|| *Comments on the 2017 Coke Zero 400:* View the most recent comment <#233> | Post a comment <#post> 1. rwr posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:01 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Stoddard crew chief the #33? 2. Tide1732 (Blake Koch wins at Daytona!) posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:05 am Rate this comment: (3) (0) My Underdogs: Paul Menard,Trevor Bayne,Matt DiBenedetto,Landon Cassill Favorites: Denny Hamilin,Kyle Busch or Kyle Larson 3. JSPorts posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (1) I believe Eddie Pardue is supposed to be the #33 crew chief. I see it says Stoddard on here, though. And I double-checked with Jayski, also Stoddard on there. If that is the case, it indicates to me that he no longer has anything to do with Go Fas Racing & the #32 team. 4. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) No #96? 5. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:28 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) No Gaunt Bros. 96. They must have said to hell with it since DJ Kennington moved to Premium 6. RaceFanX posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:32 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. makes his final start at Daytona before retirement from full-time completion, the track where so many of his most iconic moments have taken place. 7. Ak47 posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:48 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) No 51, guess they knew they couldn't push the 83 out..but they could beat the 55...7 and 75 would definitely be in the show. 8. Tyler posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @3 Jayski says Pardue is the #33 crew chief 9. 48johnsonfan posted: 06.27.2017 - 11:27 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) About time. An actual 40 car field, even though about 30 drivers may have a chance for a win unless they are wrecked. 10. 1995z71 posted: 06.27.2017 - 2:22 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Im ok with just 40 cars showing up. That means TBR, Kennington, and Gaughan won't be sent home. 11. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 2:52 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @10 Kennington has a charter 12. JSPorts posted: 06.27.2017 - 3:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Yeah, the unchartered teams this week are: #7 Elliott Sadler - Golden Corral Chevrolet (Tommy Baldwin Racing) #55 Reed Sorenson - Premium Motorsports Toyota (Premium Motorsports) #75 Brendan Gaughan - Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet (Beard Motorsports) #83 Ryan Sieg - Dustless Blasting Toyota (BK Racing) Sadler, Gaughan & Sieg have made all of their attempts this year. Sorenson missed the Daytona 500, and it's probably a good thing for him that there are only 40 cars at the track. It's sort of a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it's really good for these individual teams, but the lack of competition throughout the field is, in my opinion, not good for the sport in the long run. 13. JeffGordon24FanForever posted: 06.27.2017 - 4:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) From experience living 30 minutes from the track, it can rain anytime, you either miss it or get a bunch of it. 14. Jonathan King posted: 06.27.2017 - 6:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @12 Sorenson didnt make the Daytona 500 because Lajoie wrecked Sorenson in their duel and there was speculation that Lajoie did that on purpose. Lajoie even said that if Reed was his mom, he would do the same thing. So Sorenson and his DNQ doesn't affect anything. If anything, Sieg could be the driver that if we had 41 drivers, he would get the DNQ. 15. Canadianfan posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Per The Orange Cone Hearing a current developmental league team will make the jump to Cup with a new manufacturer and a seasoned vet as the driver. 16. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @15 GMS maybe? But then again I highly doubt they would abandon the support they get from Hendrick. 17. Maverick19 posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Could it be JR Motorsports? Dale's done after this year (although I doubt they'd switch from Chevy) 18. Maverick19 posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) "@15 GMS maybe? But then again I highly doubt they would abandon the support they get from Hendrick." They have an alliance with Childress. 19. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rattling off some that might be Possible but not likely: KBM? Doubt that they'd leave Gibbs. BKR(Kes) Doubt they'd leave Penske Thorsport maybe. Biagi Bros 98 has been a development team over the years NEMCO? Kaulig? 20. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^Not anymore, they're with Hendrick now. 21. GoKeselowski posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Will DJ Kennington be in the 15 any more times this year 22. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kaulig in cup as Toyota's with a JGR alliance would be perfect (albeit very unlikely). 23. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @21 Nothing has been confirmed yet 24. RaceFanX posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Who could possibly be the new make? NASCAR has been trying to recruit VW/Audi for years but after Dieselgate I doubt it. Honda and Nissan aren't interested. Can't see any of the European brands interested. That basically leaves Dodge and, maybe, Buick? I'd lean toward Dodge or more likely just Ford, Chevy, or Toyota and someone misspoke. 25. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Orange Cone said no new Cup manufactures 26. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maybe Tyler Young's team? 27. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Or MDM? So many friggin possibilities 28. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.27.2017 - 10:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Or it turns out its just a hoax ^_^ 29. Tide1732 (Blake Koch wins at Daytona!) posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (3) MavTV can replace FOX in next couple years. 30. Ultimate Warrior #18 posted: 06.28.2017 - 9:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @18 GMS Racing does get Hendrick support they dropped the RCR alliance last year. 31. Jonathan King posted: 06.28.2017 - 10:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The teams I think will be in cup next year is Mike Harmon Racing because why not or NEMCO can make a return to cup. Who knows. 32. rwr posted: 06.28.2017 - 11:04 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah and why not Obaika for joking. 33. Scott B posted: 06.28.2017 - 1:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Maury Gallagher (GMS) is the team that will move up to Cup. He can put Allegiant on the car for the races where an outside primary sponsor isn't signed. There is a 0% chance of a new manufacturer in Cup next year. A change by GMS to Toyota or Ford, maybe. If they purchase a charter from BK racing, maybe they'll pick up some other assets as well, including cars. As long as this isn't just a way to get Spencer Gallagher in a Cup car, I think I'll be OK with any veteran driver they can lure. 34. Jonathan King posted: 06.28.2017 - 2:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^I bet you it will be Spencer Gallagher because his father is the owner of GMS and no doubt his father wants Spencer to be in cup. But if I am wrong, I bet Johnny Sauter might get the ride. 35. Gelato101 posted: 06.28.2017 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't think Sauter would want to move up. Seems like he'd be content to do trucks the rest of his career like Crafton 36. Dawson posted: 06.28.2017 - 3:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I could see Kasey Khane drive for GMS for a year the Spencer Take over that car 37. Stewart14Rocks posted: 06.28.2017 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) With how crazy the races got at daytona in the spring I think anyone's got a shot to win here. 38. MJM posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:00 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) If I had to pick a driver from a 1-car organization who has never won who could win Saturday, it's be Michael McDowell's #95. 