2017 NASCAR Cup Series

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

The top of the list is definitely the liveries, so the Southern 500 is trying to fix that

Racer's preview of the Bojangles 500 liveries, throwback race 1985-1989

Per usual, the Smokey Yunnick livery is the best looking, following by the STP.

[Number4]

Originally Posted by AoB Special Stage

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...-designed-cars

Well then.

Originally Posted by Matt

Only poorly designed when they stop winning all the time.

This is easily fixed though - give the cars a 4" ride height and take the splitter and side skirts off.

Keselowski is quite right. NASCAR technical regulations are pure madness. Compare the field at the Daytona 24 hrs and the Daytona 500, it is like they are from another planet. They pick a couple of nasty FWD saloons and put 1950's running gear in them. Instead of fixing the tech regs they come up with gimmicks like the play offs and heats.
If it was up to me I would change the tyres and wheels from 15" to 18" and centre lock, rear axle to IRS and LSD, gearbox to 5 speed synchro, motor to alloy DOHC, and bin the restrictor plate. This would bring NASCAR into the 1990's, but somehow I can't see this happening.

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

For some reason, I thought I'd enjoy the race today at Sonoma, so I recorded and just finished it. The road course races are so chopped up and confusing with pitstop strategies because of the stages. Still fun to watch stockcars hustle through the esses and bound off curbs, but the actual race product is garbage.

Speaking of garbage, I guess this is the last race people have to deal with FOX for 2017. They have six people in suits covering the race and each is just as annoying as he other. Put more people in the pits and maybe out on the course / track. That's much more informative than listening to Mikey and Chris talk about whose hair has more product in it...

The good news is, it looks as though they have a contract through 2024

I have not watched a lap of Cup series yet this year, but I have watched all of the Xfinity and Truck races so far. Apart from M Waltrip, I found the Fox commentary really good. The Xfinity has now gone to NBC and I find their commentary totally unbearable, I had to watch the Kentucky race on mute. Rick Allen sounds like he is auditioning for a tv commercial, Letarte and Snyder spout verbal diarrhoea gibberish, and the girl in the pits needs a sinus operation. That makes Jeff Burton the only person worth listening to, and he is very average. I'm not sure I can handle another race of their ear pain.

[fieldodreams79]

Mike Joy and DW were bearable for about 5 races. Now after nearly 2 decades of them? They're more interested in being "an act" rather than covering the act. Then add in Jeff Gordon, someone whom I've never cared for, and his awful voice plus Mikey and Chris "Hollywood" Myers, the idiotic Fox graphics, it's a complete $hit show. Makes me kinda miss Jeff Hammond and his gold chain. Larry Mac is the only one with anything smart to say, but his says it in a very bad way.

Steve Latarte is in the booth for a reason and he's certain difficult to listen to.

If you can work it out somehow, find the MRN/PRN radio coverage to put to video.

I just don't listen to much of anything these days....

[fieldodreams79]

Race start times discussion:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nascar-...155615209.html

Later start times for the California audience. My 2 cents? F Cali. Start Fontana and Sonoma a 4 pm and bring back Riverside and Ontario


https://twitter.com/DaleJr/status/886966728424652800

[NaBUru38]

The Daytona 400 and Brickyard 400 should be run with two chicanes, like Argentina's Rafaela. Overtaking would be insane.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The Daytona 400 and Brickyard 400 should be run with two chicanes, like Argentina's Rafaela. Overtaking would be insane.

I think that's silly talk!

How about a joker lap?

What they really need is a dirt track, North Wilkesboro, The Rock, another race at Darlington and one more short track.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

How about a joker lap?

There are pitstops already.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The Daytona 400 and Brickyard 400 should be run with two chicanes, like Argentina's Rafaela. Overtaking would be insane.

Put down that pipe, guy.

[Akrapovic]

Didn't World Challenge do that at Lowes back in the 2000s? I can't find videos of it, but there was a race that used the tiny tri-oval as a chicane, and a tyre chicane on the back. Rest of the circuit was the oval. Chicanes were marked with tracker tyres.

IIRC Kasey Kahne was in the race. And the previous generation Vipers.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Didn't World Challenge do that at Lowes back in the 2000s? I can't find videos of it, but there was a race that used the tiny tri-oval as a chicane, and a tyre chicane on the back. Rest of the circuit was the oval. Chicanes were marked with tracker tyres.

IIRC Kasey Kahne was in the race. And the previous generation Vipers.

Yes, PWC GT in 2007. It's the Holy Grail broadcast for me and a few friends to find sometime because it was so hilarious.

[Akrapovic]

I don't remember much about it, but it sticks out to me because it was rare to be able to view it over here back then, and I did. IIRC it was an absolutely awful race, but properly funny. The chicane on the back straight moved several times from cars hitting it.

