NASCAR 2010

[Walter]

Well, since Speedweeks are wrapping up this weekend and I see that no racing threads are in place for the 2010 season - let's talk some racin'!!

Will Jimmie Johnson win his 5th consecutive title? Will Danica Patrick win in NASCAR? Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. have any success at all this season? So many story lines....

I think Tony Stewart is going to win the title this year - even though it is obviously tough to pick against Johnson. Danica is going to get eaten alive Saturday during the Busch (Nationwide) race - it she makes it at all. It is pouring down here in the Sunshine State and they are supposed to qualify shortly. Dale Jr. is a headcase and can't get a grasp of what it takes to get his car handling properly. I can't wait for Harvick to leave RCR and go over to Tony Stewart/Haas Racing next year.

Any other forms of racing are welcome as well!

Can't wait for the season to officially begin on Sunday!!

[Hotplant]

Me Too ! ! !

I've been watching all week.

Think Tony will do it eh? He's "one" of my drivers so that would be swell by me.

His old #20 was really doing great towards the end last year. It will be interesting to see.

Somebody has to outdo Jimmy this year dagnabbit!

[jabe]

Boogity!Boogity!Boogity!

Hotplant, my wife also has a thing for Tony.

[Footsteps of Dawn]

Woohoo, can't wait for Sunday! I'm a Tony Stewart fan myself, so I'd like to see him win the Championship this year, too! Definitely hard to bet against Jimmie, though...I like him, too, since he's from San Diego and all (and I have the hots for his crew chief, haha).

I don't know why, but I'm picking Kyle Busch to win the Daytona 500. No logical reasoning involved - just a total hunch. It'd be great if Tony finally won, though! I hope Jr. can at least come up with a top 15 finish. I didn't get to see the Duels last night, but I REALLY hope he was just hanging at the back on purpose to keep his car in one piece for Sunday. Probably not, but I prefer to be an optimist, heh.

[Hotplant]

Tony's not excatly hot, but he's a heck of a driver!

As far as looks, I dig Carl Edwards...and his back flips. And his eyes.

[Footsteps of Dawn]

Tony's not excatly hot, but he's a heck of a driver!

As far as looks, I dig Carl Edwards...and his back flips. And his eyes.

Aww, I think he's cute! I mean, sure he could stand to eat a few less cheeseburgers, but his eyes and the scruffy face get me every time, lol. But Carl's a total hottie for sure...can't argue with those Sports Illustrated covers!

[Hotplant]

Ohh yeah...

[danelectro59]

Yet another thread i won't win a popularity contest on, but.....

if you want real motor racing, try Formula One or the American LeMans Series.

Those guys have to be able to brake, shift and turn right. NASCAR is a survival series and on par mentally with the WWE. Especially at restrictor plate tracks like Daytona.

[Walter]

I see both points of view, Danelectro, but come on. F1 is very technologically advanced, yes - but the racing sucks. Hardly ever any passing, not much in the personality dept., they have "team orders" which is more like WWE than NASCAR in pre-determining a possible outcome and head of the organization (ole Bernie) is completely on the take and an ego-maniac. But I do enjoy the 1st lap and first couple of turns of the race. Then snooze time....

American LeMans series is fun to watch.

Again different types of racing take different types of discipline. Restrictor plate racing is like a chess match, positioning yourself three steps ahead, if possible. Plus, even though they predominantly make left hand turns, the constant changes that are necessary due to a changing track, tire wear, weather, better racing lines, poor handling, etc. make NASCAR every bit as challenging as anything other form of racing.

When you see former F1 champ Max Papis crying due to making the Daytona 500, because how important the race is and how difficult it is to race well - especially for open wheel racers - then I don't see how you can just dismiss it as a professional wrestling type of league. If it was that easy, many others would come in and do well immediately. But, they don't. To each his own, but it is too popular for fans of other racing series to dump on NASCAR.

Truck race rained out last night, so we're going tonight!! Locked and ready for great night!! Go KHI!!

Sunday's prediction...Kasey Kahne, as much as I don't want to admit it - the Fords as a whole look good.

