2017 NASCAR

MOXOMUMD

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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Chase Ellliott wins Daytona Pole!
 

mousehockey37

Well-Known Member
NASCAR isn't what it used to be. I think the "segments" thing this year totally defeats the purpose of what NASCAR is.

The sport is dying but sponsors keep dumping money into it.

If we only learn 1 thing from NASCAR, it's that they found a way to keep the action on the screen and take care of commercials at the same time.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
NASCAR isn't what it used to be. I think the "segments" thing this year totally defeats the purpose of what NASCAR is.
True and the segments have screwed up the points system 2 times already this year. For the Trucks, Johnny Sauter finished 15th, but is 2nd in points due to the first 2 segments having points. Elliott Sadler is in 3rd points in the Xfinity series despite finishing 24th.

After Daytona, it is likely that I wouldn't be watching anymore NASCAR this season. The only thing I'll do is keep an eye on the news and rumors for NASCAR to see if NASCAR is going to clean up its act. NASCAR really has gone away from being what I first saw back in 1993. I still will be following Indycar. I saw my first Indy 500 in the 1980's on television.

The problem for NASCAR right now is the CEO of NASCAR Brian France and his family not kicking him out of his position. Last there was an article on NASCAR being on the decline. I saw a summary of the article and it basically paints Brian France in a very bad light. Here is the summary: http://jeffgluck.com/brian-france-nascar-leadership-wall-street-journal/

Brian France actually sold all his stock years ago due to his divorces and Brian actually needs approval to do major changes from his Uncle and Sister. Other France family members own stock in their own company. That actually means Brian France can be booted out of his position of being CEO of NASCAR. Based on that article, he has been doing major changes without getting approval from his Uncle and Sister despite the fact he needs their approval.

Also that article has Brian France missing a lot of stuff. Besides Brian not being at least half the cup races, Brian doesn't even show up at Critical meetings. An example of this is Brian France didn't show up at a meeting in Vegas in December 2016 that had race team Executives, drivers, tracks operators, and TV Executives:jawdrop::facepalm:.
 

mousehockey37

Well-Known Member
True and the segments have screwed up the points system 2 times already this year. For the Trucks, Johnny Sauter finished 15th, but is 2nd in points due to the first 2 segments having points. Elliott Sadler is in 3rd points in the Xfinity series despite finishing 24th.

After Daytona, it is likely that I wouldn't be watching anymore NASCAR this season. The only thing I'll do is keep an eye on the news and rumors for NASCAR to see if NASCAR is going to clean up its act. NASCAR really has gone away from being what I first saw back in 1993. I still will be following Indycar. I saw my first Indy 500 in the 1980's on television.

The problem for NASCAR right now is the CEO of NASCAR Brian France and his family not kicking him out of his position. Last there was an article on NASCAR being on the decline. I saw a summary of the article and it basically paints Brian France in a very bad light. Here is the summary: http://jeffgluck.com/brian-france-nascar-leadership-wall-street-journal/

Brian France actually sold all his stock years ago due to his divorces and Brian actually needs approval to do major changes from his Uncle and Sister. Other France family members own stock in their own company. That actually means Brian France can be booted out of his position of being CEO of NASCAR. Based on that article, he has been doing major changes without getting approval from his Uncle and Sister despite the fact he needs their approval.

Also that article has Brian France missing a lot of stuff. Besides Brian not being at least half the cup races, Brian doesn't even show up at Critical meetings. An example of this is Brian France didn't show up at a meeting in Vegas in December 2016 that had race team Executives, drivers, tracks operators, and TV Executives:jawdrop::facepalm:.

This is why, when I can, I go to the local dirt tracks and support the "little guys". Sprint cars, Late models and modifieds. It's what I grew up with since I was little.

NASCAR needs to go back to their roots. This biggest thing they could change would be going to a point system of 43 points for the winner, 42 for 2nd all the way down to 1 for last. Have the lead a lap bonus point, and leading the most laps bonus point and get rid of provisionals.
 

patch553

Well-Known Member
happy for kurt, been through hell and back,some his own doing and some not but if he can keep the momentum up I think he could have a solid year
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
Before the race there something that need to be known and I hope is not true.

Based on what I read late week, Las Vegas is very close to getting a 2nd cup and that means one of the tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports inc. will be losing a track.

