldn't be able to exist, at least not in the form that it does today. Some of you may actually applaud this idea because it'll be more like old school racing or some reason similar to that, but is it really a good idea? I'm afraid that it would only widen the gap between the haves and have nots in the sport and at best I think the status quo would remain the same. Hendrick Motorsports still has more cash on hand the Front Row Motorsports. Take sponsor money away from Front Row and that gap may become even larger and at best it remains the same. The sponsors are in the sponsoring business to sell a product, to make a profit. They don't just do it out of the kindness of their hearts. If they think Driver A would better help them achieve that goal than Driver B, then they HAVE to be given the freedom to make that decision because if they don't they will feel like they're ability to compete in the market has been hampered, then they will likely pull out of the sport...a sport that needs sponsorship to survive. Again Murb, for the record, I'm not trying to argue with you nor am I necessarily saying your desires to have less sponsor influence are wrong or bad. In fact I think it'd be cool to see drivers get to slug it out without the need for sponsors. I'm just trying to point out the reality of the situation when it comes to sponsors and give you the point of view of the sponsors. One thing I feel like these discussions always lack is insight into the business side of NASCAR and of the business world in general. (that is unless some people are talking about Hendrick paying off NASCAR). There are a lot of people who have a lot of money invested in this sport and we can't forget about their involvement. Moving on to another topic to continue what will likely be a very unpopular post...I actually didn't really like this race. It certainly didn't help that Kyle Busch won, but even if Keselowski or Ambrose won I don't think I would have given it above 3 stars. As it is I give this race a 2 star rating and it was certainly a let down after last year. Just a reminder to the select few on here who think that only their opinions matter and that there is some set guideline to judge a race...the ratings I give to races are based solely on whether or not I (as in ME, not YOU) enjoyed them and therefore they can't be wrong. There is no set grading criteria hat I must follow and for me who ultimately wins a race plays a role in whether or not I enjoyed it. Sorry if that bothers you...but not really. 524. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:18 am Rate this comment: (1) (7) Also, despite the fact I thought about 50% of what he said on here was bogus, I'm disappointed to see that NicoRosbergFan has really left the site, or at least significantly minimized his contributions. 525. Crash McGehee posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:16 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Folks, this is a fact: James Finch is a friggin' liar. 526. cjs3872 posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @522, I've made a lot more than three mistakes in my postings. I wish what you were saying there was true, but sadly, it's not. And Zack, one thing that surprised me about this race was the impact that the aero-push had. You could see on the replay of Jeff Gordon's crash from his roofcam that his crash was caused almost entirely by an aero-push. And aero-push has never been a problem at the road courses before. This is yet another example of what I had said before this season even began, because I thought the racing would be worse this year than in any year I can remember, because the cars simply can not race at the higher speeds. Fortunately, one thing I'm happy to have been wrong about was that I thought there would be a near-epidemic of tire problems due to the increased downforce and the higher speeds. Fortunately, that's not been the case. But I go back to a point Tom Sneva famously made back in the late 70s and early 80s when IndyCar speeds were increasing to over 200 MPH due to aerodynamics, which was that he thought they were going too fast, even then, for close, competitive racing, and this is more than 30 years ago. And he proved to be right. NASCAR's been having that problem for some time, but the problem's gotten worse by leaps and bounds this year because of the increased aerodynamics and higher speeds, to the point where aero-push is now a factor even at the road courses. Hopefully, it won't be a problem at Bristol or Richmond, but I suspect it could be somewhat of an issue at Richmond. And if that's the case, NASCAR's really got a problem on it's hands. 527. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:06 am Rate this comment: (5) (3) "Also, despite the fact I thought about 50% of what he said on here was bogus, I'm disappointed to see that NicoRosbergFan has really left the site, or at least significantly minimized his contributions." I think he's just taking a break from the regular comments area to cool off, which was probably the wisest decision for him. He is still on the blog area though, as he posted a new blog last week and was still taking part in the fantasy games. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he's posting under an "Anonymous" moniker. Look at comments #6, 37, 39, 42, 51, 72, 130, 135, 137, 172, 250, 262, 284, 296, 344, 383, 397, 407, 469, 500, 519, and 522. Some of those sure sound a hell of a lot like NicoRosbergFan, don't they? That was a good plan, my friend. Pity it was foiled after just one week, eh? 528. Anonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brain Vickers full time in the #55 but with Aaron's as a sponsor for two full seasons. 529. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:39 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) "That was a good plan, my friend. Pity it was foiled after just one week, eh?" I should have said, "If that was the case, that was a good plan, my friend". I shouldn't have assumed that this "Anonymous" poster was NRF, despite how much the two sound alike. My apologies if I got that wrong. 530. Crash McGehee posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) " 527. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Also, despite the fact I thought about 50% of what he said on here was bogus, I'm disappointed to see that NicoRosbergFan has really left the site, or at least significantly minimized his contributions." I think he's just taking a break from the regular comments area to cool off, which was probably the wisest decision for him. He is still on the blog area though, as he posted a new blog last week and was still taking part in the fantasy games. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he's posting under an "Anonymous" moniker. Look at comments #6, 37, 39, 42, 51, 72, 130, 135, 137, 172, 250, 262, 284, 296, 344, 383, 397, 407, 469, 500, 519, and 522. Some of those sure sound a hell of a lot like NicoRosbergFan, don't they? That was a good plan, my friend. Pity it was foiled after just one week, eh? " JIC, look away Long Shot. Somebody's took a potshot at you for it. 531. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:15 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Good for Brian Vickers to get back in a Cup car on a full-time basis next season. He certainly has been impressive in that #55 car ever since MWR made the call for him to race at Bristol in the spring of 2012, and overall he hasn't disappointed. With a series high PEER in 2012 and a win at Loudon this season, I'd say he's earned the right to become a full-time cup driver once again. While I don't believe he's a future Cup champion, I do believe he can win a race or two next season, as well as make the Chase, which could very well mean that MWR has all three cars in the Chase in 2014. Also, I wonder if MWR is or has thanked RCR behind closed doors for interfering in their driver hunt last season that allowed them to pick up Vickers in the first place. Remember, MWR had originally selected Elliott Sadler to drive their #55 car whenever Mark or mickey wouldn't be driving, until Richard Childress stepped in and told Sadler that he didn't want him driving for a rival manufacturer, thus forcing MWR to search for a new driver, which became Brian Vickers. After seeing how unimpressive Sadler has been in his couple of Cup starts since 2012 compared to Vickers, I'd say MWR made the right choice, and it's all thanks to Childress for stepping in. 532. Crash McGehee posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ZS also got kicked for it. Keep watch: the people are violently against you. 533. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:19 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) "JIC, look away Long Shot. Somebody's took a potshot at you for it." I don't care. They can attack me all they want, but I will still insist that I want NicoRosbergFan back on this forum. You see, I believe in a little thing called "sticking up for people". Besides, look at the comment now. The guy who took the potshot at me apparently has been outnumbered. 534. AveryNH posted: 08.13.2013 - 12:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) I held out giving a thumbs up or down to comment number 1 for as long as I could. When I saw it had 74 dislikes I couldn't resist any longer. If that troll reemerges now because he got his wish I sincerely apologize to all of you. But now I just hope it means NRF will finally return!! 535. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Scratch Landon Cassill's name off the list of drivers pulling double-duty this weekend, as he has been replaced in the Nationwide race by Kevin Lepage. I forgot to list Josh Wise on that list yesterday, but now he has also been replaced in the Nationwide race by Jason Bowles. So now there will only be four drivers attempting both Mid-Ohio and Michigan. 536. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:19 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "But Murb, how and why do you expect a company that pays millions of dollars to fund a team not to have a say in who gets to represent them?" I'm not saying that they shouldn't have any say at all, but rather that they have WAY TOO MUCH say. I understand that these sponsors pay a lot of money to have their names on the car and that they want someone to represent them well, but I'm tired of seeing the sponsors completely overriding car owner and team decisions. Again, I'm not saying that they should just shut up and be glad their name is on the car. They should have a little bit of say in who represents them, but it's annoying that we've come to the point where what the sponsor says ALWAYS goes, despite what the owner or team wants to do. 537. Kubica fan Ireland posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:26 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Glad for Vickers I can really pull for the sheriff next season. Good point Paul about Sadler, I had forgotten about that. 538. Crash McGehee posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) They're shootin' Avry, too 539. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:42 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) "Also, despite the fact I thought about 50% of what he said on here was bogus, I'm disappointed to see that NicoRosbergFan has really left the site, or at least significantly minimized his contributions." That's because he talks about the #48 team/Hendrick in general about 50% of the time with his conspiracy theories, comparing people involved with racing cars to mass murder conspirators and/or cult leaders who force their followers into mass suicide, insinuating Knaus (engaged, to a woman) and Brian France (divorcing a woman) are lovers (straight marriages CAN be cover-ups sometimes, but really?), etc. When he discusses other topics, he shows that he really does know what he's talking about more often than not. "In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he's posting under an "Anonymous" moniker. Look at comments #6, 37, 39, 42, 51, 72, 130, 135, 137, 172, 250, 262, 284, 296, 344, 383, 397, 407, 469, 500, 519, and 522. Some of those sure sound a hell of a lot like NicoRosbergFan, don't they?" That can't be, all Anonymous posters are trolls. "Brain Vickers full time in the #55 but with Aaron's as a sponsor for two full seasons." I am glad Aaron's stepped up and agreed to back Vickers instead of pushing MWR to keep Martin around riding in the middle of the pack for another half season, I've noticed that it seemed Aaron's was reluctant to sponsor the #55 on the weekends Vickers drives the car. Vickers will probably be in Chase contention and have the Aaron's car near the front in a lot of races if the past 2 seasons are any precedent. I like Martin and respect him, but this season he's just been holding that team back. I would love to see him driving for the Wood Brothers for a few races, however. Also, I can't help but wonder if this means Michael Waltrip is completely done as a driver. Of course, it's very possible he'll run a 4th car for Daytona and Talladega, or team up with a smaller team for those races like he has in the past. "Remember, MWR had originally selected Elliott Sadler to drive their #55 car whenever Mark or mickey wouldn't be driving, until Richard Childress stepped in and told Sadler that he didn't want him driving for a rival manufacturer, thus forcing MWR to search for a new driver, which became Brian Vickers." MWR's driver choices: Michael Waltrip (by default), Dale Jarrett, David Reutimann, Michael McDowell, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Martin Truex Jr., Elliott Sadler. McDowell and Sadler are the only real bad choices out of that bunch, though it's hard to accurately judge McDowell because the equipment was garbage when he drove for them. Likewise, Dale Jarrett unfortunately accomplished nothing but DNQs with MWR, but that's completely accountable to the struggles throughout the entire Toyota camp during their first season and MWR not being an established team yet (Reutimann had nearly as many DNQs and Waltrip had many more). 540. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) The only thing cjs is guilty of is completely ignoring my wager offer. NRF would have shown up here in this race had Jeff not made his once every three years screw up. Through strategy he would have been lurking near the front at some point, and me and him would be tripping over ourselves trying to be the other to be the first to post "Refuse To Lose Alert". 541. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:58 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I'd like to see Michael Waltrip drive for a smaller team and help them out by bringing both sponsorship and restrictor plate expertise to the table. He did it with Prism Motorsports (now called Phil Parsons Racing) in 2010, attempted to do so with Hillman Racing in the 2012 Daytona 500, and ran this year's Daytona 500 in a Swan Racing car. Hopefully he'll continue this recent trend next season when Vickers takes over the #55 car, as I'd rather see a smaller team get some valuable assistance than to see a big team continue to expand. 542. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 1:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Regarding Wind Tunnel, and to the people who have said it was the last great fan show for racing fans, didn't we all just trade YouTube names? Depending on who knows how to do what, we could do a YouTube/Skype livestream of our own show if we really wanted to. Just gonna throw that out there for everyone to think about" Like Mel Cooley said when Buddy wanted to leave the show, YES YES YES YES /YES/!! "That would be epic. If enough other people on here wanted to join in, I guess I'd probably be up for it too." Put me down for it. Now, to find a webcam and microphone... "Gosh mother-flipping dang it (G-rated cursing here, everybody). I have the equipment necessary to do a livestream (webcam, microphone), but again, I have neither a Youtube nor a Skype, nor am I getting one anytime soon (not my choice here, guys), so I'd have to sit that out." That's tough. I know how you feel. 543. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "That can't be, all Anonymous posters are trolls." Har har har. Sometimes we confuse "Anonymous" posters for trolls who post anonymously, that's why some of us want such posters to use names. "I'd like to see Michael Waltrip drive for a smaller team and help them out by bringing both sponsorship and restrictor plate expertise to the table. He did it with Prism Motorsports (now called Phil Parsons Racing) in 2010, attempted to do so with Hillman Racing in the 2012 Daytona 500, and ran this year's Daytona 500 in a Swan Racing car. Hopefully he'll continue this recent trend next season when Vickers takes over the #55 car, as I'd rather see a smaller team get some valuable assistance than to see a big team continue to expand." Agreed. Say what you will about his personality and presence on television broadcasts, the man can plate race. 544. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Check out this gem from David Newton via ESPN's Burning Questions weekly "expert" panel discussion: "Newton: Regan Smith. He was my pick before the season and still is. He actually had a 58-point lead after winning the first Michigan race. He'll turn things back around with another strong performance at MIS on Saturday." 545. 83andJoe posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) NLA: Wait, what? *head asplode* 546. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "He'll turn things back around with another strong performance at MIS on Saturday." lol, What a tool that Newton is. 547. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:44 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "He'll turn things back around with another strong performance at MIS on Saturday." *doink* 548. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:49 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "That can't be, all Anonymous posters are trolls." Ha ha. I'm going to start giving the Anonymous posters monikers, like "NoLongerAnonymous" (that's yours, of course), AussieAnonymous, and NicoRosbergFanAnonymous. Maybe that will influence people to actually post with names. "That's tough. I know how you feel." Says the guy who was posting diecast reviews and stop motion races on Youtube when he was 12. "He'll turn things back around with another strong performance at MIS on Saturday." Oh, absolutely. I have a question, though: since when did the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course turn into Michigan International Speedway? 549. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 2:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Says the guy who was posting diecast reviews and stop motion races on Youtube when he was 12." 13. Get it right. And without my parents knowing, either. "lol, What a tool that Newton is." It's things like that that further the need for a "Racing-Reference Roundtable"-type show. 550. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "It's things like that that further the need for a "Racing-Reference Roundtable"-type show." The other thing that's been brought up before has been the "Racing-Reference Channel". An entire channel of all of us just being total windbags, just like we do on here. We could have DSFF and CJS do a "Pardon The Interruption" type show, we could have a roundtable race review type show like the old "Inside Winston Cup" on Speed, and then of course we could have our very own "Wind Tunnel" type show. To describe all that as "epic" would be a major understatement. 551. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 3:15 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Put me down for it. Now, to find a webcam and microphone..." If you have trouble finding any of that, I'm willing to help. I was looking for a microphone not too long ago myself, and there are a LOT to choose from. "I'd like to see Michael Waltrip drive for a smaller team and help them out by bringing both sponsorship and restrictor plate expertise to the table. He did it with Prism Motorsports (now called Phil Parsons Racing) in 2010, attempted to do so with Hillman Racing in the 2012 Daytona 500, and ran this year's Daytona 500 in a Swan Racing car. Hopefully he'll continue this recent trend next season when Vickers takes over the #55 car, as I'd rather see a smaller team get some valuable assistance than to see a big team continue to expand." I can see it now: "Michael Waltrip Qualifies for Daytona 500 in Fat-Ass Brian Keselowski's Car". In all seriousness, Waltrip driving for a low-funded team like Keselowski's would be awesome to see, and the best part is, it's just the sort of thing Waltrip would do, since like his older brother Darrell, he loves the smaller teams (no surprise considering MWR was like those teams not too long ago). I'd still rather see James Hylton get one last 500 ride, though. If I had to choose between Waltrip with sponsorship, and Hylton without sponsorship, I'd take Hylton any day of the week. What a great story that would be if Hylton could start one last 500. Words could not describe my happiness if that were to happen. 552. We need more Onion posted: 08.13.2013 - 3:39 pm Rate this comment: (9) (0) Guys, I still can't believe it, but my application got the nod and I'm actually going to do the Hungarian TV's color commentary on the MIS race. I'm over the moon right now. 553. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Damn, congrats Onion!!! 554. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'm not saying that they shouldn't have any say at all, but rather that they have WAY TOO MUCH say." That's sort of like saying that people who eat in restaurants have WAY TOO MUCH say in what food they get served. The Golden Rule: He who has the gold makes the rules. If you don't like sponsors having a lot of say in who drives the car just go to your local dirt track because without sponsorship that's what NASCAR looks like. 555. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Guys, I still can't believe it, but my application got the nod and I'm actually going to do the Hungarian TV's color commentary on the MIS race." Congratulations! Can we get a small sample of NASCAR in Hungarian on YouTube? Remember, no criticism of Patrick or your broadcast career is over before it begins! 556. We need more Onion posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Oh, criticizing Danica is not rare in Europe, both our guys, the Germans and the Danish agree on how she gets way more attention than deserved. The sacred cow here is Kyle Busch. I don't have a DVR or anything I can record stuff with, but I'll certainly ask some friends what they could do. Thank you both for the kind words. 557. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "That's sort of like saying that people who eat in restaurants have WAY TOO MUCH say in what food they get served." A restaurant isn't a partnership like a race team is. People who go to restaurants go there to be waited on. That's the whole purpose of what a restaurant is. You go there to be served. So the restaurant customers should have all of the say in what they order. But a race team is different. These sponsors have to remember that they are partners with the teams. Being a sponsor on a race car isn't all about being waited on. It's about being a partner with the team and making decisions TOGETHER. That's what partners do. If these sponsors want the absolute say in everything the race team does, then they should just either buy the entire team themselves or start their own team like Red Bull did. It's a shitty way to handle yourself to tell your business partner (the team owner - AKA the people who are involved in depth in racing and probably know what they're doing), "No, so and so is going to drive the car". To me, that's not a very ethical partnership. To act like you know better than the race team themselves is bullshit, in my opinion. 558. cjs3872 posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Murb (#550). It would be very embarrassing, probably to both parties. 559. 18fan posted: 08.13.2013 - 4:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It appears that Juan Pablo Montoya will not be returning to Earnhardt-Ganassi next year. 560. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Being a sponsor on a race car isn't all about being waited on." Oh, yes, it is! If you want their money you'll dance to their tune. Bass Pro Shops thinks they're entitled to be waited on and Stewart-Haas Racing agrees with them. Bass Pro Shops paid for Tony Stewart to drive the car they sponsored. Tony Stewart is unavailable. To suggest that Bass Pro Shops should be happy with whomever SHR wants to put in the car is just naive. You might as well suggest that Go Daddy should be happy with whomever SHR wants to put in the 10 car because after all, "these sponsors have to remember that they are partners with the teams." "To me, that's not a very ethical partnership." I think you would be hard pressed to get anyone at Stewart-Haas to accuse Bass Pro Shops of being unethical. There are a lot of race teams out there that are only too happy to enter into these "unethical" partnerships. "To act like you know better than the race team themselves is bullshit, in my opinion." Murb, I have news for you. When it comes to selling products, the sponsors very clearly *do* know better. Bass Pro Shops is not fundamentally interested in whether Austin Dillon or Brian Vickers or Regan Smith or whomever will have a higher average finish. What Bass Pro Shops is interested in is who can deliver the highest traffic in their stores. Bass Pro Shops think Austin Dillon is that driver. To suggest that Stewart-Haas Racing, you, or me know better is what is bullsit. 561. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whatever Jim Davis. Agree to disagree. On Montoya, WOW. I wonder if he's leaving Nascar entirely, or if he's just leaving Ganassi. 562. TheHardTruth217 posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Here's my prediction: Mark Martin to EGR splitting the 42 with Kyle Larson. 563. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Here's my prediction: Mark Martin to EGR splitting the 42 with Kyle Larson." I think Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch are also in play. I wonder if Montoya is through with NASCAR. Could he have an offer from another team? Phoenix? Furniture Row? 564. ch posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope that Regan Smith will drive the #42 full time next year, with Jamie staying in the #1, and Kyle Larson running for ROTY in the #41. 565. ch posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats Onion, I will certainly be wishing you luck this weekend! Is this going to be the first time that you've done Nascar? 566. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I do think Mark and Larson splitting the 42 would be a smart move. I don't think it would be good to just throw Larson into a full time Cup ride Logano-style. Putting him in a car alongside someone like Mark would be a good move. 567. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congratulations, Onion! That's amazing news! On Montoya: I had a feeling that one of the EGR drivers would leave after the season, but I never would have guessed that it would be Montoya. Well, there can be only one reason for EGR releasing their most popular driver: Kyle Larson. Look for Larson to run full-time in the #42 next season. I don't think he should be running full-time, but unless Montoya wants to get out of NASCAR period (which I don't think he does), I can't see any other reason for he and EGR to part ways. 568. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Onion, you will do great, I know it. Big time congrats. 569. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I thought, a few months ago, this would be one of the lamest silly seasons ever with the Harvick deal already settled (and the assumption Childress wouldn't expand to four teams since it has been a disaster everytime he has tried it). I was wrong. As for JPM, it was Ganassi's decision not to renew his deal. That is curious. I thought him and Chip were tight. 570. We need more Onion posted: 08.13.2013 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @565: NASCAR yes, but before this I did commentary for some ice hockey matches and often appeared in a kind of 'classic racing' series, also I've been a mainstay in a show discussing and explaining conspiracy theories. (On a sister channel for the one broadcasting sports, also don't bill me I'm not a hardcore theorist, nor a total idiot.) I don't do sports coverage on a full-time basis, but I'd like to. Thanks again everyone, means a lot. 571. Eric posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I hope Chip Ganassi isn't going to bring Kyle Larson to cup next season. I think Kyle is very talented, but he needs one more year of seasoning in the Nationwide series. The last thing the cup series needs is another Casey atwood, David Ragan, and Joey logano. I am bringing up those 3 for a reason. All three were rushed into cup. It appears like Joey's recovering, but he isn't going to be the driver people including Mark Martin expected. What Chip needs to do hire is Regan Smith in Montoya's seat. 572. Eric posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:09 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Jim Davis, I don't think Ryan Newman is in play. Based on what I am reading for the last couple days, it appears like Newman is almost a done deal for RCR. 573. cjs3872 posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) At least one more year, Eric, and probably two. But it will be interesting who tries to get that seat, because I think that team is on the verge of busting out, just like it did in 2010, when Jamie McMurray finished either first or second in every big race that year, winning the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, and finishing second at the spring race at Talladega (to Kevin Harvick), the Southern 500 (to Denny Hamlin), and the Coca-Cola 600 (to Kurt Busch in a Penske-Ganassi duel worthy similar to the IndyCar series at that time). I think that #42 may be a premium ride and a legitimate Chase contender, just as long it has a driver that won't blow up. That ride is going to be a coveted one, and I think Ganassi may go after someone like Kurt Busch. We all know Kurt wants to drive at Indy in the 500, and Ganassi is just the kind of car owner that might take such a risk. And if not Kurt Busch, he might go after a young Nationwide Series driver. I said last year or the year before that I would not be surprised if Trevor Bayne is on Ganassi's radar, and he might be just the kind of driver Ganassi might want. Just look at what happened to the last driver that went from Roush to Ganassi. (All you have to do is read above in this very comment, and you'll see what happened.) Bayne's young enough (22), yet has years of experience, not just with Roush, but also the Wood Brothers, who have mentored him. Oh, and there's that win in the Daytona 500 a couple of years ago on his resume that he brings. One thing's certain about Ganassi. He's not afraid to take a gamble on a driver, and his choice might just come out of the blue, and completely unexpected. McMurray, Montoya (in NASCAR), Casey Mears, the late Jason Leffler and even Charlie Kimball in IndyCar racing, are prime examples of that. 574. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 6:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Trevor would be a pretty interesting choice for Ganassi. Kyle Larson will obviously end up in one of their Cup cars at some point, so if they did pick up Trevor, all of a sudden they would have two of the top young guns in Nascar on their team. So getting Trevor actually wouldn't be a bad idea, as long as Roush would be willing to part ways with Trevor (not likely on Roush's part, but you never know). 575. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:07 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) ""Also, despite the fact I thought about 50% of what he said on here was bogus, I'm disappointed to see that NicoRosbergFan has really left the site, or at least significantly minimized his contributions." I think he's just taking a break from the regular comments area to cool off, which was probably the wisest decision for him. He is still on the blog area though, as he posted a new blog last week and was still taking part in the fantasy games. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he's posting under an "Anonymous" moniker. Look at comments #6, 37, 39, 42, 51, 72, 130, 135, 137, 172, 250, 262, 284, 296, 344, 383, 397, 407, 469, 500, 519, and 522. Some of those sure sound a hell of a lot like NicoRosbergFan, don't they? That was a good plan, my friend. Pity it was foiled after just one week, eh? " OK, you got me. I knew Long Shot or David would figure it out, but I thought I'd get caught during the race on Sunday or Saturday. 576. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Michael Waltrip Racing may have its 2014 driver lineup arranged, but there are still two key orders of business that they must achieve before the season begins. One is re-signing #55 crew chief Rodney Childers, and the other is finding additional sponsorship for Clint Bowyer. Childers should be easy enough to re-sign since he and Brian Vickers are childhood friends and have now won a race together at the Cup level, but they have to finish the deal quickly before a team like the #4 (currently #39) SHR team sways him away by offering him more money. However, if what I'm hearing is true about Aaron's and 5-hour Energy not bringing a ton of money to the table, this could be a bidding war that MWR cannot win if Childers is being courted by multiple teams. But finding additional sponsorship for Bowyer will be a more daunting task, as the #15 team reportedly has 10 open dates left to fill for next season. 5-hour Energy is signed through 2014 and Peak Motor Oil supposedly signed a multi-year deal earlier this season, but the fact that they still have 10 races left to fill for 2014 (including the Daytona 500) this late in the season is definitely not good news for the team that finished 2nd in the points last season. Hopefully they can fill those remaining dates, as it would be sad if a team that won 3 races and finished 2nd in the points in 2012 weren't able to be fully sponsored. By the way, the other two MWR cars are both fully sponsored for next season, with Martin Truex, Jr. piloting the #56 NAPA car and Brian Vickers piloting the #55 Aaron's car for all 36 races. Perhaps business is just down for 5-hour Energy (I know I've never purchased that stuff). 577. AveryNH posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Onion congrats man!!! Race broadcasting has always been at the top of my Dream Jobs list. Also.... He's Back!!!! and he fessed up to his anonymous posting scheme. 578. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I didn't get a chance to post until now, but congratulations to WnmO on his broadcasting job! That is seriously great news. 579. David posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I knew Long Shot or David would figure it out" I did have my suspicions, but Long Shot was the first to bring it up. And you didn't think anyone else would figure it out? Also, I found the Montoya news very interesting. He's been with the same team his entire NASCAR career. I fear that Ganassi is going to rush Kyle Larson to Cup next year in that ride now. "What Chip needs to do hire is Regan Smith in Montoya's seat." Excellent idea. Hire Smith as a one- or two-year stopgap, while Larson gets more experience and seasoning. Ganassi even has a Hendrick affiliation (his cars are Hendrick-powered). 580. Eric posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 42 car having Kyle Larson and Mark Martin in 2014 is a bad idea. Mark is a great mentor, but Mark is really showing his age on the track on the cup side. He's entering Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip territory matter of fact. If Mark wants to race, I recommend the Nationwide series or the trucks if he wants to be competitive. I called Mark Martin a great mentor because look at what he did with Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards when Mark was with Roush. The problem is Mark is going to 55 years ikd next year and he struggled this year. That means Mark would be under performing in 42 in 2014. 581. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Long Shot, David: Great minds think alike ;) 582. Chives5150 posted: 08.13.2013 - 7:58 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I personally think that Loy Allen, Jr. is the best fit for the #42 team. 583. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's great to have you back, NRF, even though I knew you weren't really gone. "OK, you got me. I knew Long Shot or David would figure it out, but I thought I'd get caught during the race on Sunday or Saturday." I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. So, were all the comments that I pointed out yours? 584. Chives5150 posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Getting back to more serious business, Montoya not returning in 2014 was a massive shock for me. Several other people that I've talked to all thought if someone was going to leave Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, it was going to be Jamie McMurray, so this came completely from left field. I had a "nostalgic" thought for a moment of Montoya going to Ganassi in IndyCar with him running the red and yellow Target machine, but I highly doubt that'll ever happen. Also, McMurray's Advil car for this weekend looks really weird to me... 585. Eric posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jim Davis, Montoya going to Phoenix is a big question mark. Right there is claims that James Finch has a deal finalized with one of the owners of Turner-Scott with the announcement happening on September 1st weekend. If James Finch isn't full of hot air with Harry Scott Jr. being the owner after the Atlanta weekend, than Montoya doesn't have chance for that ride. Turner-Scott has a lot of Nationwide and truck series drivers. I am guessing that Justin Allgaier would be the driver of the 51 car if Harry Scott Jr. is indeed the new owner after Atlanta. Montoya going to Furniture Row Racing could happen, but it depends on Kurt Busch if he leaves. The other thing is Montoya willing to go to the 78 team because the team is going to be a step backwards next year even if they have Kurt Busch. The fact is Mark McArdle has left Furniture Row Racing to RCR and that is a big deal since Furniture Row Racing isn't a big race team. He was first the Director of Competition and this year holding the title of Executive Director of Competition for Furniture Row Racing. That is a big deal because of he was one of the facts on how the 78 car was able to get info from RCR and is one the key factors on how Furniture Row got better from 2010 to now. The 2nd problem is the talk of Furniture Row Racing going to Toyota. There usually is a transition period for a manufacture change because performance of an organization could go downhill and there is there the issue of Toyota engines in this case. 586. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I hope that Regan Smith will drive the #42 full time next year, with Jamie staying in the #1, and Kyle Larson running for ROTY in the #41." I disagree for two reasons: I don't see EGR starting a 3rd car next year, and I highly doubt Regan Smith will be allowed to drive for Ganassi. Right now, if one of Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon decided to retire in the next year or two, Smith would be the primary candidate to replace him. This is what Hendrick Motorsports' lineup will look like in 5-6 years, in my opinion: 5-Kasey Kahne 24-Regan Smith 25-James Buescher (in an alliance with Turner Motorsports) 48-Jeb Burton (in an alliance with Turner Motorsports) 88-Chase Elliott "Hopefully they can fill those remaining dates, as it would be sad if a team that won 3 races and finished 2nd in the points in 2012 weren't able to be fully sponsored." Paul, this isn't Brian Keselowski's team we're talking about here. This is MICHAEL WALTRIP. The same buffoon who revolutionized self-promotion when he joined Fox Sports/SPEED. If any owner in the series has deep pockets, it's Mikey. 587. ch posted: 08.13.2013 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Smith isn't under a Hendrick contract though. The NW deal was 100% Dale Jr.'s choice since he was impressed with how Regan did in the #88. And I believe that it was just a one year deal. Regan himself said that the goal was to bounce back to the cup series as soon as a quality ride was available. I'd consider the #42 a quality ride, and I think that Target would be the perfect fit for him. And TLS, do you really think that either Tony / Jeff will retire in 1-2 years or Jr. / JJ will retire in the next 5-6 years? 588. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "This is what Hendrick Motorsports' lineup will look like in 5-6 years, in my opinion:" You think both Earnhardt and Johnson are gone in 5-6 years? I can see Earnhardt retiring or going elsewhere but I think Johnson is with Hendrick for the duration of his career which I don't see ending quite that soon. And I don't don't see "an alliance with Turner Motorsports". When Hendrick needs a driver he usually signs the best free agent available since he got out of the driver development business. Earnhardt, Martin, and Kahne all came to Hendrick this way. 589. 83andJoe posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) >If any owner in the series has deep pockets, it's Mikey. Then why is word from the herd that MWR is run on a shoestring? 590. cjs3872 posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually Jim Davis, I believe Turner is connected to Hendrick Motorsports, and one example is Chase Elliott driving for Turner in the Trrck Series. Remember that Bill Elliott drove in last year's Firecracker 400 in Turner Motorsports' Cup debut, and that Chase is a Hendrick Motorsports development driver, so there is an obvious connection between HMS and Turner's team. And let's not forget that Turner does use Hendrick engines, which would make sense if Turner-Scott does buy out Phoenix racing, which has used Hendrick engines since Brad Keselowski drove that car in 2009, winning at Talladega with Hendrick power, so there's a common link there. If Turner-Scott does buy out Phoenix Racing, it certainly would add up, especially with both organizations using Hendrick engines. 591. 83andJoe posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:21 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Meanwhile, Ross Kenseth will be making his ARCA debut in two weeks at Madison. 592. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, I actually agree with Jim Davis on something? lol He's right. In five-six years, Jimmie will definitely still be there. Remember, he's a freak when it comes to physical fitness, so he'll probably drive until he's at least 50 (and hopefully he'll eventually lose Chad as his crew chief and can once again become semi-likeable like he was in 2002/2003). As for Earnhardt Jr, his contract runs through 2017 I believe, which is four years from now. After that, I can see him probably stepping back and running a limited schedule type of deal for Hendrick, kind of like what Terry did in 2005/2006 in the 44 car. As for Gordon, I have no earthly idea, but my gut tells me that he'll probably hang it up within the next three or four years. So here's how I see the HMS driver lineup looking in five or six years: - 5 = Kasey Kahne (Elder statesman) - 48 = Jimmie Johnson - 24 (probably renumbered) = Regan Smith OR James Buescher (Right now I don't know which one, but I do see one of them ending up as a HMS Cup driver.) - 88 = Dale Earnhardt Jr/Chase Elliott (Rookie/Veteran split deal.) I think their lineup will look a little more like that. 593. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @586: Just because Michael Waltrip supposedly has deep pockets (Rob Kauffman is the true proprietor of MWR) doesn't mean that he can successfully fund his own team completely out of pocket. Jack Roush tried to do that in the Nationwide Series in 2011 by funding the #6 and #16 teams largely on his own without much sponsorship help. The following season, Carl Edwards and his sponsors decided to solely focus on Cup (aside from one Nationwide appearance at Watkins Glen), and while Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was able to gain several sponsors to fund his team in 2012, Trevor Bayne was not. End result: The organization went from fielding three full-time cars in 2011 to just one car by the sixth race of 2012. Sure, MWR can survive on 26 sponsored races better than a much smaller outfit like Brian Keselowski's team, but they depend on sponsorship to succeed just as much as any other team does. If they cannot find additional sponsorship for the #15 team, then they will be losing money every time they head to the race track with that team. And if a team loses money for an extended period of time, chances are they might have to start laying off employees, or even cut a car from its stable of full-time entries. Roush had to cut three of his cars in 2012 due to a lack of sponsorship, and even RCR had to cut a car when Cheerios decided to drop its sponsorship package from "primary" to "associate." If it can happen to championship-winning teams like Roush and RCR, it can happen to MWR, no matter how many times Michael Waltrip promotes himself on-air. And obviously his "self-promotion" hasn't worked if his car that won 3 races and finished 2nd in the points in 2012 has 10 races left to fill for next season by August of the preceding season. Meanwhile, his two cars that have a combined 2 victories over the past three years are not only fully sponsored for 2014, but they have but one primary sponsor each: Aaron's and NAPA. From what I understand, Aaron's isn't paying full price for their sponsorship package (although that could have changed since they have agreed to sponsor Brian Vickers for the next two seasons), and neither is 5-hour Energy. And if Aaron's is able to underpay for a full season while 5-hour Energy is sponsoring 26 races at the most at this point, then they must really be underpaying MWR if they can't even be on the hood for an entire season. My overall point is that while MWR isn't struggling per se, it's not as glamorous financially as some of us may believe, what with all the commercials and air-time that the sponsors and drivers receive. 594. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "- 24 (probably renumbered) = Regan Smith OR James Buescher (Right now I don't know which one, but I do see one of them ending up as a HMS Cup driver.)" I could see Regan Smith as a stop-gap, but I don't think either driver will get that car. I think that's the car that Kyle Larson drives once Hendrick can sway him away from Ganassi when his contract is up. Jeff Gordon has publicly endorsed Larson as an amazing young talent, and I think Hendrick would be more willing to hire a possible future Cup superstar like Larson over someone like Smith or Buescher. I'm big fans of both Smith and Buescher, but if I had the opportunity to go after a "once in a generation" talent like Kyle Larson, I'm hiring him the first chance I get. "- 88 = Dale Earnhardt Jr/Chase Elliott (Rookie/Veteran split deal.)" I don't see this happening. More than likely Chase would get the #88 ride after HMS doesn't re-sign Junior, or if Junior were to suddenly retire. But then again, there is sort of a spiritual father/son-type relationship between Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and I can see Hendrick staying loyal to Junior for that very reason by keeping him employed in some capacity. 595. Jim Davis posted: 08.13.2013 - 9:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "...Chase is a Hendrick Motorsports development driver, so there is an obvious connection between HMS and Turner's team." That's a great point; I had forgotten that arrangement. Still, by the time Elliott makes it to the cup level I would wager heavily that Turner-Scott has no further contractual hold on him. 596. cjs3872 posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry, Paul. I don't think anybody's getting Kyle Larson away from Ganassi, not even Hendrick or Tony Stewart. What I see happening is Ganassi starting a third team in 2015 or '16 for Larson, depending on when he's ready, which is exactly what Hendrick did for Jeff Gordon in 1993. What he'll probably do is have Jamie McMurray there as a mentor, and I think he's got the personality to be a mentor for a younger driver, just as Sterling Marlin was for him, and fill the #42 car with either a star driver or a potential budding star that's ready. That's why I brought up the names Kurt Busch, who's a star driver and a champion, and Trevor Bayne, who I think is ready for a full-time Cup ride, though prying Bayne away from Ford is going to be difficult if Ganassi wants to go that route, though it might be easier to get him from Roush if he choses a veteran driver to restart his #6 team, sponsorship-willing. If Ganassi is able to pry Bayne away from Ford, sponsorship won't be a problem, because Target's been a sponsor of Ganassi's organization since 1991. Ganassi's not going for a stop-gap for that #42 car, I can almost promise. He wants a high-profile driver, and Kurt Busch and Bayne would be the highest profile drivers I can think of. The thing with Bayne is that he's the kind of person that might not want to get out of his contract, unless Roush cuts bait, likely for sponsorship reasons. I don't think it's a lack of performance, as this year has again shown the weakness of the Roush engine program, as far as tuning the motors goes, and also the loss of Matt Kenseth has hurt that organization across the board even more than I suspected it would, and that's saying something. 597. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Something interesting I just realized: the MWR-Vickers announcement comes immediately after his worst finish ever for the team, excluding last year's Glen debacle where the engine didn't even make it a lap. 598. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:21 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) "What I see happening is Ganassi starting a third team in 2015 or '16 for Larson, depending on when he's ready, which is exactly what Hendrick did for Jeff Gordon in 1993. What he'll probably do is have Jamie McMurray there as a mentor, and I think he's got the personality to be a mentor for a younger driver, just as Sterling Marlin was for him, and fill the #42 car with either a star driver or a potential budding star that's ready." And you just proved you would make a better NASCAR team owner than Ganassi. We've seen what he does with his drivers many times before before: he pushes out veterans to put newcomers in too soon. Jason Leffler was given a Cup ride after one season in Busch, Casey Mears ran one season in Busch before Ganassi swept Spencer aside to place him in the #41, he forced Sterling Marlin out to replace him with the mediocre David Stremme (he actually ran 2.5 seasons in Busch beforehand, but finished 13th in points his last season before being called up), he replaced the departing McMurray with a 20 year old Reed Sorenson with only 1 season of Busch experience, and Montoya and Dario each had 4 Busch starts before moving up to Cup. I'd almost be willing to bet money that Larson will be in Cup next year, because Ganassi has proven he has no earthly idea of how to develop a driver. I just hope Larson can handle it and it doesn't ruin yet another bright future. 599. Sky Warrior posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I was away for a little bit and looks like I missed a lot. Welcome back Nico, even though you never left us. You're trapped with us all! I'm shocked about Montoya, especially after the run he's been having. Nothing stellar, but improved over the last 2 years to be sure. For some reason, I get a feeling about him going to JTG Daugherty, but maybe that's just because they had Ambrose a few years back. I don't think Juan thinks of himself as a failure in NASCAR like most of the other open wheel drivers who tried it in the mid 2000s, I can't see him leaving now 600. The Long Shot posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, the reason Roush and Childress were forced to shut down teams was because they lost sponsorship for a full season. If the #15 doesn't get another sponsor for 2014, that's still only 10 races without a primary sponsor. Ryan Newman and the #39 team are going to run at least that many races without a sponsor this year, and maybe more. David Ragan didn't have a sponsor on his car when he won at Talladega, as well as several other races, and yet that team is still running. In fact, look at all the underdog teams (Furniture Row Racing, Swan Racing, Tommy Baldwin Racing, NEMCO Motorsports). All of those teams are run on shoestring budgets with little to no sponsorship, and yet they've been running without major issues for several years. Admittedly, they're not competitive often, but the point is: they're still attempting and making races. "Then why is word from the herd that MWR is run on a shoestring?" Perhaps because it's a poorly run organization. If Mikey put half the money into funding the race team that he does into advertising it, the team would be much better off than it is right now. 601. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) cjs, my response to that is that if Chip Ganassi wants to keep Kyle Larson longer than what his contract states, he had better turn his organization around and become weekly top 5-10 contenders. If I'm Kyle Larson, I'm using EGR as a stop-gap while I wait for a more lucrative deal to come my way from a powerhouse team like Hendrick Motorsports. I just don't see EGR giving Larson what he needs to win a lot of races and be in contention for a championship, which is why I think he leaves as soon as someone like HMS comes knocking on his door. That being said, I am looking forward to the possibility of seeing Larson compete in some Rolex Sports Car Series races for Ganassi, such as at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Indy, or Watkins Glen. I always look forward to those few times a year when NASCAR (and even IndyCar drivers) partake in a sports car race, and Larson is definitely one that I want to see in one of those vehicles. 602. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "David Ragan didn't have a sponsor on his car when he won at Talladega, as well as several other races, and yet that team is still running." Actually, he was sponsored by Farm Rich that race, but that doesn't detract from your point at all. "I don't think Juan thinks of himself as a failure in NASCAR like most of the other open wheel drivers who tried it in the mid 2000s, I can't see him leaving now" Montoya is still a world-class driver who could probably get a ride in any racing series with the probable exception of F1. I don't see how a guy who has won numerous grands prix including Monaco (!) and finished as high as 3rd in the world championship could be content with just riding around mid-pack at most events when he could move to another series and instantly become a front-runner. I'd love to see him move to IndyCar or maybe Grand-Am, he is a 3-time Rolex 24 winner after all. 603. Eric posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Longshot, There is a couple flaws of your mentioning of future drivers of Hendrick Motorspots. The first flaw is if Turner-Scott buys Phoenix Racing. The fact is While Phoenix Racing is a one car team, they could expand on the cup side with the amount of Nationwide and Truck Series drivers they have. The fact is not all of Turner-Scott drivers have development contracts under different teams. The 2nd flaw is James Buescher being mentioned for HMS ride if Turner Scott does end up owning Phoenix Racing. The fact is James Buescher married Steve Turner's Daughter. Steve Turner is a co-owner of Turner-Scott Motorsports and that means James Buescher is the co-owners son-in-law. 604. ch posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "one example is Chase Elliott driving for Turner in the Truck Series." It's actually a Hendrick truck. 605. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.13.2013 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm shocked by the Montoya news. Ganassi is probably the only owner who wants Montoya in his cars and was INCREDIBLY loyal to Montoya. Now all that has come to an end. That means we've probably seen the end of Montoya as a full time Cup driver when this season ends. I could see teams still hiring him out as a ringer, though. Speaking of Ganassi road course ringers, what ever happened to Scott Pruett running road course races? I actually thought he was a better ringer than Ron Fellows. I was always impressed when he drove the #39 for Ganassi. I REALLY hope Ganassi hasn't done this in order to bring Larson up to Cup Series...it's way too soon. 606. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "David Ragan didn't have a sponsor on his car when he won at Talladega..." Wrong. He was sponsored by Farm Rich at Talladega. "...as well as several other races," Ragan was unsponsored for 4 of the first 8 races this season, but has been sponsored in every race since his win at Talladega. "Admittedly, they're not competitive often, but the point is: they're still attempting and making races." If MWR is such a powerhouse team with a lot of money at hand, they're not gonna put a car out on the race track just for the hell of it. If they enter three cars in a race, they expect those three cars to perform well and to contend for top fives or even victories. Teams like NEMCO Motorsports and Tommy Baldwin Racing compete every week hoping to a.) make enough money to support their livelihoods, families, and employees, and b.) hopefully catching a lucky break from a bigger sponsor in order to bring more money to the table for their aforementioned livelihoods, families, and employees. The smaller teams race week-by-week just hoping to get by. The bigger teams race season-by-season hoping to win races and contend for championships. If MWR reaches a point where they feel it is more of a liability to field a 3rd car without full-time sponsorship, they're not gonna keep that car. Just look at how much they improved when they cut their 3rd car back in 2009, when they went from glorified laughingstocks to a team that could win in consecutive seasons. Now this is all hypothetical since none of us know how many of those 10 races MWR will be able to fill or whether this will be a recurring theme for them in regards to obtaining full sponsorship, but if there comes a point where MWR has to decide between fielding two cars that bring home money every week, or having three cars that often times bring home money, but will occasionally lose money via one car being unsponsored to the point where the expenses on one car outweigh the revenue it brings in (especially if the team is struggling and/or has too many instances of crash damage that add to the expenses), I can see MWR downsizing its operation for a short period of time. MWR has already been "bailed out" by either Toyota or Rob Kauffman five times this season due to a lack of sponsorship from outside parties. So going up to 10 races without an outside sponsorship next season wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for that team, but it's not something that can happen to them on a yearly basis, especially if they want to compete for wins and championships, which the #15 team is definitely capable of doing with its current body count. 607. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ""one example is Chase Elliott driving for Turner in the Truck Series." It's actually a Hendrick truck." The truck itself is a Turner Scott Motorsports chassis, but the engine and team are both supplied by Hendrick Motorsports. Lance McGrew is even the crew chief for that truck and HendrickCars.com has been an associate sponsor for all four races that Chase Elliott has competed in thus far. 608. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The more I think about it, the more I get convinced that Larson will be full time in the 42 next year. Like I and others have been saying all day, I totally think it is way too soon for him to be full time in Cup. But you know, that's what I also thought about him going full time NNS racing this year. I thought he should have run a year in Trucks first, but he's done a more than admirable job with the NNS car. So yes, I do think it is too early for him to be a full time Cup driver, but at the same time, I wouldn't be completely shocked if he somehow figured out the Cup cars quickly, just like he did with NNS. I still think a good idea would be to lure Mark Martin over for a year and have him split the 42 with Larson. I think it would help Larson's Cup transition a ton. 609. 83andJoe posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) >"one example is Chase Elliott driving for Turner in the Truck Series." >It's actually a Hendrick truck. Actually, that's on paper; the team is fielded by Turner Scott on behalf of Hendrick, as I recall. >Ragan was unsponsored for 4 of the first 8 races this season, but has been sponsored in every race since his win at Talladega. And eight of those are in the same category as when Hass Automation is on the #39: "self sponsorship" by the owner's company. Any time Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, or A&W is on a FRM car, that's Bob Jenkins' own money. 610. Zackary Shawn posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I still think a good idea would be to lure Mark Martin over for a year and have him split the 42 with Larson. I think it would help Larson's Cup transition a ton." Hadn't thought of this, but you're right. 611. murb posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:18 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) What's really interesting about the 15 car sponsorship situation is that Bowyer is a free agent after next year. So if 5 Hour Energy continues to pull out like they seemingly have been (seems like they have a different sponsor on that car every week), it's pretty possible that they just might scrap the 15 car and Bowyer entirely after next year if they don't get some more sponsorship and/or if they start running bad. So that might be something to look for. 612. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "MWR has already been "bailed out" by either Toyota or Rob Kauffman five times this season due to a lack of sponsorship from outside parties." It never really occurred to me before but now I feel so stupid for not knowing what the RK in RK Motors Charlotte stood for. I always wondered why some apparent local car dealership would sponsor a race car away from their home track. 613. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I do think it is too early for him to be a full time Cup driver, but at the same time, I wouldn't be completely shocked if he somehow figured out the Cup cars quickly" Just remember that Kurt Busch had just one season of NASCAR experience before he was thrust into a full-time Cup ride for Roush Racing, and in his 4th season he won the championship. And he's not the only recent driver to succeed so quickly with very limited experience: Carl Edwards had run two seasons in Trucks and just two Busch races under his belt, and went on to tie for 2nd in points in his "rookie" Cup season in 2005. Ryan Newman had a combined 30 NASCAR/ARCA starts under his belt before his Cup rookie season in 2002, and he finished 6th in the points and beat Jimmie Johnson for Rookie of the Year. Tony Stewart ran more than half of the Busch Series schedule in 1998 while also competing full-time in IndyCar, and he went on to have perhaps the greatest rookie season in Sprint Cup history. If a driver is good enough, there's no reason to wait. Kurt, Carl, Ryan, and Tony were all good enough to be in Cup even with very limited NASCAR experience, and a decade or more later all four of them are still among the best drivers at the Cup level, with five NASCAR championships between them. I think Larson will do just fine if he's pushed up to Cup next season. I don't think he'll light the world on fire right away like Tony Stewart did, but I think he'll hold his own very nicely. The team that he may be racing for on the other hand (EGR), I'm not so sure about. 614. 83andJoe posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The catch is (as you say) that Kurt, Carl, Ryan and Tony all had top-flight teams with experienced teammates. EGR...not so much, and while McMurray is a great (and underrated) guy he's no Mark, Rusty, or Bobby. 615. Paul posted: 08.13.2013 - 11:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Which is why, 83andJoe, I think Larson bolts for a team like Hendrick Motorsports where he can not only contend for wins, but be surrounded by very talented drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne, and even Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. if they're still around by the time Larson (hypothetically) joins HMS. I think EGR would be a great place for him to gain experience without the pressure of performing greatly right off the bat, while also providing him with a cool-tempered teammate like Jamie McMurray that might be able to reign in Larson just slightly so that he doesn't overdrive the horsepower behemoths that the Cup cars are. 616. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "You think both Earnhardt and Johnson are gone in 5-6 years? I can see Earnhardt retiring or going elsewhere but I think Johnson is with Hendrick for the duration of his career which I don't see ending quite that soon." Earnhardt has said in numerous interviews as recently as earlier this year that he plans to race in Cup until about 50, and then move back to run Nationwide and possibly Truck races for an additional 5-6 years which would more than likely be for his own team. Also big congratulations to WeNeedMoreOnion on commentating for this weekend's Cup race. You are living a dream of mine that I hope to accomplish as an adult (my dream is to broadcast F1, IndyCar and NASCAR in the U.S. a few decades from now). And lastly, welcome back NicoRosbergFan. Just remember that you have more of a right to be here than the trolls that inhabit this site every now and then. 617. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Guys, I think Ganassi may have learned from those mistakes, though some of them were not mistakes, but he did learn that young drivers need mentors, because just look at what's happened with Charlie Kimball in the IndyCar Series this year. He finishes second to Scott Dixon and beat Dario Franchitti at Pocono, then wins at Mid-Ohio, where both Dixon and Franchitti have far more experience. But the thing about the Marlin and Spencer situations at Ganassi was this. Spencer should never have been in that car, though he was better than Leffler was in that car. Marlin was through after his neck injury by the end of 2005, and Ganassi knew it. In fact, if anything, he kept Marlin in that car too long. He may not have put drivers that deserved such equipment in those cars, but it was obvious that Spencer and Marlin just couldn't cut it any more. Remember that in the mid 2000s, there were more quality cars than drivers, unlike today. And also Ganassi gambled on Jason Leffler because he needed someone in that car he thought could be competitive. Remember that Ted Musgrave was pressed into service in that car after Kenny Irwin, Jr. was killed in 2000, just days after Ganassi bought the majority of that organization from Felix Sabates, and Musgrave was a disaster in that car. I think he's likely to put either a star driver like Kurt Busch or a young driver in that car that has some degree of experience that will be able to stay in that car for a while. And the thing about it is that I believe that Ganassi's team is just about ready to bust out, and the question is, who's going to benefit when it does. Larson's not ready, and he might not be for at least another year, which is why he's liable to start a third team for Larson in 2015. 618. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:15 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) "The other thing that's been brought up before has been the "Racing-Reference Channel". An entire channel of all of us just being total windbags, just like we do on here." HAHAHA!!! I'm for that. If someone wanted to create that channel, we could all post videos to it (providing that we have the password). "We could have DSFF and CJS do a "Pardon The Interruption" type show, we could have a roundtable race review type show like the old "Inside Winston Cup" on Speed, and then of course we could have our very own "Wind Tunnel" type show." Yes!! Except that cjs doesn't seem to be too crazy about the idea. The slogan/motto for any such show could be "By the fans. For the fans." 619. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, Ganassi is really not going to renew Montoya's contract for the #42 car after this year? There's the end of JPM's Cup career, at least in cars that have a chance to even be semi-competitive. 620. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You're right, David. I'm not crazy about that idea, especially with all the loose cannons around here. 621. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:03 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) A YouTube type of channel for Racing Reference sounds intriguing. I like how you guys think. 622. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:32 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) "especially with all the loose cannons around here" What? I can't hear you over the distant artillery... 623. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Any ideas on how a potential format would work? 624. 12345Dude posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @455 Some good points CJS. I personally want to see at least 2 new tracks every year so every track is deemed important. You mention how half the tracks are intermediates, but I still thing the problem is the un-importance of the non-chase tracks. You could put any track on the schedule in the chase. Obviously it would be too cold to race Watkins Glen in October-November. But that doesn't mean it couldn't be the first race in the chase on September 15th. The only track I couldn't see being in the chase in Daytona. As it is know as being run on labor day weekend, and it fits in great as their first race of the year "along with speedweeks". But at the same time, that and Darlington are the only two tracks that are prestigious enough not to be in the Chase and still be important. (I agree with DSFF about the crown jewels, I don't find Charlotte insanely prestigious because it is a crown jewel.) And CJS I wonder if your points system gives enough importance on the regular season. Other than Jimmie Johnson, everyone is still fairly close together. You have 10 races and 43 positions to make up points in the Chase. 625. joey2448 posted: 08.14.2013 - 4:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Montoya, in my opinion, would be best suited to leave NASCAR behind him and run the United Sports Car series that will debut in 2014. In his limited Grand-Am starts, he's been impressive (24 hours of Daytona, and even Indianapolis 2012). NASCAR is just not quite the type of racing for him. I love watching him race, but frankly, he's run out his NASCAR career. Even with his F1 success, I don't see him getting a competitive ride in that series, and although there could possibly be a competitive ride for him in IndyCar, I just don't see it panning out with the talent in that series right now. So sports car racing seems to be the best option by far. By the way, I have a question for you long-time fans on here. When your favorite driver eventually retired (or passed away), which driver did you move on to as your favorite, and why? The reason I ask is because I'm a Jeff Gordon fan, and I've been thinking recently of who I want to replace him as my favorite once he retires. I've thought about becoming a Kyle Larson #1 fan, but then again maybe I'll just root for whoever replaces Jeff in the 24 car... 626. joey2448 posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:56 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwCByvLkSK0 Everyone here needs to watch this video. Humpy Wheeler explains what's wrong with NASCAR perfectly! 627. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 7:15 am Rate this comment: (0) (9) I can't answer that Joey. I have only had two favorite drivers "retire," and those were both due to driver fatality. Personally, I will most likely never have another "favorite driver" after Jeff retires just because there isn't a single soul coming up with either the "Refuse to Lose" mentality or the humble personality (which says a lot considering he had the same personality 15 years ago and that made him the arrogant jerk). I can't root for these silver spooners who have had the very best cars given to them on a platter because they're daddy's a driver, like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and John Hunter Nemechek (although Corey LaJoie has done much as a driver's son without much), they're rich (Dylan Kwasniewski), or they're a minority (Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace). That's not to say they aren't talented, but rather that these guys will never work a day in their life, and that they will never know the ass-breaking labor guys like Mark Martin and Tony Stewart put in to get to the top. 628. Anonymous posted: 08.14.2013 - 9:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) "or they're a minority (Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace)" Seriously? 629. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 9:14 am Rate this comment: (0) (11) ""or they're a minority (Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace)" Seriously? " Fact is, Kyle Larson, as talented as he is, would not have a good enough car to win the KNPE title last year if wasn't for the fact that he's in Max Siegel (aka NASCAR) owned DFD cars. I find it amusing that you come in here as "anonymous" to turn an issue of drivers not having to work hard to get a good car into your fake claims of "racism" and take my comment down a notch. Nut up, coward. The people like you are just looking to turn everything into a racist fight. Next you will comment on ESPN saying MLB is after A-Froid for racist reasons too. 630. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.14.2013 - 9:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joey2448, I just went on Jayski and saw that as the most recent headline, and he's exactly right. But watch NASCAR penalize him $25,000 for trashing the current product of the sport (just kidding, but I could see NASCAR doing something stupid like that). Humpy Wheeler and his ideas>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bruton Smith and his ideas 631. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 12345Dude, my Chase reset system puts a heck of a lot more emphasis on the regular season than NASCAR's does. And as for the fact that four drivers would be tied for second, that has more to do with an oddity than anything else, which is that the second through fifth place drivers have 0, 1, 2, and 3 wins respectively. That's why four drivers would be tied for second. In fact, if Matt Kenseth was sixth in points instead of seventh, you'd have a five-way tie for second, with the second through sixth place drivers having 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wins respectively. But what my system does is to give consistency throughout the season equal footing with wins among those in the top ten. It's just an oddball situation with the way second through fifth is, in terms of wins, hence the four-way tie for second. With 2000 points being automatically given to start the Chase, and a maximum of 48 for winning a race, I think three points is the right amount of bonus points, both for seeding, and for every win after the seeding is done. I think two is too few, and anything more than three is too many, given the fact that 48 is the maximum number of points that can be earned in a single race. And the fact remains, Kenseth is about where he should be in the standings, even with his four wins, because of his inconsistency. How you fare during the first 26 races should be important, which is why I seed the drivers BEFORE adding the bonus points for wins, because a driver that's a dominant points leader, as Jimmie Johnson has been this season, deserves a significant edge, and he would have an edge of one-third of a race, in terms of points, and he deserves it, based on the way he's performed. But at the same time, consistency throughout the first 26 races should be rewarded equally, and that's why you have Matt Kenseth, who's tied for the lead with Johnson, but seventh in points, sixth according to my system. He should not be vaulted straight to he top based solely on his wins, and he wouldn't be according to my system. It's just odd the way second through fifth currently line up in points and wins that create the four-way tie. But that shows my system actually works because in the case of those four drivers, because consistency and winning races are rewarded equally. 632. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:23 am Rate this comment: (6) (2) "Fact is, Kyle Larson, as talented as he is, would not have a good enough car to win the KNPE title last year if wasn't for the fact that he's in Max Siegel (aka NASCAR) owned DFD cars. I find it amusing that you come in here as "anonymous" to turn an issue of drivers not having to work hard to get a good car into your fake claims of "racism" and take my comment down a notch. Nut up, coward. The people like you are just looking to turn everything into a racist fight. Next you will comment on ESPN saying MLB is after A-Froid for racist reasons too." I'm not going to disagree with your first sentence, but was the rest of that really necessary? Look, I like you, and I enjoy reading your comments, but the more you insult people, the less respect people will have for you. I was one of the people who most wanted you to return, and I even posted several comments defending you. Don't make me recant them. 633. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:45 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) Not really necessary, no. For the first time ever, Humpy has a good idea. Who would have thunk it? 634. Anonymous posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:03 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) "Fact is, Kyle Larson, as talented as he is, would not have a good enough car to win the KNPE title last year if wasn't for the fact that he's in Max Siegel (aka NASCAR) owned DFD cars. I find it amusing that you come in here as "anonymous" to turn an issue of drivers not having to work hard to get a good car into your fake claims of "racism" and take my comment down a notch. Nut up, coward. The people like you are just looking to turn everything into a racist fight. Next you will comment on ESPN saying MLB is after A-Froid for racist reasons too." Larson and Wallace earned their K&N rides through everything they did before their NASCAR careers, and they earned their current rides by being successful in K&N. It's not like every Siegel driver wins multiple races and contends for/wins championships like they did. They have both proven already they are talented drivers with potential and race or ethnicity has nothing to do with it. Larson and Wallace are talented drivers who earned their rides. A-Rod is a cheater who deserves a harsher punishment than the MLB will give him. I don't see any comparison there. 635. JRacingFast posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:28 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) I just read on jayski that Austin Dillion is gonna miss Nationwide qualiflying to practice the #14 at Michigan....Now from my stand point i gotta ask....AUSTIN WHY!?!?! Mid-ohios a new track and a road course thats really difficult to pass on.....So why risk your points lead to just practice the cup car?? I just have a feeling this has the making of an epic shoot yourself in the foot moment 636. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) By the way, and I know the Jeff Gordon fans are going to get all over me on this one, but here's a prediction. Jeff Gordon will probably NOT be in the All-Star Race next year. He's currently not in next year's All-Star Race, and will have to win either one of the remaining races this year or one of the races that proceed the All-Star race next year, and I just don't see that happening, mainly due to the fact that the #24 team is at the bottom of the pecking order at Hendrick Motorsports.. And I don't think he can finish in the top 2 in the Open due to a lack of speed and we know he won't likely get the fan vote because Danica will get it. The eligibility for series champions was changed some time ago from a career-long exemption to a 10-year exemption, which is why he's currently not in the All-Star Race for 2014, and unless something changes at Hendrick Motorsports, I don't think he'll be in the All-Star Race next year. 637. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I strongly encourage everybody to watch the video that Humpy Wheeler has put out where he talks about some of the things that have changed in racing over the years and why it has plateaued for so long after the '90s boom period. Among the highlights include the sport being "fancied up" and leaving the blue collar folks behind, nobody to replace Dale Earnhardt, the sport being too expensive to race in at even the lower levels, and a points system that discourages drivers from taking risks in order to gain positions. It's 18 minutes long, but if you've got the time, check it out. The link is up at Jayski.com. 638. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 12:59 pm Rate this comment: (9) (1) Classic Nico. You know I like you and have respect for you, but for whatever reason this year you've hands down become one of the most ignorant users on here. I'm not the hugest Larson fan, but the fact is he was a middle class kid who worked his way up through the open wheel ranks (quite similar to your hero Jeff Gordon). And from what I've seen and heard, Darrell Wallace didn't have it that easy either. They may have broken into Nascar through that Max Siegal Minority program, but that doesn't mean that they didn't work their asses off prior to getting that deal. It's (here comes that word again) IGNORANT as hell to classify all these drivers together and say they didn't work hard just because you don't like them. Oh yeah, and while I agree with you on the "Dylan Kwasniewski = rich" thing, at least he seems to be backing it up with his talent. And while I also agree with you about Chase Elliott getting the best equipment because of who he is, Ryan Blaney and John Hunter Nemechek? You've gotta be kidding me. Ryan Blaney is driving around less than stellar Truck equipment for Brad Keselowski and has won twice in it. And John Hunter Nemechek? Just... You've gotta be kidding me... 639. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:16 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) cjs, it was around this time last season when you predicted that Jeff Gordon's Chase hopes were over after his engine blew up at Michigan. Three weeks later, you were proven to be dead wrong. You also predicted that he would be largely uncompetitive at both Indy and Pocono because of his crew chief's incompetency, and he went on to lead laps and finish 7th or better in both races. Sorry, but I can't take any of your bold predictions concerning the #24 team seriously based on your past track record. "When your favorite driver eventually retired (or passed away), which driver did you move on to as your favorite, and why?" When Jeff Gordon retires, Kurt Busch becomes my #1 guy, with AJ Allmendinger closely riding his coattails in second on my list. I'll also be pulling for whomever succeeds him behind the wheel of the #24 car (I've got my fingers crossed on Kyle Larson). There are also some younger drivers in mind that could become Cup favorites of mine if and when they get a Cup ride, such as Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Parker Kligerman, Alex Bowman, and Corey LaJoie. (Fun Fact: There has never been a Cup race prior to or during my lifetime that Gordon wasn't the driver of the #24 car, as I was born exactly one week before he made his Cup debut, which was an off-weekend before the 1992 season finale.) 640. Anonymous posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:17 pm Rate this comment: (10) (1) I think you've overstayed your welcome here NRF. I come on the forum to read and enjoy the insight that others provide, not to read the negativity that you're spewing right now. 641. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:22 pm Rate this comment: (6) (1) @641: That, hands down, is the most delusional comment I have ever seen you make. You call yourself the most proficient racing historian on the same site that features people like cjs, DSFF, and Paul? "I do not need the likes of blind morons like you to insult me when in a fist-fight of logic I WILL win." I recant my previous comments. If you can't handle someone disagreeing with you without insulting the crap out of them, then you're not going to go anywhere in life. Good-bye, NRF. It's been fun. 642. Ched Little posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Error corrector over in NFL blogs 643. Ched Little posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:25 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) webmaster, could you delete everything by that troll NRF? 644. KFC bone eater posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (4) I eat the bones!!!I ate the bones!!!! Got mah 75 thumbs down!!!! 645. Ryan posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) So was Nico Jim Utter? 646. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (1) (7) "I just read on jayski that Austin Dillion is gonna miss Nationwide qualiflying to practice the #14 at Michigan....Now from my stand point i gotta ask....AUSTIN WHY!?!?! Mid-ohios a new track and a road course thats really difficult to pass on.....So why risk your points lead to just practice the cup car?? I just have a feeling this has the making of an epic shoot yourself in the foot moment" It sounds like he takes after grandpa as far as making intelligent choices behind the wheel is concerned. "Larson and Wallace earned their K&N rides through everything they did before their NASCAR careers, and they earned their current rides by being successful in K&N. It's not like every Siegel driver wins multiple races and contends for/wins championships like they did. They have both proven already they are talented drivers with potential and race or ethnicity has nothing to do with it. Larson and Wallace are talented drivers who earned their rides. A-Rod is a cheater who deserves a harsher punishment than the MLB will give him. I don't see any comparison there. " I am not saying that Larson and Wallace are untalented. I am saying that the flaw is that they have these DFD cars. It would make much more sense for NASCAR to sponsor the drivers who get chosen in the series for them to get rides like any other driver rather than just thrust them into the mega $$ rides the way they do. This is a meaningless discussion for me to partake in because I am insinuating that a minority is getting unjustified benefits, and therefore I'm apparently an evil-bigot damned to go to hell. Perhaps it's wrong for me to believe that there is something ethically wrong with the concept of somebody with an average grade of D getting a free ride through college because he can play football or because he's a "minority" while at the same school white males like myself have to worry about having to drop out due to the costs. Are you all going to give me 6 thumbs-down for questioning Danica because she's a woman too? I find it amusing that because I insinuated that a colored person got an unearned benefit I get downed and get insulted. Am I not allowed to evaluate Darrell Wallace getting a top-flight KNPSE ride on the basis of his skin color in the same light as Austin Dillon getting a top-flight KNPSE ride on the basis of his rich family? The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. He had a dream where all would be equal, where white people, black people, and Asian people would all be the same. People have adulterated his dream and taken it to mean that we must elevate colored people. What a lump of bull. We shouldn't even have to put down "ethnicity" on applications for anything. Martin Luther King wanted all people to succeed based on their character and abilities: not their appearance. I wasted my time coming back here, and I shall have to reset my LeechBlock once again. 647. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (13) When it comes to racing history, none of you shall ever have the proficiency I have. I have spent years studying this, and I have the credentials to back it. I have hosted radio, and I have been featured in the Charlotte Observer. I do not need the likes of blind morons like you to insult me when in a fist-fight of logic I WILL win. 648. NicoRosbergFan posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:31 pm Rate this comment: (1) (10) This forum has shown itself to be biggest shithole convention on here. Power to Humpy, and adieu. 649. 83andJoe posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Meanwhile, as the drama-bomb goes off above me, news is that Eric McClure is hospitalized and Jeff Green will be driving the #14 at Mid-Ohio. 650. KFC bone eater's brother posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:36 pm Rate this comment: (9) (1) Comment 643 wasn't the real KFC bone eater, but Comment 1 and 10 was the real KFC bone eater. The real KFC bone eater needed CPR from actually eating chicken bones that aren't from KFC a couple days. He is still alive, but doesn't want post on this site anymore because of the problems the 1st comment caused. 651. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:37 pm Rate this comment: (12) (2) Someone else must be posting with NicoRosbergFan's name, because this is just not like him. Whatever. 2013 has really been a rotten year, if it turned the best forum on the Web into an immature argument-fest. I know I'm at fault here. But can't we all JUST GET ALONG?!?! I know we are capable. We did it last year. NRF wasn't insulting people then. Like I said, this is just not like him. It seems like none of us have been the same this year, even in spite of the good moments (David Ragan winning at Talladega--now who didn't enjoy that?). Don't get me wrong. We are still having good discussions WAY more than we are arguing, but when we argue, it seems to get real nasty, which is totally and completely uncharacteristic of us. For all of our sakes, since there is no other site like this with great discussions like we have so many times, let's try and get along. 652. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:39 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Whoever is trolling as KFC Bone Eater, please shut the hell up. 653. 83andJoe posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:41 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) (It's also curious how some of the comments apparently got re-posted after being removed somehow.) 654. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:42 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) David hit the nail on the head there. PLEASE, can we just all get along? 655. Ched Little posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Happy Birthday Rusty! 656. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 1:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. He had a dream where all would be equal, where white people, black people, and Asian people would all be the same. People have adulterated his dream and taken it to mean that we must elevate colored people." I get this impression, too, but I'm not taking sides. "When Jeff Gordon retires, Kurt Busch becomes my #1 guy, with AJ Allmendinger closely riding his coattails in second on my list." If I'm not pulling for the new driver of the #24 car, AJ Allmendinger will be my favorite. He is a cool dude. "I'll also be pulling for whomever succeeds him behind the wheel of the #24 car (I've got my fingers crossed on Kyle Larson)." Larson or Ryan Blaney. It would be sweet to see one of those two drivers take over the #24. 657. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Eric McClure is hospitalized and Jeff Green will be driving the #14 at Mid-Ohio." This is one of those catch-22 type of moments for me. On one hand I'm ecstatic that Jeff Green has been given another opportunity to run a full race, but on the other I feel bad for McClure as he misses out on being part of the inaugural Nationwide Series race at Mid-Ohio. Hopefully this illness is nothing serious, as he has missed parts of two races the past year and a half (Texas 2012 and Texas 2013) due to illness. ""I'll also be pulling for whomever succeeds him behind the wheel of the #24 car (I've got my fingers crossed on Kyle Larson)." Larson or Ryan Blaney." I didn't mention Blaney for the #24 car because I don't see Penske or Brad letting him get away, nor do I see HMS going after someone who is very Chase Elliott-like on paper (Young, talented second-generation driver). But I would be in favor of Blaney getting that ride too. 658. Eric posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:03 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) I don't know what is going on with site anymore. When someone is impersonating a troll called "KFC bone eater" like 644 did, it it going way to far in terms of impersonations. 659. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I didn't mention Blaney for the #24 car because I don't see Penske or Brad letting him get away" True. I remember people mentioning him for the ride a few months ago, so I felt I should mention him here. Larson should be an excellent successor. 660. Chives5150 posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @649: "Meanwhile, as the drama-bomb goes off above me, news is that Eric McClure is hospitalized and Jeff Green will be driving the #14 at Mid-Ohio." I hate that for Eric. He seems to be one of the most unluckiest drivers around right now, in my opinion. He seems to always be sick or injured in violent accidents. That, and his home in Virginia was severely damaged by a tornado in 2011. Sucks that so many unfortunate things can happen to such a nice guy. 661. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Hate that for Eric McClure. Hope he gets better soon. I feel like we should just start ignoring any potential "ugly" incidents on here. If we feel one starting to rise up, just walk away from the computer for a few minutes. That's the best way to deal with it. That's what I've been trying to do a lot lately, and it's been working well. 662. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:35 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) "You call yourself the most proficient racing historian on the same site that features people like cjs, DSFF, and Paul?" Consider me tickled pink to be listed alongside cjs and DSFF in terms of being racing historians on this website, although I wouldn't consider my knowledge of racing history to be in the same ballpark as those two. Let's just say I'm not the best guy to direct questions towards in regards to the 1971 Indianapolis 500 ;). "I hate that for Eric. He seems to be one of the most unluckiest drivers around right now" I would have to agree. McClure admittedly isn't very gifted as far as talent is concerned, but he is one of the nicest drivers in the garage area and is someone who you just root for hoping he has a good day. Unfortunately, aside from recording his first Nationwide top ten at Daytona earlier this year and his wife giving birth to their fifth child within the past month, McClure hasn't had a lot of good things happen to him recently that the public would know. "I feel like we should just start ignoring any potential "ugly" incidents on here. If we feel one starting to rise up, just walk away from the computer for a few minutes." I took a whole week off between the Pocono and Watkins Glen races because I was so fed up with what people were posting. Then when recent news broke out with Austin Dillon taking over the #14 car, Brian Vickers getting a full-time ride, and MWR having some sponsorship troubles, it rekindled some of that passion that I once had for making comments on this site. It was fun being able to discuss current events the past few days, and hopefully this trend can continue. 663. Dense Drip posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, poor Mcclure. It always seems that something bad happens to him every year. 664. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul (#639), even though he was, points wise, in a far worse position last year than he is this year, he was running better last year than he is this year. He got out of that hole after the race at Michigan, where he was uncompetitive before his engine failure by finishing third, second, and second. And yet, he still would not have made the Chase if not for that incredibly lucky win he got at Pocono, and Kyle Busch running into that oil slick at Watkins Glen, because Kyle would have had two wins and Gordon none if not for those two events, making Gordon ineligible for a Wild Card, and locking Kyle a spot in last year's Chase. I'm not sure Gordon's running anywhere near well enough to duplicate that, and he may have to after Michigan, where I believe he'll struggle to find the top ten due to a lack of speed, and I certainly don't think he's running well enough to get a win before this season ends, and if nothing changes, he probably won't come close to winning before May of next year, and I'm not sure he'll be strong enough to nab one of the two spots that would transfer to the all-Star Race, and Danica would lock him out of any chance to get the fan vote. The question about Gordon is this. Is the car not fast enough for him to run with his teammates at the faster tracks, or is Gordon just not willing to push it on those tracks, thus making the car seem worse than it is. I go back to what Ricky Craven said on the morning of the race at Watkins Glen. He said Gordon has lost his edge, which I think is another way of saying that he won't push it without actually using those words. And remember that it was at this time last year that Rusty Wallace criticized Gordon for not being "into it" as much as some of the other drivers are. Could that have been Rusty's own way of making that same statement without actually saying that Gordon won't push it on the high-speed tracks? One reason Kasey Kahne was able to drive it like he did was that he seemed to be unafraid to go as hard as he could, while Jeff Gordon, by his own admission, was too conservative. And let's not forget that when he's not on the lead row, Gordon almost always drops a slew of sport on restarts on wide tracks, again as a result of not "pushing it". I think Craven and, in his own way, Wallace, have a point. Gordon just doesn't seem to be willing to risk it like he once did, and that may actually be part of what's costing that team, especially in the speed department. 665. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ryan Truex will practice and qualify the #9 RPM Nationwide car at Mid-Ohio while Marcos Ambrose focuses on Cup for parts of the weekend. Ambrose will have to start at the rear of the field on Saturday due to the driver change, which could prevent him from winning since he has never won a Nationwide race from a worse starting spot than 12th before. But then again, his road course prowess and possible great pit calls from his crew chief (Does anyone know which crew will be working with Ambrose at Mid-Ohio?) might just make up for the "rear of the field" penalty that they will face. No word yet as to who will qualify the #3 Nationwide car at Mid-Ohio, but considering that Max Papis will be practicing that car while Austin Dillon is in Michigan, he might just have to qualify twice this weekend. 666. Paul posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well cjs, Gordon did have a great run going at Bristol earlier this season, leading 66 laps before he cut a tire and took himself and Matt Kenseth into the wall. Plus, as you mentioned, he finished 3rd there last August in a car that he felt could have won the race. I guess we'll have to wait another week and a half before we see whether or not he can equal his impressive Bristol runs from recent memory, but that could be the race that puts Gordon in the Chase if all goes well. 667. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:58 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) How can we not mention Sean when dsicussing knowledgeable posters here? He makes my head spin with his insane amounts of knowledge about ALL forms of motorsports. 668. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 2:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "It was fun being able to discuss current events the past few days, and hopefully this trend can continue." It's good to have you back, man. I've missed having you around more often. I took a break last week too for a few days as I went on vacation, and it was nice to get away from the site for a while. I love this site dearly, but sometimes you need to get away from it for a couple days or else your head will explode, lol. 669. Ryan posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brad K thinks the Atlanta tire is going to "revolutionize the sport" http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2013/08/New-Goodyear-Tire-Could-Revolutionize-Sport.aspx 670. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Does anyone know which crew will be working with Ambrose at Mid-Ohio?" I don't know about the crew, but the crew chief will be Seth Barbour, who has worked under the Roush NNS umbrella in the past. 671. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) *discussing*. Stupid Kindle. 672. RCRandPenskeGuy posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Penske is definitely going to hold on to Ryan Blaney, I believe. I think he's good enough to eventually be a Cup driver, but that will be quite a way down the road. 673. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 3:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I took a whole week off between the Pocono and Watkins Glen races because I was so fed up with what people were posting. Then when recent news broke out with Austin Dillon taking over the #14 car, Brian Vickers getting a full-time ride, and MWR having some sponsorship troubles, it rekindled some of that passion that I once had for making comments on this site. It was fun being able to discuss current events the past few days, and hopefully this trend can continue." It's great that you're back commenting on a regular basis. I was kind of feeling guilty, considering that it was partially my tomfoolery and skulduggery (you're a Minnesotan; guess where this reference comes from) that caused you to stop commenting for a while. "How can we not mention Sean when dsicussing knowledgeable posters here? He makes my head spin with his insane amounts of knowledge about ALL forms of motorsports." Gaaaah. I can't believe I didn't mention Sean on here. Those essays that he posts never cease to amaze me. 674. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Or knocks him out of it, Paul. I have to believe that if he can sneak out a win from Bristol or Atlanta, he may not have much pressure at Richmond, where he's finished second and third in the last two September races, and would have won the September race in 2011 if not for the low-balling done by RCR that night. That all depends if Gordon can maintain his place at Michigan, because unless everyone around him has trouble, I don't see ay way he moves up there. It will be interesting what stunts teams, or manufacturers pull in that race. The way it's looking, all the key Toyota teams may very well make it, but several key Ford and Chevrolet teams are certainly on the fence. With only one Ford team, the #99 of Carl Edwards, in for sure, and three others having legitimate chances of getting in, two of which would currently be in, one wonders what strings Roush might pull to get Greg Biffle in for sure. Penske's more of a straight shooter than Roush is, plus neither or his drivers are sure to make it, so we'll see what happens. But with a number of key Chevrolet drivers on the fence, who knows what stuff some of the Chevrolet teams might try to pull to get other team cars in. For instance, with Ryan Newman on the bubble, who know what the driver of the #14 car, whoever it is for that race, might try to do. And if Jamie McMurray gets close, what might Chip Ganassi have Montoya do to help McMurray's cause. But I doubt Jeff Gordon's ever going to get help from the other Hendrick teams because they know how dangerous he can still be if he gets in. ne fly in the ointment is Kurt Busch, since that is a single-car effort, though it is aligned with Richard Childress. The only way Childress might be of any help is to give Busch one of his pit crews, probably Austin Dillon's Nationwide Series pit crew, since pi stops are what has kept Busch from winning this year one several occasions. 675. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 4:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Unless, RCRandPenskeGuy, Penske runs into a situation where he has no place to put Ryan Blaney, which might be sooner than later. If sponsorship gets in the way, he might be forced to part ways with Blaney the same way he was forced to part ways with Justin Allgaier, though I still think there were other matters involved in that, including Allgaier's somewhat questionable attitude and his knack for rubbing people the wrong way. But sponsorship issues also had a lot to do with that. Parker Kligerman ran into that same problem, which is why he's racing for Kyle Busch today, and not Penske, who signed him as a development driver, just as he had signed Allgaier after his 2008 ARCA championship. Penske may not want to get rid of Blaney, but the way the sponsorship situation is going on in the Nationwide Series, he may eventually be forced to. 676. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (2) (2) I really hate that it had to end this way with NicoRosbergFan. His constant insults and bitching annoyed me a lot, but when he was in a calmer mood, he showed himself to be a very intelligent poster, someone who you would love to have a racing discussion with. I doubt anyone on this site was as passionate about auto racing as Nico was, and the loss of that passion has dealt this site a huge blow. I'd had a feeling for a while that NRF wouldn't be on the site for much longer, but I had sincerely hoped that I was wrong. Sadly, it turns out that I wasn't. Despite the unfortunate end to his time here on Racing-Reference.info, I wish NRF the best in his future endeavors in and out of the racing world, and I certainly hope that, in a better time, in a better place, we can all converse about racing together again. 677. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) It would appear that earlier today some unfortunate incidents occurred in the comments above me. Whether that was NRF or a troll, it's sad that someone decides to talk like that over the internet. And just gonna throw out a reminder to everyone on here, though I'm sure just about everyone already knows this. Posters on here have their own styles of wording posts and certain knowledge that can mark them, but as long as there is no account/registration on this site and everyone essentially has a free-floating posting name, anyone, including me, can post under my name... 678. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) ...or Long Shot's... 679. 83andJoe posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) ...or Joe's... 680. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) ...or murb's... 681. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You've made your point, Sky Warrior. 682. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ...or anyone else on here. You get the idea. As long as that's the case, this site is a ripe, low hanging fruit for any no-life troll who stumbles upon it. Just keep that in mind, and let's all try to be mature and get along. And no more KFC garbage 683. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 5:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also, if Jeff Gordon is snakebit, what does that make poor Eric McClure? I hate that he's got to get out of his own car for the third season in a row due to illness/injury. Sometimes when racing decides to be unfair, it decides to be REALLY unfair. I hope for his sake that Hefty and Reynolds Wrap don't bail on him at least 684. Schroeder51 posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:16 pm Rate this comment: (8) (0) I think "KFC Bone Eater" is the first person to get 100 thumbs down on a comment. There's a good reason I'm not around here all that often outside of the weekends...the more and more frequent nasty arguments, and the by-now over-obnoxious satire of people like "KFC Bone Eater". Seriously, a Family Guy clip? 685. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:30 pm Rate this comment: (7) (0) I am amazed that webmaster hasn't deleted these "KFC Bone Eater" comments. Whoever you are, please do us all a favor and GTFO. 686. Chives5150 posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) S-so... has anyone seen the special new AXALTA Standox paint scheme that Jeff Gordon will be running at Michigan? It was designed by Sam Bass, and I think the white and blue color combination looks really sharp. 687. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:36 pm Rate this comment: (10) (3) Webmaster, I just want to let you know at this moment that the rest of us on here extremely appreciate everything you do for us. I just want you to know that everything you do is worth it. We all love this place. Please don't let one immature person bring you down. And Nico, I'm glad to see you've finally shown your true colors. I once had respect for you as you've been on this site for a long time, but I've had it with your disrespect towards the site and everyone on it. As I think about it, you leaving this site will only bring the rest of us together even more. You could have been a part of it with us, but you let your sensitivity take you to a completely ridiculous level. So, bon voyage. I'm probably not gonna post again until the weekend, so I'll talk to you guys then. Thanks to all of you who make this place what it is. 688. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 6:48 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Seriously, a Family Guy clip?" I'm pretty sure that was NRF's way of saying good-bye and screw you (to put it mildly). I could be wrong, though. If NRF is bound to leave the site (which means that the IndyCar and Formula One games are without a host), let's remember him for what he was, not what he became. His good points, and not his bad points. "S-so... has anyone seen the special new AXALTA Standox paint scheme that Jeff Gordon will be running at Michigan? It was designed by Sam Bass, and I think the white and blue color combination looks really sharp." Yes. I LOVE it!! 689. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.14.2013 - 7:06 pm Rate this comment: (5) (1) I wouldn't call myself a racing "historian" by any means. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on NASCAR's history, as well as the reasons each driver or sanctioning body directed move either succeeded or failed. But as for the rest of motorsports, I barely know the basics. I am trying to learn because I want to be more immersed in other discipline's history. But when cjs says something like "a similar instance happened in the 1973 Indianapolis 500...." or "a good example is Roger Penske firing his driver after 1978 even though he won the championship because he didn't win any races....." I just take his word for it cause I trust his opinion. Not sure a PTI type show would work between me and him. A show like that has to have an entertainment value to it to appeal to enough people to make money, and when it comes to discussing racing, cjs doesn't go for much humor or sarcasm. I can tell he is a fun guy from his YouTube videos, but when it comes to discussing racing, he is dead serious. And I respect that. But that wouldn't exactly be must watch TV. What we need is a show with me and Ben Lowe called "Things That Are Awesome And Things That Suck". It will pretty much be an entire show of us shitting on Brian France and all initiatives started under his watch, as well as constant criticism of Danica, Dale Jr, and Joonyerr Nation. Of course we will change things up every so often, like spending 30 minutes talking about how awesome The Ultimate Warrior's 30 second match against The Honky Tonk Man was, as well as entire episodes talking about how cool The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness was (until Vince decided "the fans really seem to be enthralled by this, I must get involved and screw everything up). We'll also shit on the McMahons and HHH a lot. I bet Paul would be a great addition to this. And in the racing off season, we will discuss and laugh about all of Peyton Manning's playoff one and dones, and Buddy Ryan's humiliating losses to Joe Montana. 690. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 7:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "A show like that has to have an entertainment value to it to appeal to enough people to make money" Exactly. That's why you'd be there. "But as for the rest of motorsports, I barely know the basics. I am trying to learn because I want to be more immersed in other discipline's history." Same here. Some time ago, I memorized the entire list of F1 champions (since then, one or two might have slipped my mind). I think I've got a good start there. And I'm also participating in all the fantasy games, including hosting the Grand-Am game. I feel that if I can familiarize myself with the drivers, I can start learning other important and significant facts and history. "What we need is a show with me and Ben Lowe called "Things That Are Awesome And Things That Suck". It will pretty much be an entire show of us shitting on Brian France and all initiatives started under his watch, as well as constant criticism of Danica, Dale Jr, and Joonyerr Nation. Of course we will change things up every so often, like spending 30 minutes talking about how awesome The Ultimate Warrior's 30 second match against The Honky Tonk Man was, as well as entire episodes talking about how cool The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness was (until Vince decided "the fans really seem to be enthralled by this, I must get involved and screw everything up). We'll also shit on the McMahons and HHH a lot. I bet Paul would be a great addition to this. And in the racing off season, we will discuss and laugh about all of Peyton Manning's playoff one and dones, and Buddy Ryan's humiliating losses to Joe Montana." That's IT!! That would work very well. I think if I were to do a show (maybe a SportsCenter-type news show), murb would be the co-host (We have like a psychic link). Either him or Long Shot. 691. Jim Davis posted: 08.14.2013 - 7:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I just finished watching the Humpy Wheeler video. It was interesting but I can't say that I was overly impressed. Most of the video is taken up with what Wheeler thinks is wrong with NASCAR. Although I agree with many of his assessments there wasn't anything new or particularly insightful about his analysis. All the issues mentioned are common knowledge among those that follow NASCAR in any depth. Also interesting were the problems he *doesn't* mention though those omissions may have been due to time constraints or edited out or something. Wheeler also does not offer anything in the way of solutions with one exception. In the last few minutes of the video Wheeler offered a solution for the poor racing. He seems to feel that points should be awarded for passes and re-passes for the lead. I don't think he has given this enough thought but again maybe time was a constraint and he was not able to go into enough detail. As it was the first image that popped into my head was Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth way out in front of the field taking turns leading and piling up a lot of points. All points systems will be gamed but it struck me that Wheeler's idea was more susceptible to gaming than most. All in all, I think anyone looking for solutions to NASCAR's problems will be disappointed with this video but I don't want to discourage anyone from watching it. It has moments of interest. 692. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.14.2013 - 7:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hey, Humpy agreed with my basic premise of totally reworking the points system to award front running, passing, and being in great position all race long. "Same here. Some time ago, I memorized the entire list of F1 champions" I'll be honest, F1 isn't a huge priority for me. Sometime last year (or maybe it was this year, hell if I know) I became fascinated with the Aryton Senna vs Alain Prost rivalry, learned the basics, and asked questions of the F1 experts (which they graciously answered) such as "Was Senna really that good?" (yes) "Was Alain really such a bad guy? (no) and "Was Senna's championship altering penalty that one year legitimate or complete bullshit?" (kind of a gray area, nobody seemed too terribly appalled by it). But overall, right now I want to know about American open wheel racing. For example, the "Greatest Ever: Foyt or Mario?" question. Just looking at the numbers, I can't help but wonder aloud "How is it not unanimously Foyt?". Also, another question I have: "Would it be utter blasphemy to say Al Unser Sr was better than Rick Mears?". Glad to see the positive reception to the show. 693. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'll be honest, F1 isn't a huge priority for me. Sometime last year (or maybe it was this year, hell if I know) I became fascinated with the Aryton Senna vs Alain Prost rivalry, learned the basics, and asked questions of the F1 experts (which they graciously answered) such as "Was Senna really that good?" (yes) "Was Alain really such a bad guy? (no) and "Was Senna's championship altering penalty that one year legitimate or complete bullshit?" (kind of a gray area, nobody seemed too terribly appalled by it)." That was last year. "Glad to see the positive reception to the show." Any show with you on it is going to be positively received. 694. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Hey, Humpy agreed with my basic premise of totally reworking the points system to award front running, passing, and being in great position all race long." Sometime, I am going to calculate the standings with your system. The results should be very interesting to see. 695. Ched Little posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Larson and Wallace earned their K&N rides through everything they did before their NASCAR careers, and they earned their current rides by being successful in K&N. It's not like every Siegel driver wins multiple races and contends for/wins championships like they did. They have both proven already they are talented drivers with potential and race or ethnicity has nothing to do with it. Larson and Wallace are talented drivers who earned their rides. A-Rod is a cheater who deserves a harsher punishment than the MLB will give him. I don't see any comparison there. " "Webmaster, I just want to let you know at this moment that the rest of us on here extremely appreciate everything you do for us. I just want you to know that everything you do is worth it. We all love this place. Please don't let one immature person bring you down. And Nico, I'm glad to see you've finally shown your true colors. I once had respect for you as you've been on this site for a long time, but I've had it with your disrespect towards the site and everyone on it. As I think about it, you leaving this site will only bring the rest of us together even more. You could have been a part of it with us, but you let your sensitivity take you to a completely ridiculous level. So, bon voyage. I'm probably not gonna post again until the weekend, so I'll talk to you guys then. Thanks to all of you who make this place what it is. " I'm pretty sure the person who wrote the first is also the one who wrote the second. 696. cjs3872 posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) At Indy DSFF, there's no doubt in my mind that Al, Sr. was superior to Mears. Consider this. He had almost as many top five finishes in the Indianapolis 500 as Mears had starts. Al Unser had 13 top 5 finishes, all but one of them top three finishes (4 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds), and Mears started the race 15 times. And the one full season both were healthy and ran the full season for Roger Penske in 1983, who was it that won the season championship? It wasn't Mears, but it was Al Unser who won the title in '83. When ESPN did the SportsCentury profile on Al Unser, Paul Page said something that resonated with me. He said that if you gave Al a good car, that meant that "nobody else was going to win for a while". That was especially true in the big events. From 1967-'74, when he finished the Indianapolis 500, he was never WORSE than third, and never ran out of the top three or four when he did drop out, except for 1968. He was second in 1967, won in 1970 and '71, was second in '72, was dominating the '73 race when he fell out, and was running third in '74 when he dropped out, and probably would have finished second behind Johnny Rutherford. (A.J. Foyt dropped out after Al Unser did.) And Al even finished fourth the one time he ran the Daytona 500 (for Cotton Owens in 1968), and there are those that said that if Al was more experienced in a stock car, he would have challenged for the victory. And had Cale Yarborough not been able to run the 1970 Daytona 500 due to his injuries from the 1969 race at Texas World Speedway, the Wood Brothers had already settled on Al Unser to be his replacement, and I guarantee that Al wouldn't have broke the car the way Cale did in that race. And of course, there was 1978, when Al Unser became the ONLY driver ever to sweep the 500 mile races in a single season. When it comes to the most challenging IndyCar events, the 500-mile races, Al Unser was the best ever, and I don't think it's even close, because he always seemed to factor in when it counted, the finish. And when most drivers are near the end of their careers, Al won the IndyCar championship not once, but twice in his mid-40s, winning it at 44 in 1983, then doing I again at 46 in 1985, and he's still the oldest champion in the history of major professional auto racing (sorry, but drag racers don't count here), just like he's the oldest man ever to win the Indianapolis 500, doing so in 1987 five days before his 48th birthday, and the oldest man ever to lead the Indianapolis 500, doing so in 1993 at the age of 54, when he was a serious threat to win the race in his final start at Indy. In the most prestigious IndyCar races, the 500-milers, there's one league for Al Unser, and there's another for everyone else, including the likes of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, and even Al's older brother Bobby Unser. 