[danelectro59]

I see both points of view, Danelectro, but come on. F1 is very technologically advanced, yes - but the racing sucks. Hardly ever any passing, not much in the personality dept., they have "team orders" which is more like WWE than NASCAR in pre-determining a possible outcome and head of the organization (ole Bernie) is completely on the take and an ego-maniac. But I do enjoy the 1st lap and first couple of turns of the race. Then snooze time....

American LeMans series is fun to watch.

Again different types of racing take different types of discipline. Restrictor plate racing is like a chess match, positioning yourself three steps ahead, if possible. Plus, even though they predominantly make left hand turns, the constant changes that are necessary due to a changing track, tire wear, weather, better racing lines, poor handling, etc. make NASCAR every bit as challenging as anything other form of racing.

When you see former F1 champ Max Papis crying due to making the Daytona 500, because how important the race is and how difficult it is to race well - especially for open wheel racers - then I don't see how you can just dismiss it as a professional wrestling type of league. If it was that easy, many others would come in and do well immediately. But, they don't. To each his own, but it is too popular for fans of other racing series to dump on NASCAR.

Truck race rained out last night, so we're going tonight!! Locked and ready for great night!! Go KHI!!

Sunday's prediction...Kasey Kahne, as much as I don't want to admit it - the Fords as a whole look good.

I can agree that as far as courage (balls) are concerned, Nascar wins. I can't imagine how it would be to drive that fast only inches apart for a just one lap, let alone 200, but i still say as far as skill level, road racing takes it. One wrong shift or brake a second too late and game over. Hell, in Nascar, just slap some duct tape on her and get back out there. Another thing is the caution periods. Way, way too many and nearly every race ends under one. I would love to see a race run entirely green.

btw, Mad Max was never an F1 champ, he only ran part of one season for Lotus. His best success was in Indy cars. And making the Daytona 500 is about the most important thing in stock car racing. A small teams life often depends on it.

[Walter]

First, apologies on the Max Papis statement. He is always reffed to as a champion, so after researching his bio I know now he is not. Yes, making the 500 will make a small team prosper. Maybe Jacques Villeneuve would have been a better choice to say. Maybe JPM, but he has at least been competitive and has won in NASCAR.

Again racing is racing no matter the form. But to say what league has more talent than another is ridiculous. Just because drag racers go as fast as they can for 1/8 or 1/4 in a straight line doesn't mean their talent isn't any less impressive as a road course racer, rally car racer or dirt car racer. It is all about racing in various forms and different talents. F1 racers are very talented, but I still think the racing/competition among the teams, drivers and manufactures is not as exciting as NASCAR or some of the other forms I stated earlier.

With that said, who do you think will win the F1 series this year? Any surprises coming up? Will Ferrari be on top again? Is Michael coming back to beat Ferrari? There are some interesting issues that can be debated...more so than if NASCAR = WWE.

Nice discussion, must get ready to go to the track!!

[danelectro59]

First, apologies on the Max Papis statement. He is always reffed to as a champion, so after researching his bio I know now he is not. Yes, making the 500 will make a small team prosper. Maybe Jacques Villeneuve would have been a better choice to say. Maybe JPM, but he has at least been competitive and has won in NASCAR.

Again racing is racing no matter the form. But to say what league has more talent than another is ridiculous. Just because drag racers go as fast as they can for 1/8 or 1/4 in a straight line doesn't mean their talent isn't any less impressive as a road course racer, rally car racer or dirt car racer. It is all about racing in various forms and different talents. F1 racers are very talented, but I still think the racing/competition among the teams, drivers and manufactures is not as exciting as NASCAR or some of the other forms I stated earlier.

With that said, who do you think will win the F1 series this year? Any surprises coming up? Will Ferrari be on top again? Is Michael coming back to beat Ferrari? There are some interesting issues that can be debated...more so than if NASCAR = WWE.