39. JSPorts posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:08 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) That would be awesome. Wouldn't that shake up the playoffs. 40. Gelato101 posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:17 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Would shake them up by having an easy prediction for round 1 elimination 41. MJM posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) It obviously would 42. MJM posted: 06.28.2017 - 7:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Another decent pick for Underdogs from 1-car organizations: #72-Cole Whitt or #32-Matt DiBenedetto 43. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.28.2017 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What if after all this hype, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecks in turn 1 on lap 1 44. Tide1732 posted: 06.28.2017 - 8:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) My Underdogs: Trevor Bayne,Paul Menard,Michael McDowell or Landon Cassill 45. Ultimate Warrior #18 posted: 06.28.2017 - 10:28 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) My top 3 underdog picks 1. Trevor Bayne ( But is he really a underdog?) 2. Paul Menard 3. David Ragan ( He was Running top 10 in the 500 until his crash) 46. JeffGordon24FanForever posted: 06.28.2017 - 11:06 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Underdog Predictions Ragan gets top 5 Trevor Bayne wins Ryan Sieg top 20 47. MJM posted: 06.29.2017 - 12:10 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @40. Gelato 101 posted: "Would shake them up by having an easy prediction for round 1 elimination." Likely, but the team would get more money for being in the Playoffs regardless of elimination 48. racefangurl posted: 06.29.2017 - 1:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "But is he really an underdog?" Yes and no. He's an underdog in general, since Roush isn't a great team now and he hasn't won in a long time. But at a plate race, not an underdog. Roush is good at plate tracks and he's a 500 winner. 49. nascarfan posted: 06.29.2017 - 6:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @48 Practically every team is good at plate tracks. And just because he has won a Daytona 500 doesn't make him a plate ace. Oh and he would be considered an underdog. 50. Stewart14Rocks posted: 06.29.2017 - 6:36 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) I consider a underdog as someone who comes from very little funding such as cole whitt, landon cassill, etc. 51. Gelato101 posted: 06.29.2017 - 6:36 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I think that's a better question to ask about Menard instead of Bayne 52. JSPorts posted: 06.29.2017 - 8:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Yeah, I think an underdog is definitely a driver who has little funding, but it can also be a driver who hasn't had much success, especially in terms of winning. Even though Trevor Bayne & Paul Menard have funding, they would still be considered underdogs because they have only 2 combined wins in around 18 combined seasons, and neither has won in almost 6 years. On the opposite side of the coin, a talented, winning driver with little funding could be considered an underdog (like Kurt Busch in 2012, or Greg Biffle last year.) 53. MJM posted: 06.29.2017 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Even though this is unlikely, but it's possible Ryan Sieg could win both races. Fans of the drivers running for Cup points would hate that for sure. A driver besides Trevor Bayne running for only Xfinity points taking one from the "big boys" on Saturday? Realistically, I hope it's only happens in my dreams when I'm sleeping. 54. Gelato101 posted: 06.29.2017 - 3:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Be the first since Vickers in 2013, wouldn't he? 55. MJM posted: 06.29.2017 - 3:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @54: Correct. I honestly forgot that Vickers drove mainly in Xfinity in 2013. Thank you for the info. :-) 56. Minnowfur posted: 06.29.2017 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I wonder how Shrub is going to lose this race. 57. TeamDCR fan posted: 06.29.2017 - 9:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Underdogs, not to win exactly, but run well Whitt Gaughan Sieg (has done a lot with very little on Superspeedway tracks) McDowell 58. JeffGordon24FanForever posted: 06.29.2017 - 10:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @56 Will wreck himself, he's done it multiple times, he's boom or bust at these races 59. Stewart14rocks posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:57 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @49 all teams are good at plate tracks, few teams are great at plate tracks. 60. Jonathan King posted: 06.30.2017 - 9:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) ^and the winner of the race is...Jamie McMurray. He is an aggressive driver and I feel that that will win the race. 61. Anonymous posted: 06.30.2017 - 2:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 27th and final cup win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. 62. Mr. Anonymous posted: 06.30.2017 - 3:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @61 How do you know? 63. Tide1732 posted: 06.30.2017 - 4:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Good ride for Dale Jr. in pratice, probably will win for final-time. My prediction to Kyle Busch 64. George posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I LOVE that top 12 in round 1 of qualifying: 88 24 22 17 5 2 21 10 4 14 1 48 Too bad qualifying means squat (aside from pit selection) at any plate track otherwise this could be one of the best outcomes ever -- and not necessarily because Jr. is going to win. 65. Bah, Humbug posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Cue the conspiracy theories. 66. Gelato101 posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) The 24 and 88 have to have cheated qualifying setups, pretty ridiculous how often they've been front row 67. Damon posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (3) 88 wins pole (yawn) 68. 42Fan posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Junior on pole, race will be boring as no one will be able to pass him, because he blocks every lane trying to pass, will dominate and win, race will be super boring. 69. that e-guy posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Calling it now that Jr. wins. 70. Wake Up Sheeple posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) We told you so. 71. Altracing posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First pole for Junior since the 2013 Fall Dover race. However Junior has never won a race when he officially wins the pole. He has started first due to guys dropping to the rear and qualifying being rained out but those don't count. 72. 