2017 Nascar Thread

Looking farther into this charter leasing deal, you can bet Ford had a big hand in this power play. This move gives a sense of security to three Ford teams. 1) It helps Petty keep from losing their second (and worst ‘16 season performing) charter, 2) it elevates the very bottom Ford team (#32), keeping them in the sport at least through 2018, and 3) it gives the Wood brothers the security it needs so they can focus on race day performance over qualifying efforts.

 

There would be a bunch of pissed off team owners. Notice how drivers don't pose with big checks in victory lane anymore? NASCAR has cut race and championship purses year after year as Sprint cut back on sponsorship. They moved to this charter system, and with it a new agreement: a portion of each race purse is set aside as guaranteed $ each week based on finishing positions. Those without charters get an even smaller percentage of the purse. This was a move to eliminate start & park teams; make it cost prohibitive to start & park. It's not worth it anymore to start & park, plus, if any team with a charter makes a habit of pulling a Jeff Green, NASCAR will revoke their charter and turn around and sell it to the highest bidder, and pocketing the cash for themselves, effectively running the back marker team out of the sport. Those charters, while intangible, are potentially worth millions of dollars to each team. The higher they finish, the bigger chunk of the purse.

 

Of the '17 Cup schemes revealed thus far, there are ZERO fresh schemes that look interesting:

http://www.jayski.com/news/schemes/story/_/page/2017-NASCAR-Cup-Series-Paint-Schemes

I'd say the field as a whole is rather uninspired so far. The Chase Elliott scheme is okay, but a little busy IMO. Jimmie Johnson's car looks like an Australian Supercar.

 

For a third tier team like Front Row Motorsports, securing two drivers who can bring a car home in one piece is good news. I look forward to seeing how they fare in ‘17. Heck, with this pair, they might pull off another plate track win. I wish there were more teams like Front Row in NASCAR and less like Hendrick and Gibbs. I’ve always liked the All-Star Open format; “The Best of the Rest,” as they used to call it. Imagine what this sport would look like without the juggernauts. Ford seems to be solidifying their footprint in Cup from the bottom up for 2017. I look forward to back marker teams like Go FAS and Front Row making improvements next season.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dd1b5cde0f34d5d452f64b91e&id=b229da7926

 

I thought the checks just got too big to handle.

 

See the charter idea is crap...

 

We all know Erik Jones will pilot a #77 Five Hour Energy Camry in NASCAR next season. Did you know he's not the first to pilot a #77 Five Hour Energy car this decade? Remember goofball Stephen Wallace (son of Rusty), who pulled a Cole Trickle and hit just about every possible thing at the race track?
https://youtu.be/yasDhQndp0A

He pinballed a #77 Five Hour Energy Camry in 2011:



Meanwhile, Erik Jones' 2017 car doesn't deviate much from the original scheme:



Flames and zigzags are played out, IMO. I feel like NASCAR's graphic designers have been phoning it in since the '90s.

 

Why change if it works?

 

I guess I'm a fan of the old-school fades of the '80s and '90s. I'm thinking Darrell Waltrip and his #17 Western Auto car, Davey Allison's '87 car, and even Jeff Gordon's first paint scheme. Those were sharp looking cars on track and in print. My all-time favorite scheme is Bobby Allison's #12 Miller High Life Buick. It is classy. Miller used it in all their motorsports sponsorships in the '80s.

 

Kurt Busch '17 Ford

 

Merry Christmas, NASCAR fans!

 

That would be wicked cool to take sprinter out on the snow.

I see you're out west, have you been to the Chili Bowl?

 

Naw, that's further east. I haven't been to Oklahoma in years. I should though, the Mrs. is a big Tony Stewart fan. We watch Prelude to a Dream at El Dora on PPV occasionally. I love sprint cars but they don't race them around here anymore. I think Colorado International Speedway used to before it was paved. In the snow would be awesome, but that's pretty much just like driving a RWD anyway. They could open up the Wal Mart parking lot, hell, all the fans and potential competitors are there anyway!

 

I took my dad to Eldora a couple years ago for the Four Crown Nationals, some young kid named Kyle Larson kicked everyone's butts.

 

I remember that race. Very impressed with that kid!

 

He's a charger, watched his first NASCAR Truck race at Eldora. He tried to knock the fence down making a run at first but just couldn't get it done. In the after race interview he was watching the footage and thought "who the heck is that fool?" then he realized it was him.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dodge-wants-back-nascar-fine-073919007.html

 

What races are you planning to attend next season? I've down Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, Talladega, Martinsville, and Charlotte. I like attending the Big Show, but I've been enjoying short tracks and dirt karting lately. If love to go big and attend a heap of Cup races, but I think I'll scale back this year.
I'm eying Daytona in July, if I can swing it into a family vacation. I'd love to get to Bristol, as I've yet to see a race there.
I'll probably skip the Indycar race at Barber this year. I'd like to return to the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, but school schedule won't allow that trek.

Near Future bucket list:

Bristol
Daytona 400
Indy 500
U.S. Grand Prix

 

They'll make a bid to buy into RCR. They need a powerhouse in in-house engine shop (ECR complex) and satellite teams (13, 33, 37, 47).

OR

(Long shot) They'll go after the old faithful Mopar fans and buy into Richard Petty Racing and a bunch of other back markers, which is fitting as Chrysler's customer base isn't exactly an elite clientele.

They might even do baby steps, bring the Tam back to truck racing before moving up to a up level investment. Who knows with Sergio. He wants to sell Fiats any way possible. Will we see a Fiat pace car?