Nice discussion, must get ready to go to the track!!

yep, racing is racing and even though i criticize, i always watch Daytona and the Indianapolis races if not for the pomp and circumstance alone. As far as a favorite for me, i would not want to bet against either Busch brother. and don't discount JPM. Last year was a coming out season for him and i think he's going to build on that in 2010. But, if i wanted to be safe, my money would be on a Hendrick car. Take your pick among them. It would touch my heart if Mark Martin won as i remember seeing him as a skinny 18 year old racing the short tracks in the Midwest with the old ASA series. I could really care less about Dale, Jr. as he's been overhyped since day one. And although his dad was a great champion driver, he was ruthless and made some very questionable moves on the track. Jeff Gordon still gets booed and Jimmy Johnson just keeps on winning.

This season in F1 should be totally entertaining and i can only say i can't predict who's going to win. My heart is with Ferrari, but i'm not an Alonso fan. I am a Schumacher fan and hope Michael does well after his layoff.

[Cletus]

I'm rooting for Juan Pablo Montoya. Been following him since his Champ Car days.

[Hotplant]

I agree with Walter, racing is racing...your favorite is like ice cream.

To me there's more to the whole NASCAR thing than even the race itself. The comradarie of the fans, the family atmosphere of the teams, the pit crews, the strategies in the pits, the goofy commentators. And when the economy is good those tracks FILL up every weekend. That's what ? anywhere form say 70,000 to 100,000+ every weekend. Hey, if all those people are stupid, well...they sure do alot for the economy.

HA! See even Dano admits fondness for some of those drivers...

Don't have a prediction for the race yet.

I "give myself" three drivers. It started with two with my old boyfriend, but then we both wanted a sentimental favorite so we gave ourselves one more.

Had the same for years...Gordon, Stewart, and Harvick. I may swap Harvick for Edwards...

I know everybody hates Gordon, but I picked him without knowing a thing, the first year I really watched. So I feel I have to keep him.

Who are your most hated drivers?

edited for lack of coffee...

sheesh!

[redrum]

Rooting for local boy Kasey (Enumclaw)

[Footsteps of Dawn]

I watch both F1 and NASCAR, and honestly, I think they're so different that it's like apples and oranges. I definitely appreciate the skill it takes to run at a road course like F1 does, but I don't think just because NASCAR mostly goes around in circles it means it's too easy. There's a lot of strategy involved in doing those circles, more so than I ever expected when I first started watching. Plus, there's a lot more passing and lead changes, and there are more different race winners throughout the season, which I like. Also, even though Formula 1 obviously has superior technology that pretty much any other form of racing, I don't think that means NASCAR is inferior - it's just going for a totally different niche. The point is that it DOESN'T have superior technology - it's up to the crews and drivers to use their heads to come up with new and different ideas using the technology they have, like the moonshiners before them. What really turned me off of them is their BS politics and lack of clear rules. I mean, not that NASCAR does everything perfectly, but it seems like a lot less shady stuff goes on to me.

Who are my least favorite drivers, you ask? *evil grin* Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon (I don't actually hate the guy all that much really, but it's a tradition, hehe), Carl Edwards (sorry, I was being diplomatic before...he's really cute, but he drives me nuts on the track sometimes), and Sam Hornish. Yeah, I kind of dislike the entire Penske organization now, pretty much. I like Ryan Newman (and am really glad to see him at Stewart-Haas now), and Stremme was too low-profile to care about, but putting Brad on there really completes the triumvirate. Oh - almost forgot about JPM. I don't completely hate him because he's good, but he definitely managed to tick me off multiple times last year. I'm actually not that upset at him for the incident at Homestead with Tony, but a few races before that he had Mark Martin pissed off at him. If you've managed to get Mark mad at you, you are wrong, plain and simple.

[Black Dawg]

Go Daddy!! No Va!!

[danelectro59]

Who are your most hated drivers?

that's kinda what i was getting at when i compared NASCAR with the WWE.

But then thinking, hell F1 has the tifosi and they're more rabid than any NASCAR fanatic.

Fact is, why would you hate a driver?

[jabe]

that's kinda what i was getting at when i compared NASCAR with the WWE.

But then thinking, hell F1 has the tifosi and they're more rabid than any NASCAR fanatic.

Fact is, why would you hate a driver?

Maybe think of it as how you feel when the Vikings come to town.