697. Ched Little posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (6) Yes, I'm saying that murb is NRF's "anonymous" troll. After reading his post, it seems certain. He has reveled so much in seeing NRF get dogged and he has reveled in today's events, and he has taken potshots at NRF at every opportunity in the past. 698. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.14.2013 - 8:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Humpy's right about a lot of things in his video, but I can't help notice the irony of a guy involved with preparations for an F1 Grand Prix talking about a sport becoming too fancy and sophisticated. I do think the part where he mentions corporate influence speaks a lot about what several people here mentioned with the Bass Pro Shops/Stewart-Haas situation. While he has the right idea with his point system changes, I agree with Jim Davis, it's not well thought out. Similarly to the potential to abuse re-pass points, if you give points just based on passing, you would penalize drivers who qualify and stay near the front, and I am sure some drivers would lose positions in the pits on purpose so they can get passing points on the track. My idea would be to assign a certain amount of points for laps led in a race depending on what percentage of the race a driver leads, I would say maybe 5 max. So if a driver leads 100% of the race, they get 5 points. 80% gets 4, 60% gets 3, etc. I think this would reward teams who try to get out front and fight hard to stay there. Of course, NASCAR would never do this because they're too worried about the points system being "complicated." 699. murb posted: 08.14.2013 - 9:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I'm pretty sure the person who wrote the first is also the one who wrote the second." lol, What? The first comment, comment 634, was written at 12:03 pm Eastern time. That's 10:03 am my time. At 10:03 this morning, I was in my bed sleeping because I was up late working on some art projects. So that one couldn't have been me. So you sir, are wrong. Nice try though... And just to clarify, other than like one time where I changed browsers and accidentally forgot to re-enter my user name, I have never posted under "Anonymous" on here before. So if you still want to not believe me, then go right ahead. I'm not gonna lose any sleep over your accusations. 700. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Just thought I'd share this for fellow diecast collectors and Ryan Blaney Fans. Cooper Standard has released a promo earlier this month, the first NASCAR truck done in 1/64 scale since Colin Braun in 2008. It's Blaney's #29 Cooper Standard Ford, for sale on their website. Pretty cool what they're doing for NASCAR fans with the merchandise they're putting out themselves, most companies just do it through NASCAR merch partners or don't do it at all. I've enjoyed reading the reactions to what I posed earlier about having a fan-run show. It sounds like a big project, but if we got enough people serious about it I think it could be a lot of fun 701. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tell to that to NRF, murb. In case you didn't see his blog post, he also thinks that you were his "Anonymous" troll. 702. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "I've enjoyed reading the reactions to what I posed earlier about having a fan-run show. It sounds like a big project, but if we got enough people serious about it I think it could be a lot of fun" Yes! Let's focus on that instead of the events of today. "Just thought I'd share this for fellow diecast collectors and Ryan Blaney Fans. Cooper Standard has released a promo earlier this month, the first NASCAR truck done in 1/64 scale since Colin Braun in 2008. It's Blaney's #29 Cooper Standard Ford, for sale on their website. Pretty cool what they're doing for NASCAR fans with the merchandise they're putting out themselves, most companies just do it through NASCAR merch partners or don't do it at all." That is really awesome. Where on the site did you find this? 703. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David, it's on Cooper Standard's store page, under the NASCAR tab. $7.95, plus shipping. It's $5.25 for me but I've heard some people say their shipping pushes it up to $20. The truck itself is kinda blocky, but I still think it's worth it, even up to that $20 range. I've gotta get me at least one 704. The Long Shot posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And as for the show, while I wouldn't be able to post videos (yet...once I can get a YouTube account, you'll have to stop me from posting so many videos on there), I would certainly be able to help with the moderation of the comments section (secretly, of course). Just make sure I'm informed of the password when/if you get the channel running. Another idea: we could also use the channel as a place to publicize the fantasy games. We're trying to gain players back, after all, and what better place to publicize things than YouTube? 705. NoLongerAnonymous posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sky Warrior, "kinda" is an understatement, it looks like one of the 1995 Racing Champions trucks that has been re-decalled (and if the actual product is just like the picture, it doesn't have Ford logos or Blaney's name above the door), but it definitely makes for a cool collectors' item, as do all of the NASCAR items on the Cooper Standard store site. 706. Sky Warrior posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NLA, you're right, no name above the door, but that's sometimes the case with promo cars. Camping World didn't put Trevor Bayne's name on their promo car last year. The truck does have Ford logos on the grill at least, haven't found a picture of the back yet. One sold on FeeBay today for $38.75. Always double check when someone lists a promo, you might be able to get it and save a whole Andrew Jackson 707. David posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "once I can get a YouTube account" You wouldn't know how soon (or distant) that would be, would you? To get the channel started, all we'd need is for someone to create an email account (Gmail, preferably, since it's affiliated with YouTube) and subsequently create the actual channel. Then they could send the username and password to other people with a channel in a personal message (that way, no trolls here could cause mischief with it). 708. DB1995 posted: 08.14.2013 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I never noticed Trevors name wasnt above the door on the Good Sam car, i paid big bucks for one on ebay (1/64 scale) i paid like $14 because i just have to have every TBayne car 709. Baker posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (3) (2) Guys do we really think that is Nico? I mean I could be wrong because I'm not on here as often as some, but the worst I c an think of about Nico is him complaining about his post getting thumbs down. the type of F you post in this thread was never seen from him before IMO. Anyway, I believe Kyle Larson would be throwing away a promising career if he stayed with Ganassi and it would only be worse if he jumps up to cup with him this next season. 710. Jim Davis posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Anyway, I believe Kyle Larson would be throwing away a promising career if he stayed with Ganassi..." I've read that Larson is in the 2nd year of an *8 year* contract. If true he's going to be driving for Ganassi for quite some time unless there are any escape clauses he can use. 711. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Just thought I'd share this for fellow diecast collectors and Ryan Blaney Fans. Cooper Standard has released a promo earlier this month, the first NASCAR truck done in 1/64 scale since Colin Braun in 2008. It's Blaney's #29 Cooper Standard Ford, for sale on their website. Pretty cool what they're doing for NASCAR fans with the merchandise they're putting out themselves, most companies just do it through NASCAR merch partners or don't do it at all." While it is neat that they made that, if you look closely at it, you will see that it uses the 1995 Ford F150 diecast body. I don't really understand why they wouldn't just update their truck mold, because the truck's body has changed since then (the addition of the splitter). 712. ch posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) For all those interested, FS1 has now signed deals with Directv / Dish / Time Warner / Brighthouse. I do believe that that is all the major providers. 713. 83andJoe posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:55 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) SpeedWorld97: If they're using a /1995/ body, more than the splitter has changed...! 714. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:55 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) I can't believe nobody mentioned this, but Dale Sr.'s grandson Bobby Dale Earnhardt was arrested in West Virginia Tuesday night for drunk driving. He can possibly face a $500 fine and 6 months in jail. 715. 83andJoe posted: 08.14.2013 - 11:58 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) -one Google later- ...holy cheese on a biscuit, that IS a 1995 bodied Truck! ...where on earth did they find the molds?! 716. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:01 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I guess they just never updated the original mold, 83andJoe. Remember that in 1995 diecasts were made of numerous Truck drivers and it looks like the same mold that is used today. 717. 83andJoe posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:02 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) And on Bobby Dale: we'll see if he learns from it, thankfully nobody got hurt. For those who don't know him, he's a regular on the ARCA Truck Series (and one of the rare cases of a driver moving AWAY from Mooresville to further his stock-car career). 718. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:08 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Cjs, thank you for the thorough response. That helped a lot. It will be a while before I can have more than a simple open wheel convo with you, but thanks for the thoughtful answer. I knew Big Al was really good, 4 Indy 500s, some championships, the '78 Triple Crown, but I didn't know he was that good for that long. When I think of him, the first thing that always came to my mind was the SportsCentury done on him when he talks about winning a championship by beating Al Jr in the end. When asked what he was thinking when Little Al drove up beside him on the cooldown to congratulate him, Al began tearing up and, in barely above a whisper, said "I wanted to tell him I was sorry". Legendary driver, better human being. Speaking of the Unser family, how about their Indy record? Nine wins for the family! Four for Big Al, 3 for Bobby, and 2 for Little Al. 719. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "You wouldn't know how soon (or distant) that would be, would you?" I don't have an exact time frame, but let's just say that it's going to be quite a while. "For all those interested, FS1 has now signed deals with Directv / Dish / Time Warner / Brighthouse. I do believe that that is all the major providers." Are you talking about just satellite providers? If not, you forgot Comcast, which is probably what most people on here have. 720. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:43 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ryan Blaney diecast? Yes please. I haven't seen it yet, but regardless what it looks like, that will be the first of many Ryan Blaney diecasts, so that alone will make it worth a lot one day. 721. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I agree with Jim Davis. Humpy didn't state anything that we haven't already stated, but it's refreshing to see one of the NASCAR brass make these accusations. If more big names get involved, then maybe more of a push will be made to switch things up. As it is, the revenue NASCAR is taking in makes the fans voices a moot point. 722. OldSchoolNascarDude1 posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) As for the potential YouTube channel/show - Let me know if I can in anyway help. 723. Rexrobe posted: 08.15.2013 - 1:56 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) DSFF, I have been in Indycar racing all of my life - as a fan, team member, and member of the IRL staff. I'll be happy to take on your questions! I'll get to the Al Sr. vs Mears tomorrow, well, later today. 724. Ron Burgundy posted: 08.15.2013 - 6:30 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) *In reference to the emotional outburst of posts on this page* Well that escalated quickly... 725. Ryan posted: 08.15.2013 - 8:08 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) FS1 already has a deal with Comcast 726. murb posted: 08.15.2013 - 12:10 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) I want to apologize to everyone on here for that whole situation that happened between Nico and I. I know it's never fun to have to sift through a bunch of that garbage. People come here looking to converse about racing, not to watch a bunch of people cut promos on each other. Nico caused quite a bit of this situation, but I myself didn't help matters. I was preaching earlier that you need to know when to walk away from the computer when heated situations, yet I didn't follow that. That's why that all escalated so quickly. Anyway, Nico and I seem to have resolved our differences. So again, I apologize to the rest of you for having to deal with all of that. 727. Sean posted: 08.15.2013 - 1:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I expect Kyle Larson will be in the #42 next season, and I would guess Target wants him in the car badly and no longer cares for Montoya. Most would say it's "too early", but truthfully, I don't think the amount of Nationwide experience has much, if anything, to do with Cup success (Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch). The reason this might not be a good idea is Ganassi's equipment. Emerging drivers will usually fail unless they are linked with a powerhouse team - there is much less social mobility in NASCAR than there was in previous decades - Regan Smith may yet end up with a good Cup ride, but Trevor Bayne can't even get a shot in one despite a Daytona 500 win (as meaningless as it became post-2000). He could end up being almost as dispensable as Stremme or Sorenson and that's the risk. But I think the "you need 2 years of development in Busch to have any Cup potential" is a myth...there have been as many successes who didn't as there have been successes who did. Atwood and Logano may not be the most relevant examples either. There was reason to think in retrospect that they were both wildly overrated as they were emerging. Atwood's Busch record was a little sketchy as although he had a few wins he wasn't even close to being any kind of championship contender while Larson could still end up being a championship contender even this season. Logano had a monstrous equipment advantage until he arrived in Cup (Sean Caisse had a comparable season in K&N East, which I believe was called Busch East then, in a lot weaker equipment, and Caisse didn't seem to have much potential at all). K&N East was much stronger when Larson won his title than when Logano won his. I don't think Atwood and Logano will necessarily define how Larson's career will go. However, while Larson SEEMS like the choice (largely because Ganassi won't want to lose him in a similar manner to Robert Yates losing Kasey Kahne to Ray Evernham) this is Ganassi and has cjs said, he has a history of pulling surprises. Hiring Michael Andretti after his failed Formula One experiment in 1994 seems natural now (especially because Newman-Haas certainly wasn't going to fire Mario Andretti in his final season or defending champion Nigel Mansell for him), but it was a HUGE risk for Michael since the team had gone winless in its first 4 seasons - he won on his debut with the brand new Reynard chassis which Ganassi was one of the first teams to experiment with. After Michael left to return to Newman-Haas (which proved to be a HUGE mistake in hindsight, although it looked correct at the time), he also took risks on Jimmy Vasser and Alex Zanardi in '95 and '96, as well as switching to Honda engines and Firestone tires before any of the other major team owners realized how much faster Honda and Firestone were than everyone else, that paid off brilliantly and turned him into the powerhouse owner he remains. Zanardi in particular was seen as a total F1 burnout and Ganassi's chief engineer Mo Nunn told Ganassi not to hire Zanardi (because Italians were dangerous, lol) and Ganassi overruled him. After that, Ganassi's open wheel moves were admittedly much more cliche, as he kept hiring championship contenders from F1 feeder series (Montoya - who was actually a trade he made with the Williams F1 team for Zanardi, Bruno Junqueira, Nicolas Minassian) or drivers who had succeeded elsewhere. While he took gambles on Vasser and Zanardi, most of his moves in IndyCar have been very calculated since then. The sneaky way he quietly acquired Scott Dixon in mid-season in 2002 after Dixon's team went belly up was a big exception. Charlie Kimball wasn't really a risk since Kimball brought his own money. One thing nobody has mentioned here YET - Ganassi is looking to bring back his 4th IndyCar team, if he can obtain sponsorship. It's not inconceivable Montoya could end up right there much like A.J. Allmendinger is serving as a part-time replacement for Ryan Briscoe at Penske. Ganassi is trying to sign Tony Kanaan and/or James Hinchcliffe for the 4th car if it emerges. I think Kanaan at this juncture would be a mistake since he doesn't have many competitive years left (and Kanaan, like his contemporary Franchitti, seems pretty overshadowed lately - yes, they've won the last 2 Indys, but have done little else with the new car). I kinda think Montoya would be just as washed up (I mean we've seen Sebastien Bourdais who has more RECENT CART/Champ Car experience look like a backmarker for much of the past couple years...Montoya would be in better cars, but considering he was one of Franchitti's chief rivals and they competed for a championship together in '99, if Franchitti is fading (and he basically is), I don't think Montoya would be fighting for championships there). If Ganassi lands a 4th car, he needs to think younger - like Hinchcliffe (although I don't see him leaving Andretti) or some sneaky Formula One prospect who never made it to F1 (Luca Filippi, for instance, who is doing some IndyCar races late this season for Bryan Herta's team as a tryout...some people want to call him the next Zanardi, but it may just be that they were Italian F1 prospects and nothing more). Ganassi's Cup team has also been renowned for some occasional shocking moves (Leffler, Spencer, McMurray, Mears, Stremme, and Montoya in Cup were all initially surprises for sure...Sorenson wasn't a surprise even if he did fail). So while Larson SEEMS obvious - and I think that's who Target wants - Ganassi cannot be counted out to pull some really bizarre rabbit out of a hat. I'm not a big fan of him - in fact I'm pissed especially in retrospect that Ganassi put Franchitti in the #40 when Dan Wheldon ASKED to move to his Cup team and was a superior oval driver, then Franchitti ended up replacing Wheldon and Wheldon ended up driving shit and becoming unemployed, etc..., etc... As for Montoya, I think he should leave NASCAR and become a full-time sports car driver and try to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The so-called "Triple Crown of Motorsport" is comprised of the Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix (or the F1 championship - he won Monaco but not the title), and 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has won 2 of the 3, and has nothing left to prove in IndyCar (and I think he'd kinda fail if he came back, at least relative to expectations), so he should try to join Graham Hill as the only other driver to complete the set... He already has several 24 Hours of Daytona wins. He's not going to get a Daytona 500 win (well, I suppose he could, because seemingly anyone could luck into one), so I'm not sure what point there would be to him staying in NASCAR since he's got to be financially set for life. He's gotten his wins, which is enough to cement his overall racing legend further (since only Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney have also won in F1, IndyCar, and Cup besides him...) so he should go off and tackle something else. As to what he WILL do? I'm not even going to make a guess. 728. David posted: 08.15.2013 - 1:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) You are both forgiven. Yesterday was just a really bad day for all of us. Let's talk about something else. Here are the top 25 drivers in my points system: 1. Jimmie Johnson - 1006 2. Kyle Busch - 880 3. Carl Edwards - 774 4. Matt Kenseth - 771 5. Clint Bowyer - 762 6. Kevin Harvick - 757 7. Kasey Kahne - 715 8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 680 9. Martin Truex, Jr. - 646 10. Brad Keselowski - 638 11. Jeff Gordon - 628 12. Kurt Busch - 626 13. Ryan Newman - 606 (WC1) 14. Greg Biffle - 597 (WC2) 15. Tony Stewart - 580 16. Joey Logano - 579 17. Jamie McMurray - 494 18. Aric Almirola - 439 19. Juan Pablo Montoya - 431 20. Paul Menard - 414 21. Jeff Burton - 410 22. Denny Hamlin - 375 23. Marcos Ambrose - 374 24. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. - 359 25. Casey Mears - 304 729. Sean posted: 08.15.2013 - 2:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Kimball brought his own money." Correction: Kimball brought his own SPONSORSHIP. Yes, I understand the difference. "And I don't think he can finish in the top 2 in the Open due to a lack of speed" He is lacking speed compared to the #48, #5, #18, and #20, yes. But compared to the mid-pack teams that populate the Open, he would be much faster. Come on. And I'm not so sure he wouldn't win the fan vote, if a large anti-Danica contingent decided to unite over Gordon, and I could totally see that happening. Of course, I do think he is going to get a win or two before next year's All Star Race, even if he is fading. Well, you all know how I feel about many of cjs's claims that certain drivers are DESTINED to win things and others are not, when in the charity rule era, luck plays a bigger role in most wins than anything else (including Kyle Busch's win at Watkins Glen). "How can we not mention Sean when dsicussing knowledgeable posters here? He makes my head spin with his insane amounts of knowledge about ALL forms of motorsports." I think I'm quite overrated in that regard, since the amount of stuff I've read about or archived myself greatly exceeds the amount I've actually watched. I'm actually embarrassed how few Formula One races I have watched, for example - and since I usually can't afford upper-level cable packages, don't frequent torrent sites often, and am usually asleep during European F1 races, my knowledge of other series outside NASCAR and IndyCar largely comes down to my own archiving, which admittedly is probably more than most Americans, who act like NASCAR and racing are synonymous thanks to ESPN's post-Speedworld atrocious coverage. But in the sheer act of archiving, you do pick up a bunch of knowledge (I couldn't have made that post a couple weeks ago on how meaningless F1 car numbers were without it, for instance). And my knowledge of racing ENGINEERING is pretty freaking pathetic, actually, so I just keep my mouth shut when it comes to understanding the deeper ramifications of downforce, drag, camber, etc... Bear in mind that I am obsessed with several other things as much and sometimes more as I am racing (especially the tournament Scrabble scene) so naturally, there would be others with much deeper racing knowledge. I'm not going to comment on all that site sniping. I can't bring myself one way or the other to care about that kind of business. Even acts of HTML rebellion are more entertaining than that. "But when cjs says something like "a similar instance happened in the 1973 Indianapolis 500...." or "a good example is Roger Penske firing his driver after 1978 even though he won the championship because he didn't win any races....." I just take his word for it cause I trust his opinion." I also think many times his references are too archaic to be relevant to the topic of conversation. I like him as a poster and he is certainly more knowledgeable about '70s and '80s racing than I am, but a lot of times he seems like a showoff when he does this. I'm not saying he is one and I'm not trying to bash him here. Although I'm sure most people on here view us similarly, I try to provide more recent examples most of the time...although I tend to be too focused on the '90s, which really isn't much better. Just because Roger Penske fired Tom Sneva after his '78 winless championship season does NOT mean that is how Penske behaves today. If he did, Helio Castroneves and Kurt Busch and Ryan Briscoe would have been fired sooner than they were, and he'd probably be just about ready to fire Will Power now, and he would never have hired A.J. Allmendinger. Penske has mellowed out, and citing an example of his strictness from the '70s (and I could add later examples like Kevin Cogan and Paul Tracy) does not necessarily mean that is how Penske will operate today. At least when I discussed Ganassi's IndyCar operation in the previous post, I stated that sometimes he took chances but most of the time his hires were pretty cliche. I would not even dare to predict which approach Ganassi will take, while cjs makes many more predictions than I do, and they are more frequently wrong. "I can tell he is a fun guy from his YouTube videos, but when it comes to discussing racing, he is dead serious. And I respect that. But that wouldn't exactly be must watch TV." I'm not sure a show with you and Benjamin agreeing on everything would be much more compelling. A cjs show might be compelling if I were on it with him debating him (especially about marquee races, grrrr...) Of course, given that neither of us is renowned for being particularly photogenic, that sort of show would probably have an extremely small, extremely loyal, and extremely nerdy following. Truthfully, I don't think any kind of racing show in the US would be any kind of hit. US mainstream racing all around is worse than it was 20 years ago. "Same here. Some time ago, I memorized the entire list of F1 champions (since then, one or two might have slipped my mind). I think I've got a good start there." Yes, I have all the F1, NASCAR Cup/Nationwide/Truck, CART/Champ Car, and IRL/IndyCar champions memorized, as well as all the Daytona 500 winners. NRF said he had more memorized than that, and I definitely don't have all the Indy 500 winners and AAA/USAC champions memorized, at least the ones from the '50s or earlier. I don't think it's that necessary to have some of the more minor F1 champions memorized (even though I do). Considering probably over half of Americans haven't even heard of Formula One at this point, at least in Gen Y. At some point it gets like that Fox Trot comic strip where Jason Fox freaks out about not remembering the atomic mass of helium or something. It's not like there's money in racing analysis in the US unless you sell out like Mike Joy or something. The people writing on racer.com are a major exception. Marshall Pruett is an outstanding IndyCar analyst. Robin Miller is very annoying, but when he actually predicts things (rather than just providing commentary), he is usually quite accurate. And both of those were SpeedTV guys they just axed. Do they really think anybody's going to go to their site now with NASCAR on speedtv.com just being the Fox Sports page and Pruett and Miller and their F1 guy Adam Cooper all moving to Racer? Next week, Racer might just be the only general American racing site worth reading. "All in all, I think anyone looking for solutions to NASCAR's problems will be disappointed with this video but I don't want to discourage anyone from watching it. It has moments of interest." Well, I agree with several of his quotes as cited on Jayski. However, I can't stand listening to Barnumesque showmen for any length of time, and I think Humpy Wheeler HIMSELF is responsible for a lot of the carnival-esque garbage (remember that "Price Is Right"-style machine that selected how many cars would be inverted at the Winston?) that came to define NASCAR points races later, so I find anything he says about this hypocritical. He's still right, but I'd rather hear from somebody with integrity...like Harry Gant or Bob Jenkins or something (and I know they've said similar things...) One thing I will say: Eddie Gossage is even MORE annoying than Humpy Wheeler, and I didn't think that was possible. (I'll still take either of them over their boss Bruton Smith, however.) By the way, my opinions on their personalities aside, I would eventually hold my nose and admit both Smith and Wheeler deserve induction into the NASCAR HoF, but if somebody actually had me vote on this, I'd almost certainly find five better candidates any given year. "Hey, Humpy agreed with my basic premise of totally reworking the points system to award front running, passing, and being in great position all race long." So does almost every other racing series except NASCAR, ARCA, Grand-Am and V8 Supercar (although the V8 Supercar series does reward winning more than NASCAR or ARCA do). 730. Sean posted: 08.15.2013 - 2:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Just looking at the numbers, I can't help but wonder aloud "How is it not unanimously Foyt?"." This is an oval/road course thing. The grassroots open-wheel/USAC/World of Outlaws fans would indeed all say Foyt based on his stats. The road course/CART/F1 fans would tend to opt for Andretti by arguing that Andretti spent most of the '70s competing in F1 and had he made IndyCar his main priority, he would have probably exceeded Foyt's stats. Andretti also had much more longevity (of course, he had better cars late in his career also). Most would say Foyt was the better oval driver and Andretti was the better road course driver, and it really depends on your bias there which you see as more important. Andretti managed to bridge the USAC and CART eras, which some people find more impressive, while Foyt was firmly tied to the USAC era until the formation of the IRL when he had a bit of success as a car owner. This is typecasting both of them obviously. I'm well aware Foyt won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona and some USAC road races and a NASCAR road race at Riverside (while Andretti actually DIDN'T win either the 24 Hours of Daytona - he won a shortened version, or the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Andretti had tons of wins on dirt sprint cars too). But the fact that there is a Foyt/Andretti debate at all really comes down to the standard oval/road course, CART/IRL arguments. I think some Andretti fans probably apply his F1 stats and add them to his USAC/CART stats since he spent most of the '70s in F1 and only dabbling in IndyCar (not conducive to success - similar to what people say about Kyle Busch's Buschwhacking, only much more significantly here). While I strongly prefer Andretti between the two of them, I will begrudgingly admit Foyt has him as far as an IndyCar driver goes, but he was somewhat less diverse, so Andretti would probably take him as an overall driver. "Also, another question I have: "Would it be utter blasphemy to say Al Unser Sr was better than Rick Mears?"." No. That's just a fact, and I don't think anyone rates Mears higher, as Mears dominated over CART's most sterile era and drove for Penske almost his entire career in an era when Penske managed the competition and could make sure only 2 or 3 other car owners besides himself had good cars (CART was much, much better in the years leading up to and immediately following the split when Firestone, Honda, and Toyota entered and broke Penske's monopoly...that ended up creating a Ganassi monopoly for a while, but still...) Unser had much more longevity, proved himself much more often in weaker cars, and had more success in other forms of racing (24 Hours of Daytona, IROC). Yes, Unser himself drove for Penske, and won (pathetic consistency-based) titles while he was Mears's teammate and Mears won no titles. After Penske fired him (due to lack of sponsorship I guess?) after his 1985 championship, he re-hired him as a sub for Danny Ongais at Indy in 1987 and in what I believe was a former show car he won Indy. Even though that was technically a Penske entry, I'd say most of Mears's entries were much stronger. Mears certainly isn't as overrated as somebody like Castroneves or Franchitti is, but like them, to a degree he has a discount similar to what you call the Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson discounts. The era he dominated was pretty shallow with only the Penske, Newman-Haas, TrueSport, Kraco, and Galles cars seriously competitive (which was maybe 6 or 7 cars). And usually it was only Penske and Newman-Haas. Truth be told, I'm even more impressed with somebody like Paul Tracy than somebody like Rick Mears, because Tracy managed to win 3 straight races at Penske in '97 when they were MASSIVELY down on power, and in a much more competitive era of CART, something Mears (who was originally Tracy's mentor) never had. But Mears was certainly the better oval driver. "In the most prestigious IndyCar races, the 500-milers" I'm not sure how much the other 500 milers besides Indy had enduring prestige. Michigan isn't even on the schedule anymore, after all, and Pocono is returning after a long hiatus. At this point, I'd say Long Beach is more prestigious than Pocono and Fontana, but making the last two Triple Crown races may change things eventually. 731. Sean posted: 08.15.2013 - 2:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Just because Roger Penske fired Tom Sneva after his '78 winless championship season does NOT mean that is how Penske behaves today. If he did, Helio Castroneves and Kurt Busch and Ryan Briscoe would have been fired sooner than they were, and he'd probably be just about ready to fire Will Power now, and he would never have hired A.J. Allmendinger." Correcting this sentence: Yes, I know Castroneves wasn't fired, but he WOULD HAVE been if this was the Penske of the '70s and '80s probably after his 2011 season. And I actually meant to say there he never would have RE-hired A.J. Allmendinger. 732. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.15.2013 - 2:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Next week, Racer might just be the only general American racing site worth reading." Actually, I'd say it already is. Speed Tv's website has turned into a huge advertisement banner for Fox Sports 1, plus Racer covers just about every form of motorsport imaginable. In my opinion, Racer is the best auto magazine out there. I've been a subscriber for the past year. 733. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 2:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "And my knowledge of racing ENGINEERING is pretty freaking pathetic, actually, so I just keep my mouth shut when it comes to understanding the deeper ramifications of downforce, drag, camber, etc." Ugh, same here. I tend to stay away from the really technical racing discussions, considering I don't know what in the world I'm talking about. "Bear in mind that I am obsessed with several other things as much and sometimes more as I am racing (especially the tournament Scrabble scene)" Same here also. Besides racing, I'm also obsessed with music and, strangely enough, the Mario Kart Wii custom tracks "scene". Again, for all MKWii players on here, I would HIGHLY recommend checking them out on YouTube or somewhere. 734. David posted: 08.15.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "although the V8 Supercar series does reward winning more than NASCAR or ARCA do" Just looked it up, being the crazed points system fanatic/analyst that I am. Where did they get those numbers? I find that system very intriguing. You might have got me hooked on V8 Supercar racing right there. "Yes, I have all the F1, NASCAR Cup/Nationwide/Truck, CART/Champ Car, and IRL/IndyCar champions memorized, as well as all the Daytona 500 winners." Ouch. I've got a long way to go. I'm surprised at myself for not learning the Nationwide and Truck champions, at least. 735. David posted: 08.15.2013 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Even acts of HTML rebellion are more entertaining than that." /*You bet!!*/ 736. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) David, just so you know, there's a Grand-Am race on Saturday, and no predictions pages have been posted. 737. SpeedWorld97 posted: 08.15.2013 - 3:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Yes, I have all the F1, NASCAR Cup/Nationwide/Truck, CART/Champ Car, and IRL/IndyCar champions memorized, as well as all the Daytona 500 winners." Wow, that's impressive. I have about 80 percent of the F1 champs memorized, all of the Cup, 75 percent of Nationwide, all of Trucks, all of CART/Champ Car, all of IRL/IndyCar, all Daytona 500 winners, plus every Indy 500 back to 1960. But before 1960, I don't remember many. I also remember about 90 percent of the IROC champs. Plus if you want to remember the USAC Champ Car champions from 1985-1995, all you have to remember is who won the Indianapolis 500 that year because that was the only USAC IndyCar sanctioned event in each of those years. 738. David posted: 08.15.2013 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I'm quite aware, Long Shot. It's at my home track. 739. cjs3872 posted: 08.15.2013 - 5:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sorry I'm late on this (I've been doing this on Tuesday), but here's a look at how the Chase reset would look now according to my system. Nothing's really changed up top, but boy has it changed at the bottom of the standings. Tony Stewart's injury is part of it, but so has the race at Watkins Glen, as almost the entire picture from 8th-14th changed, but there's now only 16 drivers realistically in contention for the 12 Chase spots with four races to go until the cutoff. Here's how they would stand as of now with all ties broken by the current points standings: 1. Jimmie Johnson (points leader, 4 wins) 2042 (2030+12) 2. Clint Bowyer (second, no wins) 2027 3. Carl Edwards (third, 1 win) 2027 (2024+3) 4. Kevin Harvick (fourth, 2 wins) 2027 (2021+6) 5. Kyle Busch (fifth, 3 wins) 2027 (2018+9) 6. Matt Kenseth (seventh, 4 wins) 2024 (2012+12) 7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (sixth, no wins) 2015 8. Brad Keselowski (eighth, no wins) 2009 9. Greg Biffle (ninth, 1 win) 2009 (2006+3) 10. Martin Truex, Jr. (tenth, 1 win) 2006 (2003+3) 11. Kasey Kahne (12th, 2 wins banked) 2000 12. Ryan Newman (14th, 1 win banked) 2000 NOTE: There was practically a wholesale shake-up among those from 8th-14th, as Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, who were eighth and ninth last week, are now 12th and 13th, and Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex, Jr., who were 12th and 14th last week, are now eighth and tenth. Tony Stewart's injury also contributed to this monster shake-up, as he went from 11th to 17th, and is now out of contention because of the length of time he'll be out. There is still a potential scenario where he could stay in the top 20 in points if those from 20th-24th have nothing but bad finishes, and he could still get a Wild Card if only one other driver from 11th-20th in points has a win, but that's extremely unlikely. Currently, Stewart, 17th in points, is currently 69 points ahead of 21st place Jeff Burton, 78 points ahead of 22nd place Juan Montoya, and 79 points ahead of 23rd place Marcos Ambrose. Casey Mears, who's 24th in points, is currently 122 points behind Stewart. Not currently in the Chase, but still in Wild Card contention: Tony Stewart (17th in points, 1 win), Kurt Busch (11th in points), Jeff Gordon (13th in points), Jamie McMurray (15th in points), Joey Logano (16th in points,), Aric Almirola (18th in points), Paul Menard (19th in points), and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (20th in points). A driver must be in the top 20 in points to be eligible for a Wild Card spot. As of this week, I'm adding a "bubble board", noting who's "X" number of points where, and the list this week will start with seventh place. 7. Matt Kenseth (4 wins) +36 points 8. Brad Keselowski +9 points 9. Greg Biffle (1 win) +2 points 10. Martin Truex, Jr. (1 win) +/- 0 points 11. Kurt Busch -2 points 12. Kasey Kahne (2 wins) -3 points 13. Jeff Gordon -15 points 14. Ryan Newman (1 win) -20 points 15. Jamie McMurray -25 points 16. Joey Logano -27 points 17. Tony Stewart (1 win) -31 points (+69 from 21st) 18. Aric Almirola -65 points 19. Paul Menard -67 points 20. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -95 points NOTE: With the maximum number of points that can be gained in a singe race being 47, if a driver is 142+ behind points 10th place with three races left, 95+ points behind 10th with two races left, or 48+ points behind 10th with one race left, he can not enter the top ten by the Chase cutoff, and if he is said distance plus number of wins behind the lowest current Wild Card driver, he will be officially eliminated from Chase contention. 740. JRacingFast posted: 08.15.2013 - 7:04 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) In case anyone is wanting to watch some racing tonight the arca race from berlin,mi is on the NBC sports network tonight at 10:00 Central time! 741. Eric posted: 08.15.2013 - 7:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sean, The reason Michigan isn't on the open wheel schedule anymore is due to attendance. The fact was Cart was able to put on better races there than NASCAR can, but they didn't the attendance especially after the split. It is combination of reason on why Michigan had the attendance for open wheel. The fact was back in the 1990's NASCAR popularity was on the race the Open Wheel never really recovered from the split. The fact is the Milwaukee didn't recover the the Open wheel split of 1996. 742. Baker posted: 08.15.2013 - 7:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What does the super car points look like? how is this... In outlaws you can qualify 6th and lead the most laps with the win and still lose a point to the 2nd place finisher if he also wins the pole. 743. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 7:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Special thanks to you Sean. That answered a lot. The AJ vs Mario is a very legitimate argument, kinda like Petty vs Pearson in that they each went about racing in different ways, each kicking maximum ass in thwir chosen route. As for the Big Al vs Rick deal, I think that shows my lack of true knowledge. It just seems like Rick has been more, for lack of a better term, romanticized in present days. Big Al has fallen a tick by the wayside historically, by the unforgiving entity of time as our memories fade. I researchex hima little more closely after theu brought back the old Triple Crown and mentioned only Big Al had done it before. 744. AveryNH posted: 08.15.2013 - 8:32 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm always down for a little Thursday night thunder! "The reason Michigan isn't on the open wheel schedule anymore is due to attendance. The fact was Cart was able to put on better races there than NASCAR can, but they didn't the attendance especially after the split." Another massive factor to the declining attendance at Michigan also had to be the three fan deaths in 1998. Finally the last original program speed will air, will actually be its first ever program telecast; Sam Posey's: A History of Trans-am. It airs at three a.m. Saturday morning. I lack a DVR and will have to pull an all nighter just to see this nugget of gold. Also according to Mike Joy on twitter there will be a small send off goodbye following the reair of cup qualifying. I'll see how long I can stay up. 745. ch posted: 08.15.2013 - 8:42 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Looks like the #44 team is now shut down. The bodies / chassis are listed for $27,995 each on Racing Junk. 746. JG24FanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) "DSFF don't waste your time hoping for Gordon to make the chase. He no longer has what it takes to get it done in this sport anymore. He needs to hang up the helmet and call it a career." Are you an idiot? Where would Gordon be in the points if not for mishaps out of his control? Bristol: Popped tire leads to a crash while leading. Texas: Wheel hub fails while running third. Talladega: Caught up in two accidents not of his doing, still finishes 11th. Charlotte: Runs in the Top 5 all night until Nascar throws out a caution while he's on pit road, leading to an enormous crash not of his doing. Michigan: Bobby Labonte runs out of talent and takes Gordon with him. Daytona: Gets taken out by Matt Kenseth while running Top 10. Watkins Glen: "The Curse of Watkins Glen" is all you need to know. He can't get it done anymore?!? Martinsville: 3rd Southern 500: 3rd Sonoma: 2nd (Despite everything going against him in this race.) Pocono: 2nd Gordon has a modern record streak of 21 consecutive seasons with at least two Top 2 finishes in a season. 747. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 9:35 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm not exactly sure, but I think Ben Lowe made JG24Fan a bit mad. 748. DB1995 posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) I dont like Jeff Gordon and i wouldnt even dare say he cant get it done anymore, EASILY the best driver on the track each and every weekend in my opinion 749. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gordon has a modern record streak of 21 consecutive seasons with at least two Top 2 finishes in a season. There it is folks, your weekly JG24Fan obscure stat of the week. Because stats are everything. As we all know, Joe Montana is only the 13th best QB ever (behind Kerry Collins). 750. Chives5150 posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I <3 Ryan Leaf. 751. Baker posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Vinny Testeverde!!! 752. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Christian Pond...no, that's too ridiculous even for JG24Fan. 753. JG24FanForever posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:29 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) "There it is folks, your weekly JG24Fan obscure stat of the week. Because stats are everything. As we all know, Joe Montana is only the 13th best QB ever (behind Kerry Collins)." I never meant to make every comment i've ever posted somehow make Joe Montana look like a lesser quarterback. I'm finished with this site. I can't just post something without it being misinterpreted and shat on like i'm some robot that has no real knowledge or heart for racing. Goodbye, kid's. It was fun, and now it isn't anymore. 754. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I <3 Ryan Leaf." My dad actually went to the same college that Ryan Leaf did, although that was several years before Leaf became "bust-famous". He did, however, meet future sports "stars" like Aaron Sele (a 2-time MLB All-Star pitcher), John Olerud (1993 AL batting title winner, 2-time All-Star first baseman, 3-time Gold Glove winner), Drew Bledsoe (4-time Pro Bowl NFL quarterback, member of the Patriots Hall of Fame), and Jason Hanson (2-time Pro Bowl kicker, NFL record holder of most field goals from 40 or more and 50 or more yards, played 21 seasons with the Detroit Lions). 