2016 NASCAR Season Thread

[raysox]

They keep taking away spoiler from the wrong series! Xfinity would benefit from lowering downforce and increasing the amount drivers have in the result

[dont care]

5 hours ago, raysox said:

They keep taking away spoiler from the wrong series! Xfinity would benefit from lowering downforce and increasing the amount drivers have in the result

No sprint cup needs the tougher to drive car, and faster cars. Reducing downforce in xfinity just causes more wrecks.

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Kansas:

 

1. Harvick

2. Edwards

3. Logano

4. Johnson

5. Kyle Busch

6. Dillon

7. Bowman

8. Allmendinger

9. Kenseth

10. Kahne

 

Happy Harvick is looking strong again. Carl looked liked he had it but Harvick was just to quick & he needed to win after what happened in Charlotte. Rough day for Keselowski after the bump from Hamlin. Hamlin, Elliott, Dillon & Keselowski are in the bottom 4.

 

Next up, Talladega & the second round of eliminations.

 

[Dalcowboyfan92]

Nice race for AJ. Briefly flirted with a Top 5 finish, but a Top 10 is great for this team; especially after the miserable end to a promising start last weekend in Charlotte.

[stumpygremlin]

I think Bowman, in a short stint, has shown that he deserves a one-year shot with a good team. In short duty, his average finish is 21st, and 17.4th when you take away the race he wrecked in. Two top tens and three top 15s in his last 4 starts. Not to mention top tens in EVERY start he's had in Xfinity, with 3 out of 6 of his races finishing top 5.

 

Dude's definitely improving quickly. The problem is that I don't think there are any major teams could give him that kind of shot. If he did get one, he'd be stuck at a level he was in '14 and '15, on lower-tier teams.

[DCarp1231]

6 hours ago, stumpygremlin said:

I think Bowman, in a short stint, has shown that he deserves a one-year shot with a good team. In short duty, his average finish is 21st, and 17.4th when you take away the race he wrecked in. Two top tens and three top 15s in his last 4 starts. Not to mention top tens in EVERY start he's had in Xfinity, with 3 out of 6 of his races finishing top 5.

 

Dude's definitely improving quickly. The problem is that I don't think there are any major teams could give him that kind of shot. If he did get one, he'd be stuck at a level he was in '14 and '15, on lower-tier teams.

If Chip Ganassi had a big set of balls he'd open up a new spot for Bowman. A team consisting of Larson, McMurray, and Bowman doesn't sound too bad.

 

Or Hendrick could just boot Kahne out of the 5

[dfwabel]

16 minutes ago, DNAsports said:

If Chip Ganassi had a big set of balls he'd open up a new spot for Bowman. A team consisting of Larson, McMurray, and Bowman doesn't sound too bad.

 

Or Hendrick could just boot Kahne out of the 5

You don't need balls, you need sponsors and a charter if you don't want to be in the field guaranteed.

 

But a charter spot could still be available if HScott leases or sells his charter.

[DCarp1231]

9 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

You don't need balls, you need sponsors and a charter if you don't want to be in the field guaranteed.

 

But a charter spot could still be available if HScott leases or sells his charter.

With how decent Bowman is running I could see a notable company offering him a sponsorship.

[stumpygremlin]

1 hour ago, DNAsports said:

With how decent Bowman is running I could see a notable company offering him a sponsorship.

He's worked with Dr Pepper. They're not a small-time company.

 

As for Hendrick, they just locked up Byron as a developmental guy, likely with the intent to put him in the 5 at some point. They'll probably run the same four as this year, unless they buy Kahne out, who is locked up for two more years. I do think Bowman would do better than Kahne has at this point.

[DCarp1231]

There's a new title sponsor!

 

 

 

For the Mexico Series. It will now be known as NASCAR Peak Mexico Series.

[raysox]

Kahne fan here,

 

Mid summer, I'd agree with Kahne needing a new scene. No results in one of the best seats in cup. But with the rest of Hendrick stepping up, Kasey hasn't finished outside the top 14 in the last 9 races. 6 of the last 7 were top 10s. Call it confidence, call it him getting equipment to compete, but I think next year will be a good year for the guy.

 

Also this dropped on Jayski today

Quote

Baldwin meets with employees, 'exploring all my opportunities' for team's future UPDATE:Unsure about his organization's future, #7 team owner Tommy Baldwin met with his employees Monday "so I can give them the options if they needed to go find a job.'' Baldwin said Tuesday that "I'm exploring all my opportunities right now. I'm trying to figure everything out.'' He hopes to have his plans solidified by some point in December. Among the options, there is one thing Baldwin said he won't do. "I would never shut down,'' said Baldwin, whose team debuted in the Cup series in 2009. "Don't use that word. The options are keep going or sell. That's the only two options we have.'' Baldwin admits he's given his employees a similar message "in six out of the eight years" of the team and always made it to the next season. "The technology has just increased,'' Baldwin said. "Everyone has just become smarter. The race teams, with Michael Waltrip Racing shutting down (after the 2015 season) and some other things, it put a lot good people, dispersed a lot of good people to different teams. Everyone had to spend a lot more money to keep up with the Gibbs and Hendrick programs. It's funny to me how everyone thinks our racing is not good. This is the most competitive that NASCAR has ever been.'' Baldwin admits it has been a struggle at times for the team and driver Regan Smith. Baldwin has one of the 36 charters granted to Sprint Cup teams at the beginning of this season. That adds value to his organization, ensuring that his team - or whoever purchases the charter, if that happens - would be in every Cup points race. Baldwin's car is 32nd in the car owner point standings, ahead of five other teams that have charters (another team below Baldwin's leased its charter for this season). Smith is 33rd in the driver standings. He finished a season-best third at Pocono in August. His only other top-10 finish this year has been an eighth-place result in the Daytona 500.(NBC Sports)
UPDATE: hearing that Baldwin has sold the #7 TBR charter to the #95 Circle Sport - Leavine Family Racing team. Not sure if that means the team will have two charters and run two teams or if Circle Sport gets one of the charters and runs the #33 team again. Supposedly Casey Mears will be the driver of the #95. Rumors have floated around the Ty Dillon would take over the #13 Germain Racing Chevy ride with increased support from Richard Childress Racing. No word if Baldwin would stay on as a part-owner or crew chief, move on to another team or keep running the #7 TBR team as an open team.
UPDATE2: FS1's NASCAR Racehub show confirmed Wednesday with multiple sources that Tommy Baldwain Racing has signed paperwork to transfer ownership charter to Leavine Family Racing (#95 Chevy). It was also reported that LFR leased their charter for 2016, supposedly from Circle Sport, which ran the #33 Chevy for years under the ownership of Joe Falk. Baldwin could play an advisory role with the team. TBR declined to comment. (10-19-2016)

 

Also I'm going to Talladega for the 4th time in the last 5 races there. Always a fun time.

[DCarp1231]

Such a shame if Casey Mears does get booted from the #13 and gets put in the #95. I've always liked him.

[stumpygremlin]

22 hours ago, DNAsports said:

Such a shame if Casey Mears does get booted from the #13 and gets put in the #95. I've always liked him.

Would that make any difference to his results, though?

[DCarp1231]

13 minutes ago, stumpygremlin said:

Would that make any difference to his results, though?

I believe it would. Going from average equipment at Germain Racing to below average equipment at Circle Sport. I believe the quality of equipment effects driver performance.

 

 

On another note, I'm surprised no one has posted anything about how Jimmie Johnson accused Stewart-Haas Racing of withholding data from Hendrick Motorsports (Hendrick Motorsports supplies SHR with equipment)

[dfwabel]

6 hours ago, DNAsports said:

I believe it would. Going from average equipment at Germain Racing to below average equipment at Circle Sport. I believe the quality of equipment effects driver performance.

 

It's still Childress power. It's not like the lower teams use lesser grade brakes, belts, hoses or lubricants. What is normally lesser is manpower and their talents. 

[Dalcowboyfan92]

Rumor has it the Biff will leave Roush for a second JTG-Daughtery Racing car in 2017. The car would probably not have a charter if this move does happen; and this is a rumor.

 

(From Jayski.com)

[DCarp1231]

On 10/22/2016 at 1:12 PM, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

Rumor has it the Biff will leave Roush for a second JTG-Daughtery Racing car in 2017. The car would probably not have a charter if this move does happen; and this is a rumor.

 

(From Jayski.com)

Jayski is pretty accurate for the most part. Teams are going to look a lot different next year. 

[DCarp1231]

Boy, do I strongly dislike Logano winning and moving on.

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Talladega:

 

1. Logano

2.  Scott

3. Hamlin

4. Kurt Busch

5. Stenhouse Jr.

6. Larson

7. Harvick

8. Almirola

9. Dillon

10. Allmendinger

 

Some big surprises, Truex Jr. & Keselowski were eliminated from the Chase, as were Elliott & Dillon. Austin by the closest of margins.  Logano got what he needed to go on, a win. Although I think a lot of us were hoping that he wouldn't come back form his earlier penalty.

 

Next up Martinsville for the Round of 8

[LAWeaver]

On 9/20/2016 at 11:23 PM, DNAsports said:

(Ignore the Stupid phantom quote; Why must they save on mobile?)

 

_____________________

 

Tough to see Chase eliminated, but I'm glad he was able to make it this far. Hopefully he gets a win before the year is over.

 

Truex's day is proof that you don't win the Chase, you survive it. All it took was one rarely-blown TRD engine to cause his title hopes to go up in smoke.

 

This next round has Jimmie written all over it. Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix? He should be competitive at Martinsville and is my favorite to win at Texas. The bottom line is he should be able to make it to Homestead. 

 

Finally, what was up with Harvick and Kurt getting into it on pit road?