63 replies to this topic

[Eddie Fleming]

I am thinking Carl Edwards feels pretty good about his seat for that race.

[mjsh]

Some one needs to ask David Pearson what he thinks.

[Half Fast]

News and Notes:

 

1- NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O'Donnell said the sanctioning body was pleased with its first NASCAR Cup race with its new segment format. O'Donnell: "I thought the race had a flow."

 

What race was he watching?

 

2- NASCAR announces Denny Hamlin, girlfriend Jordan Fish expecting second child.

 

Hmm... whats missing here?

 

I report, you decide.

[Eddie Fleming]

I think Dave Marcus said something like raise the cars up off the ground and take the downforce away (and the restrictor plate), and let them race. Sounds a lot like the 1960s. Racing was pretty good. Yes, I know it is not safe.

 

To much money involved these days.

[brnursebmt]

Exactly, Eddie. Money tends to screw up a lot of things.

[Eddie Fleming]

Oh the subject was the new race format.

 

Put that on the long list of changes over the last 25 years that add up to all us old farts disillusioned with modern racing.

 

Actually I don't think the format is all bad if the segment break was about a lap long (no pit stops) and the rest of the crap they have created over the years was thrown out.

[B.C.]

The segments to me are OK - but why make it a caution - award the same points for first through tenth and keep going.

 

It makes pit strategy less important if you know that you can hang on a few more laps knowing you lose as much track position by pitting.

 

Take away the rear spoiler and make a lot less dow force. Show us who can drive. too many of todays racers never raced on dirt, don't know how to handle a car that isn't stuck to the pavement. 

 

I do think the going to the garage and you are out is not the best answer. it doesn't fit all situations. The 2 car had a broken track bar, that wouldn't have required sheet metal replacement. There were at least three cars that had Bear Bond coming loose during the race. Take away the Bear Bond also.

 

I do agree with cut the cubes and throw away the plate, and cut the octane back even further. Give drivers back the throttle and racing will return and not be follow the leader.

 

I can enjoy watching laps at 160 MPH just as well as laps at 190 MPH if it means actually having lead changes and passing.

 

I think NASCAR is on the right track with the stage points. It somewhat kept the riding around in the back to a minimum.

 

That being said I give the race a B+ grade.

[Phil Hackett]

There was a race yesterday? Really? I spent the day catching up on YouTube videos. Far more interesting and informative (oxtoolco, abom79, nyc cnc, sment, action figure therepy, AvE, Waveya2011, Haas Automation, Keith Fenner, periodic videos amongst more) than another plate-race with time-outs to restart the race.

 

I'll be at Auto Club Speedway next weekend and get an up-close view of the new format. Maybe it's better at the track. Maybe not.

[MattD]

For a few years I thought the best thing they could do was to award some points at the half way point, just to keep guys racing instead of pacing. I also thought a smaller gas tank and more stops would break things up and make for more racing. Too many guys making too many millions to take a lot of chances racing.

Yesterday we did see some racing most of the way through and just a little follow the leader. They maybe got what they were looking for. The whole sport/process has changed so much the last 15 years and the viewers have aged to the point that it's not racing as we watched in the '70s, '80s, and even the '90s. It has become a whole different thing. The old NASCAR is dead.

I enjoy superspeedway racing and could care less about the mile and a half cookie cutters. I'll plan to watch the whole Bristol race and the roadcourse races. Might be eight races I will watch in their entirety. The rest not at all or just a scan on the DVR. Not much they can do to change viewer habits or interest no matter what they change. It will take them a year or so to realize that.

There was a lot of talk about Carson leaving the Tonite show and how it changed. I read once, "When Johnny left the show, he didn't just leave, he took the show with him." NASCAR has kind of the same deal. There is an aging fanbase that grows smaller and, love him or hate him, when Earnhardt died a lot of interest died with him and his on track actions, now Gordon, Stewart, and Edwards gone, all these losses have changed NASCAR's face and general interest.

For what it's worth it is all racing going through this change.

[Wizard Of Iz]

A few thoughts ....

 

At the track, the Stages/Competition Cautions disrupted the flow of the race.  They definitely gave the race even more of a made-for-TV feel.  But it probably did make the concessionaires more money.  By the way .... WAY higher prices at Daytona than at UF football games.  It seemed crazy to have a caution on lap 108, ride around for five or six laps, go green, and then stop again for the end of the stage at lap 120.

 

Mattb is right about the aging fans at the track.  I looked around me yesterday and saw VERY FEW people younger than me (57.)  It has become so expensive to attend a race, that many (perhaps most) families can't afford to bring the whole family.  Additionally, there are fewer local tracks to attract and nurture young fans.  The closest track to Jacksonville is in Lake City --- about 55-60 miles.  that tells me that the long-term future of racing isn't much brighter than the long-term future of slot car racing.

 

Once upon a time ..... drivers worked their way up through the ranks from local track to a lower traveling series to a better traveling series to NASCAR's various series to Cup.  Along the way they learned how to "race" and gained maturity.  Now it's more about which driver can deliver sponsorship dollars.  I think these are some of the drivers taking unnecessary chances early in the race because they just don't know any better.  

 

Slowing the cars down will just put all of the cars in a pack that nobody can escape.  Back in the '60's/'70's/'80's - maybe '90's there were actually very few well-funded teams.  That's why there were MAYBE five or six cars that had a chance to win each week.  Now the multi-car teams and their satellite operations all have multiple cars that can win.  Slowing today's cars down will make for even less passing because nobody will have an advantage.

[Mike Patterson]

The main problem with NASCAR is the races are too damned long. F1 and Indy Car have both settled on a 2 hour time limit, and that sits about right with me. Coverage of the Daytona 500 started at 1:00 PM EST, and finished up somewhere after 6:00 PM. Over 5 hours, and there wasn't a rain delay. I'm sorry, but my attention span isn't that long any more.

[Kevin Donovan]

My new format for watching NASCAR is do something productive until the race has been on for a while. Turn on the TV and watch the last 30 or 40 laps? I did this for all the races this weekend.

[Bryan Warmack]

  If Nascar really wanted a new format they should try adding several more road courses to the schedule along with Watkins Glen and Sonoma!

[Pappy]

The segments to me are OK - but why make it a caution - award the same points for first through tenth and keep going.

 

I agree, no need to stop

 

 

Take away the rear spoiler and make a lot less dow force. Show us who can drive. too many of todays racers never raced on dirt, don't know how to handle a car that isn't stuck to the pavement. 

 

It's kinda like magnet racing, no warning until it breaks loose.