42Fan posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (2) The only way the race will be exciting is if Junior(and the rest of the Hendrick cars (except Kahne)), the Penske cars, and the Gibbs cars are somehow elimatinated during the race. 73. chevyfan98 posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) 67- Still mad over Danica blocking the whole track on lap 15 last week? Methinks so. 74. John Lee Pettimore III posted: 06.30.2017 - 5:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nice NASCAR - Put the Coors Light Pole Award stage right in front of the rest rooms. I guess that's handy for all the Coors Light drinkers. 75. Tide1732 posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My predictions 1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Segment 1 and 3) 2 Joey Logano 3 Brad Keselowski 4 Jimmie Johnson 5 Kyle Busch (Segment 2) 6 Ryan Newman 7 Cris Buescher 8 Cole Whitt 9 Martin Truex Jr. 10 Jaime McMurray 11 Kyle Larson 12 Jeffrey Earnhardt -1 13 Paul Menard -1 14 Reed Sorenson -1 15 Denny Hamilin*2 200 OUT 16 Matt Kenseth*2 200 OUT 17 A.J Allmendinger*2 200 OUT 18 Danica Patrick*2 200 OUT 19 Ryan Blaney*2 200 OUT 20 Chase Elliott*2 200 OUT 21 Michael McDowell -2 22 Clint Bowyer -4 23 Ryan Sieg -5 24 Landon Cassill -5 25 Darrell Wallace Jr. -8 26 Austin Dillon*1 109 Crash 27 David Ragan*1 109 Crash 28 Trevor Bayne*1 (Flip) 109 Crash 29 Kurt Busch*1 109 Crash 30 Matt DiBenedetto*1 109 Crash 31 Erik Jones*1 109 Crash 32 Kevin Harvick*1 109 Crash 33 Daniel Suarez*1 109 Crash 34 Kasey Kahne*1 109 Crash 35 D.J Kennington 63 Vibration 36 Brendan Gaughan 57 Clutch 37 Elliott Sadler 51 Engine 38 Ty Dillon 48 Engine 39 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17 - Restart lap 20 Brakes (Spin) 40 Corey LaJoe 6 Transmission *1 Big One *2 Big One #2 (Last Lap) 76. Aaron posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ATTAWAY DALE JR! POLE 77. Gelato101 posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) There shouldn't be a star for the 15, that one has a charter 78. Tide1732 posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:29 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Jr. will win only in Talladega, for me Logano Sweeps the week, Xfinity and Cup, and Jr. gets more equipement. Nice comeback for a good and a 'Exclusive' plate driver. 79. A lot of people have probably posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:32 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) I'm not saying it's fixed but....... 80. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tide, may I ask why on earth you pick most of the low budget teams to essentially start-and-park every week? This isn't exactly as common a phenomena in the Cup Series as it used to be... 81. Ultimate Warrior #18 posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tide this a 160 lap race but I actually like your top 10 predictions 82. chevyfan98 posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:44 pm Rate this comment: (5) (0) And I am so not surprised by the amount of pure idiocy from the tinfoil hat crowd today. This has been the drill for 18 years, anytime Junior wins anything whether it be a race, a pole, a practice session, or being the first hauler to get to the track then its "fixed". Why should this be any different? 83. Dank Meme Professor posted: 06.30.2017 - 6:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (3) Ahh I can smell a rigged win for Jr now. It'll be the same at Talladega too I bet! 84. JSPorts posted: 06.30.2017 - 7:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I guess it's also rigged when Jimmie Johnson wins at Dover or Kevin Harvick wins at Phoenix. Or maybe it's just because those drivers are good at those tracks, just like Dale Jr. is good at Daytona. I don't anticipate a win, but I know if he wins, there will be plenty of people saying it was rigged. Then you could maybe start "using your heads" (to quote Joe Nemechek) and realize that rigging a plate race would be impossible unless you had all the cars run around at 50 mph. 85. Tide1732 posted: 06.30.2017 - 7:22 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Must face the pair of Penske duo (Logano and Keselowski), and the Busch Brothers + Denny Hamilin. They will be aggressive and can take Jr. out of the race, so he has to be watchful and prevent them from trying aggressiveness on top of the #88, Jr. will have ease in beating them. 86. JSPorts posted: 06.30.2017 - 7:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think those 5 guys you mention probably have the best shot at winning this race. Obviously the Penskes are always strong at plate tracks recently. The Busch brothers are both good at them too, especially Kyle. And Denny Hamlin has been one of the strongest on these types of tracks recently. Included in that group are the last 3 Daytona 500 winners. I also think Matt Kenseth shouldn't be counted out, he's come close in plate races many times for Gibbs and really needs a win. 87. Aaron posted: 06.30.2017 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Also, Dale Jr. is bringing a little bit of momentum into Daytona this weekend. Aside from winning the pole today, he's also finished 11th or better in four of the last five races: 10th at Charlotte, 11th at Dover, ninth at Michigan and sixth at Sonoma. As I'd mentioned after Michigan, hoping that finish could springboard him to better things, the early returns are positive. 88. Wolfpit rd posted: 06.30.2017 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Tide I like how 15 -20 crashes on the last lap but 3 cars ahead of them finished 1 lap down . ! Go Dawgs 89. JSPorts posted: 06.30.2017 - 11:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) This is exciting having a doubleheader tomorrow. That would actually be a pretty interesting strategy for NASCAR to try out when they have a Cup race at night and an Xfinity race at the same track. I wonder if it could boost Xfinity attendance and ratings? I'd like to see them try it out in the schedule maybe once just to see. Couldn't hurt, anyhow. 90. Stewart14rocks posted: 07.01.2017 - 7:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think it would up tv ratings and attendance. 91. Tide1732 posted: 07.01.2017 - 6:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dale Jr. beat the Penskes and Busch Brothers now! 92. 1995z71 posted: 07.01.2017 - 7:44 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) wow, one of the worst command to start engines ever 93. Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted: 07.01.2017 - 7:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Canada: Hey lets have a fun Canada centric celebration on the 1st America: Hold my Beer I got to go to Daytona 94. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 7:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) We're underway at Daytona 95. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski to the lead past Elliott 96. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Cole Whitt looks like blew a motor caution is out. Ryan Sieg is also in the garage reports are there was smoke out the back of his car 97. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kennington spins out caution is out 98. cjs3872 posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I know the cars that have have engine problems came from the lowest funded teams on the circuit, but Kennington's is the third engine failure inside the first 15 laps, and since restrictor plates are used, Daytona is usually one of the easiest tracks on engines, so to have three of them go inside the first 15 laps is unusual, to say the very least. But then again, the cars that had engine failures started in each of the last three rows (35th/row 18, 38th/row 19, and 39th/the last row). 99. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski wins stage 1 100. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Erik Jones stayed out under caution and is the leader 101. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Suarez and McDowell nearly wreck but pull down to pit road and save it no caution 102. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior is into the wall no caution 103. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larson also on pit road 104. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hamlin to the lead 105. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior is back out but is two laps down Larson is also one lap down 106. RaceFanX posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) NBC has hyped this race as Dale Jr's last at Daytona all week, even reairing his 2004 Daytona 500 win to promote this broadcast, but a blown right side tire put him in the wall and will drop him out of contention. What a disappointment for all his fans. 107. Clint posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) With the free pass and wave arounds as long as the car can keep up the race isnt over for dale jr. 108. Corey posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Low funded engine number 4 109. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jeffrey Earnhardt has blown a motor caution is out Larson will get the free pass 110. RaceFanX posted: 07.01.2017 - 8:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Both Earnhardts have trouble in short order. 111. Scott25 posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This is like a return to the Dale Jr-centric broadcasts of the mid to late 2000s. 112. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth to the lead 113. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Bayne takes the lead now 114. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Big One takes out Truex Logano and Kyle Busch 115. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bayne pits from the lead Kenseth regains the lead 116. Tide1732 posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another multi-car wreck with Kyle Busch envolved. 117. Gelato101 posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Plate races are starting to suck more and more to be an Austin Dillon fan 118. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:22 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Small One at Daytona. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Jamie McMurray all involved. 119. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth wins stage 2 120. 1995z71 posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:30 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) McDowell is my new favorite driver tonight, thanks for taking out the crybaby. 121. TeamDCR fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Good job NBC. Talking to Kenseth, cut to Truex interview 122. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick stays out and will be the leader 123. cjs3872 posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @115, that was certainly the bonehead move of the first half of the race, because it made no sense for Bayne's crew to pit him from the lead so close to the end of the segment (there was about seven laps to go in segment 2 when Bayne pitted from the lead). Bayne's crew might just have handed Matt Kenseth the segment win. 124. Clint posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) I think baynes crew was figuring on getting him track position for the end. They know making it into the chase on points is a long shot at this point. They gotta win!! 125. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:37 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First 10 cars stayed out under caution 126. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse to the lead 127. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gaughan into the wall caution is out this may put Junior back on the lead lap 128. RaceFanX posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What a shame. Gaughan was up in the top-5 and still in the top-10 when he wiped out after contact. Bummer for the Beard Oil team. 129. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Some of the leaders pit Suarez is now in the lead 130. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Chase Elliott spins and collects Bayne caution is out 131. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth back to the lead Junior back in the top 10 132. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:00 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Johnson to the lead 133. Meh posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:03 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Jimmie takes lead, I turn race off. 134. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Harvick blows a tire big one 2 happens 135. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Leaders come to pit road Bowyer stays out and will be the leader I think Kyle Busch may get back on the lead lap with this caution 136. Lucstar88 posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:06 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Man, being a Dale fan is just brutal this year. Watch the only guy I hate win the race lol. 137. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First six cars stayed out under caution 138. racefangurl posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) What a crazy race. Well, that's Daytona 139. TeamDCR fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:08 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Uhhhhhhhhhh 140. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior got damage in that wreck and is once again two laps down 141. TeamDCR fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:10 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm going for Ty Dillion. Don't care for him, but I would rather see him win over a JGR car or Jimmie 142. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:11 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Junior is done 143. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:12 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse gets back to the lead 144. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski is a lap down after being involved in that last wreck 145. Gelato101 posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Anyone else rooting for JGR and Jimmie more and more when people act childish about them? 146. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Corey LaJoie is in 7th right now 147. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Keselowski into the wall caution is out again 148. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nevermine, caution is out 149. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Choo-choo racing now 150. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kahne spins out caution is out again 151. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:26 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The record for cautions in the July race is 12 back in 1989 looks like we may break that record tonight 152. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Blaney to the lead now 153. Tide1732 posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:33 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kenseth will win first of the year for Gibbs. 154. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Caution out for debris from DiBenedetto's car 155. Annoying posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Everyone always seems afraid of blocking Jimmie...very irritating watching drivers just let him drive by. 156. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kyle Busch is back into the top ten by the way 157. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Suarez back to the lead 158. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kahne now to the lead after spinning out not that long ago 159. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse to the lead again 160. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ty Dillon to the lead with 9 to go 161. racefangurl posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Kind of a mixed day for Roush fans. 162. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 10:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larson goes up in the air and takes out a few other cars caution is out 163. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Larson must be having flashbacks to 2013 164. Clint posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Be interesting to see if the rookie ty dillon can hold them off. Ive been wrong before but i dont think he can 165. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Red is now lifted 166. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wonder if Larson is alright. Landing looked very similar to Almirola's at Kansas. 167. Evan posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A lot of torn up race cars tonight or at least some damaged ones. 168. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) Let's see if NASCAR decides to pull off the same BS as the Xfinity race. 169. racefangurl posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:25 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) At least both Roush cars ran good. Guess it was Roush's plate track strength coming out. Even when they're not great at other tracks, they're able to run strong at plate tracks. What a mixed bag for the team though! Even if both drivers had strong runs, only one has the finish to reflect it. 170. Tide1732 posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:27 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Second career win in a superspeedway, Great job Stenhouse 171. 42Fan posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse wins again. Second career win and second win of 2017. Has now won two plate tracks in a row. 172. Chris posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:28 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Nothing says fun like getting sick behind Ty Dillon on a restart. 173. Altracing posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stenhouse gets his second win of the year both at restrictor plates. Great runs for Menard, McDowell, Ragan, Gaughan, Buescher, and LaJoie 174. JSPorts posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:36 pm Rate this comment: (1) (5) Stenhouse has got to be the favorite for the 88 ride now, doesn't he? It just makes too much sense not to happen. 175. Gray Gaulding's Distant Cousin posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:41 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) STATUS #24 Crash 176. Nucl3ar Wa4le posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:43 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor updates #3 - American Ethanol E15 Patriotic #34 - Love's "Honoring the Quiet Professional" #37 - CoffeeMate / Stouffer's / DiGiorno #47 - Kroger ClickList / Cheerios / Hot Pockets 177. StenhouseFan17 posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Another one!!! 178. Gelato101 posted: 07.01.2017 - 11:55 pm Rate this comment: (0) (14) That hack in the 95 should have been in the crash he started, what a joke that he finished top 5 179. TeamDCR fan posted: 07.02.2017 - 12:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Gaughan managed to take a beat up car finish 7th. Great for him and the Beard team. Now if only Gaughans xfinity season would turn around 180. Corey posted: 07.02.2017 - 12:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The lap 154 caution is missing the 42. 181. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 07.02.2017 - 12:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) First top 10 finish for Gaughan in Cup in about 13 years, and career best finishes for McDowell and LaJoie. 7.5 laps is the average green flag run...is that a new record low for the Cup Series? 182. Scott B posted: 07.02.2017 - 1:49 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) Much credit to Jimmy Fennig for making the Roush cars competitive on the plate tracks again. Although the organization has improved overall this season, Fennig still brings a little extra something to whatever he's working on. 183. 95McDowellFan posted: 07.02.2017 - 1:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @178 What you got against Michael McDowell? 184. Sector posted: 07.02.2017 - 3:02 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Missed the race, but what an unusual top 11. 185. Sector posted: 07.02.2017 - 3:13 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Interesting fact: No one in the Top 10 standing entering this race finished in the top 10. The best finish was Jimmie Johnson, in 12th, while Jamie McMurray was the only other driver better than 20th (Kyle Busch). Clint Bowyer's 2nd place finish moved him to 10th in the standing. 186. Sector posted: 07.02.2017 - 3:14 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) In fact, Clint Bowyer is the only one to finish in the Top 10 leaving this race inside the Top 14 in points standing. 187. Ultimate Warrior #18 posted: 07.02.2017 - 4:36 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) So as of today JGR has no wins in 2017 Roush has 2 and RCR has 2 no one saw this coming. 188. Stewart14Rocks posted: 07.02.2017 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) "Stenhouse has got to be the favorite for the 88 ride now, doesn't he? It just makes too much sense not to happen." While he's done a great job this season, It would be absoultely suprising if stenhouse goes to the #88 but who knows. 189. Gelato101 posted: 07.02.2017 - 7:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (2) Favorite driver got taken out because of his contact with Kyle Busch 190. Tide1732 posted: 07.02.2017 - 7:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Compare Jimmy Spencer to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and see who was better on plate tracks. 191. Billracer posted: 07.02.2017 - 7:55 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Are the driver points published by NASCAR for Dale Earnhardt, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman following the Sonoma race correct? 192. Kansas Kyle posted: 07.02.2017 - 9:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fist top ten finish for Brendan Gaughan since 2004 193. Corey posted: 07.02.2017 - 9:22 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) I'm sure a lot of the guys trying to get into the Chase on points are glad that Stenhouse won last night. Anybody aside from Bowyer would have guaranteed that a faster car wasn't going to be in the chase. As of right now, Logano is on the outside looking in. 194. Pickles posted: 07.02.2017 - 10:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Congrats to Stenhouse, he has been on a roll. And a big shoutout to Michael McDowell on finishing 4th and David Ragan scoring points in all three stages; they went above and beyond. Nascar (more specifically the announcers) have been going on and on about the youth movement the last 3-4 years, but this season truly has that 'transition' feel to it. Who would have ever thought at the start of the season that Jr, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth would be winless, it would take Harvick until race 16 to get his first win, and Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, and Ricky Stenhouse would all win before any of them? 195. Anonymous posted: 07.02.2017 - 10:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Great job stenhouse. Very good day for some underdogs. 