2021 NASCAR thread

I hear what you are saying about the lug nuts. Even with the change the crew still plays an important part with tire changes, fueling, and suspension/tire pressure adjustments. They definitely are not going to be out of the picture. But the driver also has a part to play with pit entry, pit exit, and how well the car gets positioned in the pit box as well. I just like to see it more in the hands of the driver.

 

I don't mind if it's 1, 4, 5, or even 6 lugs, so long as pit stops are part of the experience

 

Next thing we know they will be putting little booties on the tires to get them up to temp before the green flag and heat them up in an oven before a pit stop. At some point it can’t be as ridiculous as Indy. I mean it’s a sport for rednecks, invented by red necks. All the little technological frilly shit that is in Indy should stay in Indy. Give me four fresh Mr. Feel Goods and a tank of gas and let’s go racing boys! At the end of the day a car as aerodynamic as a beer can can win the Daytona 500.

 

I would venture to say the top tier teams are every bit as advanced as the Indy cars on the track today. I miss the racing in the early and mid 90's but let's face it. They are a far cry from what they used to run. If you think Penski, HMS, JGR and SHR are not investing multi millions on engineering things down to density and what effect a thousands of an inch make you do not follow the sport very closely. I am not a fan of the single lug but am more concerned with the 18" wheels and independent suspension. Lower profile will mean no more beads melting or brakes giving up like before. The tires will take side load much better. The suspension will hug the track a lot more so that takes away the challenge of actually driving the car. I suspect we will start seeing fuel hoses and not cans any longer also. Next we will see heat races so they all come down and have 10 min to work on the car.

 

Look. We need to be worried that nascar is going to be open wheel racing with a cage.. everything they keep doing makes it appear more so

 

Its this...

Today they're doing one lug wheels... tomorrow the center lift and fuel hose... next thing you know they are IRL South.

 

Because there is nothing "stock car" about a single lug nut.

Nascar and IMSA will be combined before to many more years.

 

Imagine what it would be like if they raced true stock cars:
Base models on steelie wheels, 8” wide tires, base stock V6 motors, and stock body panels. I’d like to see it just once. Gut the cars, chop off the mufflers, install safety gear and let ‘em rip. We’d see how shoddy modern cars can be as they overheat, catch on fire, and the brakes wear out within 40 laps.

 

Surely one of those YouTube channels with tons of Patreon cash could make it happen. Get some former NASCAR drivers involved since NASCAR and the manufacturers would forbid active drivers from taking part.

 

Exactly...

This is interesting and I have often wondered what the end goals of the new leadership (who owns IMSA now). I could see this and I'd be pissed...

it's not about that. It's about making the traits of the car too much like open wheel racing. The 2 are SUPPOSED to be different from each other, not the same with Cage vs No cage option.

 

Also hear me out, if they go to a lot more road courses with the new car they may could get swallowed up by IMSA

 

No... what you might have is something akin to the CART/IRL split of the mid 90's... and have one road course series and an oval series...

Then maybe 20 years later they'll reconcile and be one crappy series again.

I've seen this movie before... it dont end well.

 

Sprint cars is on the rise... itll surpass nascar should that happen... I'm an asphalt late model guy myself but I dont see nascar faring well if they keep with the open wheel agenda

 

I am out of town surveying in Waycross, it's raining so I finally have time to post what showed up at the parcel I was surveying...

 

NASCAR is trying hard to nip this before it's an issue. Humpy tried to start a racing franchise similar to the NFL but it never got off the ground. NASCAR is buying up tracks and stock car series so nothing else can build steam as an alternative to their product. Sprint cars/dirt racing is the only thing comparable to NASCAR in fan loyalty and the sport is growing in spades. Just look at all the sponsors that have fled NASCAR for WOO. Look at the haulers those guys are using these days. I'm afraid of what the money might do to the sport. We've seen the end result when money meets politics and near-unlimited engineering budgets and it ain't good (F1).

 

Speedweeks is now Speedweek and the Clash will be run on the road course.

https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2020/0...hedule-2021-busch-clash-moves-to-road-course/

I'm conflicted because I think the schedule is too long. if this is their solution, it's a bad way to fix the schedule length. Those two weeks build SO MUCH hype leading up to the 500 and the new season. Of all the times to reduce media exposure, Daytona in February sure ain't a good time to do it.

I do imagine it's hell on the team's budgets considering housing, food, etc.
Seeing Cup boys on the Daytona layout will be fun!

Also, I'm listening to this at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR2-wQv1q6I&t=48s

 

One step closer to the IMSA merger?

 

Check out SRO (formerly Pirelli World Challenge). The TCA/TCB cars are SCCA spec. To put it into perspective, the Fiat 500 I had would have been disqualified because of the minor modifications I had (sway bars, springs, intake, and exhaust). They are pretty much allowed minor tweaks (with specified part numbers), an FIA approved seat and rollcage, and racing slicks. That's about it.

 

I miss 90s nascar. Back when all the cars weren’t all identical specs and teams could make real tweaks to their car and still be within the rules. Get rid of the chase and the playoff and the stages

I say If they can hit 220+ at Daytona or ‘Dega, and the driver has the balls to hold ‘Er wide open, let em go.

 

I feel the same in many ways, though for me it's the cars from '83-93. I thought the '95 Monte Carlo and '96 Grand Prix were very sharp race cars, too.