Motorsports

[officetemp]

Watching the pre-race coverage for tonight's Darlington Race.  My husband just remarked that none of the face masks that the drivers/crews are wearing have sponsors' advertising on them.  Strange that NASCAR would have missed an opportunity to get more money in that way.  It would be perfect for the drivers to have sponsorship stuff on their face masks.

[jennifer6973]

2 hours ago, officetemp said:

Watching the pre-race coverage for tonight's Darlington Race.  My husband just remarked that none of the face masks that the drivers/crews are wearing have sponsors' advertising on them.  Strange that NASCAR would have missed an opportunity to get more money in that way.  It would be perfect for the drivers to have sponsorship stuff on their face masks.

Eric Almirola had one with his sponsor on Sunday.

[Moose135]

One of the Fox pit reporters had Fox logos on his mask. Denny Hamlin had a mask with a picture of the lower half of his face with a big smile. Seeing him talk to the pit reporter after the race was strange, hearing him talk but without his "mouth" moving.

 

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Moose135

[officetemp]

On 5/20/2020 at 9:20 PM, jennifer6973 said:

Eric Almirola had one with his sponsor on Sunday.

I'm sure Smithfield Foods was pleased.  I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the teams show up with sponsors' logos on their face masks this weekend at Charlotte.  (It looked like some of the pit crews had patches on their masks, but the patches were too small to see what they represented.)

Yeah, Denny Hamlin's mask was so weird!  It made him look as if he were a computer simulation or something.

I was so disappointed with how Darlington II (on Wednesday) finished.  I was all "Yeah, yeah!  C'mon Chase!  Do it!"  then Kyle Busch takes Elliott out.  Small wonder Chase gave Busch the one-fingered salute.  I think Jeff Gordon was right about the race being entertaining, though.

Really impressed how well the drivers are doing given that they haven't had a chance to train or test since the lockdown went into effect.  I was interested in seeing also how the pit crews would perform, since--I presume--they haven't been practicing all this time either.  Wanted to see how long the pit stops would take, can't recall seeing any timers on screen during the pit stops, though.  The Cola-Cola 600 should be interesting, anyway.

[JTMacc99]

Bristol this Sunday!!

The tag line should be, "This is a representation of what happens when you don't follow social distancing guidelines."

 

[Moose135]

I got an e-mail from Pocono Raceway a short time ago announcing that the NASCAR Cup doubleheader weekend on June 27-28 will be held without spectators. I was really looking forward to this - been going to Pocono for over 30 years - but given the situation these days, I'm not really sorry to hear this news. They are offering a full refund or credit towards future events at the track.

[xaxat]

I've never been to a NASCAR race even though I have live near Watkins Glen and Poconos. 

But I do remember one time I was driving south one night on I-81 just south of Scranton PA. There were several overpasses where I saw people standing, looking north. It's a pretty rural area, so I thought there might be a local fireworks night they were waiting for.

Then a big ass truck blew past me, followed by another. And I realized that I was in the middle of the NASCAR hauler caravan from after the race. 

I'm not saying they were racing, but. . . 

Edited June 1, 2020 by xaxat

[Moose135]

It's really neat to see following the races at Pocono - there are always people out along I-80 and I-81 heading away from the track waving to the haulers heading home to Charlotte. They've been doing it since I started going 30 years ago.

[Moose135]

I've been hearing from my good friend Maurice at International Speedway Corp about renewing my November tickets for Martinsville. I had been holding off, waiting to see what was going to happen with the spring race. Since they announced it would be held in June with no spectators, and that ticket holders could receive a full refund or a 120% credit towards a future race at an ISC track, I gave him a call Friday afternoon to see about applying my payments to the fall race renewal.

He said he was already looking to do that for me, and since the cost of the tickets would be the same, he would apply the extra 20% towards my Spring 2021 renewal. Now I just have to hope life returns to something approaching normal by November...

Edited June 1, 2020 by Moose135

[kathyk2]

This is disgusting and scary. Someone put a noose in Bubba Wallace's garage stall. Bubba is currently the only black driver in Nascar. It was the top story on Sports Center.

[Sew Sumi]

I heard about that. Who has access to his stall? I mean, with things as they are, it had to be done by someone on the inside. 

Words fail me. 😠

[emma675]

I don't think fans are allowed in the infield or near the garages yet so it had to be a Nascar or track employee. Do they have cameras in the garages?

[Moose135]

Right now, it is only team members (in limited numbers), NASCAR officials, safety workers, and other track personnel who are allowed in the garage area. From what I've heard, they do have security cameras throughout the garage area, so I expect they will find those responsible for this.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Moose135 said:

Right now, it is only team members (in limited numbers), NASCAR officials, safety workers, and other track personnel who are allowed in the garage area. From what I've heard, they do have security cameras throughout the garage area, so I expect they will find those responsible for this.

Not only do they need to find them, they need to be charged immediately with a hate crime which carries a mandatory jail sentence.

[xaxat]

That yellow came a lap too late for Bubba. But still a good run. 

[JTMacc99]

15 hours ago, xaxat said:

That yellow came a lap too late for Bubba. But still a good run. 

Yep. 

The finish was pretty great.  Inches separating 1 and 2. Third place sliding across the line wrecked. 

I've been trying to pick a new driver to root for. Ryan Blaney wouldn't be a bad choice. He's a good driver, and almost importantly, his car is easy to spot in the pack. 

[Sew Sumi]

FBI determines Bubba Wallace not victim of hate crime https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29354447/fbi-says-rope-had-talladega-garage-last-fall-bubba-wallace-not-victim-hate-crime

Just now, Sew Sumi said:

Ignore this

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Sew Sumi

[Silver Raven]

The son of former driver Mike Skinner says Bubba Wallace should have been dragged around the pits by the noose.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar/news/bubba-wallace-noose-mike-skinner/tl4wwe3qo3ih1k3jmrf64w62w

 

[xaxat]

And he actually had the nerve to try and walk that back as not being racist.

[mojoween]

The amount of vitriol being slung Bubba’s way is infuriating.  None of this is his fault, he isn’t even the one who reported it for cod’s sack.  I hate everyone.

Also NASCAR’s plan of attack was strange, where they definitively said “there was a noose in Bubba’s garage and we are going to find who put it there and eradicate them from the sport” rather than something like “Bubba’s crew member found an item that appears to be a noose, and we are going to investigate this in full.”  The way they did it, it puts all the heat on Bubba.

Edited June 24, 2020 by mojoween

[xaxat]

Kudos to the Fox Sports crew. That was a lot of NASCAR they covered yesterday.

[Moose135]

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend's Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.

Jimmie Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, to miss Brickyard 400

Seven-time Cup Series Jimmie Johnson has become the first NASCAR driver to confirm he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, Hendrick Motorsports announced Johnson, 44, had tested positive on Friday afternoon. Johnson has not experienced any symptoms but was tested upon learning his wife, Chandra, has tested positive after experiencing allergy-like symptoms.

In Johnson’s absence, Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet in place of Johnson in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hendrick Motorsports has also identified one member of the team's traveling crew to self-quarantine due to close contact with Johnson.

 

[BradyBunchFan]

Don Edmunds 1930-2020

[khyber]

Preshow is on. Let's go Indy!

[xaxat]

So it looks like the only thing that can beat Hamilton are bad decisions by the Mercedes team (pit and tire strategies).

 

[Virtual]

I haven't followed NASCAR for several years due to the playoff system and stage racing making it less... about racing and too much like the other sports. But I used to follow it religiously from 2000-2014; hardly ever missed a race during that time.

[khyber]

Holy crap. That Grosjean crash.  I'm glad that they didn't go immediately to the crash replays until they knew Grosjean was okay. Amazing that the car split in two and the driver could hop out.

Edited November 29, 2020 by khyber

[xaxat]

He literally jumped out of an inferno. 

[RunningMarket]

1 hour ago, khyber said:

Wholly crap. That Grosjean crash.  I'm glad that they didn't go immediately to the crash replays until they knew Grosjean was okay. Amazing that the car split in two and the driver could hop out.

The part he was in was the part IN the guardrail and the part that burst into flames. I don't know HOW he crawled out.

The latest update is that he has no broken bones (!!) but minor burns to his hands.

[Popples]

 

[xaxat]

Got the Big One out of the way pretty quick this year.

[xaxat]

The next season of F1 Drive to Survive debuts on March 19th. This is going to be a fascinating season, the shitshow at Ferrari, Grosjean's crash, covid and social justice.

Has any other sport had a "season inside" of a pandemic year yet?

This show makes F1 look so damn sexy.

Edited February 27, 2021 by xaxat

[xaxat]

 

[xaxat]

That was a great start to the F1 season. It looks like Red Bull and Mercedes will be competitive. And McLaren might surprise. 

I don't like Aston Martin's livery. Too close to Mercedes in a quick glance. Do like their new pace car. I need to hit the lottery. (Who am I kidding? I am to old to get in that low of a car without seriously embarrassing myself.) 

I'm about half way through Drive to Survive. The big takeaway I have so far is that team principals are a bunch of Mean Girls. 

[khyber]

On 3/28/2021 at 7:58 PM, xaxat said:

That was a great start to the F1 season. It looks like Red Bull and Mercedes will be competitive. And McLaren might surprise. I

 

From your lips......

[xaxat]

6 minutes ago, khyber said:

From your lips......

Yeaaah, I'm not that good at predicting things. 2019.

On 12/2/2019 at 7:50 AM, xaxat said:

Another F1 season, another Hamilton championship.

But I'm looking forward to next season already. It looks like Red Bull and Ferrari might be able to take the challenge to Mercedes and Verstappen and Leclerc look like they are ready to go after the old man.

 

[khyber]

I've come to feel about Hamilton the way I felt about Schumacher, sick of them winning.

[xaxat]

Interesting start to the F1 season. Red Bull has shown that they have a competitive car, but Mercedes has shown that team strategy and the driver matter.

[RunningMarket]

22 hours ago, xaxat said:

Interesting start to the F1 season. Red Bull has shown that they have a competitive car, but Mercedes has shown that team strategy and the driver matter.

If Max can snag pole in Monaco, he's got a 99% chance of a win. As the cars get bigger, there is less and less ability to pass on that course. 

[Bridget]

On 3/31/2021 at 7:31 AM, khyber said:

I've come to feel about Hamilton the way I felt about Schumacher, sick of them winning.

This is my second season as an F1 fan (thank you, DtS) and I was already sick of Lewis winning before I watched a single race!

I live in California, so the races are always on at Early O'Clock here. No way I'm getting up to watch Lewis win. Again. (God bless him though - he's super talented and his dog is so freakin cute, but come on......)

I say this as someone who likes Max, but any combo of HAM-VER-BOT every weekend is so freakin' boring.

 

[Moose135]

37 minutes ago, Bridget said:

I say this as someone who likes Max, but any combo of HAM-VER-BOT every weekend is so freakin' boring.

I've been a Ferrari fan my whole life - how much fun do you think I've had watching races the past few years?

[Bridget]

1 minute ago, Moose135 said:

I've been a Ferrari fan my whole life - how much fun do you think I've had watching races the past few years?

I love Sebastian and Carlos, so I can only imagine your pain.

[Danny Franks]

 

1 hour ago, Bridget said:

This is my second season as an F1 fan (thank you, DtS) and I was already sick of Lewis winning before I watched a single race!

I live in California, so the races are always on at Early O'Clock here. No way I'm getting up to watch Lewis win. Again. (God bless him though - he's super talented and his dog is so freakin cute, but come on......)

I say this as someone who likes Max, but any combo of HAM-VER-BOT every weekend is so freakin' boring.

