2017 Nascar Thread

I don't think with Dale Sr. rolling over in his grave, RCR would ever justify switching to Fiat/Chrysler. Petty for sure, and maybe some small caliber teams that would be interested in the technology backing of a manufacturer, sort of like what Toyota did when they came to NASCAR. They'll need strong commitments to come back from multiple teams. You're probably talking a $1B+ deal or more from the European owned company.

 

Kansas, PIR, and Vegas are closest to me, but PIR makes the most sense since my boy's mother lives there. Shooting for '17 but we'll see.

 

Talladega twice and Atlanta already paid for...

 

I've got 6 tracks lined up this year I can't wait for Feb. My wife went to her first race last year and is hooked. Now she cancels plans on Sundays and begs for tickets to races. I'd say she's a keeper.

 

I found this mesmerising, lug nuts coming off during a pit stop.
https://gfycat.com/MenacingCheapDegu

You forgot about these.

Name this wingtip wearing, Start and Park driver.

 

Rarely does my mind scream "GO AWAYYYYYYY" when I see drivers from my childhood, but geez Morgan, hang it up.

 

That's him. He's got to be almost 80?

 

SMI announced they will repaved Atlanta after the Spring event this year. I'm bummed because 1) It's one of the oldest surfaces on the Cup circuit, 2) It's slippery and fun for drivers.

The common comment among drivers after the '16 event was something along the lines of "this place is fun, hard, slippery, don't ever change it!" I haven't seen drivers hop out of their cars looking that haggard from a hard day's work since the early '90s. The race might not have made for good tv, but it was a thrill to see in person. I haven't seen stock cars drift and slide on a speedway like that since action shots from Days of Thunder.

https://youtu.be/RGHDjf8osfM?t=3h42m9s

 

That's about how fast he drives too.

https://youtu.be/UH3T-m6ArjU

 

No doubt! I just figured he thought they were all caution laps.

 

44Days7Hours59Minutes40Seconds til Daytona! I see they're calling it the "Clash" this year.

 

Announced today:

Texas Speedway getting a repave and dropping banking a few degrees in turns 1 & 2.

 

Trying to turn it into Vegas?

 

All mile and a half a will one day be the same... Especially with helton and France

 

Curtis "Pops" Turner designed Charlotte back when he drove for the Wood Brothers. Bruton Smith owns SMI; the holding company of Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas, Kentucky, Kansas, and other, older properties. Thank him for the cookie cutters.

 

I'm hearing it was requested by INDYCAR to lower corner speeds. They carry a TON of speed through the dogleg into T1. So does cup, but they're like 25mph slower than INDYCAR. There have been fatal T1/2 Indy car accidents at similarly laid out tracks Atlanta and Las Vegas in the past.

 

At one time didn't they refuse to race there due to the g's they pulled in the corners.

 

Yep. CART cars were turning a ridiculous 5 Gs around the track. The pole speed was 233mph? That whole deal was effectively the nail in the coffin for CART.

That track has been a real piece since the first race. I call it the North Wilkesboro curse, since TMS doomed NW's future. Rain has always plagued the facility, and they didn't have proper drainage until 2017? NASCAR refused to return after the first 1 or 2 events until they rebuilt turn 4. Weepers have always been a problem there. It's a tick tighter than Charlotte, which is a tick tighter than Atlanta, and that threw everyone off from the get-go. The turn four transition to the dogleg launched cars into the wall at high speed thanks to the now-obsolete "Dual Banking."

 

They reduce the banking, the cars will just hit the wall harder and faster making it more dangerous. Isn't that what soft walls are for?