the multi-colored seat back trick has been around for a long time. it does work on TV, particularly in panning shots. Phil, glad you had a good time. Daytona 500 is something every car guy should do once.
Overall we really enjoyed our four days at the races. We were thoroughly impressed about the whole event. The staff we very helpful and enthusiastic. The fanzone was far better than I could have imagined. The different stadium sponsors put their all into to providing extra entertainment. You can take as much food and drink as you like into the stadium. You can get a pass out if you want to. They now have escalators to get you to the top, essential if you have a dodgy knee like me! Daytona, it's a 10 out of 10 from us. Well done.
I've put myself in semi-retirement on the NASCAR threads. IIRC, when they took the DIS backstretch grandstand down, they disassembled it, hauled it out to Phoenix and put it back together there. That's a lot of valuable aluminum. BHW
Those of you that watched the race probably heard a little snippet of one of the great stories to come out of racing. One of heroism, sacrifice, and reward. Tiny Lund won the 500 in 1963 in a Ford entered by the Woods brothers. The story of how Lund got into that car nothing short of amazing. In the sports car race at Daytona a few weeks prior to the 500, Marvin Panch, the drive chosen by the Woods to drive their ford in the upcoming 500, was driving a Maserati with a big block Ford v8 which was owned by none other than Briggs Cunningham. The car was said to be nearly undrivable, which Panch demonstraited by crashing the car. The car rolled over and caught fire. Lund, at 6' 5" and 270 lbs (and several other drivers) stopped their cars md race, rushed to the accident and managed to get the car lifted up enough for Panch to be dragged out (by Lund). While trapped in the burning car Panch literally saw his life flash before his eyes. While recovering in the hospital, Panch asked the Woods brothers to put Lund in the car for the 500, resulting in the first Daytona 500 win for everyone involved. As icing on the cake Lund was later awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism. Who knew that there was that kind of strength of character and respect for fellow competitors in those days?
One of the stands at Daytona, now partially demolished to make way for bigger/better was named after him. The Lund Tower.
So the Xfinity series is already using the new 'Supra' and I'm sure the Monster series will follow soon. The question I have is. If a Supra wins the series, does BMW get an honorable mention?
It also happens in Formula 1: 1973 South African Grand Prix - Mike Hailwood dives in twice and finally rescues Clay Regazzoni from his burning car. Is awarded the George Medal. 1976 German Grand Prix - Brett Lunger, Harald Ertl, Guy Edwards and Arturo Merzario help pull Niki Lauda from his fiery crash at the Nurburgring. Granted Lunger and Ertl plowed into the Ferrari through no fault of their own but they still worked together and got him out.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Was there for my bachelor party. Had an RV in the infield. It was wild!
Saw the last 20 laps at Vegas yesterday. They've removed tens of thousands of grandstand seats there from the oval Turn 4 area on down the main straight. Really noticeable, looks more like a velodrome now, just a brown empty hill. These tracks may no longer be stating record crowds in order to gain sponsors if they're shedding seats like this. BHW
decent race at Phoenix yesterday. can someone explain to me the logic of reconfiguring the track so start/finish is now on the exit of Turn 2?
Major 2020 NASCAR schedule shake-up. Phoenix becomes the season finale as the Homestead event is moved to March. Perhaps a good move as NASCAR's schedule has been set in stone for eons. You'd think the drivers and teams would get so bored. https://racer.com/2019/03/26/nascar-2020-finale-moves-to-phoenix-as-part-of-schedule-overhaul/
Homestead moved to March. so not only is it no longer the Championship Weekend track, it gets to compete with other motorsports events in Florida in March such as: Sebring 12 hours St Pete GP Gator Nationals Daytona SuperCross Daytona 200 smooth move, NASCAR.
The last time Homestead tried to go up against Sebring, they did a stand alone Truck race down there on the same weekend as the 12 Hours, must have been 1997, and it didn't work out so well for them. 100K at Sebring and a couple dozen at Homestead that time and of course we all had a good laugh about that. Perhaps they're seeing the value of having the event at Spring Break time in Miami which is only logical. Formula One should have the same idea but they seem to have their sights set on October. BHW
This is exactly right. I've been to spring break and the last thing I was thinking about was going to a race.
Perhaps, but if they take a page out of John Greenwood's playbook when he was the Sebring promoter, they market heavily into the colleges up the eastern seaboard and create a happening around it. Greenwood did exactly this in the mid-70s and Sebring became a Spring Break mecca until things got out of hand in 1980. The audience is built in here as Miami is exploding with Spring Breakers this year. But, the Miami Music Week and Ultra, the "things to do" calendar may be full already. BHW
Darrell Waltrip set to retire from FOX "Sports" NASCAR booth. Hopefully, he takes Mikey with him and someone else can get a word in edgewise. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/darrell-waltrip-sets-retirement-fox-202058566.html BHW
Perhaps Bristol ought to adapt the painted seat back approach a-la Daytonner? Aside from the blaring obvious lack of attendance at a track that used to be packed to the rafters, how is it that Kyle Busch's car passed post-race inspection with the rear end bashed in the way it was? It's curious how NASCAR can hand down heavy fines, points deductions, crew chief suspensions, etc. etc. if a spoiler is 1/1,000,000th of a centimeter too high or too low, but having a car that is damaged the way Busch's was, that's somehow okay. NASCAR's squiggly line per these rules continues. I'd be interested to know how they spin this and how the facility looked to be about 1/8th occupied. BHW