2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season

[kevinracefan]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

If you mean purely stock, that has never really happened. However, they used fully stock bodies and chassis until '67. They used stock chassis and body panels (a donor car was still required) until '80, albeit highly modified. They morphed into what we know as stock cars today in 1981.

1965.. that's when the manufacturers started building cars with "unibody" construction.. zero frame.. no part of any 1980 chassis ever hit a track, that I know of..

KRF

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by kevinracefan

1965.. that's when the manufacturers started building cars with "unibody" construction.. zero frame.. no part of any 1980 chassis ever hit a track, that I know of..

KRF

Gen 2 started in 1967, Gen 3 in 1981. Every vehicle between those years started with a VIN number. They were using unibody cars well before 1965.

[chernaudi]

And even in the "bodies in white" era, where production car unitbodies were used, they were just gutted out, had the floor chopped out, the ladder frame and rollcage stuffed in, and the floor welded or bolted back on.

Unlike the road cars they were derived from, the unitbody had little bearing on the cars' structural integrity.

[Clervaux]

Atlanta this weekend then, a track that has seen better days sadly. Who's everyone's money on?
Reckon Logano has a good chance of going back-to-back after Daytona but reckon Harvick will have a good run

[R.Lee]

Originally Posted by Clervaux

Atlanta this weekend then, a track that has seen better days sadly. Who's everyone's money on?
Reckon Logano has a good chance of going back-to-back after Daytona but reckon Harvick will have a good run

Hate to say it this way, but afraid the weather is going to win out this Sunday. Weird weather year here in Georgia, oddly similar to 1993. That year, the Spring (they ran two races at this track back then) race at Atlanta was snowed out by the Blizzard of 93. This year, the "Spring", yeah, I know it's still Winter, but it was a March race back then too, in fact, today, we have winter storm warnings for heavy snow, so bad that we have gone to two shifts at work and I am on the night shift, so I will have to pull an all nighter. History repeating itself? Hope not, but there is a strong chance for rain, all day on Sunday.

[HJJ]

Yeah, weather will play a part in this weekend's Atlanta race. TWC is calling for 70% of rain starting on Sunday and all the way till next Friday. Plus with the winter storm warnings in place I don't know if that will delay the teams in making the 4 hour drive from Charlotte on Thursday. It looks to be a cluster.

Congrats to David Ragan moving over to the #18 to sub for Kyle Busch! I think he can be a surprise in that car.

[JHamilton]

I don't think they will get this week's race in. I'm not sure that it matters as no one will be there anyway.

[fieldodreams79]

If they push back the "next round of precipitation" in their weather models, they could get this in on Sunday, but I questioned the timing to being with. It's going to be snowing today and this time next week, it will be in the 70s. NASCAR was rolling the dice scheduling this one and it may not work out for them.

Either way, as JHammy alluded to, it'll draw slightly more than the IRL did at AMS.

[canamman]

At least Saturday looks good for the two-fer.
This will be our first truck race and hoping the GA. boys
have a good day in both races.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by canamman

At least Saturday looks good for the two-fer.
This will be our first truck race and hoping the GA. boys
have a good day in both races.

John Wes was on the local radio this morning; not a good interviewer....

[canamman]

Oh, did not hear it. Hopefully he can shake off the crash
magnet syndrome and get a top five this weekend.

[HJJ]

#44 car stolen outside hotel UPDATE withdraws: A trailer carrying a NASCAR racing team's car was stolen overnight in Morrow, GA, according to the driver of the vehicle hauling the trailer [NJ plates]. The driver says the unmarked white Xtreme Racing trailer had the #44 car inside and was stolen from a hotel sometime overnight. Local authorities have been notified.kfvs12.com.
AND A spokeswoman for Team Xtreme (#44 car) confirms Atlanta car and trailer were stolen from outside the team hotel.(Jeff Gluck/USA Today twitter)
MORE Travis Kvapil's car for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway has apparently been stolen. A spokeswoman for Team Xtreme confirmed a Missouri TV station's report that the #44 car and its hauler disappeared from outside the team's hotel [Drury Inn & Suites] in Morrow, Ga. overnight. KFVS reported the trailer was white and unmarked and said the hauler driver reported it missing. Team Xtreme, owned by John Cohen, qualified for the Daytona 500 last week and finished 32nd with driver Reed Sorenson. But Kvapil is in the car this week with Sorenson driving for another [#29 RAB Racing] team. NASCAR teams tested at Atlanta on Thursday, meaning all the other cars are already secured inside the track (USA Today)
UPDATE: Sgt. Larry Oglesby of the Morrow (Ga.) Police Department told ESPN.com that they are treating the car's disappearance as a stolen vehicle after a report was filed at 5:50am/et at the Drury Inn. Team owner John Cohen, who was not at the track, told ESPN.com by phone that the team will have to withdraw from the race and was still trying to gather information as to what had happened. The first practice for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 is scheduled for 1:00pm/et Friday, and teams typically must present a car for inspection an hour or two prior to the start of Sprint Cup practice.(ESPN.com)(2-27-2015)