4th McDowell 6th Ragan 7th Gaughan 10th Buescher 11th LaJoie 13th DeBenedetto 15th Wallace jr 196. 95McDowellFan posted: 07.02.2017 - 11:03 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Lajoie finishing 11th could just be what BK Racing needed, especially because the #23 gets more earnings by being a chartered car 197. cjs3872 posted: 07.02.2017 - 11:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) @174, why would Jack Roush ever let the one driver he has that's capable of winning races leave? That simply wouldn't make any sense. Especially since he's basically groomed him for seven or eight years, even keeping him when most car owners would have fired him when he was crashing in seemingly every other race in what's now the XFinity Series. What they have to do is to keep running in the back half of the top ten in the "open" races, and not have repeats of what happened at Sonoma, when Stenhouse crashed and finished last. The second win guarantees Stenhouse a spot in the Chase, but to keep the momentum going, he has to find a way to keep finishing about 9th-12th, which is likely the best he can do on the other tracks because Roush doesn't have any more speed than that on the unrestricted tracks. And as for what's going to happen at HMS going forward with one, and quite possibly two of it's cars having open seats at season's end? Will Hendrick downsize to three cars or keep running four? If they downsize to three and eliminate the current #88 team, then I would expect a move in Hendrick's flagship #5 car, because despite a great run last night (despite what the results might show), Kasey Kahne simply hasn't gotten the job done for the last three years, and like Jamie McMurray when he was at Roush, Kahne might simply be overwhelmed by the pressure of driving for such a premium team, because he seems to be faring worse with each passing year. The question then becomes, who would replace Kahne should Hendrick downsize to three cars? I would suspect there might be a stopgap driver like Alex Bowman for one year before William Byron comes aboard in 2019. Now if they keep at a 4-car team, then I would expect Kahne to stick around in the #5 for one more year with the stopgap option (likely Bowman) being used for the current #88 team, which I would also expect to see a car number change, possibly back to the cursed #25. That would then give Hendrick the option of replacing Kahne with Byron in 2019, but rushing Byron a year early would be a terrible idea. That's why I think there will be a one-year stopgap option next season for either the current #88, should HMS remain at four cars, or the #5 should it downsize to three. 198. Sean posted: 07.02.2017 - 1:03 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "Compare Jimmy Spencer to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and see who was better on plate tracks." Stenhouse's team wasn't cheating, but I do see what you mean. If Spencer's team wasn't cheating, it would be an excellent comparison. 199. JSPorts posted: 07.02.2017 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Spencer: 1 win, 2 top 5s, 5 top 10s, 22.4 avg. finish, 12 laps led in 27 Daytona starts 1 win, 7 top 5s, 11 top 10s, 21.7 avg. finish, 73 laps led in 30 Talladega starts Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.: 1 win, 2 top 5s, 3 top 10s, 18.0 avg. finish, 17 laps led in 11 Daytona starts 1 win, 3 top 5s, 5 top 10s, 1 pole, 10.4 avg. finish, 31 laps led in 8 Talladega starts They're pretty close even considering the fact that Spencer cheated, but I'll take Ricky. 200. cjs3872 posted: 07.02.2017 - 3:14 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @198-@199, as far as comparing Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.'s season to another multiple winner, you're probably on the right season, but the wrong driver. A driver's season in 1994 may be the right one to compare Stenhouse to, but not Jimmy Spencer's, but rather Geoff Bodine's. Granted the comparison to Spencer is from the fact that the wins were at the same places, but I think the season Bodine had in 1994 might be a better one to compare Stenhouse's season to. That year, Bodine won three races plus the All-Star Race at Charlotte, and at North Wilkesboro, became the last driver to lap the field on route to victory in a Cup race. But Bodine also failed to finish half the races (15 of 31) and finished 17th in the point standings. (For comparison's sake, Stenhouse has crashed out of three races and is 16th in points as of this writing.) The big difference here is that Stenhouse hasn't led very many laps (39 in 2017 as of this writing), though he's picked the right ones to lead, while Bodine ranked third in laps led in 1994, behind champion Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan, who missed the final 12 races of that season due to injuries suffered at Michigan. 201. possum posted: 07.02.2017 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @197 - it's simple: money. Roush is not noted for being generous with his contracts, and he's not particularly good with landing big-dollar sponsors. Even if his cars are running better now, it wouldn't be hard for another owner to make a tempting offer. (that said, I'm not sure two plate wins quite makes Stenhouse the hot ticket for a top ride). Hendrick will almost certainly run 4 cars, owing to the rules on charters (basically "use it or lose it"). You are probably right that they will replace Earnhardt next year, and then Kahne the year after, rather than both at the same time. 202. cjs3872 posted: 07.02.2017 - 4:32 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) But how many "top rides" are available for next year, other than the one, possibly two openings at HMS, @201? The only one I might be able to think of might be a possible opening at Stewart-Haas in the #10 car, which might be the place Stenhouse might end up if Roush does end up not renewing him. (There have been rumors in the past that Ricky Stenhouse has wanted to race for Tony Stewart.) But I think Stenhouse is doing quite well in cars that, other than the plate tracks and perhaps Bristol, are slow cars. And he's the one driver Roush has that's capable of winning, because he can make speed. Trevor Bayne is a good driver, but he can't make speed. He's more along the lines of one of the Labonte brothers (or Clint Bowyer among today's drivers) in that he's a driver that can be counted on to get to the finish, but he can't take a 10th-12th place car and run eighth with it (in fact, he hasn't finished better than tenth since Watkins Glen last year). The only way I see Stenhouse winding up somewhere else is if Roush's team goes out of business, something that's very doubtful, given the success he's given Roush's Cup program in 2017. As I've noted numerous times, lot of Roush's sponsorship woes goes back to the fact that his team is co-owned by the Boston Red Sox, and as a result, any sponsorship opportunity has to be cleared with the Red Sox, which is a big reason why they've had sponsorship issues since the Red Sox bought in. I don't think it's Roush who's turning down the sponsors as much as it's the Red Sox who's turning down the sponsors because of conflicts there, and possibly even with MLB. So Roush's sponsorship opportunities are more limited than any other organization on the circuit because of potential conflicts with the Red Sox and even MLB, not to mention NASCAR. 203. joey2448 posted: 07.02.2017 - 5:44 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) This race is the second-slowest Cup race in the history of Daytona in 141 races. If you don't include qualifying races (which previously counted for points in the 1960's and 70's) then this is the slowest average race speed in Daytona history in the Cup series. An average speed of 123.986 mph, thanks to a summer race record 14 cautions. 