755. David posted: 08.15.2013 - 10:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) JG24FanForever, I never had any trouble interpreting your posts. 756. The Long Shot posted: 08.15.2013 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) JGFF, I enjoy reading your stats, and I don't consider them to be B.S. To everyone who has made fun of JG24FF in the past (myself included, unfortunately), I have just one word for you: RESPECT. If you don't know what this references, read the blog I posted earlier today. 757. cjs3872 posted: 08.15.2013 - 11:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Again, all Jeff has to do is survive this week's race at Michigan. If he can do that without losing too much more ground, I think he's got a real shot at making the Chase. But if he falls to 15th or 16th in points, which is certainly possible, and his deficit to 10th goes to 25-30 points (or more), I think that will be too much to overcome, even for him. 758. cjs3872 posted: 08.15.2013 - 11:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Actually Sean, Rick Mears dominated the IndyCar circuit BEFORE teams like TrueSports, Newman-Haas, Kraco, Galles, and those teams came in. Most of those teams didn't arrive until 1982 or '83, and Mears' championship years were from 1979-'82. The teams Mears had to run against that were front running teams included Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team, the George Bignotti-Dan Cotter team, Jim Hall's Chaparral team, Interscope Racing (Danny Ongais' team), and Dan Gurney's All American Racers, which was far past their prime. Remember that much of that time was during the first IndyCar split when CART split from USAC, and teams like O'Connell's and A.J. Foyt's ran the USAC events, while the others, such as Penske Racing, Jim Hall's Chaparral Racing, Interscope Racing, and All American Racers, ran in the CART events. The only year that Mears won the championship in a unified IndyCar series was in 1982, though he was the best IndyCar driver in the three years he won the title (1979, '81-'82). He also didn't have to contend with Al Unser since Al drove for Bobby Hillin, Sr.'s Longhorn Racing team from 1980-'82 (ironically, both of their sons would be involved in the same crash in Al, Jr.'s only NASCAR start, the 1993 Daytona 500), as well as Mario Andretti, since Mario was still driving on the F1 circuit then, and made infrequent IndyCar appearances. Certainly, not having Al Unser and Mario Andretti to contend with made it much easier for Mears to dominate the IndyCar circuit from 1979-'82. 759. Sean posted: 08.15.2013 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That's correct and I did know all of that. I guess I was considering Mears's entire period of relevance (1978-91) and for most of that period (including his last three Indy 500 wins) those teams were all highly relevant for wins - I know that most of them weren't around the years he won his titles. And I can't believe both of us forgot the Pat Patrick team, which was Penske's chief rival from the '70s and '80s. 760. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.16.2013 - 12:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) JG24Fan, its not that bad. I think I've made my admiration for Jeff's ability as a wheelman (not a wheel holder like Jimmie and Kasey) and a talented racer (not a talented driver like Kyle). My point is that too many people fixate on Jeff's numbers, but not nearly enough on HOW he got those numbers. The amount of heart and grit in that tiny body is unreal. Myself, along with Nico, are always the first to recognize a Refuse To Lose moment well before it actually happens. That is the sign of a true race car driver. When what looks to be a mundane run has focused and experienced viewers saying "that 24 is fixin to pounce" you have accomplished something much greater than 88 wins for The Powerhouse. My advice: Leave the numbers to the slobbering lazy media and focus on the soul of the man. That makes his 88 wins and 4 Winston Cups look tame. I apologize if I came off as harsh, but I use biting sarcasm to make my point oftentimes. You are the fan of a once every 20 years driver. Numbers are for drivers like JJ who have numbers and nothing else to really hang their hat on. Let's just sit back and enjoy his run to the chase. Speaking of which.... "If he can do that without losing too much more ground, I think he's got a real shot at making the Chase" ZOMG! Where is cjs and what have you done with him? Where is the gloom and doom for Jeff? 761. 83andJoe posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) > It just seems like Rick has been more, for lack of a better term, romanticized in present days. Big Al has fallen a tick by the wayside historically, by the unforgiving entity of time as our memories fade. I wouldn't be surprised if also it's because Little Al's troubles have kinda tarred the Unser name overall, if only subconsiously. 762. Paul posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:52 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) "I'm finished with this site. I can't just post something without it being misinterpreted and shat on like I'm some robot that has no real knowledge or heart for racing." Just remember, JG24FF: Those who bring others down do so in order to bring themselves up. You take more crap than you deserve around here considering you often seem to be in an upbeat mood, and you shouldn't let a few "Ironheads" get to you on a personal level. That's just my take. "If he can do that without losing too much more ground, I think he's got a real shot at making the Chase" So basically you're implying that the 87-time winner has no chance of beating and gaining ground on the 2-time winner who currently sits 10th in the points. Eh, it doesn't matter who beats whom at Michigan. Truex will be in the All-Star Race next year and Gordon won't, right?... "That makes his 88 wins and 4 Winston Cups look tame." Gordon has 87 wins. Now look who's exaggerating his Cup stats. 763. Eric posted: 08.16.2013 - 7:08 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) JG24FanForever, I am not a kid. The first time I had to shave was 19 years ago when I was a teenager in high school. I never had any problems with your posts. 764. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 8:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) DSFF, I say that because once they get to Bristol, they'll be hitting tracks that Gordon can get it done at. Pocono was the only track were Gordon ran better than expected in those four I talked about. Indy went as I expected, as I thought he wouldn't be a top five car, and he wasn't, and I didn't think Gordon would do very well at Watkins Glen, but is aero-push crash shocked everyone that watched it. And I don't expect Gordon to do much better than a top 12-15 this weekend at Michigan, and that's if things go well, because his car simply won't be fast enough to run better than 12th-15th, and if there's a long green fag run, as strong as the other HMS cars are, he could actually get lapped due to his lack of speed, because had the race had long green flag runs, I believe he would have been lapped there in June because of his speed deficit. If he can get out of there without losing too much ground, I think he's still got a chance, but if he drops to 15th or 16th in points, and his deficit grows to 25-30 (or more) points behind 10th, I think he's through, so he just has to survive this weekend's race. Remember that not only was he slow at Michigan, Gordon also ran poorly at California, and he did get lapped there. 765. David posted: 08.16.2013 - 10:42 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) "Gordon also ran poorly at California, and he did get lapped there." And he still came back to finish eleventh, without the free pass. That is what you call refusing to...finish a lap down. 766. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 12:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well, often times what happens is that when a car goes a lap down, that team will pit early, hoping to get an edge from newer tires, and that's likely what happened there. That enabled him to get in front of the leaders after the pit stops, and then when the caution came out, he had unlapped himself. That's if I remember right, because I thought he got lapped in that race. Either that, or NASCAR threw one of their phantom debris cautions, which kept him from getting lapped, but I thought for sure he got lapped in that race. But the Hendrick group, as a whole, was off in that race, because Jimmie Johnson spent quite a bit of that race as the next-to-last or last car on the lead lap before rallying to a top 15 finish when all the mayhem broke out. 767. 83andJoe posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Looks like Jason Bowles will be qualifying Austin Dillon's Nationwide car. 768. 18fan posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What screwed up Gordon partially at California was that Gustafson left him on the track after he hit the wall when Timmy Hill dropped oil on the track and a bunch of cars hit the oil, when most of the other cars that hit the wall pitted to look at and repair the damage. 769. The Long Shot posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Looks like Jason Bowles will be qualifying Austin Dillon's Nationwide car." This would explain Bowles getting out of the #42 car for practice. T.J. Bell will move from the #46 to the #42 instead, with Dexter Stacey, who did not enter his #92 this week because of the Canadian Tire Series race at Riverside tomorrow, getting into the #46. Some other changes: Chase Miller will get into the #10 while Jeff Green subs for Eric McClure, and Ryan Ellis is entered in the #52 for Jimmy Means, replacing Joey Gase. In Trucks, Tim George and the Wauters Motorsports team have withdrawn from the Michigan entry list. Supposedly George will not drive for Wauters for at least the next 3 races, in a strikingly similar situation to what happened with Paulie Harraka last year. 770. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Well 18fan, that's Alan Gustafson for you. If you really are a fan of Kyle Busch, then you should know since Gustafson was Kyle's crew chief from 2005-'07. And by the way, much like Mark Martin and now Jeff Gordon, Kyle didn't get any better after his first year with Gustafson, either. That's why I said last year that Alan Gustafson was good with what I would call "one year reclamation projects", as was the case when he revived Mark Martin in 2009 and Jeff Gordon in 2011, but did very little, if anything with them after that. It was a little different with Kyle, since both were newcomers when they got partnered up in 2005, but Kyle seemed to regress with HMS after his first year with Gustafson, though it was not as noticeable as it was with Martin and it's been with Gordon. 771. DaleSrFanForever posted: 08.16.2013 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (3) (1) Gordon has 87 wins. Now look who's exaggerating his Cup stats. Lol, I was just a couple of weeks early. The fact is Jeff is gonna win Atlanta and all this Top 10 nonsense will be meaningless. 772. Paul posted: 08.16.2013 - 2:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "What screwed up Gordon partially at California was that Gustafson left him on the track after he hit the wall when Timmy Hill dropped oil on the track and a bunch of cars hit the oil" I still don't think that was as bad as Gustafson's audible to change just two tires while Gordon was on pit road when the caution came out. Changing no tires/not pitting would have kept Gordon on the lead lap, and changing four tires would have allowed him to take the wave around. But changing two tires put them a lap down AND threw out the option of taking the wave around because they still had to change the other two tires. Gordon got caught up in a crash anyways, so the horrible pit call probably didn't matter in the long run, but the fact that Gustafson made such a horrible decision is just another notch against him as far as being a race strategist. He's a good setup man, but race strategy just isn't his niche. "Ryan Ellis is entered in the #52 for Jimmy Means, replacing Joey Gase." Gase was only on the preliminary entry list in name only, possibly because he drove the #52 car last weekend at Watkins Glen. The team actually announced on Monday that they would be skipping Mid-Ohio in order to prepare for Bristol (which Gase will be attempting), but the next day they rescinded their previous statement and announced that they would in fact be at Mid-Ohio with Ryan Ellis behind the wheel. "If you really are a fan of Kyle Busch..." Considering his name is "18fan," I think that's a safe guess. "The fact is Jeff is gonna win Atlanta and all this Top 10 nonsense will be meaningless." Gordon could very well win any of the final three races before the Chase. He has finished no worse than 3rd in the fall races at Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond the past two seasons, including winning a classic duel against Jimmie Johnson at Atlanta in 2011. Plus, he led 66 laps at Bristol in the spring before blowing a tire while leading. I think it's pretty obvious that the #48 and #5 teams have a huge horsepower advantage in the Hendrick camp, so I don't expect Gordon to be a contender this weekend at Michigan, but any of the following three races could very well make him an 88-time Cup winner. 773. 18fan posted: 08.16.2013 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul, that was at Charlotte when Gustafson changed two tires and Jeff lost a lap, right? Kyle should've won both Atlanta and Texas in the Chase in 2007 but a combination of bad pit stops and bad calls by Gustafson cost him both of them. 774. Paul posted: 08.16.2013 - 3:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Correct 18fan. I forgot to list the race at which that pit call blunder took place. 775. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 3:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) He also should have won the race at Charlotte in the Chase, 18fan. If he had more experience, he would have been able to blow right by Gordon when Gordon's car stumbled so badly on that restart when Ryan Newman rocketed from fourth to first, because Kyle was second on that restart. But that had nothing to do with Gustafson's race calling miscues. And Paul, I don't think Kasey and Jimmie have as much horsepower in comparison to their teammates as much as it is that they'll just drive it looser and take more chances than Jeff and Dale, Jr. will. Remember that their cars are set up to run faster, but are also set up looser, and that doesn't always work out for the best. Just look at how many times Jimmie has lost control of his car without any help from anyone over the years. That's purely because of the way his car is set up, and Kasey's car is set up in much the same way. But on the other hand, Gordon's and Dale, Jr.'s cars are set up tighter, which in turn make them somewhat slower, but less likely to spin out on their own. David Hobbs said it in the early 80s when he referred to Buddy Baker's driving style. He said that a loose car is the fastest car to drive, but not often the easiest, and what he meant was that a car set up free will be fast, but it also is, at times, difficult to control. The driving tactic Parnelli Jones used to dominate at Indy in 1962 and '63 was a classic case in point. He had gotten on Firestone's tire testing program and accidentally discovered that if he got into a controlled slide in the corners, that by punching the throttle, the car would lurch forward exiting the corners, thereby giving it extra straightaway speed. This was also caused in part by the thinner tires of the era sort of "standing up". He told nobody, not even his own team members what he was doing, and it was only after a few of his competitors saw this from a distance that some of the others figured out what Parnelli was doing to give such an advantage on everyone else. 776. murb posted: 08.16.2013 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) I found it ironic that Joey Coulter blew a tire and crashed the Fox Sports 1 truck in Truck practice. 777. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 4:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) And murb, I heard that they were having tire issues in that practice session. And with 20 cars practicing at over 200 MPH in practice and the track record likely to fall, that's something to keep an eye on this weekend in the Cup race, as well. There could be a tire problem caused by the incredible speeds that are being turned in. remember that in the first race weekend after Michigan was repaved, which was the June race last year, Goodyear actually had to change the tire in the middle of the race weekend, so tires could be a very big problem this weekend, and with some prominent drivers having been hurt this year, if a driver contending for a Chase spot is injured, which I hope does not happen, I wonder if that will be what causes the people involved to slow these cars down, because they don't need to be running 205 MPH, and that's what the pole might end up being. We know the racing isn't going to be very good because the speeds are way too high, but we don't need any more drivers getting hurt, and with Michael Annett and Denny Hamlin getting hurt this year, the last thing that is needed is another significant driver injury, but I fear there could be problems this weekend, especially since I don't think the race pace is going to slow down. Along with the races at Daytona and Talladega, I fear that something bad could happen this weekend at Michigan. I sincerely hope it doesn't. But these cars have got to be slowed down 15-20 MPH, and I think we could see restrictor plates at Michigan very soon if it does because 205 MPH with close to 215 MPH straightaway speeds are far too fast for these cars to be running. 778. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 4:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) By the way, there's yet another backup in the inspection line. Several cars have not yet gotten their cars inspected, including Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, Jr., Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards. I don't know who appears to be having problems this time, but several teams haven't even gotten their cars inspected in order to get to the qualifying line. 779. Rexrobe posted: 08.16.2013 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) If NASCAR can't handle speeds over 200, they don't need to be the top racing series in the country. The talk of slowing the cars down or harder tires is just ridiculous. 200 mph is nothing more than an arbitrary number, if we were a metric nation, no one would go crazy because speeds were over 322 kph... If it's not safe now, then it was never safe before. 780. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 5:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Incidentally, some f those cars that are having problems getting through inspection, including Jimmie Johnson, are having problems as a result of, are you ready for this? Leaking right front tires. Some right front tires are leaking enough to actually cause the car to fail the height part of the inspection. Of course, not only is that causing some cars to have to go through more than once, but that's also a significant safety issue, especially going into turn one at 215 MPH, and as a result, those teams are being allowed to change the right front tire, which has allowed them to pass inspection, and give them a safe tire to qualify on. I have to admit, of all the problems regarding the inspection process this year, this is a new one. 781. cjs3872 posted: 08.16.2013 - 5:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rexrobe, 200 MPH has never been a safe speed for the NASCAR machines. The spate of cars getting airborne in the 80s when they were going that speed at Daytona and Talladega are proof of that. And remember the disasters in IndyCar racing in the 70s and early 80s when they were reaching that speed for the first time? You can't race and run those speeds. Aerodynamics simply won't allow that. Last week, they were even experiencing the aero-push problem n a road course. Speeds like this might wow the fans, but they never produce good, competitive racing. Tom Sneva brought that up in the 70s and early 80s when he was the fastest oval driver in the world, and many others have brought this up in the over 30 years since, and I think it needs to be brought up again. Remember that in 1970, the drivers requested that NASCAR slow the cars down when they got to 200 at Talladega, and that's when they came up with the restrictor plate, which debuted in August of that year at Michigan, so speeds have been a problem on the bigger tracks in NASCAR for a very long time. Let's not forget that Talmadge Prince lost his life in a qualifying race at Daytona that year, and that really got the ball rolling to have NASCAR take a look at the speed they were running then, resulting in the original institution of restrictor plates at Michigan in 1970. 782. The Long Shot posted: 08.16.2013 - 5:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Joey Logano wins the Cup pole at Michigan with a new track record. My Michigan fantasy picks are looking pretty strong so far. 783. Anonymous posted: 08.03.2015 - 5:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) How in the world isn't post 1 deleted? That post is the most embarrassing post currently this site has. I seriously doubt that poster actually ate a bucket worth of chicken bones. 784. Tylor Thaber posted: 08.24.2015 - 8:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Forgot about this, but for you guys who listened to the radio, Owen Kelly delivered the best line I've heard a NASCAR driver say on the radio when he questioned one of the NASCAR jargon terms, followed by a long pause when he was told what it meant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weIKDg3fDIg It's here at 0:24. 785. 88&4Fan posted: 08.30.2015 - 5:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Likely to be the last cup start for Ron Fellows. 786. Anthony posted: 12.11.2015 - 6:46 am Rate this comment: (1) (1) Is this the most number of different countries to ever start a NASCAR Cup race (6: USA, Canada, Columbia, Cuba, Australia and Italy)???? 787. Alex posted: 12.11.2015 - 7:42 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Well, for one thing, Victor Gonzalez, Jr. is from Puerto Rico, which is the USA, so that makes it 5 countries... 788. Big Mac Fan posted: 12.11.2015 - 3:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Is comment #1 the most disliked comment in racing reference history? 789. Eric posted: 12.11.2015 - 6:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Post 1 is indeed the most disliked comment in racing reference history. All I know is the KFC bone eater actually wanted his comment to be the most hated comment in the history of racing reference. 790. Anonymous posted: 03.27.2016 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) "Joonyerr Nation." Its funny how you talk so much crap about Junior fans DaleSrFanForever because at least 90% of them were Earnhardt Sr fans too. So congratulations, your only making yourself look bad. 791. Braindead Zombie posted: 03.28.2016 - 1:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not me. 792. chevyfan98 posted: 09.28.2016 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Driver change: Tony Stewart #14 (thanks Webmaster for doing this!) 793. RaceFanX posted: 06.21.2018 - 9:18 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Michael McDowell makes his first start for Bob Jenkins' Front Row Motorsports to do a one-off in the #35 Ford as a "road course ringer" in place of its normal driver Josh Wise. McDowell said at the time this was the best road course car he ever had, he qualified well with it but a broken track bar and later issues ruined his hopes for a good finish and later sent him behind the wall for good. McDowell later became a full-time driver for Front Row in 2018. 794. Trent posted: 05.09.2019 - 11:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 3rd race for me, as we sat near turn 11 and my grandma said after busch took the checkered flag "i paid all this money to see an ***hole win" 795. SweetRich posted: 07.07.2020 - 6:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The final career race for K-Automotive, the team owned by Bob Keselowski. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: