2016 NASCAR thread

My current feelings toward NASCAR these days

 

Looks familiar:

 

I am one that hopes their change to TOYOTA gives him that long career that is deserved...

And with SPONSORSHIP like that it should be ea$y

 

I think Truex is one of those rare drivers that has a long career arc that gets better with time, like the older generations of drivers. Truex can be a Harry Gant, Dale Jarrett, Kevin Harvick. Modern culture and Modern NASCAR wants drivers who are hot out of the gate like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon or a juggernaut like Jimmie Johnson. Unfortunately these guys are rare. There are tons of guys who were brought up too soon and fizzled. Casey Atwood comes to mind. He was going to be the next Jeff Gordon, so they said. Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland were the stars of tomorrow too. I'm afraid we might see the same thing happen to guys like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Chris Beuscher. A lot of people think Chase is going to jump out and be the next Jeff Gordon/Bill Elliott. He's probably going to be a blip on the screen this season. If he's smart, he'll ride around this year and learn and prepare to compete next year. That's what a rookie season is supposed to be about.

Anyway, back to Truex. I think he'll have a nice long career arc. He's likable in the garage and the stands, doesn't do guys wrong, he comes from a family of racers, he doesn't tear up equipment, he's pretty loyal to team owners.

 

Looks bad ass... I know hhell enjoy the free fishing

 

NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series revealed a brand-new feature that has never been seen in motor racing, and based on that fact alone, it's worth asking how the NCWTS found value in an idea Formula 1, IndyCar, and every other major championship left on the cutting room floor.

Announced during NASCAR's pre-season Media Tour on Tuesday, the NCWTS will actually schedule caution periods this season using a countdown clock. For those who are familiar with motor racing, a caution period is traditionally used when a problem arises-a car has crashed and needs to be retrieved, harmful debris is on the racetrack, or some other issue has necessitated a temporary halt to the action. With the new NCWTS caution clock, those halts will happen every 20 minutes, regardless of whether it's needed.

And if a genuine caution period happens during that 20-minute countdown, NCWTS officials will tend to the stricken car or debris (or whatever), then restart the 20-minute clock once the race goes back to green. The clock starts when the race starts, starts again on restarts and, as a race-to-the-finish bonus, it will be turned off during the final 20 laps of the race.

Most NCWTS laps take well under one minute, so if we stick to time measurements, all but the last five to 10 minutes of most races will run without the caution clock.

If you're asking the logical follow-up question of "why would they manipulate racing with unnecessary cautions every 20 minutes," my answer is "I don't know," followed by a lot of cursing and screaming into a pillow.

No reasoning for the introduction of caution clock was provided by NASCAR, although we can assume it's for the sake of keeping its races nice and spicy. With teams expecting to race for no longer than 20 minutes before NASCAR dims the lights and throws on a slow jam to pack the cars together, action at NCWTS events would, in theory, never fall prey to runaway victories.

Imagine if the NBA created a similar rule where it called timeouts once a team builds a handy lead. It would disrupt the momentum of the losing team while, possibly, cooling the jets of the streaking team. It would also leave those in attendance, and watching at home, with the feeling the outcome of its games are being manipulated by The Man.

The caution clock is pure sports entertainment. At least NCWTS fans will now have a handy countdown clock to schedule bathroom breaks, make sandwiches, or grab fresh beverages.

 

I just feel its against the spirit of racing.

 

Who wrote this?

 

NASCAR INTRODUCES CAUTION CLOCK IN NCWTS

By Zack Albert | NASCAR.com | January 19, 2016at 11.45 AM

 

walmart raised the price of nascars... from 2.97 to 4.97.... im trying to hold out on buying until atlanta

 

Whhat?!! I been known to buy quite a few...

 

I got this in the mail from WBR. Not sure where to stick it:

 

This one is going in my back window. It's 4.5"

 

Damb. Why are these so HUGE?

 

Cleaned off a shelf in the home office for these guys:
(the Shell #22 belongs to my 4 year old)
The Pics in the window sill are from the mid '90s. The left side is a pick I snapped of Ricky Rudd's pit stop at Atlanta in '97. I stepped out onto pit road when the Winston Cup official turned his back.
The right side is a pic of my in Bill Elliott's '92 Bud T-bird. It was taken at the old Melling shop & museum in Dawsonville.

 

"91 Pepsi 400 at Daytona. My first race. Awesome Bill won the race:

 

The '17 Fusion looks okay. I wish they'd run the Taurus. The street version looks much better than the Fusion. Same goes for Chevy's Malibu over the Impala.

 

the new grill looks better than the old one