They should totally do it again, "for the lols".

[fieldodreams79]

The Brickyard 400 was an absolute and utterly complete $hit show. 14 cautions, lots boneheaded blocking and poor track cleaning.

I had nothing better to do for 2 hours so I caught the last 50 laps....

My son's favorite driver won so there's that.

[Paradise City]

That race was dreadful. The rules are sprawling and fragmented for no benefit. The sport is a complete mess. And don't get me started on how the blasted champion/play-off is calculated 'coz I just don't know and I care even less.

And they are still doing competition cautions? Despite the races being sliced and diced anyway?

The changes are supposed to be TV friendly -- yet it finished two hours longer than the previous longest race here. Just stupid.

[Matt]

idk man, that was fun to watch because it was so dumb.

best way to watch it lately

[NaBUru38]

The point of the new championship system is that races are supposed to be more interesting. So ignore the championship and just watch the races.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

That race was dreadful. The rules are sprawling and fragmented for no benefit. The sport is a complete mess. And don't get me started on how the blasted champion/play-off is calculated 'coz I just don't know and I care even less.

And they are still doing competition cautions? Despite the races being sliced and diced anyway?

The changes are supposed to be TV friendly -- yet it finished two hours longer than the previous longest race here. Just stupid.

But was one of the few races this year to post an upswing in viewership and barely beat The Open Championship coverage for top sporting event of the weekend. Now, how much of that was late viewers expecting regular programming and getting a race in overtime, who knows. But a double digit increase compared to the usual double digit decrease will make nascar think they are right, this week at least.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

But was one of the few races this year to post an upswing in viewership and barely beat The Open Championship coverage for top sporting event of the weekend. Now, how much of that was late viewers expecting regular programming and getting a race in overtime, who knows. But a double digit increase compared to the usual double digit decrease will make nascar think they are right, this week at least.

I was more interested in The Open which was freaking AWESOME. I've been one of the few that am OK with the Brickyard on track / race product, even though I don't think stockcars should be racing there, but whatever helps keep the gates open.

This race was pure shyte and the uptick was an anomaly, but you're right, "good press" for the top brass; more viewers and plenty of crash candy for previews of next year's race! Smash! Fire! YEAH!

[NaBUru38]

The Brickyard moved from cable to broadcast, what's why ratings improved.

[broadrun96]

What exactly does Furniture Row provide to the team they 'run?'

The front and rear tire changer on the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team have been suspended for the next three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.
Joe Gibbs Racing, which supplies its technical partner with pit crews, confirmed to RACER that Chris Taylor and Lee Cunningham are the suspended crew members. Kip Wolfmeier and John Royer will fill in.
The incident occurred last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was captured on video.
Kyle Busch's crew chief Adam Stevens and members of Martin Truex Jr.'s pit crew exchanged words in the No. 78 pit box. It started with rear tire changer Cunningham before Taylor, the front tire changer, can be heard telling Stevens to leave the pit box while pushing him backward.

“Our No. 78 pit crew is hired, trained and managed by Joe Gibbs Racing,” Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser said in a statement. "They are one of the best pit crews on the circuit and have kept us up front all season. We admire the talent and dedication of our pit crew and support all of the decisions and actions taken by Joe Gibbs Racing."

[Matt]

NASCAR should be looking into that, if JGR can suspend crew members from a supposed rival team, doesn't that make them one of their teams, thus making the JGR operation a 5 car team at the minimum?

[Number4]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

What exactly does Furniture Row provide to the team they 'run?'

JGR build as much of the car as the rules allow in Charlotte then ship them to Denver where FR assemble and set them up. The motors come from TRD in California. They have a workshop with a 7 point test rig.

Originally Posted by Matt

NASCAR should be looking into that, if JGR can suspend crew members from a supposed rival team, doesn't that make them one of their teams, thus making the JGR operation a 5 car team at the minimum?

Hendrik was/is building motors, chassis and supplying pit crews for several teams. SHR being their most successful customer until this year. RCR are similar with Germaine, Leavine, Circle Sport, JTG Daugherty.
They have read the rule book and are pushing it to it's limits. In business, if an employee on contract confronted a company manager I would not have a problem with the suspension.
But suspending a championship rivals team member in a sport stinks pretty hard.

[broadrun96]

It's not Bud, but this car looks familiar for Jr for season/career finale.

[FIRE]

road course racing weekend

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by FIRE

road course racing weekend

Yay!

I'm recording the Xfinity race now, and will either be recording the Cup or IMSA race to watch later tomorrow.

[fieldodreams79]

Just finished the Xfinity race. Fun watching the cars work the track but no fun watching these races work around the segments stops. Really breaks up the road courses more than the speedways.