What makes this troubling is Marcus Smith, the son Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith said that a repavement for Atlanta Motorspeedway may not happen.

That could mean Atlanta could be getting its date gone with SMI doing a major reshuffling of their track dates. Its either that or New Hampshire, or Charlotte could be losing a chase as way for Las Vegas Speedway for getting a 2nd track date.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
There is a little bit of News. NASCAR is considering quieting the cars.

My own take on this is, this shouldn't be one of NASCAR's priorities since their tv rating are still dropping. This doesn't do anything for fixing that.

The other thing is I would think people with common sense would be treating this like going to a very loud rock concert. That basically means people would need to bring proper hearing protection along aka ear plugs.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
There is a little bit of good news. While Las Vegas Speedway gets a 2nd race date in 2018, its not from Atlanta. The 2nd race date will from New Hampshire's chase date.

I don't like this switch at all unless the rumor of 2018 Charlotte Motor speedway's chase race actually is going to run at the infield road course Charlotte Motor speedway has.

My reasoning is right now, the chase has 6 1.5 mile races out of 10 for the 2018 chase for the cup series. That is a bad variety for the cup series for the chase because the series has 6 1.5 mile races in the first 26 races. Basically the chase put more on 1 type of a track than they do during the regular season.

I know why SMI did this though. The Previous owner New Hampshire Motor Speedway before SMI bought the track and the and the CEO of Speedway Motor Sports Inc bought North Wilkesboro Speedway as co owners. Those 2 bought North Wilkesboro as a way to close that track for giving Texas Motor Speedway its Spring date and give New Hampshire Motor Speedway its fall date.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
NASCAR Hall of Fame announced the 20 Nominees for the Hall of Fame and 5 Nominees for the Landmark award.

Here is the 5 Nominees for the Landmark Award:
Jim France - the Current Chairman of International Speedway Corporation.
Janet Guthrie - First woman to race at Daytona and some other tracks in NASCAR. She's just as well known in Indycar for being the first woman to race the Indy 500.
Alvin Hawkins sr - first ever NASCAR flagman and responsible for Bowman Gray Stadium to have NASCAR racing
Ralph Seagraves - Responsible for the Winston Sponsorship deal in NASCAR
Ken Squier - legendary announcer for NASCAR

I am going more into detail with Ralph Seagraves. Ralph did more than doing the Winston Sponsorship deal in NASCAR. He helped race teams find sponsors like finding Richard Childress his first ever sponsor, and help improve race tracks upgrade their facilities.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
Here are the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees:
Davey Allison - won 19 cup races during his cup career and died in a holicopter crash in him prime at the young age of 32. His biggest wins were the 1991 Coca Cola 600 and the 1992 Daytona 500.
Buddy Baker - won 19 Cup race during cup career and person who was part of the NASCAR media after his driving days including being one of the commentators during NASCAR races during the 1990's for the Tennessee Nashville Network.
Red Byron - Won NASCAR's first ever Modified championship in 1948 and the first ever cup championship in 1949. He only won 2 cup races, but his NASCAR career was cut short due to health problems. Red Byron had a leg rebuilt due to his injuries in World War 2 and spent 27 months in an army hospital and used a leg brace.
Ray Evernham - 3 time cup championship crew chief with Jeff Gordon and former NASCAR owner.
Red Farmer - NASCAR modified Champion in 1956, and 3 time late model sportsman champion aka what is now know as the Xfinity series.
Ray Fox - Early NASCAR engine Builder, Crew Chief and Car Owner.
Joe Gibbs - Current NASCAR team owner
Ron Hornaday - 4 time Truck series champion and 2 time NASCAR southwest series champion
Harry hyde - 1970 championship winning crew and won 56 cup wins including Hendrick Motorsports first ever cup. Also is known as the person that was the inspiration of the Harry Hogge Character in Days of Thunder.
Alan Kulwicki - Last independent driver to win a cup championship back in 1992 and won 5 cup wins before his Fatal April Fool's Day crash in 1993 at the 38. What I mean by Independent driver is this is a driver/owner that had their organization built their own cars, engines and every the race shop unlike Tony Stewart.
Bobby Labonte - won 21 times in the cup series, won the 1991 Busch series Championship and the 2000 cup championship.
Hershel Mcgriff - 4 time cup series winner in the 1950's, one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever in the NASCAR West series including winning the NASCAR West Series champion in 1986 at the age of 58 years old.
Roger Penske - legendary auto racing owner that is active in NASCAR.
Larry Phillips - 5 time NASCAR weekly series national champion
Jack Roush - Legendary NASCAR owner that is still active in NASCAR
Ricky Rudd - 23 cup wins including the 1997 Brickyard 400. He also was known for winning the first Richmond race in 1984 with his eyes tapped open, and winning in the fall race Martinsville with no power steering, faulty air cool system with the weather outside being over 100 degrees and suffering burns and blisters on most his body.
Ken Squier - Legendary NASCAR announcer
Mike Stefanik - 7 time champion in the Whelen Modified Touring series and 2 time Busch series north champion
Waddell Wilson - Legendary Engine Builder and Crew Chief. Won 3 Daytona 500 wins as a crew chief. His engines won 109 cup races, 3 cup championships, and won the Daytona 500 in 1965, 1967, 1972, 1975,1980,1983, and 1984.
Robert Yates - 1999 Cup series winning owner with 58 races. He also was a Legendary Engine builder. His engine won Bobby Allison his only cup Championship and won 77 races as an engine builder.
 
