2017 Nascar Thread

It's in the 3rd gen section right.

 

I don't disagree with the method when it's Brad, Joey, Kyle, or Chase. These guys are paid big bucks to try and win races. They give it 100%. Sure, there are other potentially successful strategies, and older, more mature drivers lean towards those strategies, but for young hot shots, they only know FULL THROTTLE. It's like getting bit by a baby rattlesnake. They can't control the venom. Joey said last week "I only know one speed, Wide Open." I want to see hard racing lap after lap, not sitting back waiting for the final 30 laps, like Jimmie, Matt, Denny, and other veteran drivers.

Folks love to talk about how amazing Dale Earnhardt was. He is revered at a near-spooky level among many NASCAR fans. Older fans bemoan modern "cookie cutter" tracks and "PC Drivers," but the minute one of these guys goes out and drives JUST LIKE DALE, they are booed and vilified. Look at Kyle, Joey, and Brad. They're responsible for 80% of the boos during driver intros. They're also some of the most talented drivers out there.

I'm glad Chase jumped out of the gate looking strong AF this year. This was his 500 to lose. He won the pole and his Twin 125 race, much like his dad did in the '80s. Chase made a statement this week that he is no silver spoon slouch. He's going to be a contender, slower, more patient drivers be damned. Besides, NASCAR needs him to succeed. When Dale hangs up his helmet, Hendrick and NASCAR need a down-homey star that has ties to pre-Nextel/Sprint NASCAR.

I've felt conflicted about Chase because he's the heir apparent as NASCAR's Next Big Thing, he drives for Hendrick, and he's #24. On the other hand, he's a Georgia boy, he grew up an hour from where I live, he's Bill's son (aside: Bill was my favorite growing up), and he drove for Earnhardt Jr. (who has a great eye for talent). I think I'm leaning back towards FAN after watching the way he cut through the leaders time and again and blocked the hell out of both lines in the waning laps.

Remember, he crashed out very early in last year's 500, so this is really his first Daytona 500. He made mistakes, but he'll learn from them. Unlike Danica, he will continue to improve.

 

@MadDaddy i 100% agree well said

 

I always go back to Chase Elliotts Darlington win 2 years ago when i think of what type of driver he is; makes me a fan every time

 

That was an awesome night. I was there. He killed those guys on restarts all night long, moving from 6th to 1st on the last restart making a pass & took it high out of turn two (who does that?) for the win.

https://youtu.be/oxqlZFrxBcg

 

He was so aggressive on those fresh tires and told the 11 to "cash me ousside how bah dah"

 

Here's ya' boy at the old Daytona Victory Lane exactly 23 years ago:

 

@thewarriordinghy , you going to Atlanta? There's a $24 Chase Elliott ticket special. Parking, pre-race tailgate with a Chase Elliott q&a, food & driink included. I'll be around Saturday, but not sticking around Sunday.

http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com...hase-ticket-package-for-college-students.html

 

If you want to meet up, I'll be camping with a group, pm and I'll give you my number... I'll be there Friday to sunday

 

Cool. I should be meeting up with some iRacing guys from Dale Jr's league to race go-karts outside the main grandstand some time Saturday.

https://youtu.be/mMlj-dlkoBA

 

I'll probably be at the track if not, the gypsy tents buying way too much stuff

 

Today is the debut of the new '17 aero rules package. I look forward to seeing how the boys handle this low-downforce package on slippery old Atlanta Speedway (for the last time):

 

Saturday was a great day at the track.

Grand National: I don’t know how it looked on TV, but Kyle Busch spun the tires on every single restart except the final restart in the Xfinity race. Maybe he’s working on some strategy for tomorrow? (He likes to have an edge on restarts). And dang if Kyle Larson didn’t spin his tires worse on that final restart. His car was kicked sideways all the way to turn 1. I was hoping for Busch to botch the final restart and have to go high to block Larson or low to block Keselowski for a crazy, three-wide battle into turn one. Kes also made a wild move through lap traffic out of T4 in the final moments of the race that looked really cool from the stands. I think everybody’s butt-holes from row 1 to 70 puckered up in that moment. Having now attended my first race with segments, I must say, I kind of like it. It was perfect timing for a bathroom break. It also helped regroup the field at a track notorious for spreading cars out big time. I don’t know if they ever showed it on TV, but there was a sizable piece of debris on the front-stretch mere inches from the racing groove for the final 50 laps of the Xfinity race and NASCAR never threw a debris caution. It wasn’t blown off the track until they cleaned the surface for the truck race. Also, Kyle Busch’s car failed post-race inspection (what’s new?) I’d like to see the stats on how often his car failed inspection after winning lower-tier races.

Truck Series: #4 was a rocket ship all race long. Like him or not, John Hunter Nemechek (#8) can wheel an underfunded truck like nobody’s business. #98 Grey Gaulding needs to learn a little sense. Late in the race, he smacked Chase Elliott so hard in the door coming through the dogleg I swear the #23 hopped over the dip towards the end of the front-stretch. A few laps later Gaulding did the same to the #19. I don’t know what happened to the #50 in the race. Looked like his motor soured. They pulled the thing around to their hauler, and a few minutes later the truck took off towards a gate at the end of pit road. The entire crew went running through the garage to catch the sputtering truck with a fire crew not far behind. It was bizarre! I don’t think there was anyone inside the truck.

 

Goodbye Atlanta Asphalt
1997 Pole Speed (fresh asphalt): Geoff Bodine 197.478

2017 Pole Speed: Kevin Harvick 190.398

I was there the night Geoff set the record. He was plowing into T1 at well over 200mph. His pace was noticeably quicker from my perch midway down pit road. Seven miles per hour of degradation over twenty years of racing. I heard dirt was making its way up through the cracks in the surface. True, given the apron is a dusty place at AMS. I hope NASCAR plans to free up the cars even more next season. If not, Atlanta will join other, newer speedways in resembling a 500 mile slot-car race. I have a feeling the old pole record will fall. Tony Stewart broke the similarly repaved Texas speedway record with a 200mph run in 2014. Texas has a slightly tighter turn radius than Atlanta.

 

Goodyear is subtly dragging Kyle Busch over his post-crash Daytona remarks, blaming the tires rather than the crosswind that's been blowing across the speedway since 1959.

http://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2017...nues-examination-kyle-busch-daytona-500-tires

 

AMS 20 minutes ago......

 

@MadDaddy did u see Austin Dillon at team Chevy exhibit this morning?

 

Nah, I left last night. Didn't stick around today. I did see Cole Custer yesterday.

 

Keselowski! Woot!

Boring race though until the last 25 Laps, that track was chewing some tires! Going to be awful next year with the pave