I think NASCAR is screwing around with the drivers by adding more power and removing grip. The fans want the big wreck and now every race is just that... cars on fresh tires sliding around until twenty cars get wadded up at once. (ref this page for clarification).
As a staunch defender of the sport after this weekend I DO see NASCAR is becoming the WWE of motorsports. It is just there for wrecks and ratings.
It would not be very hard to rig a race at Daytona if someone wanted an ok driver with a sentimental paint scheme to win. His restrictor plate would just need to have a little bit bigger holes than everyone elses. Since they were already playing with different sized holes this week to try and equalize the Dodges and Fords to the Chevys and Toyotas such a "mistake" could easily happen.
But again, Keselowski had the strongest car. And Kyle Busch had the 2nd best car. Not Jr.
Wally wrote: It would not be very hard to rig a race at Daytona if someone wanted an ok driver with a sentimental paint scheme to win. His restrictor plate would just need to have a little bit bigger holes than everyone elses. Since they were already playing with different sized holes this week to try and equalize the Dodges and Fords to the Chevys and Toyotas such a "mistake" could easily happen.
This is where I get in trouble on this board. I would prefer that NASCAR permit the best team, car or driver to win. However, the tyoial NASCAR fan would be bored to death if Brand X or Driver A was winning all the time (more so for the Brand X scenario). NASCAR is an automotive show. Is there driving talent in the sport? Hell yeah, but that talent is used by NASCAR to provide an entertainment spectacle. I classify NASCAR with drifting. Both require much driving talent, but the show comes first.
John Brown wrote: I think NASCAR is screwing around with the drivers by adding more power and removing grip. The fans want the big wreck and now every race is just that... cars on fresh tires sliding around until twenty cars get wadded up at once. (ref this page for clarification). As a staunch defender of the sport after this weekend I DO see NASCAR is becoming the WWE of motorsports. It is just there for wrecks and ratings.
This is why I think euro style rallycross is poised to be the next big thing. Road courses small enough to be seen from one seating position, wide open sprints. Spectacular crashes. It seems like it would be perfect for America, and I'm suprised it hasn't taken off here. I don't know that Rally America will have enough weight in the industry to get it the exposure it needs.
sachilles wrote:John Brown wrote: I think NASCAR is screwing around with the drivers by adding more power and removing grip. The fans want the big wreck and now every race is just that... cars on fresh tires sliding around until twenty cars get wadded up at once. (ref this page for clarification). As a staunch defender of the sport after this weekend I DO see NASCAR is becoming the WWE of motorsports. It is just there for wrecks and ratings.This is why I think euro style rallycross is poised to be the next big thing. Road courses small enough to be seen from one seating position, wide open sprints. Spectacular crashes. It seems like it would be perfect for America, and I'm suprised it hasn't taken off here. I don't know that Rally America will have enough weight in the industry to get it the exposure it needs.
Funny, we looked at a property in the Northern lower peninsula of Michigan Saturday that was two and a half hours from all of Michigans major metropoli that was perfect for such an event. 65 acres of hilly terrain with an overlook a small stream and an area of former farmland that was nearly perfectly flat on the other side of the overlook. As we were viewing the property facing the overlook my wife said "I hate to say it but I see a grandstand built into that wall with racing going on down here."
racerfink wrote: But again, Keselowski had the strongest car. And Kyle Busch had the 2nd best car. Not Jr.
Or Jr knew not to look obvious
John Brown wrote: As we were viewing the property facing the overlook my wife said "I hate to say it but I see a grandstand built into that wall with racing going on down here."
You, sir, are a blessed man. 
David S. Wallens wrote: Oh, and pushrods or not, three-wide at something around 200 mph is pretty cool.
They went 4 wide at one point. 
No one else thought it was a little "planned" when Jr. moved to the front on the 3rd lap, just as all the fans held out the #3 in tribute to his Dad? I'd be mighty surprised if that wasn't discussed beforehand.
I don't think you can easily "fix" NASCAR races, as the drivers all do want to win, and will let it all hang out. I do subscribe to the theory that some cars are more "equal" than others.
Ever notice Tony Stewarts "slump" after he called NASCAR out a couple of years ago? Jr.'s win at Daytona the first race after his Dad died? Petty's 200 win with Reagan in the stands? A lot of what goes on is a bit to story-book for me. The fans left Daytona happy though, and that's all that matters I suppose.
Joe Gearin wrote: No one else thought it was a little "planned" when Jr. moved to the front on the 3rd lap, just as all the fans held out the #3 in tribute to his Dad? I'd be mighty surprised if that wasn't discussed beforehand. I don't think you can easily "fix" NASCAR races, as the drivers all do want to win, and will let it all hang out. I do subscribe to the theory that some cars are more "equal" than others. Ever notice Tony Stewarts "slump" after he called NASCAR out a couple of years ago? Jr.'s win at Daytona the first race after his Dad died? Petty's 200 win with Reagan in the stands? A lot of what goes on is a bit to story-book for me. The fans left Daytona happy though, and that's all that matters I suppose.
in each of those situations, the driver in question could have been extra motivated. well, in the case of Tony Stewart, he was probably feeling pretty down after NASCAR and Gibbs came down on him. he didn't get his racing mojo back until he got into his own team.
there was no way NASCAR could have planned for Jr to have that car so close to the front of the pack at the beginning of the race- how would they have rigged it for him to lead lap #3 if he had qualified 30th? have everyone spin their tires on the start except for him? he just had a good car and the willingness to drive it like he stole it.
Jr's biggest problem seems to be that he doesn't want to take any chances, but at the same time he is trying to live up to the name his dad gave to him.
due to all the hype over the Wrangler paint scheme and the number on the side of the car and all the teams involved (DEI, JR Motorsports, Hendrick, RCR), he was extra motivated to win on friday night, so he just flat out drove harder and took more risks to put himself in a position to do that. not only did he not want to let himself down, but there were also millions of fans out there that wanted to see him win, too. you could see it in pre race interviews- he was a man on a mission. during the race, he was forcing his car into places that it should not have gone and making it stick. when he saw the lead was his to take, he went for it. after the race, he was a babbling idiot due to what had just happened.
if he had slightly larger restrictor plate he wouldn't have qualified way back in 30th would he...
Normally I don't give a thought to possible conspiracies but I can see how it could have happened on Friday.
I didn't watch much more than the first ten laps and the last three. I found it interesting to hear the TV idiots babbling on the last lap about where 2nd place man Logano could/would make his move, but it looked to me that Logano was perfectly happy to sit in 2nd and not go for the win. He's not a points guy in that series, he's won a handful of races in that series already, why not take at least stick your nose in the wind and see if the guy behind comes along and helps you out? Worst case, you go back to 10th and that's not a big deal for a non-points-chaser. We've been pretty spoiled with last-lap passes in restrictor plate races over the last couple years, but when there wasn't even a hint of a thought of a try this time around, you wonder if someone was in his ear saying "this is how we want it, play along."
Logano did try to pull out, but the car behind him didn't follow him, so he pulled back in line before the lost any positions. this happened towards the end of the back straight as they were going into turn 3 on the last lap.
and if there was a voice in his ear telling him not to pass, someone in the crowd would have heard it. every team has their own frequency registered with NASCAR and the FCC and anyone can buy or rent a scanner to listen to whatever team frequency they want to.
I think Nascar is broken. They just need to go down to the local used car lot, pick up a pile of sedans, and let em loose.
I was listening to the Dan Patrick show this morning and Tony Stewart was on. Nothing good until he hung up and Paulie told the story about Tony being 45 miles away with 30 minutes left before his radio show, he made it to the studio but "his rental Escalade looked like Cole Trickles rental in Days of Thunder".
I have a new idiot hero.
wbjones wrote: if he had slightly larger restrictor plate he wouldn't have qualified way back in 30th would he...
You don't qualify with the one you race with. You are handed one as you go on the track and it's taken back as you come off the track.
I'm not saying it was fixed, just taht it's not as impossible as people want to think
The replay of the race is on Speed right now. Jr. didn't lead the 3rd lap. He tried to, but was repassed almost immediately.
In the pre-race talk, they showed past winners in the field. Jr. had 5 past wins in the Nationwide series. The next closest was 1.
He was in a Childress car that weekend. Childress won both NASCAR races there that weekend. Childress cars are usually pretty strong at Daytona.
Come up with some more 'theories'.
bleh, dead horse flogged. totally second the euro-rallycross idea - that crazy bastard Martin Schanche would be a hero if he came Stateside. Who was the rally ace in the Saab during the nineties? Eklund, maybe? if it ever happened our very own Per could be right there in the cool name stakes.
In reply to John Brown: Put in a motocross track. Build it with a rented bulldozer, buy cheap snow fencing to line the course, sell lots of beer, and watch the profits come in.
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