No doubt slick marketing is involved in the grand portrait of it all.

[Walter]

Great picture of the Danica's accident. When we were at the track Sat. night, we walked up to the mark left by her car - pretty cool to be at that spot. My 6 year old had a great time running up and down the 18 degree banking at the start/finish line. Boy, it was coooollllld that night.

Sunday's race was disappointing to say the least. Great racing, but the delays really killed it. My boy, Harvick, made such a great move on Truex that I thought he had it until.....

Most hated drivers is a valid question, because we get to know them so personally in this genre of the sport. People dislike drivers due to the manufacturer they drive for, the owner they drive for, if that driver has wrecked their driver, family relations, etc. For example I dislike everyone who drives for Roush. This stems back to the rivalry he had with Earnhardt back in the 90's. I also dislike anyone who drives for Gibbs, because I am a Cowboy fan and hate anyone associated with the Redskins. So, it never ends...

I am enjoying everyone's takes on the various aspects of the sport.

Danelectro, when does the F1 season begin? March?

[danelectro59]

Danelectro, when does the F1 season begin? March?

March 12,13 and 14 in Sahkir, Bahrain

Used to start in Australia, but those sheiks buy everything.

If you've never experienced a Formula One weekend, I suggest you do.

There is nothing like it.

[danelectro59]

Maybe think of it as how you feel when the Vikings come to town.

lately, that's been when any team's come to town.

(next year is our year)

[Walter]

Too bad, the Cup series is in California this weekend, what a letdown after great racing last week. Snoozeville at this track, except for the restarts and they don't even get close to filling it up for either race! Oh yeah, everyone is shopping or underneath smoking - that's what they always say when the stands are half empty.

Take a race back to Rockingham!!!

Pick for this weekend - Jimmie Johnson. After last week's poor finish, you know Cheat Knaus will have the car right for ole JJ.

BTW, did everyone see Kenseth's team already fired their crew chief and brought back Todd Parrot - if they win you'd better get the umbrellas out cause he'll (Parrot that is) be crying like a baby. He is not a stable man!

[Footsteps of Dawn]

Wow, McMurray took the pole at ACS! Good job!

I'm gonna go with Jimmie for this weekend, too. It's one of his better tracks (I saw him win there in October), and even though Roush has won a lot of the spring races there, they weren't looking too good in practice or qualifying today.

You know, I don't actually mind Fontana all that much. I actually appreciate it coming right after Daytona because the two tracks are so different. Daytona's a crash-a-minute kind of race that isn't decided until the very last lap, while Fontana's more of a racer's race because you have to have the right setup to start off with, and if you're stuck at the back, you've really got to work your way to the front instead of being at the right place at the right time. It takes skill from both the driver and the crew in order to get up front, and you don't often catch a lucky break. I mean, I completely agree that it wasn't exactly thrilling seeing JJ open up a zillion-second lead over Montoya at the last race, but I still thought it was interesting to see how it plays out when there isn't a caution every 10 laps (although there was a nice, big wreck toward the end). That said, I'm going to Las Vegas this year instead, hehe. Can't wait!

Also, I gotta say, the stands at Fontana actually were pretty full. The TV broadcast kept trying to prove that nobody was there by showing the absolute ass-ends of the grandstands that were indeed empty, but the majority of the stands were pretty full. Not as full as, say, Bristol, of course, but they were definitely a lot more than half full.

I agree about Rockingham, though - I wouldn't mind them nixing one of the Fontana races and putting Rockingham back in there instead.

[Walter]

Nice takes Footsteps. I do agree with you that the racing is far different and there is much more strategy winning at Fontana than Daytona. It still is right with Pocono as my least favorite tracks they visit. One of the great things about a long racing season is so much diversity among the tracks. Even the 1.5 mile venues are somewhat different from each other.

So you're going to Vegas? That would be a great trip. The track appears to be much racier since they increased the banking. Just waiting for the racing surface to age a little bit more. Plus, it is always interesting when they only visit a track once a year. Have you ever visited any of the historic southeast tracks?

Living in San Diego must be awesome!