Motorsports

[Mrs. P.]

My husband has been watching NASCAR races for 40 years, and he says they're ruining the sport with all the changes.  In fact, he doesn't really enjoy watching any more. He'd like to see it go back to the original concept.  

[Moose135]

I've been watching at least as long - probably sine the early 70s, which wasn't always easy growing up in NY as coverage was limited.  They have made a bunch of changes in recent years, but I think most have worked out for the best.  I wasn't sure about the Chase format when it was introduced in 2004 - yes, it's been around that long, but it has added interest to the last part of the season, as opposed to years where the championship was clinched with one or two races left in the season.  And with the new elimination format the past few years, the champion has had to win the last race to take the title.  I'll take that sort of action anytime.

Some people always say "the racing was better in the old days" but I disagree - the racing has been better, closer, and more competitive than ever. One of the most famous finishes in the "old days" is probably the 1976 Daytona 500 - Petty and Pearson swapping the lead back and forth over the last lap, they get together coming out of turn 4 and spin down the front stretch, hitting each other and the wall.  How did Pearson end up winning? Not because he kept his car running when Petty's stalled - no, it was because Petty and Pearson were the only cars on the lead lap at the end of the race!  The third place car was a lap down, the 10th place car was 10 laps behind.  If the leaders get together coming to the checkered flag today, they are going to finish 32 and 33, as the whole rest of the field is still on the lead lap and will blow on by them.  Hell, Ned Jarrett won the Southern 500 in 1965 by 14 laps - they weren't all "good old days".

NASCAR has to make changes to attract new fans - if not, their fan base would eventually all die off.

[Kip Hackman]

Starting watching NASCAR in 1986, but bailed on it a few years back. I always thought the Chase was an idiotic way to decide a champion, and a "winner take all" season finale made it even more idiotic. Hypothetically speaking, a driver could win 35 races, then finish second at Homestead, and lose the championship.

Motorsports don't need playoffs, because unlike other sports, everyone competes against each other all season long. No unbalanced schedules.

As far as the new race rules go, sounds like another loser to me. If you don't want people to complain about drivers "riding around", have them run heat races. Then, a B-main, and an A-main. Just like they do at every dirt track. It's not rocket science.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Kip Hackman

[Artsda]

I really disliked the latest version of the chase with the eliminator rounds etc.. I disliked that someone who was mediocre all season could scrape by and end up almost winning the whole thing like that year with Ryan Newman.

So I guess this new system does sound better that it will eliminate those types of situations. It actually looks like they thought this format out and got input from the drivers instead of just throwing change at them. It seems  confusing points wise when the playoffs comes in, but hopefully it'll be making sense and they'll have all the scenarios worked out before the play offs start. So we don't have another All Star race which even the race control had no idea what was going on and that was a mess.

I just wish they'd get a format and stick with it. 

[Artsda]

This is more like the crash fest 500. 

I wonder how many cars McMurray has taken out.

[Kip Hackman]

15 hours ago, Artsda said:

This is more like the crash fest 500. 

 

Seems like it's like that every year.

[Artsda]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced Tuesday morning that he is retiring from NASCAR after this season.

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/04/25/dale-earnhardt-jr-retire-nascar/

 

Nascar lost a lot of top names lately to retirement. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and now Dale.

[khyber]

Getting geared up for the biggest day of racing in the year.

[Moose135]

22 hours ago, khyber said:

Getting geared up for the biggest day of racing in the year.

On the Saturday one year, the wife asks me what I was doing the next day - I had already cut the grass and done a bunch of other yard work.  I told her I was watching racing all day.  Near the end of the Indy 500, she asked "Is this really all you are doing today?"  I did go outside between Indy and Charlotte to start the grill for dinner.

[Videophile]

It's good to see someone who has his priorities straight.

[xaxat]

If you're an F1 fan, I highly recommend the Amazon series Grand Prix Driver. 

It's a "season inside" documentary that chronicles 2017 for McLaren. Yup, that season. 

I'm two episodes in, and having the hindsight on what was to come puts it in an entirely different perspective. For example, there's a scene where Honda engineers debut their new engine to much anticipation from team McLaren. . . and it doesn't fire.

[Moose135]

Should be interesting, @xaxat, I'll have to check it out.  And in semi-related news, I got to see Alonzo up close and in person a couple of weeks ago at the Rolex 24.  Pretty cool, and he always had a big crowd around him in the garage area.

