2024 NASCAR THREAD

Well I reckon those smart, high-paid engineers can get off their butts and make some suspension and air pressure changes to see what'll outlast the other guys. This was a race where things were put back in the hands of the drivers. These new drivers have turned into system quarterbacks in the wake of Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson's dominance. Yesterday the drivers had to show patience and resolve and not push the car 110% every lap.

 

When you're potentially talking about every team running out of tires even with NASCAR releasing an extra set, and the issue being less about fall off and more about "when will my tire blow?," it's a bit much. KB blew a tire before his green flag stop. The 4 lost a tire just after the race finished.

 

It’s the same tire they ran there last Fall. What do you think changed? While mild, it’s still very much Winter in North Tennessee. I wonder if track temps just didn’t let the groove set up. I haven’t seen those kinds of marbles at the track since the 90s.

 

I feel yesterday was excessive. So much that it greatly reduced the ability to bring in the top groove. Tires should fall off to slow a few seconds but down to the cords in 40 laps with a single groove is a bit much. lol.

 

I wondered about the temperature too. Not sure why the Goodyear rep didn't mention that in his address to the media. He claimed the resin was the only difference. While I'd love to see them get rid of that as well, it didn't really explain why the rest of the track didn't take rubber. I also wondered what the temps were when they did their tire test in the first place.

 

Doing the math, 40 laps at Bristol was 20 miles. 10 laps at Indy is 25 miles. So basically these tires fell off about the same or worse than the 2008 Indy race depending on the run....not great

 

that’s a cool comparison to give good perspective.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mo...n&cvid=c56444e3006e404383b61b54247dfa18&ei=26

 

First thought is they want to expand back into historic tracks because they love appreciate the history of the sport. But that’s like thinking our gov. sends troops into war for humanitarian reasons. I think they’re really just trying to get all the potential competitors into contracts so teams won’t defect and start their own series. Can’t have races without race tracks. And if all the decent tracks are in legally binding agreements with NASCAR, then there is no threat of competition.

 

Didn’t think of it like that!

 

I think NASCAR is eyeballing the success of Tony's SRX, Ray's plans for redeveloping the IROC brand, and Dale Jr, Harvick, Kip Childress, Justin Marks & Jeff Burton buying the CARS Tour and funneling a lot of money into it.

Each of these series generated/are generating a lot of heat and promising growth opportunities- two things NASCAR desperately wants and needs- especially when team ownership and drivers are growing increasingly frustrated with contracts, race purses and revenue sharing. NASCAR started by buying out ARCA to increase the perceived value of their business. They made this clear. This was around the time there were rumours the France family may sell NASCAR to investors.

I'm suspicious of how SRX series was killed. Either it was intended to be a test-bed for Ray to see if an IROC-like series could succeed, or NASCAR paid Tony and Ray handsomely to knock it off- accidentally giving Ray the cash needed to purchase the IROC brand and assets. If this is how it went down, Ray is a mastermind.

NASCAR can't buy up all the tracks. I don't think they have enough cash-flow. However, they can get ever-smaller tracks tied up in years-long legally binding contracts thus prohibiting potential rival series from competing.

My facebook memories brought up an article from 2012, where Sports Illustrated researcher and reporter Frank Deford, talks about two things that really dinged NASCAR's trajectory at its peak in popularity: The economic bust from 2008-2012 kept longtime loyal working and middle-class fans, "the bread and butter," as he says, from attending as much as they'd like, and America's love affair with the car was over. He said the sport would have to better mirror stick & ball sports to survive into a new generation.

Deford retired in 2016 and died in 2017.

 

You lost me at Facebook j/k.interesting though the way you look at it

 

I would not be surprised to see the clash at BG barring the issue of the location. NASCAR wants to rub elbows with the fake fans and people in places like LA and Chicago. I think NASCAR did this to keep a lid on the shenanigan's that BG is known for. NASCAR killed the Madhouse show because they did not like the portrayal of the sport and the affiliation. Last year was filled with a lot of out of hand behavior by drivers and fans and NASCAR does not want that image. I could see this venue getting ARCA or maybe a truck race in the future. It is my opinion that the premier series has no business on anything less than a half mile track and the paperclip is the only one that deserves that right.

 

You bought some good point too.

 

I have nothing to say but I think it would be cool too see nascar there at BG just once.

 

I'd love a REAL throwback race where they focus on one specific era and recreate body panels from that era for the cars. It's likely easier than ever with these new modular bodies. Imagine a bunch of 1960s, '70s, '80s or '90s-looking cars zooming around BG with modern suspension underneath them.

 

That would be fun to watch

 

From what I understand this is the future for the IROC series as Evernham envisions it. He has a ton of old Iroc cars and is scanning all the bodies and his plan is to run modern cars with a throwback body. Each event or season focusing on once of the iconic cars from the past. Seems like a really cool idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bigh6QlckM

 

Ray talks about how the proportions were always off on the IROC cars. They were all representations of the car but nothing close to the correct wheelbase or width. He said the roof of the Avengers when they ran those were actually still the old Camaro roof and they just re-skinned the body. This was back when they hung all this sheetmetal by hand so they could do stuff like that pretty easy. Now, they can 3d scan these old cars and mass produce whatever they want.

 

Good to know, thanks for the link...I has interest...