LOL! Tip of the hat to you sir for using the reference to fake wool wall paneling and Daytonner Beach in the correct manner. I'm sure someone has asked somewhere but has anyone figured out that if NASCAR just played their championship as a straight points championship without all this "Chase" nonsense, how would the standings look? BHW
that's something of an impossible question, but I think they wouldn't look that different than they do now. maybe slightly better, as they've lost a lot of their "legacy" fan base to all this nonsense. what we've seen in the last few years in NASCAR ratings isn't so much epic collapse, but a return to the traditional mean...they had a great pop from 2001-2009, and now we're seeing 80s/90s ratings return.
Wins were and are important in that they are a "safe". Consistency still counts for a lot, and if you're like Logano, consistent wins are nice.
Truck series starting fields cut from 36 to 32. I bet Xfinity is really loving it's ROI thus far btw this could actually be a good thing, as it could see a return to small tracks that can't hold a bigger field (pit lane, paddock space, etc)...but somehow I doubt that's the motivating factor. Several changes coming to XFINITY, Truck Series in 2015 - Yahoo Sports
Does the Truck series have any kind of following? Seems like anytime I've run across it on TV, grandstands are empty. BHW
the latin American contingent has arrived w/ Milka. She led a few laps last week!!! good for her. barton, to answer your question...no, not of any scale.
They've seemed willing to put different venue's into play with the truck series, Eldora, & MoSport in Canada help give the truck series its own attraction.I'm gonna try to make the trek to martinsville for the truck race Friday. If I enjoy the trip, I may go back Sunday for the cup race. The truck series tends to have a very high driver and team turnover, so its harder to follow. There are a few veteran drivers that float around the grid, but most new hot talent is only there a year or so and are kicked into potential dead end development contracts that or may not have them driving. A pay driver survives until they run out of money. Thee truck series suffers because at high downforce/horsepower tracks, there is almost always a cup driver in a $$$ machine that runs away the whole night. There's really nothing that can be done about it, as if the cup driver's can be a small crowd draw. The truck races also tend to be run at times that make it harder for out of towners to factor it into their travel plans. (Friday) The truck race will mostly only be attended by locals, or retired folks with campers.
when the truck series started (mid 90s, IIRC?) they did a lot of really small tracks...I-70 Speedway in Missouri, South Boston, Tuscon, etc. I'd love to see them return to places like that. Eldora and Mosport have put on great shows too. that pretty much sums it up. makes for great racing, you have wily veterans vs. young and hungry vs. rich and stupid.
One year, maybe 1996 or '97, NASCAR scheduled a Truck race at Homestead on the same weekend as the 12 Hours of Sebring. I guess the thought was that they'd take away some of the crowds from Sebring because who would want to watch those cool sports cars when you can (you know) go see Trucks going roundy-round. Yeah, that worked out well for them. BHW
Danica Patrick complained to NASCAR about boyfriend failing to make race | FOX Sports read this...is danica in need of a reality check? seriously...who has she been led to believe she is? what a JOKE!!
she has a point, and the NASCAR diversity program is a joke, has been for years. the only successes they've had are Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr, both of whom have the raw speed to make it on their own. Danica (and her management team) are excellent businesspeople, they created their own "program". she's still an affirmative action racer, though. as for Stenhouse...I thought top 35 were guaranteed spots?
Wallace Jr doesn't have repeat championship level talent, he's just aggressive, and has been able to replace wrecked car after wrecked car unlike his competition. He's gaining experience, and is improving, but he's not a "wheelman" like Larson is.
chas I will grant you read it differently than I and possibly with the better understanding. I see her as the personification of the nascar experiment and while she may have made her own deal to get where she is...nascar has bent over backwards to make her relevant. the idea of her running in to point her finger at the men in the faux paneled offices about anything has me scratching my head and asking how she takes herself serious as a racer? clearly she shuns the diversity program because she would like to think she is above needing it...keep telling yourself that psp. that fact is that you are the chief recipient of the benefits.
I don't think she does. she certainly doesn't seem to have the passion that a real racer does. I think to her, racing is a medium to wealth and fame; "success" is measured in bank account balance and social media impressions, not wins or championships.
So, all this after NASCAR told the rest of the field to hold position while Danica drove right past them all to lead a few laps? Seems a bit ungrateful. BHW
Am interesting race. Glad to see Joey take home a decent points finish. Brad and Harvick are going to be scrapping for a win at the next two tracks.
Bubba won the truck race good for Dale, glad to see him finally get a clock. fun to see twitter explode when they've figured out that Newman is now tied for the lead of the chase with no wins and 4 top fives for the year
It would be a face plant if Newman wins points . I'm a life long Winston cup fan and can't stand all the talk about points people watch a race to see a race . Love the old f1 points 10 for 6 for second and if you couldn't finish sixth now one cares anyway nascar point system started to make sure the big teams and big name driver ran all the races . What nascarp has done is save sponsor money if you don't make the case you lose alot of your money deals are end loaded if you make the chase hope the owners kick brain France ass in the next couple of years and start a new series
You have to wonder if NASCAR and the WWE are planning their merger for 2016 or have moved it up to 2015? This is what kills me about NASCAR. They've got rules and a points system which seems to be made up on the spot depending on which way the Twitter universe blows. But if a guy goes out on the track and his spoiler is .002" too tall or too short, man-o-man, they throw the proverbial book at him, deduct points, huge fines, suspension of the team manger and double secret probation for the driver. It must be a topsy-turvy world living in the NASCAR bubble 24/7. BHW
apparently NASCAR is paying points for fistfights now.... this is all so scripted and ridiculous, it makes me sad.