2017 NASCAR Season Thread

[LAWeaver]

I wasn't completely sold on today's race for some reason. Just couldn't get into it. Seemed like the old Pocono at times. Maybe it was the intensity of the last Pocono race that had me hyped for this week. I was getting really excited with 17 to go when we had a three-way battle for the lead, but Kyle simply had the better car. Oh well. It was bound to happen at some point. 

 

Can't wait for Watkins Glen!

[Krz]

Recently found out about a deal at outback, free blooming onion on Monday if Kevin Harvick finished in the top 10 on Sunday. Enjoy your onions, your welcome 

[stumpygremlin]

So NASCAR released their new limits on Cup drivers racing in lower series. They said that drivers racing for Cup points that have 5+ years of Cup experience can race no more than 7 races in Xfinity, and 5 in Truck, starting next year. Dash 4 Cash and Playoff races are also off-limits for ANY driver racing for Cup points.

 

While I like this move, in my opinion, it doesn't go far enough.

 

If I were in charge, this is what I'd do:

• I'd keep the limits the same, but expand the limits to any driver racing for Cup points, regardless of experience.
• I'd change up the types of tracks that you get in Xfinity and Truck so that you get different types of racing at each level.
  • For Truck, I'd have it focus almost exclusively on short and dirt tracks.
  • For Xfinity, I'd focus much more on road courses and combined oval/road courses (using tracks like Laguna Seca, COTA, Sebring, and the infield road course layouts of Pocono, Charlotte, Daytona, et. al.) and short tracks, with only a couple 1.5-mile and a couple speedway races each year.
  • Have a handful combined three-series weekends at marquee tracks, such as Daytona, Indy, Bristol, and Charlotte.

I think if that were done, you'd get three distinct flavors of NASCAR that would broaden appeal to fans as well as disincentivize interloping.

[raysox]

Eh, you need to focus more on short tracks. Road course races are great and there should be more, but more teams will show up with short track races in the south. All the series need to be cheaper across the board and one step would to not have to develop a road course car vs a short track car. But that won't happen since the France family owns half the tracks, and SMI owns the other half(not Dover or Indy, but cmon). They're cornering the market so you'll continue to only see their properties host races.

 

The new rule is fine, I wouldn't go much lower tho. Guys like Blaney and Ty Dillon and all the guys who would benefit from seat time in Xfinity or truck while they're still not quite at their peak. William Byron fought Hamlin at Michigan and it was probably much better he lost than won because he gained the knowledge of what not to do on the last lap. Once you get to the playoffs, all bets are off and you want to see the Xfinity guys be the one advancing with a win. 

Harvick was saying you lose sponsorship money lowering the max Cup guys can run, and that's also true. However, there has to be some value in a guy without sponsorship running in the top 10 constantly vs low teens as he would in a normal race with Cup guys. There's pros and cons and we will see how it plays out.

[LAWeaver]

A little surprising to me, but Kurt Busch out at Stewart-Haas after 2017:

 

UPDATE: Not so fast, according to Stewart-Haas:

 

[dfwabel]

5 hours ago, stumpygremlin said:

If I were in charge, this is what I'd do:

• I'd keep the limits the same, but expand the limits to any driver racing for Cup points, regardless of experience.
• I'd change up the types of tracks that you get in Xfinity and Truck so that you get different types of racing at each level.
  • For Truck, I'd have it focus almost exclusively on short and dirt tracks.
  • For Xfinity, I'd focus much more on road courses and combined oval/road courses (using tracks like Laguna Seca, COTA, Sebring, and the infield road course layouts of Pocono, Charlotte, Daytona, et. al.) and short tracks, with only a couple 1.5-mile and a couple speedway races each year.
  • Have a handful combined three-series weekends at marquee tracks, such as Daytona, Indy, Bristol, and Charlotte.

I think if that were done, you'd get three distinct flavors of NASCAR that would broaden appeal to fans as well as disincentivize interloping.

SCRAMP still holds the rights to hold events at Laguna Seca for the next 2.5 years unless they really screw up.  The ISC cooperative bid was not accepted in January.  That said, the track still has millions in deferred maintenance needed and only some of the projects have started. A repave is also needed, and that isn't factored in too.  It's surprising that World Superbike still holds events there as it was falling apart when MotoGP stopped going there.  ISC needs to do the same with facilities and a repave with Sebring before they should be considered themselves.  Sebring's proximity to Daytona, where millions were already dumped hurts their chances as ISC needs cash coming into the speedway and ONE DAYTONA to pay the debt service.

 

It also seems counterproductive to have a secondary series holding minor series on the other side of the country with lesser opportunities to see the star driver(s).

[LAWeaver]

Details emerge regarding the mid-season split between Gray Gaulding and BK Racing:

 

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/08/01/report-details-of-mid-season-split-between-bk-racing-gray-gaulding-over-financial-dispute/amp/

 

Their charter is going to Penske's third team next year, I can tell already. 

[stumpygremlin]

5 hours ago, mr.nascar13 said:

Details emerge regarding the mid-season split between Gray Gaulding and BK Racing:

 

http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2017/08/01/report-details-of-mid-season-split-between-bk-racing-gray-gaulding-over-financial-dispute/amp/

 

Their charter is going to Penske's third team next year, I can tell already. 

I had a feeling that BK was not a good organization, but the article makes it look like a total dumpster fire. It's a shame that Whitt, Cassill, and now Gaulding have had issues. Also, notice that DiBenedetto is out of there and making a home at GO FAS.

 

That said, this article also shows a major problem in that the competitors have to find sponsor money, and that can be really hard to come by if you don't have success. After seeing this, and knowing ratings are down and attendance is down, I'm not surprised that NASCAR is having trouble filling out 40-car fields (and even 30-car truck fields) and had to go to charter models. I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see the fields shrink to about 20-25 cars each week in a few years.

[DCarp1231]

IF Kurt Busch and Stewart-Hass Racing did decide to part ways, it makes me wonder who they'd get to fill the 41 or if they'd downsize to three cars (4,10,14). If I'm not mistaken, I think SHR and Hendrick Motorsports are the only teams left to field four cars every race.

[PrimalCookie]

1 hour ago, DNAsports said:

IF Kurt Busch and Stewart-Hass Racing did decide to part ways, it makes me wonder who they'd get to fill the 41 or if they'd downsize to three cars (4,10,14). If I'm not mistaken, I think SHR and Hendrick Motorsports are the only teams left to field four cars every race.

JGR is another one (but I guess you could say they field 6 cars weekly, if you count FRR )

[stumpygremlin]

1 hour ago, Magic Dynasty said:

JGR is another one (but I guess you could say they field 6 cars weekly, if you count FRR )

I have a feeling that unless a driver come in packaged with full sponsorship already, then they will shrink. Remember that the 41 spends about half the season with the Haas logo on it already.

 

Who that would be, I don't know.

[DCarp1231]

2 minutes ago, stumpygremlin said:

I have a feeling that unless a driver come in packaged with full sponsorship already, then they will shrink. Remember that the 41 spends about half the season with the Haas logo on it already.

 

Who that would be, I don't know.

SHR does have Cole Custer in the Xfinity Series. He basically comes with Haas already considering his father is affiliated with them, I believe.

[stumpygremlin]

39 minutes ago, DNAsports said:

SHR does have Cole Custer in the Xfinity Series. He basically comes with Haas already considering his father is affiliated with them, I believe.

Good point. He is the son of the VP of SHR (and CEO of the Haas F1 team).

 

Again though, that brings the same issue. Does Gene Haas want to keep putting his logo on a cup car, which is basically tantamount to running it unsponsored.

[LAWeaver]

It has been said before that the 41, when it was created, was a way for Gene Haas to self-promote his CNC business, so it's not like they're completely hurting for sponsorship for that car, especially with the series sponsor on the car for half the season.

 

The issues seem to lie mainly in the 14 and the 10, the two cars that have been struggling for the better part of four years now.

 

Unless all bridges have been burned, I personally would love to see cell companies like AT&T and Verizon come back to the series. Maybe that's a route they could take. 

 

I don't see Kurt Busch being replaced by Matt Kenseth. I just don't. They're roughly the same age (mid-40s) and, despite each of them being series champions (in back-to-back years, no less), they haven't really been "contenders" all year. Sure, Kurt won The 500 this year, but what exactly has he done since? Kenseth's been struggling all season too, though he finally seems to be getting a few decent runs in lately. 

 

Kenseth doesn't seem to be bringing in the sponsorship either, which is probably why they decided to go with Erik Jones so early. This past weekend, he ran with the Toyota paint scheme, which usually isn't a good sign. He did the same at Texas in the spring too. 

 

My guess? Either the 41 goes away, Bubba Wallace is brought in, or Cole Custer is prematurely promoted to Cup. Then again, I thought it was too early for Larson to start at the Cup level in 2014. Boy was I wrong...

 

Also, some more fuel to the speculation fire was (unintentionally) added by SiriusXM and MRN's Dave Moody today via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DGodfatherMoody/status/892797649644138496

Also, somewhat off-topic, but can people please stop throwing Carl Edwards' name around? Seems like every ride that opens up is met with "OMGZ CARL TO THE #XX PLZ" responses. He's said he has no plans to come back. 

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Watkins Glen:

1. Truex Jr.

2. Kenseth

3. Suarez

4. Hamlin

5. Bowyer

6. Kurt Busch

7. Kyle Busch

8. Blaney

9. Allmendinger

10. Jones

 

Stage 1 winner: Kyle Busch

Stage 2 winner: Suarez

 

It was clear, fuel strategy was key in this race. Took out, Kes (along with a penalty), took out Blaney & Truex stuck with the plan to conserve fuel & got the victory. Truex Jr. played the game & played it well. Watkins Glen didn't disappoint.

 

Next up Michigan.

[ozzyman314]

Haven't been watching NASCAR as frequently since the changes this year, But I've noticed Truex Jr has been doing really well. He was always one of my favorites so it's nice to see that. As well as all the new young blood pouring in lately.

 

Didn't Truex's team (Furniture Row Racing) get bought by Roush or someone? I remember hearing something like that late last year. 

[Justin7218]

41 minutes ago, ozzyman314 said:

Haven't been watching NASCAR as frequently since the changes this year, But I've noticed Truex Jr has been doing really well. He was always one of my favorites so it's nice to see that. As well as all the new young blood pouring in lately.

 

Didn't Truex's team (Furniture Row Racing) get bought by Roush or someone? I remember hearing something like that late last year. 

Furniture Row formed a technical alliance with JGR in 2016.

[ozzyman314]

53 minutes ago, Justin7218 said:

Furniture Row formed a technical alliance with JGR in 2016.

 

Looks like it has worked out pretty well for them.  

[Justin7218]

35 minutes ago, ozzyman314 said:

 

Looks like it has worked out pretty well for them.  

Without a doubt. Truex has been nearly unstoppable these last two years, putting up 8 wins, 17 Top 5s, 32 Top 10s, and leading 3,124 laps. Makes you wonder what he could've done earlier in his career if he had better equipment.

[LAWeaver]

OFFICIAL: Kasey Kahne, Hendrick Motorsports to part ways at the end of 2017.