.

[canamman]

Zaxbys truck in the top part of the practice charts. Good start.(no jinx)

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by HJJ

.

Maybe someone in Morrow thought it was going to be filled with slop from Golden Corral.

[Salamus]

13 cars don't get a chance to qualify, including Gordon, Kenseth, Johnson, and Stewart.

I guess NASCAR found a new way to embarrass itself.

[Paradise City]

Well, looking at the weather, it's still gonna be wet/snowy 'till Thursday.

[R.Lee]

IT was/is a tough break for Travis and team. After the problems they had at Daytona, to have a car, hauler and tools stolen. Just some local punks, (I grew up about 7 to 8 miles from that area, use to be a real nice area/neighborhood, now, just trashy, slum, drug ring, crime ridden thug area) thought they'd get some tools, etc, to work on ATVs, dirt bikes/"crotch rockets", or pawn for drug money, etc. Hauler didn't have markings, from what I understand. They probably crapped themselves, when they opened it and saw a full blown Sprint Cup race car sitting in it. They pretty much dumped the car and stole everything else, they got the spare engine out of the hauler as well. Imagine they'll have to cut it up for scrap, probably would be as difficult to unload as the car would be! Hopefully, they get caught, sent to jail and wind up with "BIG BUBBA" as their cell mate!

[fieldodreams79]

What a pretty day for a race in GA. Listening to the radio broadcast about an hour ago and there was a line at inspection station. WTH is going on?

Big crowd.

[Salamus]

FOX broadcast has been better this week.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Salamus

FOX broadcast has been better this week.

Still way too many "stay firmer longer" ads for my liking, but it is a bit better. Still the same crew.....


Tough luck for the 24's last visit to AMS.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Still way too many "stay firmer longer" ads for my liking, but it is a bit better. Still the same crew.....

Must be an American thing...we don't get those up here.

I just want Jeff to win as many races as possible. 100 is too far away but 95 wouldn't be bad.

Jimmie is getting up there too, at 71 now. But I don't think he'll reach 100 either.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Salamus

I just want Jeff to win as many races as possible. 100 is too far away but 95 wouldn't be bad.

Yeah, no offense, but I won't mind if the rest of the season for Jeff goes like his first 2 races of the season.

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Well, looking at the weather, it's still gonna be wet/snowy 'till Thursday.

Shouldn't the onus be on teams to ensure their car is within the rules? If you don't pass then you are trying to bend the rules as much as possible, and got caught out. Why should the teams that had a legal car be delayed in qualifying by someone who doesn't?

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

Shouldn't the onus be on teams to ensure their car is within the rules? If you don't pass then you are trying to bend the rules as much as possible, and got caught out. Why should the teams that had a legal car be delayed in qualifying by someone who doesn't?

I was just (wrongly) predicting Sunday's and the week ahead's weather.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

Shouldn't the onus be on teams to ensure their car is within the rules? If you don't pass then you are trying to bend the rules as much as possible, and got caught out. Why should the teams that had a legal car be delayed in qualifying by someone who doesn't?

Sounded to me like the guys that didn't make it were on their second or third time through. It wasn't like NASCAR was completely at fault, but why let that get in the way of a good sound bite or tweet. Johnson and Gordon both were on their third trip through, Bowyer was one of the last guys out are his second try with 8 minutes left. Don't have an illegal car and it would go through on the first stop. *****ing that tech held them up when their build did is beyond stupid.

Apparently Kvapils car was found early Sat morning in Loganville. Sounded like everything was still there an undamaged but they had aghast withdrawn and missed inspection anyway.