204. JSPorts posted: 07.02.2017 - 6:06 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) It didn't feel that slow, but I guess that makes sense. Lots of smaller wrecks (2-4 cars), so more cautions. 205. possum posted: 07.03.2017 - 3:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @202 - possible top rides would be the two cars at Hendrick, the #10 for SHR, Kenseth's ride at Gibbs, or the second car at Furniture Row. It's possible that Earnhardt's would be the only one, or it's possible that 4 of the 5 would be open (if Kenseth leaves Gibbs they most likely would bring Eric Jones back, which would open the Furniture Row seat - very unlikely both seats would be open). But as I said, I'm not sure two wins at plate tracks would make Stenhouse the favored target for any of those. Roush's problems with sponsorship long predate John Henry's buying into the team (and are probably the reason Henry got involved in the first place). Roush has something of a reputation of being difficult to work with (from a sponsor perspective). @203 - I'm sure having two 10 minute breaks for the stage ends had a lot to do with the slow average speed. Take away those two TV timeouts and the race would be closer to it's normal speed. 206. Canadianfan posted: 07.03.2017 - 4:26 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) NASCAR is looking to move the overtime line from the middle of the backstretch to the start finish line starting in 2018. I personally say do it now but knowing NASCAR I don't think there is more than a 40% chance of that happening this year. nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/07/03/nascar-looking-to-move-overtime-line-in-2018-to-startfinish-line/ 207. Maverick19 posted: 07.03.2017 - 4:29 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) In other words, they're reverting back to the old GWC rules but are too prideful to admit it. 208. 95McDowellFan posted: 07.03.2017 - 5:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Then they could wait to throw the caution until they pass the Start-Finish line 209. cjs3872 posted: 07.04.2017 - 3:21 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) No, possom (#205). The reason for the slow average speed was the fact that the caution flew EIGHT times for crashes after the caution the flew at the end of the second stage, which happens to be more than the number of cautions that usually are thrown during entire races at Daytona. That's why the average speed was as slow as it was. Granted the caution that came out at the end of the second stage was the race's sixth (which itself would be considered an abnormally high amount of cautions for 80 laps at Daytona), but there were eight more after that. We must also remember that the first half of the race was bound to be riddled with cautions, because not only were there cautions at the end of each of the first two stages (at 100 and 200 miles), but another was planned for lap 20 due to the rain that postponed the XFinity Series race, and NASCAR used the caution that came out when D.J. Kennington blew an engine and spun in his own oil for the lap 20 competition caution. And I still say that, if NASCAR insists on stage racing (which I don;t like at all), then they should either freeze the race at the end of the stages, so as to not give anyone any unfair advantage, such as gaining laps back under the caution, and line the cars back up after pit stops in the exact order in which they finished the stage, or simply not throw a caution at all at the prescribed lap number, because they know who was running where at the end of each lap, so they can award stage points without ever having to throw a caution flag, which would not impact the race in any undue way. And as for Roush's sponsorship problems, they actually can be traced back to when the Red Sox bought into the organization. At the time the Red Sox bought in, Roush had 11 cars in NASCAR's top three series (5 in Cup, 3 in what's now the XFinity Series, and 2 in the Truck Series), almost all of them fully sponsored, and that total has steadily dwindled ever since the Red Sox bought in, to the point where Roush now has only three teams combined in Cup and the XFinity Series, and only one of them fully sponsored (Ryan Reed's entry in the XFinity Series). And this is not the only example of a team from one of the other major team sports buying into a race team and proceeding to dismantle it financially. This also happened when the Montreal Canadiens bought into what originally was Evernham Motorsports (when they were just about to become a top-tier team) and when, by proxy, the Dallas Cowboys were involved with Hall of Fame Racing. Hall of Fame Racing didn't last very long and the Canadiens so ruined Evernham's team that it had to merge with Petty Enterprises to create Richard Petty Motorsports within two years for either entity to survive. NASCAR team ownership and ownership from teams from other sports just don't mix, and they never have. 210. RaceFanX posted: 07.04.2017 - 4:56 pm Rate this comment: (0) (1) A video popped up on YouTube during the week after this race showing Danica Patrick giving her #10 Ford Fusion a kick in frustration after its retirement late in the race. Why do I doubt she's the only one to do that. 211. Sean posted: 07.04.2017 - 6:25 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Bobby Labonte in the 1996 Bristol night race. I think his was almost certainly more dramatic than whatever she did (I didn't watch it.) Bobby kicking his car and throwing his helmet through the window made highlight reels for the next several years. 212. Damon posted: 07.04.2017 - 7:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (1) Bobby Labonte also kicked his car after losing the 2005 Coke 600 to Jimmie Johnson. 213. possum posted: 07.04.2017 - 8:33 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) @209 - CJS - the comment on the stage cautions was somewhat facetious. But you need to understand, there has to be a caution at the stage end. That's the whole reason for having the stages in the first place: they give the TV folk a fixed opportunity for commercial breaks. The points thing is just added on to make it look like it's somehow competition related. As for Roush's sponsorship issues, they go back to 2004 at least, 5 or 6 years before John Henry showed up (you may recall Jeff Burton running without sponsorship that year). I have some insights into the sponsor side, and I can say it's not totally coincidence that Roush has had sponsor issues. @212 - And years ago Dale Earnhardt Sr kicked his Caterpillar bulldozer when it wouldn't start. I think it's just a driver thing. (Earnhardt broke a bone in his foot, fortunately it was off season). 214. RaceFanX posted: 07.04.2017 - 9:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Brendan Gaughan had time to joke over the radio that all the big names getting knocked out of the race would "really mess up" his performance in his NASCAR Fantasy league as he raced to an unlikely but pleasing top-10. This was Gaughan's first top-10 since Homestead at the end of the 2004 season, his last race as a full-time Cup competitor. 