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wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
My own takes on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Ballot is Joe Gibbs, Jack Roush, Roger Penske, should be inducted this year for sure and I'm guessing Robert Yates could be also.

I only see 1 or 2 drivers this year being inducted. The reason is the driver side is weaker than the owners, and some other people in NASCAR. Right now, I think Bobby Labonte, Alan Kulwicki, and Red Byron are battling for 1 or 2 spots on the ballot that doesn't have an owner as a 2018 class inductee. The truth is Gibbs, Roush, and Penske are 75 years old or older. I am guessing Robert Yates also since he was a legendary engine builder and the owner of one the top cup teams in the 1990's and he is suffering from liver cancer.

I also was disappointed by the 5 New Nominees. Davey Allison is too premature to be on a ballot at a time when people like Smokey Yunick, Ralph Moody, and John Holman are not on the ballot. Davey's 19 wins isn't bad at all, but not having Championship actually hurts him right now. I felt Davey's biggest impact is the amount of changes that happened after Davey's death when the seat became available.

Davey's death caused Ernie Irvan to leave the 4 car for the 28 car. The fact is Ernie wanted to leave the car once his contract was up based on his past comments on saying the organization wasn't good enough to win a cup championship. That caused Sterling Marlin to go to the 4 car and win back to back Daytona 500's. I think Ernie irvan would've picked the 5 car if Davey didn't die and that means Terry Labonte wouldn't get his 1996 cup championship. The other thing is if Davey didn't die Ernie irvan wouldn't have been in the 28 car during the near fatal 1994 Michigan crash.

Bobby Labonte was not a great pick a nominee at this point. The problem is there are better people in NASCAR history with stronger cases for the Hall of Fame that aren't cup drivers. While Bobby won a Busch tittle and a Cup series tittle, his accomplishment didn't age well considering Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch has done the same thing.

The other thing is Bobby Labonte as a Cup driver only had 2 top 5 points finishes in his prime from 1995 to 2003. The thing with Bobby Labonte is he was one of the weaker drivers to win a championship. Bobby only won 1 short track in his cup career despite having 21 cup wins. Bobby's strength as a driver was on 1.5 mile tracks, Pocono, and Michigan.

I have no problems with Red Farmer. He's one of the old school drivers that would've been a very successful driver in the cup series if he went there at a younger age instead of settling for lower levels of NASCAR. I can name a number drivers that did that back in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's that did the same thing.

Roger Penske and Joe Gibbs are debatable to me because they active in NASCAR, but Roger is 80 years old and Joe Gibbs is 76 years old.
 
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artvandelay

Well-Known Member
My reasoning is right now, the chase has 6 1.5 mile races out of 10 for the 2018 chase for the cup series. That is a bad variety for the cup series for the chase because the series has 6 1.5 mile races in the first 26 races. Basically the chase put more on 1 type of a track than they do during the regular season.

Jimmie Johnson is a great driver, but this is one of the reasons he has 7 championships. He is the best 1.5 miler in NASCAR.
 

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