[xaxat]

I don't really follow drivers, but it seemed like Alonso was pretty good natured last year given the dumpster fire raging around him.

[khyber]

Indycar season starts in one hour. The starting grid for St. Pete is insane.

[xaxat]

Not exactly the best debut for F1 on ESPN. 

[jennblevins]

Did I hear wrong, or did the announcers claim Melbourne was located in Mexico?

[xaxat]

Baku certainly didn't lack drama.

[selkie]

12 hours ago, xaxat said:

Baku certainly didn't lack drama.

Me to husband somewhere around lap 38 today- 'Even though nothing much seems to happen after lap 2 in a Formula 1 race, there's just something pleasant about the coverage of the races that keeps me tuned in'

 

Deities of F1- 'watch this and hold my lager'

[jennblevins]

On 4/29/2018 at 7:35 PM, selkie said:

Deities of F1- 'watch this and hold my lager'

This made me literally laugh out loud, and then I showed it to my husband, who also laughed out loud. 

I have to go to the auto parts store tomorrow to get a new rear wiper blade for our car, and I’m seriously tempted to pick up a bottle or two of whatever Mothers product seems like it’d be most useful. Those commercial-free races are just so much more pleasant than getting yanked away and randomly dropped back in with no warning. 

[oliv88]

Heard Marquez has hinted on a switch from Repsol Honda. Is that true?

[AnnieBeez]

Max Verstappen was robbed! But this is some NBA-level pushing here: https://mobile.twitter.com/tomektr/status/1061692445413568512?s=21

[kathyk24]

There was a great Nascar documentary on tonight. Unrivaled about the rivalry between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. Jeff was the reason I became a Nascar fan. I hope FS1 airs it again.

[Moose135]

I'll admit I was never a fan of either of them, but I found the documentary fascinating - brought back many old memories!

[geauxaway]

On 2/15/2019 at 2:04 AM, kathyk24 said:

There was a great Nascar documentary on tonight. Unrivaled about the rivalry between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. Jeff was the reason I became a Nascar fan. I hope FS1 airs it again.

24EVER!  I told my daddy he needed to watch this show.  I’m a 24 girl and my late husband was a 3 guy.  I’ll never forget the day Dale died.  I was cheering cuz he went into the wall.  It’s the first and only time I saw my guy cry (when we saw the news).  I miss that rivalry.  I love racing but I don’t really have anyone I pull for anymore.  Just go to the races for the fun of it.  Pull for the Chevy’s.  

[xaxat]

This whole Rich Energy/Haas thing is fascinating. Questions about Rich having enough money to finance the team, the logo lawsuit and the "rogue" twitter posts. . .

The British GP felt like two races. The first half was really exciting. With Hamilton challenging Bottas and Ferrari vs Red Bull.

Then the safety car came out. Hamilton took first and it became another boring race. 

[xaxat]

Germany was crazy. The rooster tails at the start in the rain, Mercedes' disastrous day, Vettel's climb to second with five pit stops, that corner that chewed up cars like a giant sea monster. . . 

Edited July 28, 2019 by xaxat

[xaxat]

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.

[selkie]

And we have American winners at the Dakar for the first time ever. 

https://gearjunkie.com/dakar-rally-2020-americans-win?fbclid=IwAR3E50UO2JWklkARisaBCYHSn0xltx4lW5j48cF_GagylILzduT5fSWT064

I try to watch every year for the scenery and Saudi Arabia really does have some amazing landscapes that were well shown by the rally. 

[Was-MArsenault]

John Andretti has died.

https://racer.com/2020/01/30/john-andretti-dies-at-56/

[Kip Hackman]

3 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

John Andretti has died.

https://racer.com/2020/01/30/john-andretti-dies-at-56/

This one hurts. After Davey Allison died, John became my favorite driver. And while the on-track results weren't always there, I was always proud to be a John Andretti fan, just because of the man he was. Godspeed, JA.

[Sew Sumi]

I remember him taking a helicopter from the Indy 500 to Charlotte to race in the Coca Cola 600. I think he was the first to do both. 

[xaxat]

Chinese Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus

[emma675]

Oh man, that Ryan Newman crash at the end of the Daytona 500 looked bad. Like Earnhardt Senior bad. I hope I'm wrong and he comes through this. 

