2017 NASCAR Season Thread

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Daytona:

1. Stenhouse Jr.

2. Bowyer

3. Menard

4. McDowell

5. Newman

6. Ragan

7. Gaughan

8. Allmendinger

9. Jones

10. Buescher

 

Stage 1 winner: Keselowski

Stage 2 winner: Kenseth

 

Stenhouse Jr. gets his 2nd win & 14 cautions to boot. This was a Daytona that didn't disappoint! I think if one more lap would've happened, Bowyer may have caught him. A couple of wrecks took out some potential contenders including Little E, Busch brothers, Harvick to name a few. Good restrictor plate racing all around.

 

Next week, Kentucky

[stumpygremlin]

Good to see McDowell get his career-best finish. He ran well all day. I was shocked as hell to see Corey LaJoie, Ty Dillon, Gaughan, and Allmendinger up near the front for a chunk of the day as well. DiBenedetto also finished 13th, his third-best finish ever.

[Flames1fan]

 

[raysox]

Todd Gilliland was in this truck at Dover and it clicked to why those numbers were picked by KBM



Christopher Bell won in a rain delay Kentucky truck race last night. He's going to be GOOD. Just another bullet in the chamber of JGR. Also John Hunter Nemecheck lead a bunch last night in his underfunded Dad's car. Hope he can get a chance in Xfinity cause he impresses every week when he isn't crashing Cole Custer.

[LAWeaver]

Matt Kenseth unsure of 2018 plans, doubtful he'll return to JGR:

 

http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2017/07/Matt-Kenseth-Unsure-of-Plans-for-2018.aspx?s_soc=social_20170707_73206117&adbid=10155688914604208&adbpl=fb&adbpr=47438839207

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Kentucky:

1. Truex Jr.

2.  Larson

3.  Elliott

4. Hamlin

5. Kyle Busch

6. Jones

7.  McMurray

8. Logano

9.  Harvick

10.  Blaney

 

Stage 1 & 2 winner: Truex Jr.

 

Truex Jr. had the most dominant car again & the gamble paid off. He's looking like he could be the guy to beat when the playoffs happen once again. Not just a dominant race for Truex Jr. but also for Toyota. Larson got through 2 penalties & managed to get in the top 10.

 

Keselowski had a rough night & basically thinks its time for a change in the cars...

 

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nascar-keselowski-kentucky-crash-928368/

 

“I got stuck in the aero and it just pulled me around. It’s part of the deal when you race at these types of tracks – one groove and the car and the way it’s designed. You have to find a way around it as a driver and I didn’t find a way around it,” Keselowski said.

“It’s time for this sport to design a new car that’s worthy of where this sport deserves to be and the show it deserves to put on for the fans.”

 

So that leads to the next question, what would you change? Downforce? The material that the car is made out of? Engine type?

 

Next up: New Hampshire

[DCarp1231]

I'd bet a move to Hendrick or retirement for Kenseth

[LAWeaver]

Raise your hand if you had RCR, Roush, and the Wood Brothers with more wins than Joe Gibbs Racing at the halfway point in the season.

[DCarp1231]

Kyle Busch's car yet again found to have a loose lugnut. We'll probably see another crew chief suspension or something worse considering this is his third or fourth time with this violation in the last month and a half.

[Michael Bolton]

I didn't get to watch but I read a lot of comments saying last night's race was a snoozer. Was it because Truex dominated, or was the racing just not good? Didn't they apply rubber to the track to try and make an upper groove? Did that not work?

[dont care]

4 hours ago, Michael Bolton said:

I didn't get to watch but I read a lot of comments saying last night's race was a snoozer. Was it because Truex dominated, or was the racing just not good? Didn't they apply rubber to the track to try and make an upper groove? Did that not work?

Nope, it was a one lane racetrack all the way around. Made passing near impossible and thus made it follow the leader the whole race.

[rvrdgsfn]

IMO, its time....

 

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/07/10/nascar-aggressively-pursuing-new-manufactures/

 

NASCAR is in “aggressive conversations” with manufactures to join the sport, Steve O’Donnell told “The Morning Drive’’ on Monday.

“We are aggressively pursuing new (manufacturers),’’ O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio without divulging details. “We want to make sure that they come in similar to how Toyota did and it’s really changed the sport. They’ve done a tremendous job and really helped the industry.

“Those conversations are ongoing. It’s a tough process. There’s a lot to consider doing this, but that is a huge goal for the sport right now.’’

I'm thinking the front runners are probably Dodge, Nissan, Honda. The longshots would be Volkswagen & Hyundai/Kia

[stumpygremlin]

31 minutes ago, rvrdgsfn said:

IMO, its time....

 

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/07/10/nascar-aggressively-pursuing-new-manufactures/

 

NASCAR is in “aggressive conversations” with manufactures to join the sport, Steve O’Donnell told “The Morning Drive’’ on Monday.

“We are aggressively pursuing new (manufacturers),’’ O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio without divulging details. “We want to make sure that they come in similar to how Toyota did and it’s really changed the sport. They’ve done a tremendous job and really helped the industry.

“Those conversations are ongoing. It’s a tough process. There’s a lot to consider doing this, but that is a huge goal for the sport right now.’’

I'm thinking the front runners are probably Dodge, Nissan, Honda. The longshots would be Volkswagen & Hyundai/Kia

I wonder if that could be a boon to some currently-small teams. They could move and become new teams with new manufacturers, get factory support, and build that way.

[LAWeaver]

58 minutes ago, stumpygremlin said:

I wonder if that could be a boon to some currently-small teams. They could move and become new teams with new manufacturers, get factory support, and build that way.

That could be interesting. I could see teams like the 95 and the 32 making the switch. The only major team I could see switching would be Furniture Row, similarly to Stewart Haas switching from Chevy to Ford. 

[stumpygremlin]

1 hour ago, mr.nascar13 said:

That could be interesting. I could see teams like the 95 and the 32 making the switch. The only major team I could see switching would be Furniture Row, similarly to Stewart Haas switching from Chevy to Ford. 

That's exactly what I was thinking. McDowell's or DiBenedetto's careers could get a big boost with a switch. Both of those drivers have had some decent successes with their small teams, including a handful of top tens between them.

 

I could also see Front Row making that switch as well. Maybe Germain.

[dfwabel]

17 hours ago, rvrdgsfn said:

IMO, its time....

 

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/07/10/nascar-aggressively-pursuing-new-manufactures/

 

NASCAR is in “aggressive conversations” with manufactures to join the sport, Steve O’Donnell told “The Morning Drive’’ on Monday.

“We are aggressively pursuing new (manufacturers),’’ O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio without divulging details. “We want to make sure that they come in similar to how Toyota did and it’s really changed the sport. They’ve done a tremendous job and really helped the industry.

“Those conversations are ongoing. It’s a tough process. There’s a lot to consider doing this, but that is a huge goal for the sport right now.’’

I'm thinking the front runners are probably Dodge, Nissan, Honda. The longshots would be Volkswagen & Hyundai/Kia

Hyundai only has a 34% stake in KIA, so think of them as separate companies.

 

That said, NASCAR gives any manufacturer little incentive to join from the antiquated technology of the pushrod engine and transmission package, to the falling attendance and TV ratings, to the fact of diminishing numbers of US passenger car sales. Nissan still moves 300K Altimas annually to be the 5th best selling passenger car in America (behind Corolla, Camry, Civic and Accord) and sell more Rouges than that, so they don't need it. Same with Honda as they'll sell Accords, Civics, and CR-Vs by the ton regardless.

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/01/usa-2016-vehicle-sales-by-model-manufacturer-brand.html?m=1

 

Both NASCAR and IndyCar are looking for another engine builder, but the cost of entry to IndyCar is much more cost effective.

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/08/01/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/IndyCar-third.aspx?

[Dalcowboyfan92]

I know the economic status of the sport is still in murky waters; but for the competitive sake of the sport, we NEED another manufacturer to join and try and even the playing field as Toyota has taken the ball and has run away with it.

[PrimalCookie]

You know, I have been very surprised with Chevy's fallout this year. While they still aren't bad per say, Toyota is still very good and Ford has taken a huge leap (because when my favorite driver retires Ford instantly has to be good again. makes sense).

 

If there is a new manufacturer, I have to put my money on Dodge coming back, with an outside chance to Honda.

[raysox]

People forget that a Chevy is leading the points and have 4 of the top 10, vs 3 each by the other teams

Dodge, I'll believe it when I see it. They are still in Xfinity however.

[dont care]

Honda is interesting, the reintroduction of the ridgeline helps making it so they can run teams in all 3 series even if a ridgeline would never have a v8 in it on a production model, we all know that the cars today the only thing that separates the manufacturers is body style and decals, and then the funding they give the teams for RnD. I see Nissan though being a much more likely candidate because they are clearly 3rd among imports behind Honda and Toyota, and have seen how Toyota has had success and may want a piece of the pie. I feel the best bet is dodge though, they need to increase market share and the best way for them to do that is get back into the familiar waters of nascar.