2018 NASCAR Thread

They robbed Kurt Busch or Gifted Timothy Peters... You guys decide
(2 races on the same weekend, same event happens, opposite calls made... NASCAR officiating is a J-O-K-E)

 

Robbed the fans and racers on both accounts.

 

At least I'm not the only one who feels like that... I was there to see it live and boy was I pissed at that call

 

And Chase starts to finally come around! Chevy has only one bullet but the #9 is looking strong. As long as the #4 keeps screwing up in the pits.

 

I've not paid attention to the races lately. October is always crazy-busy for me. Is Chase winning on speed, like the 4, 78 & 18, strategy like the 2, or luck, like the 12? Granted, you need all three to succeed, but making it into the final round is the goal, then all best are off. I'm tempted to make the trek to Martinsville this weekend.

 

Chase is showing sustained top 5 speed and they are catching some luck. Harvick was the best car last week but screwed up in the pits. I think Chase has a shot a Martinsville but who knows at that track. His crew chief is strong there with good cars even in the later years of Gordon's career. He is going to have to win one of the next three but currently sitting 4th in points. Really the odds are heavy for one of the Haas cars to take it this year but I expect KB to be a factor here soon. I think the 78 does not make it past this round.

The 9 in not winning with BS RCR type calls though. The last 10 weeks Chase has had a valid and top five car.

 

Silly Season. Who goes where? I haven't heard lately. I knew about Chad & Jimmy's breakup-knew that was inevitable. Is Truex replacing Kurt Duesch in the 41? I've heard rumors. I think we've watched half a dozen races this year. The Roval was cool!

 

If Suarez brings the $, he'll be in the #41. But first, they have to get out of the JGR contract.
Chad is destined for a technical position with NASCAR. It's what they do with all the best "Innovators."
Truex & Pearn are headed for the #19 with JGR.
The Roval race will be extended to a longer length next year.

 

That's right, I did read a prediction on Truex Pearne to 19. Has it been officially announced?

 

I am at testing today... Cars look slow, not many have lifted in 3 and 4 today, package could be a bust. (Atlanta Motor Speedway)

 

The cars generally grip better through 3&4 at AMS. I know it's fun for drivers when the cars stick like magnets, but not so fun for fans, especially TV viewers. If NASCAR carries this new package through without any tweaks, it sets the stage for dull racing at the 1.5 milers. This will probably force AMS' hand to repave after the Feb. 19 date.

 

Cars cant get up to speed as well either... In not a fan of what I've seen so far

 

What did they change? Spoiler height?

 

Spoiler is MUCH taller. Air inlets on noses. Wider radiator, longer splitter, tapered spacer for ALL tracks over 1 mile.

If they want lower power, don't use an engine capable of 900hp and restrict the hell out of it. Simply use a smaller engine. Go 289, 305, or even make the leap the other leading motorsports bodies have and go V6. It would reintroduce some developmental relevance to the sport.

NASCAR fully intended to switch to V6 engines at the end of the '80s, thus the introduction in the Busch series. Unfortunately, the engines were prone to detonating at the high compressions they were running. Surely block mfg. technology has improved in the past thirty years.

They also looked at running 305s and 289s, contracting the R&D work out to Roush Racing in the early 90s. Roush had those motors tuned to hot they were turning equal numbers to the 351 and 358 Cup engines, and NASCAR abandoned the project.

 

Yeah, it's funny they can put turbo 4s in trucks nowadays that produce 400 h.p. but are still using TBI V8s in cars that don't even come with V8s from the factory.

 

V8s or bust! Here's some laps times from a 4 car draft

 

Whoa. Mid 32 is pretty slow for AMS. I think the record is low 29. I don’t mind them running slightly slower if it means better passing. I’ve been yelling for years to slow them down.

 

The cars do not have the acceleration like before... Kind of dissapointing to me

 

Yeah, that is a bummer.

 

Yeah, they need to retain the acceleration and speed shifts into the turns. Making the 1.5 mile tracks pack racing like the SUperspeedways is going to make 1.5 milers obsolete, just like Daytona and Talladega. We need more Martinsvilles, Bristols, and tracks like North Wilkesboro built on a slope. We need Rockingham with its asymmetric turns, the Milwaukee Mile with flat turns, IRP, and all the other Big Bullrings slowly fading into dust across the country.

There's a growing grassroots campaign to reconfigure AMS back to its old layout. Thing is, all the folks clamoring for it never attended a race at AMS when it was configured that way. I'd love to return to it for Nostalgia's sake but honestly, the racing was loads better after the reconfiguration and the seven years after the pavement was fresh. I love what Atlanta is now. At one time it was the fastest track on the circuit. Now it's aged to the roughest; a hat Darlington used to wear. Everyone complained about Darlington after the repave, Earnhardt Jr being most vocal.

I loved the finish on Sunday. That was good, real racing with a bump, not a dump. I'm not a Joey fan, but he did it right. I'd say the same if it was the 18. You can race hard and not dump people. Kyle is a good racer at Martinsville. He was just off all day.

Final four predictions:

22 (Martinsville winner)
4 (probable ISM winner)
18 (probable Texas winner)
78 (in on points)