I used to be very into Formula One back in the mid-90s, and was bored of Michael Schumacher after his second championship win (not the first one, where he blatantly crashed into Damon Hill in the final race so there was no chance of Hill finishing ahead of him and winning the Drivers Championship). I lost interest in the sport after Hill and Eddie Irvine retired, and it became Schumacher's little fiefdom, but had a sort of glancing familiarity with the drivers and the manufacturers.

Watching Drive to Survive really made me want to see Daniel Ricciardo win, because he seems to be such a positive and genuinely likeable guy, but expectations sadly have to be tempered to, "I hope he can get a couple of podium finishes".

As boring as I find Hamilton winning everything, I really don't want to see Verstappen win either, because I thought he came off as a massive dickhead on DtS. Although not as big a dickhead as Christian Horner, who has such a nice line in bleedingly obvious management speak and keeps picking the wrong drivers to partner Max then blaming them for it.

[Bridget]

2 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

 

I used to be very into Formula One back in the mid-90s, and was bored of Michael Schumacher after his second championship win (not the first one, where he blatantly crashed into Damon Hill in the final race so there was no chance of Hill finishing ahead of him and winning the Drivers Championship). I lost interest in the sport after Hill and Eddie Irvine retired, and it became Schumacher's little fiefdom, but had a sort of glancing familiarity with the drivers and the manufacturers.

Watching Drive to Survive really made me want to see Daniel Ricciardo win, because he seems to be such a positive and genuinely likeable guy, but expectations sadly have to be tempered to, "I hope he can get a couple of podium finishes".

As boring as I find Hamilton winning everything, I really don't want to see Verstappen win either, because I thought he came off as a massive dickhead on DtS. Although not as big a dickhead as Christian Horner, who has such a nice line in bleedingly obvious management speak and keeps picking the wrong drivers to partner Max then blaming them for it.

I agree - Christian is worse than an used car salesperson. Slimy arsehole who comes off as so much of a jerk on screen that it’s palpable.

I am with you about Danny Ric’s journey. Would love to see him win every weekend but only seeing him get two podiums per season (on average) is heartbreaking.

I root for DR, Carlos, Seb and Pierre Gasly. I like to think that we all cried when Pierre won in Monza, especially with his immediate: “What did we do?” on the radio.

What brought me around to not totally hating Max was the series of videos on YouTube from Red Bull’s marketing department. Max & Danny Ric have a proper bromance for the ages and I’m here for it. I really didn’t care for Max at all prior to the RB mktg videos - looking forward to your thoughts on them.

 

[khyber]

10 hours ago, Bridget said:

This is my second season as an F1 fan (thank you, DtS) and I was already sick of Lewis winning before I watched a single race!

I live in California, so the races are always on at Early O'Clock here. No way I'm getting up to watch Lewis win. Again. (God bless him though - he's super talented and his dog is so freakin cute, but come on......)

I say this as someone who likes Max, but any combo of HAM-VER-BOT every weekend is so freakin' boring.

 

Try Indycar. Much more competitive. 

[khyber]

Exciting qualies for Indycar. Stoked for Grosjean. 

[RunningMarket]

Max has matured since the first season of DtS. While I could see the immense talent in his driving, I loathed him for his temper tantrums in the garage. Now he's my #2 next to Charles. (And boy, was that a heartbreak for him. I can't believe the amount of people who speculated he crashed on purpose.)

[xaxat]

If you watched Monaco, you may remember Bottas' disastrous pit stop where they couldn't remove a wheel nut, ending his day.

It took Mercedes 43 hours to free it.

Edited May 29, 2021 by xaxat

[BuckeyeLou]

Just wanted to say how excited I am that Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500 today!  The crowd was super excited for him too, especially when he climbed the fence again.  He is so full of enthusiasm & joy for the sport, his fellow drivers ran up to congratulate him.  He now joins the "Legends" of 4-time Winners of the 500...it was a great Race Day!

[emmawoodhouse]

I was at the grocery store when the race ended, so I missed Spiderman. So glad he pulled it out.