NASCAR 2010

[Footsteps of Dawn]

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!

Yeah, I agree that Fontana's definitely not the most exciting racing there is - I can't really argue there, but I do like the diversity, for sure.

Yep, off to Vegas next weekend! I'm so excited! Vegas + NASCAR = perfection, as far as weekend getaways go. Fontana is the only track I've ever been to, so this will be a new experience! I'd love to go to some of the old-school tracks in the South...I've driven by Charlotte Motor Speedway, but it wasn't a race weekend. I did get to go to the Hendrick and Joe Gibbs race shops, though (this was in '08, so Tony was still at JGR) - that was pretty awesome! Bristol and Darlington are at the top of my list if I ever get back over there.

San Diego's all right... The weather's great - can't complain about that - but there are too many people, and they're all on the road at the same time, lol. Typical big city problems, I guess. Plus, the people don't seem like they're as nice as they used to be...I don't know why that is, but the people I've talked to about it all seemed to agree. Anyway, I definitely appreciate the weather, though...I'm applying to grad school toward the end of this year, and I know I'll be going somewhere where the weather isn't so ridiculously great, so lately I've been trying to soak it all up while I can.

[Conneyfogle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WykWs8Lvu0&feature=sub

[Hotplant]

Well, I'm NOT swapping Harvick.

DANG he almost had it too.

JJ is getting on my nerves.

[Walter]

So, you're a Harvick fan also, Hot Plant? He did almost have it, just lost the nose of the car and caught the wall. Two weeks in a row with basically the best car out there and no wins to show for it. It will be interesting to see how the next 4 races go for them. We was the best car at Atlanta last fall, but not good enough on the short run to beat Kahne. He is always great at Bristol and solid at Martinsville. So Vegas this week should be similar to California. They just need to put a new side on that car and get it to Sin City. My preliminary pick for this weekend will be Jeff Burton, he is always good at Vegas and was very strong last week also.

I am VERY sick of JJ. His luck has to run out sometime....and I don't want to be near him when it happens. The racing gods have a way of evening things out and he is tipped waaaay to far on the luck side.

Footsteps of Dawn, keep us updated on your trip this weekend.

Thanks Conneyfogle for the video clip - that was about the only good part of that Busch race.

[Hotplant]

Oh yeah...Harvick is great.

I've got my eye on Joey Lagano now..I think he is going to be someone to contend with this year.

Hey what's up with those side flaps on the back windshield? Seems they are causing a lot of problems.

[Walter]

Jimmie Johnson - is anyone sick of him winning YET?!?

Also, Footsteps of Dawn, how was your Vegas trip?

[Footsteps of Dawn]

It was GREAT!! I just got back last night. I really liked the track; it was nice that it was smaller because it didn't take me forever to trek to my seat, and when you get there, the seats are actual seats instead of benches. I'm a little miffed at the parking situation, but I won't go into that. The actual race itself was kind of like Fontana Jr., but you can't control what's not scripted, and it was pretty fun when JJ finally passed Jeff. I like Jimmie, so I didn't mind seeing him win again, and Tony came in 7th, so not a bad day at all for my boys.

I definitely think the championship needs to go to SHR this year, though. Although I guess I wouldn't mind seeing Jimmie beat Jeff at the Drive for Five, and doing it all in a row to boot. But nah, I'd rather see SHR get their first championship...JJ's had a good run, and now it's someone else's turn, hehe.

Vegas itself was a ton of fun...much better than having to hang out at a hotel in the middle of nowhere in Rancho Cucamonga after the race, for sure! I stayed at South Point, the one that Brendan Gaughan's dad owns, and I saw a few of NASCAR-type people there, including Brendan Gaughan himself, Rusty Wallace, Steven Wallace, and Mike Helton (president of NASCAR...yes, I know him just by looking at him - what can I say, I'm a little obsessed, lol). Fun stuff! I won $35, too, which was cool. Man, if you've never been to Vegas, you've got to go to the Bellagio if you do go...I just love that place!

[Cletus]

Jimmie Johnson - is anyone sick of him winning YET?!?

I don't understand all the JJ hate. Him(and his team) are simply doing a better job then anybody else. Sure it can get boring, but it's up to the other teams to catch up.

Jeff Gordon and Co. really screwed themselves over with taking only 2 tires on the final pit stop. I can't for the life of me figure out what they were thinking .

Anyways, as much as I enjoy Nascar, Formula 1 is my true passion, and can't wait for the season to start.

[Walter]

I don't understand all the JJ hate. Him(and his team) are simply doing a better job then anybody else. Sure it can get boring, but it's up to the other teams to catch up.

Jeff Gordon and Co. really screwed themselves over with taking only 2 tires on the final pit stop. I can't for the life of me figure out what they were thinking .

