2017 NASCAR Season Thread

[jc...]

I love how you can race a handbuilt car 500 miles and fail a laser inspections. What a time to be alive. 

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Kansas:

1. Truex Jr.

2. Keselwoski

3. Harvick

4. Blaney

5. Kyle Busch

6. Larson

7. Suarez

8. McMurray

9. Bowyer

10. Bayne

 

Stage 1 winner: Kyle Busch

Stage 2 winner: Blaney

 

Well, I think the race was decent but I think it will be overshadowed by the wreck between Logano, Danica & Almirola. Just seeing the 43 fly like that. Just glad it didn't go higher. Truex drove a great race  especially from the likes of Kyle Busch, Blaney & Harvick coming after you.

 

Next up, the all star race & the Coke 600 at Charlotte.

[Dalcowboyfan92]

The timetable for Almirola to return to the 43 is sketchy at best. How much time he'll miss, and who will sub for Aric in his car.

[stumpygremlin]

3 hours ago, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

The timetable for Almirola to return to the 43 is sketchy at best. How much time he'll miss, and who will sub for Aric in his car.

According to Wikipedia, RPM has Ryan Truex and Thad Moffitt as development drivers. I'd start there.

[raysox]

I don't know if those guys are necessarily ready for the big series. Ryan Truex had time for BK but that wasn't anything special.  But realistically, I could see them picking up a veteran like Regan Smith , Greg Biffle, or David Gilliland. They have ties with Jeb Burton which I think would be the top young. Unlikely, but I wonder if they bring in a Ford prospect for some seat time, and road course ringer for Sonoma if this lasts 6 weeks.

[DCarp1231]

1 hour ago, raysox said:

I don't know if those guys are necessarily ready for the big series. Ryan Truex had time for BK but that wasn't anything special.  But realistically, I could see them picking up a veteran like Regan Smith , Greg Biffle, or David Gilliland. They have ties with Jeb Burton which I think would be the top young. Unlikely, but I wonder if they bring in a Ford prospect for some seat time, and road course ringer for Sonoma if this lasts 6 weeks.

I'd say they could get Alex Bowman in there but he seems pretty tied to Chevy and Hendrick Motorsports. I think it would be smart for Roush to lend Bubba Wallace or Ryan Reed to RPM.

[Needschat]

5 hours ago, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

The timetable for Almirola to return to the 43 is sketchy at best. How much time he'll miss, and who will sub for Aric in his car.

 

Bubba Wallace is scheduled to run a late model at Bristol this weekend, so he's more than likely out for the weekend.  The Biff could be in the car, then afterwards it would be a combination of Smith and Bubba.  

 

 

[raysox]

Apparently Bubba still is having sponsorship trouble at Roush, all while sitting 5th in points. Sources said he was only able to run until Charlotte, Mello Yellow had gotten a deal together since then, but I believe that was only a one race deal.

 

Hell if he got a cup ride for a few weeks that might be a time to do it.

[stumpygremlin]

18 hours ago, raysox said:

Ryan Truex had time for BK but that wasn't anything special.

That might have everything to do with the underfunded team. Alex Bowman, in his one year with BK, had one top 20 finish, and in his one year with Tommy Baldwin, had three. In ten races in the 88, he had six (3 top tens and his Phoenix race was great--leading the most laps, getting the pole, and being in a position to win it).

[raysox]

50 minutes ago, stumpygremlin said:

That might have everything to do with the underfunded team. Alex Bowman, in his one year with BK, had one top 20 finish, and in his one year with Tommy Baldwin, had three. In ten races in the 88, he had six (3 top tens and his Phoenix race was great--leading the most laps, getting the pole, and being in a position to win it).

Yeah but looking at their careers, Bowman does more with underfunded teams. Truex got canned before the chase in 2014 when they were teammates. Bowman wasn't lighting the world up but still had a 32.5 average finish vs a 35.5 for Truex.

 

Bowman also would've made the Xfinity chase for RAB racing in his one full year of Xfinity, while missing a race. I think Bowman earned his spot on merit, one where overachieving in a lower team opened some doors. I mean yeah putting Cassill or DiBennedetto in a Hendrick car would make them look like super stars, but you have to think there's a reason why Truex has been bouncing around lower levels.

