2020 Nascar Big 3

[broadrun96]

Well be interesting at the other Roval with IMSA GTs added to the NASCAR weekend. GTLM and GTD with Cup and Xfinity, will be an interesting comparison of lap times.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Earl Bamber gets his wish. From S365:

The Porsche factory driver will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in next month’s Daytona Road Course race in a Richard Childress Racing-run Chevrolet backed by KCMG. “I’ve dreamed about competing in NASCAR my entire life, so I am so thankful to Richard Childress, KCMG and everyone who has played a role in creating this opportunity for me,” he said.

Cool. Fingers crossed for him.

[Alfisti]

So, any ideas who Leavine has sold his team too?

Rumours I've heard are Spire - but that is definitely not true I also hear - and the slightly wild rumour it's Kyle Busch - as a Gibbs B Team for driver development.

Hope Christopher Bell has a ride in Cup next year.

[PointDSM]

We are getting closer to needing to merge Xfinity and Cup, make trucks the feeder series, and run the races as multi-class racing! I can dream right?



One class has high-downforce and 450hp, the other low downforce and 700hp.



My bet is an existing Xfinity team is stepping up.

[NaBUru38]

At Michigan, the Cup races have 39 entries, the Xfinity race has 37 entries, and the Trucks race has 40 entries.

[PointDSM]

Currently, but just wait for the economic fallout in 2021. Many teams are likely running on 2019 money (budgets).

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by PointDSM

We are getting closer to needing to merge Xfinity and Cup, make trucks the feeder series, and run the races as multi-class racing! I can dream right?



One class has high-downforce and 450hp, the other low downforce and 700hp.



My bet is an existing Xfinity team is stepping up.

No one watches that style racing already, you're describing TransAm racing but for ovals. Yeah, the fields were full for TA2 but the TA1 and others (XGT, SuperGT and GT this season) have hit or miss fields and basically 2 winners. TA1 is 850+ and XGT are out of homologation GT3s, slightly more 450hp I'd guess but TA1 is more than 700.

I mean I guess if you want wrecks maybe that would work but ovals make multi class ridiculous and who would want to run high df at anything over 1 mile?

Teams are already running with multiple sponsors to spread the cost over 10 instead of 1 main. And teams at the rear have always run blank cars funded by the driver, that's not gonna change and the fields will hang out at their current levels. The deals Nascar has are longer term and can fund a decent future for the full franchise load.

[NaBUru38]

It's more likely that Nascar drops Xfinity or Trucks than it merges them.

[PointDSM]

Good point, and I guess that would result in the same thing. 10-15 teams moving from Xfinity to Cup with less experienced drivers.

[Alfisti]

Yeah, I can see one "national" feeder series for Cup replacing Trucks and xfinity. There are some drivers who come through regional/ ARCA to Trucks, then to xfinity and ultimately Cup but only some, not all.

If there was a mandated progression you might bulk the series up (i.e. no Cup ride without a year in xfinity and a minimum of X top tens for example) but I honestly can't see anything like this happening - even if NASCAR wanted to. The economic damage of the coronavirus/ lockdowns is probably going to result in a number of shuttered teams before next season gets under way.

Maybe the one series, with a lot less meets than Cup (I'm thinking Trucks here) will be more successful as budgets required are smaller. Heck, if NASCAR can drive cost reduction like the coming next gen Cup car supposedly will then that'll definitely help get drivers and rides on the grid.

Still no idea who Bob Leavine has sold to, but Gibbs has released Jones - so pretty much guarantees Christopher Bell moving to the Gibbs #20 car, and 90% in my mind confirms the buyer won't be aligned with Gibbs. So an xfinity team stepping up seems likely. Or maybe, just maybe someone like Childress adding an extra car - to my mind they are very much improved this year and Tyler Reddick looks like a Cup veteran already.

[tux]

Anyone watching the Road America Xfinity race? These new pit rules are so weird.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by tux

Anyone watching the Road America Xfinity race? These new pit rules are so weird.

Not me, but I hope to catch it on replay now! One of my fav races to catch every year

[broadrun96]

RFR caught with modified rear spoilers on both cars. Impounded parts and the drivers sent to the back. Should have been parked for the race.

[fieldodreams79]

I caught the race replay until they red flagged for lightning. Cue the nascar and rain comments but I fast forwarded and missed if they were gonna try and finish today.

Been a fun few weeks at Road America!!

[broadrun96]

I think they finished it after about 90 min delay, saw some highlights in the mist after the rain. Couldn't tell how long they waited to return to the track.

[NaBUru38]

This weekend it's the Daytona road course festival.


The Cup race will include Sorenson, Yeley, Hill, Gase, Gaulding and Gaughan.


The Xfinity race will include AJ Allmendinger, Andy Lally and Earl Bamber.


The Trucks race will include Alexandre Tagliani.

[Alfisti]

Alex Tagliani, one of my favourite drivers back when CART was a thing. If his ride is halfway decent he'll be mixing it up at the pointy end.

Just went looking and found it's Kyle's 51. This should be good

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Still no idea who Bob Leavine has sold to, but Gibbs has released Jones - so pretty much guarantees Christopher Bell moving to the Gibbs #20 car, and 90% in my mind confirms the buyer won't be aligned with Gibbs. So an xfinity team stepping up seems likely. Or maybe, just maybe someone like Childress adding an extra car - to my mind they are very much improved this year and Tyler Reddick looks like a Cup veteran already.

Spire Racing so they expand to a 2 charter 2 car program and move in to Leavine's old shop in Concord. Rotating drivers this season so I'd guess we'll see 2 cars doing that, 2 charters wasted it appears.

Spire also bought Furniture Row's charter when they shut down as well after 2018.

[broadrun96]

Vicious storm outside of Daytona and looks like lots of lightning locally delaying the GN race this afternoon. And looks to be a rain race if the lighting clears and let's them get to racin'

Looks like different Go Bowling barriers up just outside the the white line from 3 through 4 on the infield instead of the Armco further back. Looks like a recipe for cautions

[fieldodreams79]

I think they should eliminate both chicanes. The draft would come into play and it would be a lot more interesting.

[tux]

9 laps in and the top 2 are 20 seconds ahead, top 10 covered by 40 seconds

Chicane is awful.

Bamber finishes stage 1 in 5th, restarts in P3!. Not sure hes ever run a lap in any type of Nascar before the start of this race so super impressive on a damp track.

[tux]

Briscoe & Cindric are something else. 12 seconds ahead of P3 after 7 laps of racing.

[tux]

Truck race is pretty entertaining, cant help but feel that the decision not to hold a practice session has been a disaster though. The gaps between the top 5 and the rest are huge.

Hope the cup race is better..

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by tux

Truck race is pretty entertaining, cant help but feel that the decision not to hold a practice session has been a disaster though. The gaps between the top 5 and the rest are huge.



Hope the cup race is better..

That gap wild be larger with practice not smaller. The truck race at Mosport had usually been a top 5 lapping most everyone as well.

[NaBUru38]

Highlights (Cup, Xfinity, Trucks)