Anyways, as much as I enjoy Nascar, Formula 1 is my true passion, and can't wait for the season to start.

It is not really about hating on Jimmie Johnson and, yes, I do understand that others need to pick up their performance to beat him. I just can't root for Cheat Knaus!

Gordon definitely got screwed by his crew chief on that call and then had to put on his best face to support that call. I mean, if you have dominated all day long, how can you just put on 2 when you will come out in the top 5 or 6 taking 4 with 30 to go and a double file restart?????

Footsteps, glad to hear about your great trip to Vegas. The race seemed racier then Fontana did. No way can I support another Hendrick title, no matter who it is. I have been to most of the tracks on the east coast, but never out west. We were thinking about taking a trip to Sonoma for the June race. Love road course racing and my in-laws went last year and said it is a fantastic facility.

What's your pick for Atlanta? I am going to go with my boy, Harvick. He had a dominant car last fall there and they seem to have their act together so far this year. Probably will be Johnson though!

So, Cletus, what is your take on F1 this year? Will Ferrari return to dominance? What is the aspect of that type of racing that makes you so passionate? Do you go to the Canandian Grand Prix?

[spidersandsnakes]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NASCAR.....KICK OUT THE WIMPY SOCCER FREAKS :)

[danelectro59]

I don't understand all the JJ hate. Him(and his team) are simply doing a better job then anybody else. Sure it can get boring, but it's up to the other teams to catch up.

Jeff Gordon and Co. really screwed themselves over with taking only 2 tires on the final pit stop. I can't for the life of me figure out what they were thinking .

Anyways, as much as I enjoy Nascar, Formula 1 is my true passion, and can't wait for the season to start.

hey cletus, are we happy because an ex F1 WDC, who happens to be from the Great White North, is rumoured to be returning? That couldn't be it, could it?

[danelectro59]

It is not really about hating on Jimmie Johnson and, yes, I do understand that others need to pick up their performance to beat him. I just can't root for Cheat Knaus!

Gordon definitely got screwed by his crew chief on that call and then had to put on his best face to support that call. I mean, if you have dominated all day long, how can you just put on 2 when you will come out in the top 5 or 6 taking 4 with 30 to go and a double file restart?????

Footsteps, glad to hear about your great trip to Vegas. The race seemed racier then Fontana did. No way can I support another Hendrick title, no matter who it is. I have been to most of the tracks on the east coast, but never out west. We were thinking about taking a trip to Sonoma for the June race. Love road course racing and my in-laws went last year and said it is a fantastic facility.

What's your pick for Atlanta? I am going to go with my boy, Harvick. He had a dominant car last fall there and they seem to have their act together so far this year. Probably will be Johnson though!

So, Cletus, what is your take on F1 this year? Will Ferrari return to dominance? What is the aspect of that type of racing that makes you so passionate? Do you go to the Canandian Grand Prix?

C'mon Walter, you gotta give Jimmie and Chad their due. After all, there are four Hendrick cars that are supposed have access to all the same stuff and the 48 is miles ahead of them all. I'd say they have it dialed in and all those other cliche's

[danelectro59]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NASCAR.....KICK OUT THE WIMPY SOCCER FREAKS :)

yea, whatever

[Walter]

C'mon Walter, you gotta give Jimmie and Chad their due. After all, there are four Hendrick cars that are supposed have access to all the same stuff and the 48 is miles ahead of them all. I'd say they have it dialed in and all those other cliche's

I do give them full respect, doesn't mean I have to like it though.....

It is beginning to be like Earnhardt back in the old days - you expect them to get up front and when other drivers see the 48 coming, they drive differently, strategize differenly, etc. He is in everybody's head, including his teammate.

Who is this Canadian you are speaking of, in F1? J.V.?

[spidersandsnakes]

yea, whatever

Well, whatever you may say, one single man behind a racing car has MUCH more guts than any ball kicker :)

[danelectro59]

Who is this Canadian you are speaking of, in F1? J.V.?

yea, but i may have spoken too soon. seems he was being fitted for a seat with Stefan GP, but it looks like the FIA (Feeble Idiots Assoc.) has denied them entry for the 2010 season.

[danelectro59]

Well, whatever you may say, one single man behind a racing car has MUCH more guts than any ball kicker :)

i fail to see the connection between the two.

if speaking in terms of immediate danger, yes motor racing wins, but i wouldn't exactly call soccer (football as the world calls it) a sissies game. i've seen some devastating injuries when players crack heads

[Footsteps of Dawn]

yea, but i may have spoken too soon. seems he was being fitted for a seat with Stefan GP, but it looks like the FIA (Feeble Idiots Assoc.) has denied them entry for the 2010 season.

Aw, man, I would've liked to have seen Jacques come back. I was going to go on a big rant about the FIA not making sense, but then of course I thought, hey, it's the FIA, of course it doesn't make sense! It'd be weird if they did!

I'm going to go with Jimmie AGAIN this weekend since they've done well there in the past and seem to be on a nice little streak right now. I swear I'll pick somebody different for Bristol next week, though, hehe. Although that's going to be a little harder to pin down...if I was going by who's won there recently, I'd be dumb not to go with Kyle Busch, but his car sure hasn't been good on long runs so far this year, so I don't know who to go with. This is getting off the subject, but I'm definitely not very impressed by the #18 crew chief change at this point...I know there have only been 3 races so far, but come on, Kyle can drive darn near anything you put him in, so what's their excuse when Logano's finished 5th and 6th in the last two races and he's up around 15th? If you've got the driver and the car, the only thing that's left is lack of setup. I know everything can change in a week, though, so I hope they get warmed up toward the second part of the year. But anyway, give me another week to think about Bristol! I'll go with Jimmie for this Sunday.

[danelectro59]

I do give them full respect, doesn't mean I have to like it though.....

well, hell, you're gonna love this.

[Cletus]

So, Cletus, what is your take on F1 this year? Will Ferrari return to dominance? What is the aspect of that type of racing that makes you so passionate? Do you go to the Canandian Grand Prix?

I think Ferrari will be competitive, whether or not they can return to their former glory years, I don't know. I think Sebastian Vettel will be a force to be reckoned with, based on his performance last year. I'm not happy about the ban on refueling, however. I've been to the Canadian GP one time.

[Cletus]

hey cletus, are we happy because an ex F1 WDC, who happens to be from the Great White North, is rumoured to be returning? That couldn't be it, could it?

Yes, I was excited about JV's potential return to F1. But it doesn't look like that will happen.

[Hotplant]

The reason people are getting sick of JJ are the same reasons they hated Gordon when he had his winning streak. He's winning to many!!!

I'm keeping my eye on Harvick and Lagano.

Sounds like you had a blast FOD!

[spidersandsnakes]

i fail to see the connection between the two.

if speaking in terms of immediate danger, yes motor racing wins, but i wouldn't exactly call soccer (football as the world calls it) a sissies game. i've seen some devastating injuries when players crack heads

Cracking heads at over 250 kms / hr???!:)

[Footsteps of Dawn]

The reason people are getting sick of JJ are the same reasons they hated Gordon when he had his winning streak. He's winning to many!!!

I'm keeping my eye on Harvick and Lagano.

Sounds like you had a blast FOD!

Yep, I sure did! Can't wait for another chance to do it again!

Well, we all missed our marks, darn it - Kurt Busch won. Yaaay. Man, what a race, though! I loved the Edwards-Keselowski incident - that little so-and-so has just been ASKING for it for I don't know how long. Sure he didn't mean to hit Carl today, but the guy's a menace even when he isn't trying to wreck someone! I would've rather not seen Brad go flying through the air, and I'm sure Carl feels the same way, but since he's okay and everything, I have to say I think he pretty much got his just deserts. Hahaha, I'm glad I'm not Carl, though - he's going to have to get a restraining order on Jack Roush, muahaha. Well, NASCAR wanted to take the restraints off the drivers so things would be more exciting - I guess it worked!

[danelectro59]

Yep, I sure did! Can't wait for another chance to do it again!

Well, we all missed our marks, darn it - Kurt Busch won. Yaaay. Man, what a race, though! I loved the Edwards-Keselowski incident - that little so-and-so has just been ASKING for it for I don't know how long. Sure he didn't mean to hit Carl today, but the guy's a menace even when he isn't trying to wreck someone! I would've rather not seen Brad go flying through the air, and I'm sure Carl feels the same way, but since he's okay and everything, I have to say I think he pretty much got his just deserts. Hahaha, I'm glad I'm not Carl, though - he's going to have to get a restraining order on Jack Roush, muahaha. Well, NASCAR wanted to take the restraints off the drivers so things would be more exciting - I guess it worked!

i did not because it took away JP Montoya's best chance at winning an oval race, which he would have had it stayed green. Both of those immature punks need their asses sat in a corner for awhile, just like they do in pre-school when kids act up. No need for that kind of drama at those speeds. Like Keso said, "someone's gonna get killed"

btw, the Kesolowski's are from the town where i grew up. In fact, their grandfather owned a gas station not a 1/2 mile from where i lived.

Remember FOD, F1 starts this weekend in Bahrain. It would be cool if Schumi wins his first race back after three years retired. I wanna see Alonso's expression if he does.