215. cjs3872 posted: 07.05.2017 - 12:25 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Roush wasn't the only one with sponsorship problems in 2004, possum (#213). There was a recession that year, especially in the early part of the season, and NASCAR had problems even filling the field, which they were having no problem doing with cars to spare in 2003, mainly because numerous teams were running unsponsored cars and went out of business. There was the episode that saw Phoenix Racing show up at Rockingham without a pit crew early in the 2004 season. Roush also had temporary problems finding sponsorship for his #97 car with Kurt Busch early in the 2001 season, but those problems soon abated. (Remember that Roush had stolen the Wood Brothers' long-time sponsor, Citgo, to sponsor the #99 car when Exide Batteries left following the 2000 season.) I also think part of the problem in 2004 with Roush's #99 car was that Roush didn't really want Jeff Burton in that car much longer and was looking to replace him, which he eventually did a little more than halfway through the season, but out of loyalty to Burton and all he accomplished for the Roush organization, he ran his #99 car unsponsored for more than half the season instead of shutting the team down. Once Roush put Carl Edwards in that car in August of 2004, it wasn't very long until Roush found sponsorship for the #99 car, so the sponsorship issue there might have been driver-related, instead of car owner-related. 216. possum posted: 07.05.2017 - 7:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @215 - CJS - yeah, I remember when Burton left - Roush was all "can't run the car any longer without a sponsor, sorry, goodbye", and then all of a sudden he was "we can run all the races with Roush on the car if we have to" after he'd put Edwards in the seat. Burton was (and is) well-liked, and Roush's image took a pretty big hit from that deal. But I think you're mis-rembering. 2004 wasn't a recession year (2001-2002 were), the economy was pretty strong. And every team that ran the full season that year had a full-time sponsor - except for a couple of the Roush teams. It wasn't until 2006 that Roush found a full-time sponsor for Edwards. So while I buy your point that having the Red Sox ties doesn't help Roush get sponsored in these slow days for NASCAR, the problems there go deeper and further back than you're considering. 217. cjs3872 posted: 07.06.2017 - 11:20 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @216, if what you're saying about 2004 is true, then why were car counts down in 2004 (at least for the first part of the season), to the point where Phoenix Racing showed up at Rockingham without a pit crew, and a record was set for the fewest entries in Daytona 500 history (45), one that wasn't broken until NASCAR cut the size of the field a couple of years ago? Roush's wasn't the only organization having troubles then. Two or three other established teams were forced to shut down for the same reason, resulting in the "start and parks" that so infuriated NASCAR that a rule was instituted mandating that teams come to the track with a pit crew in response to what happened at Rockingham. But what's happening now is substantially worse than what happened in the early part of the 2004 season, because only about three-quarters of the field is sponsored, and some of those teams are, to be honest, in the way more than they should be. And other organizations, like Tri-Star Motorsports, which won three pole positions with Loy Allen, Jr. in the midst of the last tire war in NASCAR more than two decades ago (23 years, to be exact) and was the team for which Bobby Hamilton won the Rookie of the Year all the way back in 1991, is back in NASCAR's top series for the first time in many, many years to try to fill the void left by the departure of potentially top-tier cars that had graced the grid in the past. And that's just one example of an organization racing in the Cup Series this year that has no business being in the Cup Series, because there are several others that are even more blatant cases of racing (if you can call it that) where they don't belong. 218. Stewart14rocks posted: 07.07.2017 - 12:24 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) There are less teams in nascar now cause it is no longer profitable for non-chartered teams to attempt a cup race. 219. rm posted: 07.07.2017 - 1:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 2004 was the year that, legend has it, only 36 cars showed up on the first entry list for Rockingham due to the combination of teams shuttering in the offseason, a few part time teams only running big tracks, and the smaller purse compared to other tracks at Rockingham. NASCAR frantically worked the phones and got a few teams back in the business of Cup racing. Definitely worth further research to confirm/add to this. 220. Jared DiCarlo posted: 07.11.2017 - 3:42 pm Rate this comment: (4) (0) The finish of this race was a nice gift for me while recovering in the hospital from spinal fusion. 221. SK posted: 09.08.2017 - 2:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor updates: #3 American Ethanol E15 Patriotic #18 Interstate All Battery Center #42 CreditOne Bank Patriotic #48 Lowe's Patriotic #72 RTIC Coolers Patriotic #78 Bass Pro Shops / NRA Museum 222. RaceFanX posted: 03.13.2018 - 1:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was Clint Bowyer's second-straight runner-up finish and his third of the season. Bowyer ultimately did not win a race in 2017, his first year at Stewart-Haas, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. 223. Jericohol14 posted: 03.13.2018 - 3:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) This was the final race in 2017 where Martin Truex Jr. was not atop the points standings. In the current points format without a chase, he would have locked up the title 2 weeks early at Texas. 224. 34McDowellFan posted: 11.16.2018 - 4:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Elliott Sadler's final career cup start 225. Danish_Pie posted: 03.15.2019 - 5:48 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Whether or not it's fair to do so is up for debate, but excluding Ryan Blaney's 2016 season, Brendan Gaughan's 7th place finish here is to date the best finish for any ?open' team in the chartered era, and one of only two Top 10's. (The other being Gray Gaulding's 9th place at Fall Talladega 2017.) 226. Timothy_Eklund posted: 04.28.2019 - 6:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) That makes it 3 top 10s (excluding Blaney) 227. Timothy_Eklund posted: 04.28.2019 - 6:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) ...until now 228. JoeyLoganoFan22 posted: 05.16.2019 - 8:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) You know what is amazing? Michael McDowell finishing 4th, and he was still with leavine 229. ShinyMew151 posted: 05.16.2019 - 9:41 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) It's a plate race 230. Timothy_Eklund_#chastainforfanvote posted: 05.16.2019 - 11:00 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) That ?anyone can win at a plate race? stuff is false, only about 20-25 cars even have a shot. 231. Danish_Pie posted: 05.16.2019 - 4:37 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Disagree. Things have to fall just right, granted, and the bigger teams with the better engines will always be the ones to beat. But Daytona and Talladega are the places where underdogs teams *CAN* run up front and *CAN* have a shot at the end. It won't happen often, but 30th place teams have the chance to break through, more so than anywhere else at least. 232. Tarheel posted: 05.16.2019 - 4:46 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) There are far more underdog teams and drivers whose only wins have come at Daytona and/or Talladega than there are whose only wins have come at any other track. I might not quite say "absolutely anyone can win", but I will definitely say that many teams/drivers who have zero chance of winning anywhere else have a chance of winning Daytona and Talladega. 233. Rich posted: 12.13.2020 - 9:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte were the commentators. Parker Kligerman, Kelli Stavast, Marty Snider and Dave Burns were the pit road reporters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: