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LAWeaver

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Posts posted by LAWeaver

  1. As others have probably mentioned, I imagine the new playoff format will force conferences to dissolve their divisions and pit their top two teams against each other to increase their odds of making the postseason.

     

    It would be a shame, though, as the idea of an unranked Purdue upsetting a #2-ranked tOSU or Michigan team potentially bumping an at-large team like Utah, Washington, Ole Miss, etc. - or even flat-out missing the playoff themselves! - intrigues me.

     

    Instead, without divisions, we're likely to see Alabama-Georgia and Ohio State-Michigan conference title games for several years. 

    • Like 1
  2. 9 minutes ago, TrueYankee26 said:

    Navy, we have a problem. These jerseys are too filthy! 😎

     

     

    If you're like me and were wondering what the connection was between the Navy and NASA, here's the explanation from Navy's website:

     

    Quote

    Fifty-four United States Naval Academy graduates have gone on to become astronauts, the most of any institution. The first Naval Academy graduate to become an astronaut was Alan Shepard ('45), who was the first American in space (May 5, 1961) and was one of NASA's first seven astronauts. Shepard's second space flight was on Feb. 5, 1971, when Apollo 14 landed on the moon and he went on two moonwalks.

    In 1985, Naval Academy graduate Bruce McCandless II ('58) took the first untethered spacewalk, venturing further away from the confines and safety of a ship than any previous astronaut.

     

    Source:

    https://navysports.com/news/2022/11/21/navy-athletics-and-under-armour-unveils-2022-army-navy-football-game-uniform.aspx

    • Like 4
  3. Hopping in to put a bow on the 2022 season with updates from the weekend:

    • Just hours after celebrating the 2022 Xfinity Series Championship with his son, Coy Gibbs, 49, passed away suddenly early Sunday morning. Coy was listed as co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing and was the father of Ty, who had just won the Xfinity title the night before. Coy's cause of death has not been reported, but in the official statement released by JGR, Coy passed away in his sleep. As a result of Coy's passing, Ty stepped-away from the #23 for 23XI Racing Sunday and was replaced by Kaulig Xfinity Driver, Daniel Hemric. 
       
    • Meanwhile, the Championship race continued as-scheduled. Polesitter Joey Logano won the opening stage and dominated the remainder of the race en-route to his 31st career victory and, more importantly, his 2nd career Cup Series title. Logano finishes the year with four victories, 11 top-fives, 17 top-tens, and an average finish of 13.5. 
       
    • Ross Chastain made a valiant effort late in the race, coming home third and taking second in the championship order. Chastain had a stellar first year in Trackhouse's breakout season, capturing a series-high 15 top-fives, 21 top-tens, two victories, and a solid 13.3 avg. finish (second among all drivers). Also, unrelated to Sunday's race, but Ross's "Hail Melon" was reportedly viewed nearly 100 MILLION times across all major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). 
       
    • Coming home third in the standings was Christopher Bell who finished the race 10th. Bell had the weaker car of the four championship drivers and at one point thought his engine was failing. Bell finishes a strong 2022 season with three victories including two clutch wins to advance through the playoffs.
       
    • The final driver of the Championship Four was Chase Elliott, coming home P29. Elliott and Chastain made contact on a restart, sending the 9 spinning and making contact with the inside wall. The damage put Elliott multiple laps down as the regular season-champ finishes a disappointing playoff run with two top fives in the final 10 races, including five finishes of 20th or worse in that stretch (he had five finishes of 20th or worse during the first 26 races).
       
    • Heavy-hitters and big names such as Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski all finish the season without a victory. This is Blaney's first winless season since joining the cup series in 2017; MTJ finishes outside the playoffs and winless for the first time since 2014 when he first joined Furniture Row Racing; Brad Keselowski also ends his first season as a driver-owner outside the playoffs and winless since 2010, his first full-time season in the #12 for Roger Penske.
       
    • Over the weekend, it was announced that 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson had bought into Petty GMS Racing and will drive part-time for the organization in select races next season, starting with the 2023 Daytona 500. Johnson last raced a NASCAR Cup Series car in 2020 and hasn't won a points-paying race since 2017. He has spent the last two seasons driving for Chip Ganassi Racing on the IndyCar circuit, nabbing a couple top-ten efforts this year at Texas and Iowa. 
  4. Man, John Clayton's passing hit me harder than I thought it would. I haven't really followed much of his reporting in recent years, but he was by far one of my favorite sports reporters. 

     

    When I was in middle school I'd have to wake up fairly early for the bus, so I'd watch the west-coast SportCenter reruns at 6/7 a.m., and Clayton was on almost every single morning. He wasn't over-the-top, no fluff, just straight facts and honest opinions. 

     

    Not to mention his "This is SportsCenter" ad is one of my favorite commercials of all time. 

     

    RIP John. 

    • Like 3
  5. Honestly, I'm not too worried about the cars "falling apart" after watching yesterday's race. I do agree the wheel issues are a bit concerning, but let's remember a few things: This was the first instance of live pit stops with the new wheels, these tires no longer have an inner-liner, meaning if they go flat they'll go down to the rim. Also, this is Daytona, probably the worst place to debut a car with little testing outside of Talladega and maybe Atlanta now. 

     

    There's a couple examples that stood out to me that make me think the NextGen bodies are actually better than the Gen6 ones. First, Alex Bowman had an airborne car land on his hood. While the wheel/tire issues kept him from getting to the pits and, ultimately, took him out of contention, he was still able to come back out and actually finish the race, all things considered. Last year, they would've taken that car immediately behind the wall for a 37th-place finish. 

     

    Next, you've got Bubba. After Stenhouse spun and clipped the right-side of the 23, I thought his race was done. Instead - Without a right-front fender, mind you - He nearly won the 500. Last year, the nose of the 47 would've acted like a can opener and peeled the right side of Bubba's car clean off. 

     

    Overall, I think it was a solid race. Congrats to Cindric. I think he's still got a win or two at least left in him this year once we get to the road courses. 

    • Like 1
  6. A few more designs dropped today. Added them to the original post.

     

    • Kevin Harvick's new Mobil 1 Ford Mustang
      FJ9ej3XXsAQPUmQ?format=jpg&name=large
       
    • Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Food-4-Less/Slim Jim Camaro
      FJ9M00KWYAkMmzt?format=jpg&name=medium
       
    • Cody Ware's #51 Nurtec ODT Mustangs. Purple will run in daytime events, black will run in night races.
      Image
    • Like 3
  7. With the introduction of the new NextGen car in NASCAR, paint schemes are going to look a bit... different. Numbers have been moved forward on the door towards the front wheel, allowing for more room for sponsors (well, theoretically), and chrome/metallic/reflective numbers and graphics are being re-introduced. Here's a rundown on what's been unveiled thus far:

     

    #1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

    unnamed.jpg

    Advent Health moves to Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain as a result of Chip Ganassi Racing's closure. The watermelon pattern on the side represents Chastain's background as a Florida watermelon farmer.

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    #2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

    Austin-Cindric-2022-Discount-Tire.jpgAustin-Cindric-2022-Menards-scheme.jpg

    Austin Cindric moves from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series, replacing Brad Keselowski. Discount Tire remains on-board the #2, while Menards increased their presence and will don the #2 for the first time.

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    #4 - Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing)

    QWCDk_EQ.jpeg2022-4-busch-light-scaled.jpg4-Rheem-3Q-scaled.jpgFJ9ej3XXsAQPUmQ?format=jpg&name=small

    As you'll see, Stewart-Haas Racing has been the most consistent in terms of decent designs around this new NextGen car. Gearwrench jumps-ship from the closing Chip Ganassi Racing to Kevin Harvick's #4, while Rheem partners with Harvick for the first time in nearly a decade. UPDATE: Added Harvick's Mobil 1 car unveiled on Jan. 25.

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    #5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

    2022-5-hendrick-cars.png

    Defending series champion Kyle Larson will have a familiar paint scheme for 2022, similar to the one he ran last year. Larson will also have "Home and Away" firesuits for 2022 - White for tracks with a Hendrick dealership nearby, and blue for tracks without one. Also, Hendrick Motorsports seems to be going with a "double bowtie" on the hoods of their cars for whatever reason. Not sure if it'll make its way onto the official car or if its for rendering purposes only.

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    #6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

    265027799_482588643224750_6278387626672543784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=nFLmt59t5ikAX_vfK83&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AT92LsMw1k2Dz4XTDwB0DLljZplf4XVc7dhoBaYRzPgi2A&oe=61E4E904

    Brad Keselowski has purchased a stake in Roush Fenway Racing, forming Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK Racing, for short). So far Fastenal, Kohler Generators, and Castrol motor oil seem to be staying with the 6 team, but only the Fastenal scheme has officially been unveiled, using a blue chrome number (expect a lot of chrome numbers from RFK this year). The Kohler and Castrol cars that have been used in testing these last couple weeks/months are the same design, just color swapped. Official designs will be unveiled at a later time.
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    #7 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)

    Image

    Corey LaJoie returns to Spire Motorsports hoping to improve on his 2021 season. His long-time sponsor Schluter Systems continues their partnership with him in 2022, adorning the #7, coincidentally, seven times this year.

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    #8 - Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing)

    2022-8-3chi.jpgFJ5C-ZJXwAc9Btw?format=jpg&name=large

    NASCAR's first-ever Hemp sponsor, 3CHI, will adorn the #8 Chevrolet of Tyler Reddick for a large portion of the 2022 schedule. The team has chosen to run metallic bronze/copper numbers with this scheme. UPDATE: GuaranteedRate continues their ad blitz across all sports, jumps from RFK's #6 to Reddick's #8 for select races in 2022.

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    #9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

    Chase Elliott 2022 Llumar2022 9 Napa

    2020 Series Champion Chase Elliott will see familiar colors return to his #9. NAPA remains the primary sponsor for the year, and Llumar returns for a second season with Chase. 
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    #10 - Aric Almirola (Stewart-Haas Racing)

    2022 10 Smithfield

    Aric Almirola returns to the #10 with Smithfield for the final time in his career. Aric will retire from full-time competition at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

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    #11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

    FI3I_vmXwAEDkjC?format=jpg&name=small
    Denny Hamlin will be sporting a new design as FedEx returns to the #11 for 2022 in one of NASCAR's longest partnerships between sponsor, team, and driver.

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    #12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

    Ryan-Blaneys-2022-Menards-scheme.jpgFJ4NW-PXMAMkvLT?format=jpg&name=smallFJKn5g9XMAQ90e_?format=jpg&name=900x900

    Menards returns to Ryan Blaney and the #12 after a successful 2021 campaign, sporting a similar design to the #2 of Austin Cindric.  Added Blaney's new Wurth and Advance Auto Parts designs for 2022.

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    #14 - Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing)

    Briscoe22

    New sponsor Mahindra Tractors joins Stewart-Haas Racing and 2021 Rookie of the Year, Chase Briscoe, as an anchor partner of the team.
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    #17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

    BuescherC-Fastenal-2022.jpg?bw=1000&w=1000&bh=1000&h=1000

    Like his new co-owner and teammate Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher will also sport the Fastenal brand on his #17 Ford for 2022. Buescher's paint scheme is basically an inverted version of Brad's #6 and uses chrome silver numbers.

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    18 - Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)

    Kyle-Busch-Interstate-Batteries-2022.jpg

    Two-time champion Kyle Busch's #18 Interstate Batteries car sees some slight tweaks compared the 2021 version of this scheme, minus the obvious giant logo and new number placement, of course. 
    Meanwhile, M&M's will ride with Kyle Busch for the final time in 2022 as they're leaving the sport at year's end. 

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    #19 - Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

    bps19truex.jpg

    Long-time sponsors of 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Bass Pro Shops and Auto Owners Insurance, return to the #19 Toyota. The BPS car looks virtually identical to his previous rides, while the Auto Owners car is a new design.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    #20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

    2022-20-rheem.jpg2022-20-dewalt-scheme.jpg

    Rheem and DeWalt return to the #20 Camry of Christopher Bell in 2022. This year Bell has taken advantage of the new Chrome/metallic numbers.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    #21 - Harrison Burton (Wood Bros. Racing)

    21-wood-brothers-motorcraft.jpg

    Rookie Harrison Burton (son of Jeff Burton) moves up to the historic #21 Wood Brothers Ford from the Xfinity Series. The #21 NextGen Mustang will feature metallic numbers on the doors. 

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    #22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

    Joey-Logano-AAA-scaled.jpg

    AAA returns for two races with Joey Logano in 2022. While Logano's primary Shell/Pennzoil car has yet to be unveiled, it's notable that the traditional "scallop" design featured on the 22 for the past decade is noticeably missing from the AAA cars, likely due to the new number placement.

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    #23 - Darrell Wallace Jr. (23XI Racing)

    2022 23 Leidos

    Leidos reunites with Bubba Wallace at 23XI Racing with a new scheme set to run in several races this season.

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    #24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

    2022-Axalta-Chevrolet-primary01.jpgWB-Wallpapers2560x1600-1-1.jpg

    William Byron's #24 Axalta Chevrolet is virtually unchanged from 2021 aside from the new number placement. UPDATE: Byron will pilot a newly-designed Liberty University Camaro throughout the season as well.

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    #27 - Jacques Villeneuve (Team Hezeberg)

    27hezeberg.png

    Indy 500 winner and F1 World Champ Jacques Villeneuve will pilot the #27 Ford Mustang for the newly-formed Team Hezeberg in select races this season, including the Daytona 500.

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    #41 - Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing)

    Cole Custer 2022 Scheme

    Cole Custer looks for a bounce-back year in 2022. He'll once again be piloting the #41 Haas CNC Tooling Ford Mustang, showing how teams should be using the added space for sponsors.

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    #43 - Erik Jones (Petty/GMS Motorsports)

    Erik Jones Focusfactor

    FOCUSfactor, a "totally legit, definitely not a scam" supplement company, joins the newly-formed Petty/GMS Motorsports #43 for a majority of 2022 with Erik Jones behind the wheel.

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    #45 - Kurt Busch (23XI Racing)

    https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F61ca117f1a11f882c7554671%2FKurt-Busch-will-drive-the-No--45-Toyota-in-2022-%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale

    Kurt Busch moves from Chip Ganassi Racing to the #45 of 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. Busch brings Monster Energy with him after Chip Ganassi shut-down his team at the end of 2021. 

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    #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG/Daugherty Racing)

    f0637eb7e0af720a0c56b1c1ec3e0048_XL.jpgCB-JTG-Daugherty-Sweetleaf.ashx?mw=408FJ9M00KWYAkMmzt?format=jpg&name=medium

    Kroger and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. return to JTG/Daugherty Racing in 2022. New sponsors Irish Spring and Sweet Leaf have been confirmed, and are expected to be among several brands promoted by Kroger throughout the season. UPDATE: Added Ricky's Food-4-Less/Slim Jim Chevrolet unveiled Jan. 25. Car will make its debut in LA at the Busch Light Clash in the Coliseum. 

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    #48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

    2022-Ally-Chevrolet-primary01.jpg

    Coming off a career-best four victories in 2021, Alex Bowman and Ally look for another successful 2022 in this slightly-off-white, purple, and magenta #48 Chevy. 

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    #51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing)

    Image

    Cody Ware returns for the full 2022 season behind the wheel of the #51 for the series' premiere back-marker team. 

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    #99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)

    Daniel-Suarez-Daytona-500.jpg

    Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville returns for 2022 aboard the #99 of Daniel Suarez for even more races. 

    • Like 6
  8. With NextGen testing at Daytona wrapped-up and the Busch Light Clash just over three weeks away, I figured it was time to get a new thread started.

     

    A lot has changed over the offseason, so without further ado, here's some of the major headlines going into the 2022 NASCAR season:

     

    • Obviously the first big piece of news is the NextGen car - A symmetrical, carbon-fiber body that'll supposedly help reduce costs in the long run for teams and hopefully lead to a bit more parity, closing the gap between the front-runners and the mid-pack racers. The car was originally set to debut in 2021, but the pandemic pushed back R&D and testing until this year.

      One of the most notable changes fans young and old will pickup on is the new number placement. Traditionally, car numbers have been centered on the left and right side of the car. However, the new car has less space on the rear-quarter panel, meaning less room for sponsorship. To fix this, NASCAR has moved the required number placement forward a few inches so that it is now under the A-post near the front fender. As a result, some of the new paint schemes have been good, while others... not so much as designers work around the new number placement rules with sponsors.

      Also, in late December, NASCAR has officially announced they will run with 670 horsepower and a four-inch spoiler at all tracks with the exception of Daytona, Talladega, and likely Atlanta (They'll run a 510 HP package; More on ATL in a sec). Many fans, drivers, and media members have clambered for higher horsepower after the series experimented with a 550 HP package the last couple of years, resulting in tighter racing on intermediate tracks but less action like the sport had hoped. 
       
    • Atlanta Motor Speedway underwent a major reconfiguration over the offseason starting last summer following the second Cup race in 2021. Banking has increased in the turns and the racing groove has narrowed, causing some drivers to compare the new surface to a "Mini-Daytona". While the racing at Atlanta had been OK the last several years, the track surface was one of the oldest on the circuit and has needed replaced for nearly a decade, at least. Track owner SMI seems to want to make Atlanta their own superspeedway.
       
    • Some tweaks to the schedule for 2022 but overall not a whole lot changes outside of the playoffs:
      • The Busch Light Clash exhibition race will take place Sunday, Feb. 6 on a quarter-mile oval inside the LA Coliseum, home of the USC Trojans football team. Heat races will determine the 23-ar field for the main event.
      • The Cup Series returns to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, this time on March 27. So prepare for another fustercluck with rain likely.
      • Speaking of potential fusterclucks, the Bristol Dirt Race will run on Easter Sunday at 7 p.m. Last year's event saw a multitude of issues ranging from monsoon-like weather to dust clouds and overall poor track management during both the Cup and Camping World Truck Series races.
      • NASCAR's All-Star weekend returns to Texas Motor Speedway on its traditional date, the weekend before Memorial Day Weekend and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
      • The Cup Series makes its debut at World Wide Technology Raceway (AKA Gateway) on Sunday, June 5.
      • Just announced this week: Sonoma will revert back to a 110-lap event as the Series runs "The Chute" - the straight stretch at the end of the track. The Cup Series ran The Chute during the 2000s and 2010s before going back to the traditional Carousel layout used by the IndyCar Series.
      • Richmond's second Cup date has been removed from the playoffs and placed in mid-August on the 14th. The new playoff schedule is as follows:
        Round of 16: Darlington, Kansas, Bristol | Round of 12: Texas, Talladega, Charlotte Roval | Round of 8: Las Vegas, Miami, Martinsville | Championship: Phoenix

     

    Now for some driver and team changes for the new season: 

     

    • Chip Ganassi Racing has closed its doors, as Ganassi sold the team in June to Trackhouse Racing, co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull. Daniel Suarez will continue to pilot the #99, while Ross Chastain moves over to Trackhouse and will drive the #1. 
       
    • Stemming from Ganassi's closure, 2004 Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch was considered the top free agent of the offseason. After months of speculation, it was revealed Kurt would drive the new #45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and driver of the #11, Denny Hamlin. The team purchased the #00 charter from Starcom Racing, who had struggled since their inception with a multitude of drivers.
       
    • Richard Petty Motorsports has been sold to GMS Racing, a successful Truck Series organization with a championship and several wins to their credit. GMS had announced last fall they were going to run the #94 with Ty Dillon, but that plan has since changed. Now, Erik Jones will continue to drive the #43 Chevy, while Ty Dillon will now run the #42.
       
    • After 12 seasons together, Brad Keselowski and Team Penske parted-ways this offseason. Brad has purchased a minority stake in Roush-Fenway Racing, forming Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK Racing, for short). Brad will also pilot the #6 Ford, while former driver of the #6 Ryan Newman, is a free agent. Newman, who joined the series in 2002, has been rumored to retire the past couple seasons, especially after his gnarly wreck in the Daytona 500 in 2020 that sidelined him for a couple races. He could still appear in one-off races in any of the top-three series as he hasn't officially announced his retirement.
       
    • As a result of Keselowski's departure, Penske has signed rookie and 2020 Xfinity Series champion, Austin Cindric, to pilot the #2 for 2022. Cindric was originally set to replace Matt DiBenedetto in the #21 car for the Wood Bros. (now a satellite team for Penske) this season, but the loss of Keselowski allowed Cindric the opportunity to take the #2.
       
    • Rookie and former Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton (son of Jeff Burton) joins the Wood Bros. for 2022 after two years in the Joe Gibbs Racing camp. 
       
    • Matt DiBenedetto found himself going from loveable underdog to outcast fairly quick. "Matty D" complained about the decision by Penske and the Wood Bros. to not bring him back for 2022, despite knowing a year in advance the switch would happen and not improving his on-track performance, and used the anti-Biden "LGB" phrase at Phoenix a day after NASCAR said they were distancing themselves from the controversy. DiBenedetto has since signed a full-time deal in the Truck Series.
       
    • Three-time Cup Series race winner Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 for Stewart-Haas Racing, announced this week he would retire from full-time competition at the end of 2022. The announcement comes just days after Ryan Preece signed a deal with SHR to run on a part-time basis for Ford-backed teams across all three series, basically serving as the team's reserve driver. Preece spent the past few seasons driving the #47 and #37 for JTG/Daugherty Racing, but could not turn his potential into results.

      Almirola's departure could open the door for Preece getting the #10 in 2023, although rumors are circulating Kevin Harvick could also be closing in on retirement, likely within the next year or two.
       
    • Kaulig Racing, a mainstay in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, announced they would field two full-time entries in the Cup Series in 2022. Justin Haley officially makes the jump to Cup driving the #31 car, while the #16 car will be ran by Daniel Hemric, AJ Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson. The team has won several Xfinity races with Haley and Allmendinger leading the charge, with superspeedways and road courses being their strong suit. 
       
    • Rick Ware Racing, notorious for being the Cup Series' backmarker organization, announced they would scale back to two full-time entries for 2022. In addition, they have formed a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford. No full-time drivers have been announced as of yet. David Ragan will return to the Cup Series part-time driving the #15 in the Daytona 500 and other events, while Ryan Preece will also pick up a race or two as part of his new deal with SHR. The #51 could be piloted by Cody Ware, who drove the car for nearly all of 2021.
       
    • Spire Motorsports ended up buying, selling, and trading multiple charters during the offseason, but in the end they will once again field two entries - the #7 and #77. Corey LaJoie will continue to drive the #7, while Josh Bilicki will run most of the 2022 schedule behind the wheel of the #77 starting in March. Journeyman driver Landon Cassill tested with Spire at Daytona this week and is expected to drive the #77 for the Daytona 500.
       
    • Former Indianapolis 500 winner and F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will compete in multiple races for the newly-formed Team Hezeberg #27 Ford. Villeneuve tested the NextGen car at Daytona and said this week he expects to attempt the Great American Race next month. The team is a joint effort between NASCAR Euro Series champion Toine Hezemans, Dutch businessman Ernst Berg, and backmarker Truck Series team Reaume Brothers Racing. Team Herzberg is expected to compete in the series' road course events and possibly more races throughout 2022. 
  9. On 3/17/2020 at 1:54 PM, mgdmhl said:

     

    It might be similar to the one you created but the guy who created it just finished it about a month ago.

    Hi, yes, that would be my template lol. I've been helping Uniform Madness on Twitter for a couple of months now with football/basketball templates. 

     

    In fact, I've come to share the most recent basketball template, finished errr about 30 minutes ago from the time I post this. 

     

    AI Template: 

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/w78h1za1yxct3bt/2020 Nike Basketball Template.ai?dl=0

     

    PSD Template:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/dm792blccsvh15d/2020 Nike Basketball Template.psd?dl=0

  10. 9 hours ago, JH42XCC said:

    spacer.png

     

    Just thought I'd leave this here.

    It's unfortunate that they are likely dead by the end of this month but I wouldn't *quite* call them a failure. More of a victim of circumstance, in my mind at least.

     

    They had a few things going for them and could've at least made it to their championship game had the virus not made as much of an impact. 

    • Like 18
  11. 2 hours ago, Walk-Off said:

    Did you mean to type "less detrimental" instead of "more deteimental," @mr.nascar13?  It seems rather obvious to me that the Cobras' refusal to play the rest of that game infuriated the NAL's leadership more than did the security being presumably weak enough to enable the theft of things belonging to various Cobras personnel.

    You're right, that's my mistake. 

    • Like 1
  12. I had never heard of the Streets before but based on their Wikipedia page, I'm not surprised they're not coming back:

     

    Quote

    After four games, the Streets had a 3–1 record but then fell to a 3–9 record prior to their final home game on July 21. By halftime in that game against the Carolina Cobras, they had been shutout 46–0. The game was then cancelled as the visitor's locker room had been robbed with several Cobras' players personal items stolen and the Cobras refused to return to the field.[10] A contracted production coordinator for the Streets was arrested for stealing approximately $3,000 in cash from the locker room, as well as stealing $1,000 the previous game from a Streets' cheerleader.[11] A week later, the NAL fined the Streets for not providing adequate security but awarded the Streets a forfeit win due to the Cobras refusing to play, which the league viewed as detrimental to the public image of the league.[12]

     

    So by the NAL's logic, not having proper security and having players/cheerleaders getting robbed in the middle of the game is less detrimental to the league's image than said team not coming back on the field after literally being robbed.

     

    Looks like personal belongings weren't the only thing the Cobras were robbed of. The league stole a victory from them.

    • Like 3
  13. 5 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

     

    Maybe it's just me, but I find something odd - indeed, off-putting - about the Narwhal playing dress-up in sea-captain's garb while wielding a harpoon. It would be like the Milwaukee Bucks rolling out a primary mark that depicted a deer sporting a winter ear-flap cap, camouflage hunting jacket, and orange safety vest, while toting a bolt action rifle.    

     

    The hunted has become the hunter.

    • Like 1
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