[Moose135]

That was an ugly hit he took, and the way things went after that reminded me a lot of Dale Sr's crash. Hope all goes well for him.

[Moose135]

From the official NASCAR Twitter account:

[selkie]

Can we go back to it being okay to end a race under a yellow flag? The current NASCAR system just seems to really up the danger in the name of catering to the mouth breathers who like those kinds of restrictor plate crashfests.

[roamyn]

19 hours ago, Moose135 said:

From the official NASCAR Twitter account:

I am shocked that he’s in “serious condition” and not worse.  That was horrific, even worse than Dale Sr.  That was a Dan Wheldon level crash.

Hubby hopes he retires aft this, because if you go back, what kind of PTSD might you have while racing at 200mph.

Glad he seems to be okay, relatively.

[Moose135]

4 hours ago, selkie said:

Can we go back to it being okay to end a race under a yellow flag? The current NASCAR system just seems to really up the danger in the name of catering to the mouth breathers who like those kinds of restrictor plate crashfests.

I have no problem with restrictor plate racing, but I've never been a fan of green/white/checker finishes. I doubt NASCAR will ever stop doing it though.

[garnet207]

Ryan Newman was released from the hospital today.

[mojoween]

Corey LaJoie tweeting to the video that Ryan forgot his shoes made me laugh.

Corey, you did nothing wrong, but not sure Ryan is ready to joke with you particularly yet!

[xaxat]

F1 has some serious decisions to make.

Coronavirus: FIA sets up crisis cell to discuss Formula 1 events

Italy coronavirus lockdown plans threaten F1, MotoGP season-openers

Bahrain F1 race to be held without fans due to coronavirus

Ferrari In A Spin As Vietnam Announces Quarantine On All Passengers From Italy

 

[Moose135]

Indycar at St Pete this weekend has had general admission cancelled, no word yet on whether the race will still be run. NASCAR at Homestead next weekend won’t be allowed to have fans present, they will have an announcement this afternoon with more details.

McLaren has withdrawn from the Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive for coronavirus, the race itself is in question. 

The WEC race at Sebring next week was cancelled after the European travel restrictions, as most teams are based there. No word yet on the IMSA 12 Hour race there next Saturday - we are planning to head down there next Thursday, just waiting to see what happens. 

[xaxat]

 

[Moose135]

[khyber]

No Supercross either.  This Indycar race Sunday, may be it for awhile.

[Moose135]

24 minutes ago, khyber said:

This Indycar race Sunday, may be it for awhile.

That's cancelled too...

 

[khyber]

Crap. 

[xaxat]

There's been a lot of bad information/advice going around during the pandemic. But this might be the worst.

Coronavirus in F1: Red Bull's Helmut Marko told team's drivers to become infected

[Moose135]

NASCAR returns Sunday afternoon with their first race since shutting down for the COVID-19 pandemic. They will run at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina with no fans in the stands, and limited team members, officials, and media allowed. It's a one-day show - arrive, cars get inspected, and they race. No practice, no qualifying, should be interesting. They have another race at Darlington on Wednesday night, with the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte next Sunday.

They have a schedule through June 21 throughout the south, mostly within range of Charlotte to make them all one-day events. We'll see how it goes and what happens after that. I have tickets for the Pocono doubleheader the weekend of June 27-28.  NASCAR hasn't said anything about that yet, and even if it runs and they allow fans (the PA governor is still discussing it) I'm not sure I'm ready to go to an event with thousands of other people.

[kathyk2]

On 5/16/2020 at 3:55 PM, Moose135 said:

NASCAR returns Sunday afternoon with their first race since shutting down for the COVID-19 pandemic. They will run at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina with no fans in the stands, and limited team members, officials, and media allowed. It's a one-day show - arrive, cars get inspected, and they race. No practice, no qualifying, should be interesting. They have another race at Darlington on Wednesday night, with the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte next Sunday.

They have a schedule through June 21 throughout the south, mostly within range of Charlotte to make them all one-day events. We'll see how it goes and what happens after that. I have tickets for the Pocono doubleheader the weekend of June 27-28.  NASCAR hasn't said anything about that yet, and even if it runs and they allow fans (the PA governor is still discussing it) I'm not sure I'm ready to go to an event with thousands of other people.

I hope you are able to go. It was so nice to hear Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon again. Victory Lane was strange without fans. There seemed to be more ads during the race than usual.