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Another crap race at Charlotte, no surprise there. Jr can't retire fast enough. He has no chance to be even remotely competitive next week.
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May 21, 2017 03:23
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That's pure sex. I mean, I like they're regular scheme, but this should go into the regular rotation.
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May 23, 2017 03:48
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If that IRacing video is accurate, holy gently caress is this a bad idea.
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May 24, 2017 01:24
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Jr can't retire fast enough.
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Jun 11, 2017 21:28
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Retire Jr. Only you could manage to turn a good run off of a corner into a loss of six places in half a lap. loving done with it. Guy is the quintessential rhythm driver, but anythign gets in his way (like other drivers) and he can't manage.
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Jun 18, 2017 20:50
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Without question, that's why I would have understood if he had retired after last season. If you're afraid of getting hurt, then you should just hang it up because you won't be competitive. I don't blame Jr for that, if I were in his shoes I would be thinking the same thing, but that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating to see him so unable to race hard.
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Jun 18, 2017 21:09
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Danica needs to retire, there's no point to this anymore. She can't be having fun, sponsors seem to finally be turned off, and she's not even really showing any signs of improvement. If she was running better, but having poo poo luck, that would be one thing, but she's running like she always has, and has poo poo luck on top of it. I'm not even sure what she can do after she retires. It's not like she has enough of a resume to be an authority as a broadcaster, she won't be a car owner, and she's probably burned bridges in IndyCar, so what's she to do? After Pocono and Michigan, I have mixed feelings on the impact of stage racing on the flow of the race. I've been pleasantly surprised by the stages, they have helped more than they've hurt I feel. But at tracks like Pocono and Michigan, it feels like they interrupt the strategy without the benefit of making for better racing. Michigan is what it is, it's a big fast race track where the cars get spread-out. If you aren't ok with that I understand, and there have been plenty of bad races there (years ago, many of us here thought it was in contention for the worst race of the year). But it did have a distinct flow and strategy, and I'm not sure the stages helped. Now we have boring racing, for shorter periods, without the upside of any strategy. Yes, in the end there was some concern about fuel, but I'm not sure it wasn't a little less interesting because of the stages. Credit where credit is due, Jr did salvage a top 10. The car showed some speed on long runs, and he overcame some bad late race luck, so I feel better about the team. If he doesn't win next week though, he will not get a win this year without some kind of unforeseeable good luck.
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Jun 19, 2017 00:43
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I just don't think she enjoys racing enough at this point. I'm not trying to question her as an athlete, but even the most passionate athlete eventually loses the fire- and a career of mediocrity doesn't seem like would leave much fire left. She's in her 40s, would she really want to start over again with a new racing series? I think the yoga endorsement is the way she ends up going. Nature's Bakery probably lost a lot of money on their endorsement of her, but they probably saved a lot of money by breaking the contract and getting the hell out. The return on investment with her must be dropping by the day.
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Jun 19, 2017 01:24
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iospace posted:Danica is 35. Point still stands, she's made her millions, I doubt she wants to start all over again when she's never really found success. And I don't think it's accurate to say that she doesn't care, she been pissed at her performance. I think the more accurate way to describe her attitude is that she's "over it." She isn't going to put anymore of her best effort into it when she's never seen results. She's perpetually back in the pack where poo poo happens, and she inevitably gets caught up in it. There's no way the troubles with Natures Bakery hasn't been both embarrassing and demoralizing. To have to settle for a third rate sponsor to begin with, only to have them cut bait and run after one year can't do much for your image of self.
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Jun 19, 2017 01:45
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What pissed me off the most about the "debris" caution was that they ran no less than four laps under caution. Then, when the next caution was for an actual accident that left a car damaged they called a "quicky caution" and went back to green in like three laps. It didn't make any sense and my wife didn't understand why I was complaining about the governing body. Edit- and another sub 40 car field today, 37 to be exact. I'm sure NASCAR can't be happy that they can't field full fields anymore. I remember back in the early and mid 90s the field was routinely short of 43 cars, but I'm sure NASCAR didn't think they were going back to those days when they reduced the field to 40. Edit 2- Jr is like a senior in high school and it's May, he doesn't give a gently caress anymore and is ready to tell the principal to go gently caress himself. SpitztheGreat fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Jun 19, 2017 |
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Jun 19, 2017 04:01
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I like Brad, but I can't help but be super disappointed that Jr didn't win. Fate seemed to be doing all it could to give him that race, but it just didn't happen. It has been a long time since I've been this disappointed in the finish of a game/race/match. Edit- BTW, am I the only one who thinks that Bowyer's outburst was ridiculous and indefensible? Man, I get frustration, but you're a professional, and by trying to make your team look like the assholes all you did was show that you're the rear end in a top hat instead. Bowyer strikes me as a charming shithead. If I were on his crew, I would think a lot less of him after today. SpitztheGreat fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Oct 16, 2017 |
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Oct 16, 2017 00:00
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financially racist posted:hot tip: most people who are 'folksy' are actually shitbags Carl Edwards is probably the poster boy for this rule. And you're right, he didn't become a shithead today, he's always been one. But the HMS thing, I have a little bit of sympathy for him there because that team was F-grade material. Bowyer knew he was walking into a tough situation, but I don't think he had an idea of how bad it was going to be. They sold him a lie, like they were scrappy little team that would be the next Furniture Row, but in reality they were likely borderline insolvent before the season even began. From my understanding, at the end Bowyer wasn't even getting paid- if that's true then I can't blame him for throwing that team under the bus. But there is no excuse for today.
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Oct 16, 2017 00:52
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Junior is awesome, so there's not much to argue about there.
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Oct 16, 2017 01:16
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Just caught up on the race. Martinsville is proof that god is real and that he loves us. Fan-loving-tasic race. Crap winner, but a very entertaining finish all the same. Shame about Chase, but I can't pretend that I care. If my choices for a winner were either Denny or Kyle, in that scenario I take Kyle because Denny dumped Chase like an rear end in a top hat.
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Nov 1, 2017 05:44
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Oswego. NASCAR would quintuple the economy of the city of Oswego if it gave it a date. It would be insane, but my god, it would be glorious.
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Nov 1, 2017 06:47
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As much as I dislike Denny, I wasn't a big fan of Chase's move. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, and you get what you have coming to you, but if we're consistent in our criticism then we can't simply laugh and clap at Chase' move. Overall, a pretty good race. I'm not sure that the stat about the 21 drivers without a ride in 2018 is inherently problematic. I would be interested in looking at those stats a bit more closely to determine who has been lost and how many of them really matter. I think the bigger problem is that the change over has been so sudden, and there are very young drivers established to fill the void. I think there are a few things that are contributing to the doom and gloom around the sport right now, warning:  .1) I could be wrong, but I assume that most of us on this forum are somewhere between 25 and 40, meaning that the oldest of us were born around 1977 and the youngest around 1992. If this is correct, then I think that the (current?) impending slew of retirements is hitting us specifically hard as these are the drivers that we really cut our teeth with. Yes, many of us were around for Dale Sr, DW, Wallace, Petty, maybe even Yarborough and Allison, but "our" generation of drivers really started with Jeff Gordon in 1993. I think this matters because we as a generation of fans are experiencing our first seismic shift from one generation of drivers to the next. Gordon is gone, Johnson's reign is definitely waning (he could still win another championship or two, but he's on the downslope regardless), and a new generation of drivers is emerging or waiting to emerge. I suspect this leaves us feeling a bit uneasy for the future. I for one will definitely feel a bit lost next year without Junior to root for, I suspect this is how my father has felt for decades since Harry Gant retired. This uneasiness would probably be easy to brush aside if it weren't for the next two issues. 2) The sport is hurting financially. We all know that dollars have dried up for the sport, sponsorship aren't what they use to be and viewership is down from the heights of 8-12 years ago. I don't think that the sport, since its inception, has ever had to really face a market downturn like this. From inception through the late 1980s, the sport was small and regional, growing at rate that was easy to control. The boom of the 90s and early Aughts was unprecedented, and so any correction would also be unprecedented. We are living through that correction right now, and there's no playbook for it because it's the first time it has happened to NASCAR. How do you replace a series sponsorship with a smaller one and maintain profits? It's never happened. Hell, I guarantee you that somewhere in NASACR's offices in Charlotte they still have Winston Cup letterhead, we aren't that far removed from that period. The point is that, for the first time maybe, the sport is looking at the reality that growth is not always linear, and that's unsettling because there is little living memory of bad times in NASCAR's offices. 3) Constant media coverage. While NASCAR media sucks and is quick to cover for the sport, there are still more critical eyeballs on the sport and its leadership than ever before. This constant coverage makes it hard to hide the fact that the sport is struggling. In 1980 there was very little coverage outside of Daytona, a race from North Wilksboro was not shown in its entirety, and if the place was half empty, no one cared. NASCAR could more easily craft its image and message when no one was paying attention. There simply was not as much coverage on the sport when guys like Pearson, Yarborough, Allison, Petty, and Elliott were being put out to pasture, so it didn't feel as climatic. But now, the generations of drivers that grew the sport to success are fading away, and the media's coverage of this is feeding into the feeling of instability. Paired with coverage (no matter how feeble) of the financial issues facing the sport, and things don't feel very rosy looking forward. I mention all of this because I find our current situation very interesting. I think its very likely that within three years a guy like Kyle Busch could actually be the elder statesman in the garage, and that guys like Harvick, Johnson, and Kurt Busch will be gone. The max exodus of talent/experience will be incredible. The 2019 or 2020 season could begin with a field of 40 drivers with a combined three or four championships, with Gordon, Stewart, Johnson, Harvick, and Kurt all retired, that would just about wipe-out all of the championships from 2000 forward. Unless guys like Larson and Logano turn it up in the next year or two (totally possible), then the 2019 or 2020 season could dawn with a cavernous void in championship level talent. I'm not sure there has ever been such a exodus of talent from the sport, it will be like one generation just STOPPED, and then another one began, instead of a more gradual changing of the guard. I have actually come around to both the stage racing and the Chase format. I think that the implementation of the Chase has been particularly problematic, but god drat- none of you can say that this poo poo isn't compelling as all hell. Next week, I know full well that my eyes will be glued pretty hard to Miami, and that's good for the sport. The thing that they need to remember is that you can't turn the sport around overnight. Leave the format alone for an indefinite number of years so that we can all become familiar with it (I wasn't sure until today if the points reset to zero for next week, or if everyone carried over bonus points), let the young drivers emerge naturally, and let the market reset the finances to a more sustainable level. Tweak things around the edges (I still think it would be a great idea to cut the season to end at Labor Day- but that wouldn't be a tweak as much as it would be hacking away at the sport) but leave the core components alone. I think that they have a product that is improved (nostalgia aside, when Rusty Wallace won his championship he finished something like 16th, two laps down, competition today is light years tighter) over what was being put out by the end of generation 4 and all of generation 5.
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Nov 13, 2017 06:48
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iospace posted:Also, here's a take for you all: I think Chase and Denny are handling their beefs properly. Keep it on the track, minimal off-track poo poo like punches (I'm looking at you SRA). What did I miss from SRA????
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Nov 13, 2017 07:22
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Wins are an interesting measurement to a driver's career and standing in the sport. The drop from #8 Earnhardt to #9 Wallace is 21 wins, that's huge. After that you can pretty much throw a blanket over the top 20. As such, i"m not sure it's all that meaningful to rank a driver by wins when one or two wins in either direction by him or anyone around him will drastically change the rankings. I think it's fair to say that Matt Kenseth has had a successful career based on his championship and wins, but probably best to avoid ranks until you make it into the top 10. Looking at the list, I'm very surprised that Stewart "only" has 49 wins.
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Nov 19, 2017 19:56
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CBJSprague24 posted:
Funny you mention the modern era, I had a much longer post written up where I questioned how NASCAR records and talks about its stats. To some extent all sports have an issue with stats after decades/ a century of rule changes, but I feel like NASCAR doesn't know how to be consistent (shocker) when talking about its stats more than the other leagues. On one hand, you don't want to erase a career's worth of stats just because they fall in two different generations, but on the other hand NASCAR doesn't do enough to promote its "modern era" stats as a thing. Gordon's 93 wins are not appreciated enough because they're always compared to Petty and Pearson, but that's only half the story because Gordon got all of his wins in an era of much stiffer competition while both Petty and Pearson got most of theirs before. There should be a differentiation made that establishes two 7 time Cup champions in Earnhardt and Johnson, and three 7 time career champs with Petty, Earndhardt, and Johnson. It would be similar to how we recognize the Browns as NFL champions, but never a Super Bowl Champ.
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Nov 19, 2017 21:03
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2017 has been a tough year, so it was really nice to see the good guys win. Truex earned that Championship with a dominant season that was reminiscent of Gordon or Johnson at their best. Great to see Junior happy, relieved, and at peace after the race. He made it the whole season, no injuries, and avoided falling on his face. Yea, it wasn't a glorious exit, but it was a respectable exit, and that's good enough. He looked like a guy who didn't have anything left in the tank and won't miss it (that much). I kinda expected more emotion after the race, and a quiet/solemn Junior as he struggled to put into words his emotions- but I was very pleased to see the opposite. That tells me that he is happy with his decision. There was something poetic about how the race went for the three drivers "retiring". Danica went out in flames, from a wreck of her own making, Kenseth ran well and finished well and yet no one noticed or cared, and Junior ran a clean race mid pack, with all eyes on him, and finished by thanking everyone under the sun. If you were writing a screenplay for the most believable ending to a movie ever, this would be it. If Danica is smart she stays away from racing. The same with Kenseth, he won't get a ride matching his talent so why would he waste his time. Hell, even Kasey Kahne should retire- he's just going to embarrass himself next year.
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Nov 20, 2017 03:53
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big nipples big life posted:3 times this weekend I was expecting the BS caution, 3 times it didn't happen. I am impressed. Seems that when a couple of the drivers called NASCAR out a couple months ago on late bullshit cautions, the message got through.
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Nov 21, 2017 04:03
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http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/11/29/kurt-busch-not-too-worried-about-being-without-announced-cup-ride/ Kurt Busch is still technically without a ride for next year. He's still talking like it's not a big deal...but it's December. I know it's only been two weeks since the season ended, but teams gotta get started early. If this goes on for another couple of weeks, I have to believe that it will begin to impact preparations for both the 500 and the season. If he doesn't have a contract by mid December, I think it's time to start wondering if he will have one at all. Twelve months ago, I don't think any of us saw the bottom falling out of the sport like it has. Even if Kurt gets a new contract, I can't imagine at this point it will be with a top tier sponsor. If he gets into another Nature's Bakery I'm not sure how enticed he'll be. It's one thing to run a season with an underfunded team if you know that there's light at the end of the tunnel. But if Kurt does get stuck with a second-rate sponsor, what does he have to look forward to?
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Nov 30, 2017 06:56
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Not only is that a good looking car, but it will be easy to pick out in the field. I find that as color schemes have gotten more complicated, it has made it more difficult for a car to look really unique when in a pack.
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Dec 6, 2017 08:00
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I'd really like to know the details regarding what took so long for Kurt to get re-signed. Both sides wanted it to happen for months, so what took them so long? Money, obviously, but I'd really like to know what it was because it had to affect some prep work for Daytona.
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Dec 13, 2017 07:49
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Slickdrac posted:https://youtu.be/deV_w6cwz-k The thing is with Patrick is that she was allowed to be around far too long, and that makes her look even worse. She shouldn't be memorable at all, but when you get almost 200 starts are fail to do ANYTHING with it, that's really awful. The odds alone would suggest that you'll lead some laps, get a top 5 or two every season, and maybe even be in position to luck into a win or two. But none of that ever really worked out for her. Most drivers would be out of a ride after two or three years with stats like hers, and would be forgotten, but she got to hang around so long that it put a bright spotlight on her ineptitude. For my money, I think Rick Wilson is the worst driver I've ever seen. As a kid I dubbed him "Crash" because it seemed like he wrecked out every week. Lets look at their stats: Danica: 190 starts Wins: 0 Top 5: 0 Top 10: 7 Laps Led: 64 Lead Lap Finishes: 73 Wilson: 206 Starts Wins: 0 Top 5: 5 Top 10: 23 Laps Led: 216 Lead Lap Finishes: 22 Jesus Christ, even Rick Wilson has better stats than her. That's horrific.
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Dec 19, 2017 04:47
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financially racist posted:it's not just that she was around for so long, it's also that she was in championship-calibre equipment. a lot of the other drivers that are in contention for 'worst' generally did not drive for a team as successful as SHR, who were literally winning championships with other drivers while she was there. that far more than her number of starts amplifies her badness as far as i'm concerned. Yes and no. I don't think anyone ever really expected her to compete for championships. A guy like Sam Hornish? Yea, you could have expected him to compete for championships, making his failure noteworthy. However, to your point, while her teammates were all competing and winning championships, she never showed any improvement. In top of the line equipment, she showed only the barest of improvement from her first season to her last. Hell, an obscene percentage of her career laps led were all in her first Daytona 500 I imagine. Literally her first race may have been her best. So, I more or less agree with you.
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Dec 20, 2017 08:08
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Boomer The Cannon posted:Kyle Petty had sex. You can't just drive by post like that. Edit- Ah I see, he and his wife are expecting a kid. I really expected a sex tape or accidental dick pick.
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Dec 21, 2017 07:29
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This perfectly summed up my reaction
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Dec 28, 2017 02:36
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https://www.yahoo.com/sports/danica-patrick-finding-rides-daytona-161449729.html Danica...take the hint...it's time to walk away. I know that money talks and bullshit walks, but if she's having this difficult of a time finding a ride for Daytona I can't imagine it's going to pay anything special. I'm sympathetic to some degree, it wasn't all that long ago that she could command top dollar from top sponsors, so adjusting to the new reality must be really jarring and difficult. But the universe is trying to tell her to walk away. This is the sort of situation where you finally get some F-Class ride, only to get into an accident because you're in the way and you get hurt because of it. While she never really had any chance at winning, at this point her chances of winning are about as good as mine will be. If the money isn't any good... If the ride won't be competitive... If it's not coming together and it's January... Then why are you trying to make this happen?
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Jan 5, 2018 07:37
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Her words and expressions at the end of the season were not of someone who was enjoying this anymore. By all means, if she really has the fire then good for her- but how could she? There's no way running in the back for years doesn't take the fun away.
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Jan 5, 2018 16:09
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wicka posted:I have seen a lot of racing drivers look sad, frustrated, despondent, etc. in the time before they finally decide to retire. Many of them have continued racing occasionally after their retirement. I have never heard anyone accuse those drivers of only returning post-retirement for the money, until now. Wicka, I think you're taking it awfully personally. I have nothing against Danica. I hope she has inspired a generation of boys and girls to get into auto racing. She's a smart and talented person, and I wish her the absolute best. Sometimes, the end is the end though. I feel very strongly that Jr should never step into a Cup or Xfinity car again because there's nothing to gain. Maybe he has the fire in him for one more race, but as a fan I don't want him to take the risk in a race that doesn't matter. The same stands for Danica. Why risk it? If she had a good ride, that would be one thing, but she's not going to have a good ride. Very little good can come from one more race, and a lot of bad can. On the ski slope, I am a serious believer in doing one less run- it always strikes me that you get hurt on the last run- the one you debated doing. I really do hope that Danica does lots of cool things in auto sports in the future. She's raced for a long time, has a lot of knowledge, and could probably make a decent broadcaster. I only feel that she should step away because it seems so obvious that she should. Whether it's Daytona or Indy, I don't think it's a wise move to get back into a race car. If she were my friend, this would be the advice I would give her. If she absolutely needs to get more racing in, then do some short track racing at the Xfinity level. Something safe and profitable. This conversation reminds me of what Gordon said after he stepped in for Jr. He was asked about restarts and his feeling was that after stepping away for a few months the speed of everything was shocking. I have always hated Gordon because of 1998, but I was honestly concerned for him in the races he ran for Jr. All it would take is one bad wreck for him to get injured...for nothing. Danica is a young person, she has a lot to look forward to. The racing thing hasn't worked out the way she hoped, but that's okay. Let's not try and force it, just walk away, do something safer, while still scratching the itch. SpitztheGreat fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Jan 6, 2018 |
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Jan 6, 2018 06:33
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It would actually make some sense if she came back to run Martinsville. She's had some success there and if she really wants to scratch the itch it's the most traditional track there is. There isn't much else to say. If Danica does choose to run Daytona and/or Indy I hope it's with a competitive car. I think it's still a mistake, but if she gets through unhurt and enjoyed herself then more power to her.
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Jan 6, 2018 19:03
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A one year contract with a two year option? That's loving pathetic. That deal is so bad for NASCAR that you have to wonder how bad off they are in order to take it. Think about how bad it would be that after going 50+ years with Winston, and then about a decade with Nextel/Sprint, they only went one year with Monster. That would be honestly damaging to any brand, especially a brand as damaged as NASCAR. Maybe it's time to go without a title sponsor. Maybe that would free up some money for team sponsorship.
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Jan 12, 2018 04:03
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God drat, that Robert Yates video from the Hall of Fame speech really was good. I'm not usually one to find much emotion in such things, but that was pretty good.
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Jan 21, 2018 05:19
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It's too bad, she could really be a good ambassador but she just doesn't have the temperament for it. There are ways to defend your abilities without casting blame on others/your team. I don't know what the future holds for Danica, but I hope she takes time away from racing in order to determine if she really wants any future with it apart from the money that she can make off it. That Jr interview is excellent and captures just about everything that I love about the guy. When I first heard that he was most proud of his Busch Series championships, I was surprised, but now I find it really endearing.
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Jan 22, 2018 04:00
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I mean the reconfiguration could actually make it a little better, the stock cars would have been awful through those tight esses. I'm trying hard to be positive.
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Jan 23, 2018 01:04
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