[LAWeaver]

Almirola's injury is basically the same as Hamlin's injury in 2013, online Aric's is in the middle of his back, while Denny's was lower.

 

Assuming it's the same time table, it'll be about six weeks before he's healed, meaning Kentucky or Daytona would bewhen he'd return. This means he could technically still make the Chase if he wins a race when he returns. If I were Petty, as much as I'd love to put Bubba Wallace or Ryan Reed in the car, a veteran will most likely keep you afloat as far as the Owners Chase goes. 

 

That being said, Greg Biffle is the one I'd be calling. 

[Needschat]

The funniest rumor is having Scott Bloomquist drive the 43.  Dirt late model legend.  

Funniest replacement driver thought for the 43, for road courses, is Andy Lally, started by some of his friends.  Noted vegan, driving a pork sponsored car.  LOL

[stumpygremlin]

17 hours ago, Needschat said:

The funniest rumor is having Scott Bloomquist drive the 43.  Dirt late model legend.  

Funniest replacement driver thought for the 43, for road courses, is Andy Lally, started by some of his friends.  Noted vegan, driving a pork sponsored car.  LOL

But Bloomquist has plenty of experience in NASCAR! He raced one Truck Series race in 2013 and finished 25th, don't ya know?

I think retired Ron Fellows is more likely to get the call to run all the races than Bloomquist is!

 

Andy Lally as a vegan driving the Smithfield car would be hilarious.

[Needschat]

7 hours ago, stumpygremlin said:

But Bloomquist has plenty of experience in NASCAR! He raced one Truck Series race in 2013 and finished 25th, don't ya know?

I think retired Ron Fellows is more likely to get the call to run all the races than Bloomquist is!

 

Andy Lally as a vegan driving the Smithfield car would be hilarious.

 

Lally's friend and fellow racer Ryan Eversley, is the one pushing him to the 43 LOL

 

[DCarp1231]

Regan Smith is Aric Almirola's replacement. I'm actually surprised they didn't try to get Casey Mears or Greg Biffle.

[stumpygremlin]

Now apparently, the Coca-Cola 600 will now be a four-stage race.

 

Musing out loud, I wonder how a multi-stage race would work if they froze the field in between stages. In other words, they would allow the field to pit and such, but then they would start a stage in the same positions they finished the previous stage. Nobody would gain or lose on the pits. I think the driving would be that much more aggressive.

[Dalcowboyfan92]

16 hours ago, DNAsports said:

Regan Smith is Aric Almirola's replacement. I'm actually surprised they didn't try to get Casey Mears or Greg Biffle.

 

Regan Smith is the Super Sub after all.

[Needschat]

4 hours ago, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

 

Regan Smith is the Super Sub after all.

 

He and David Reagan were the "Regan and Reagan Temporary Driver Service" for a while.  

[LAWeaver]

Aric Almirola says his back injury will take eight to 12 weeks to heal, according to NBC Sports.

 

Based on this timeline, Aric may return as early as New Hampshire July 16 or as late as Michigan Aug. 13. 

[rvrdgsfn]

Kyle Busch is a million dollars richer. I have to admit, the option tire was a pretty interesting factor, gave some cars a chance.

 

Next week should be interesting especially with the rumors of the shakeup with the 2018 schedule....

 

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/big-changes-coming-to-2018-nascar-cup-schedule-907615/

 

• The second Cup date at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which Speedway Motorsports Inc. moved from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, will serve as the kickoff race to the Cup series playoffs, replacing Chicagoland Speedway.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has traditionally hosted its lone Cup event in late July, will become the 26th race of the Cup season and the last chance for drivers to win their way into the playoffs.

• Richmond International Raceway, which has hosted the 26th race since the playoff format debuted in 2004, will become one of the 10 playoff races, adding a second short track to the 10-race run to the championship.

• Chicagoland Speedway, which has traditionally kicked off the playoffs, will likely move into the regular season.