2009 NASCAR Season

[dfwabel]

Martin Truex Jr. moving to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010. Michael Waltrip also announced he would run a limited schedule in 2010.

Did anybody find it odd that MWR or any team would do an announcement like this during the middle of the season?

Happens all the time dude. There's a reason it's called "silly season."

Exactly, there were a bunch of changes announced during last season as well. With the reduction in support from GM and Chrysler announced last month (with still more to come), teams need to do what they must so to remain appealing to sponsors. Plus, making driver changes at the end of a NASCAR season is way too late as it ends in November and you have little testing time before Speed Weeks in late January.

In terms of "Wide Open coverage", this was the summary from Jayski.com (I placed mystery cautions in bold to bait Tank if he had more hot NASCAR thoughts) :

TNT was the broadcast team for this event. This particular broadcast was TNT?s ?Wide Open Coverage?, consisting of fewer commercials, as well as commercials shown in a small box during the race broadcast. Lots of racing stats were provided on-screen during the broadcast as well.

Total number of commercials: 32

Total number of companies or entities advertised: 24

Start time to record race/commercial periods: 8:00 PM

End time to record race/commercial periods: 11:09 PM

Total minutes: 189

Minutes of race broadcast: 172

Minutes of commercials: 17

Number of missed restarts: 0

Number of mystery cautions (no debris shown): 1

Total race brdcst time 172 Total comm. brdcst time 17

[rvrdgsfn]

Martin Truex Jr. moving to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010. Michael Waltrip also announced he would run a limited schedule in 2010.

Did anybody find it odd that MWR or any team would do an announcement like this during the middle of the season?

Happens all the time dude. There's a reason it's called "silly season."

Ah yes, quite true & a silly season it is.

[oddball]

Martin Truex Jr. moving to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010. Michael Waltrip also announced he would run a limited schedule in 2010.

Did anybody find it odd that MWR or any team would do an announcement like this during the middle of the season?

Happens all the time dude. There's a reason it's called "silly season."

Ah yes, quite true & a silly season it is.

Obviously you know nothing of Silly Season, this has been one of the most ho-hum "Silly Seasons" ever. Besides Martin Truex, the only other thing that's being asked is what is up with Jamie McMurray, will he go to Yates or not? Harvick's not leaving and you'll probably see Kesolowski with Stewart-Haas. If that's Silly Season, then wake me up when this is over. There's nothing intreaguing about this "Silly Season" at all, let's call it what it truly is, "Boring Season."

[dfwabel]

Martin Truex Jr. moving to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2010. Michael Waltrip also announced he would run a limited schedule in 2010.

Did anybody find it odd that MWR or any team would do an announcement like this during the middle of the season?

Happens all the time dude. There's a reason it's called "silly season."

Ah yes, quite true & a silly season it is.

Obviously you know nothing of Silly Season, this has been one of the most ho-hum "Silly Seasons" ever. Besides Martin Truex, the only other thing that's being asked is what is up with Jamie McMurray, will he go to Yates or not? Harvick's not leaving and you'll probably see Kesolowski with Stewart-Haas. If that's Silly Season, then wake me up when this is over. There's nothing intreaguing about this "Silly Season" at all, let's call it what it truly is, "Boring Season."

Also if Team Red Bull will stay with Toyota. In F1, Sebastein Bourdais, a former 4-time Champ Car series winner may have his last race for Toro Rosso on Sunday. Mid season is the time to change for most race series.

[DelayedPenalty]

*shakes head* Jeremy Mayfield tests positive for meth...again! Maybe this is why he didn't pursue a ride at Daytona too hard, dumbass knew he'd get busted!

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/n...tory?id=4330367

A particularly interesting portion of the story. I'm guessing they don't quite get along...

An affidavit by Mayfield's stepmother, Lisa, said "she has personal knowledge of Mr. Mayfield using and even manufacturing methamphetamine, including his usage of methamphetamine before a race as far back as a decade ago."

"I first saw Jeremy using methamphetamine in 1998 at Jeremy's shop on Jackson Road in Mooresville, North Carolina," she said. "Jeremy cooked some of his own methamphetamine in his shop by the house until the stores took pseudoephedrine off the shelves. In addition to making methamphetamine for his own use, I am aware that Jeremy has bought methamphetamine from others."

She testified to seeing Mayfield use methamphetamine approximately 30 times throughout the years, including at least once before a race.

"I was concerned about his heavy use and talked to his father about it,'' said Lisa, whose husband has since passed away. "I saw Jeremy use methamphetamine by snorting it up his nose at least [30] times during the [7] years I was around him. Jeremy used methamphetamines not only in my presence, but also when we were both in the presence of others.

"Jeremy told me that he did methamphetamine before the [NASCAR awards ceremony in New York] when he drove for Ray Evernham."

She also referred to a 1999 trip to Myrtle Beach the week before the Darlington race.

"I saw Jeremy using methamphetamine in Myrtle Beach,'' she testified. "We left Myrtle Beach and traveled to Darlington for the race. I saw Jeremy using methamphetamine again when we reached Darlington."

Mayfield angrily contested his stepmother's account.

"Now they got this lying [expletive] to tell lies about me, someone I am embarrassed even uses the Mayfield name. She's tried everything she can do to get money out of me, I won't help her, so I guess she found a way to get money from NASCAR by giving them an affidavit full of lies."

[oddball]

I said this after this first came down and he fought it. He obviously didn't pay attention to Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in their fights against drug allegations. It didn't turn out well for them, and the more the fought, the dumber they looked. This is a guy who is in complete denial. What baffles me is his allegations that he was framed. Why would Nascar frame him? What would be their purpose for framing him? He's done nothing wrong in the sport before this, and he's a 35th place driver. They have no reason to go after him, except he did drugs. It's easy to say that you've been framed, but when you ask the simple question of "why" there will be no response. I'm saddened for Jeremy and the state he's in. He really needs help. I want to see him get help for himself and his family's sake. I don't hate Jeremy, I'm just sad.

[raysox]

First post since July?

So 11 drivers had a chance at 8 places coming into tonight's race, which is the last race before the chase. Kyle Busch, and Brian Vickers are swapping In and Out over and over, we're talking 2 points ahead of the other. Matt Kenseth was on the bubble, but he's in danger of missing the chase for the very first time, he's had 2 pitstop errors.

[oddball]

Matt Kenseth is baffling to me. He started out strong but has been average all year. I'm wondering how much his crew chief has to do with it. Not that Drew isn't capable, just that it's his rookie season in Cup.

[Jigga]

Well, one Busch in the Chase is one too many for my liking, but at least it isn't Kyle.

[NEW.ERA]

I hope Vickers just runs his way to the title but I think it's time for JJ, Stewart, Gordon and Edwards to wake up and just go for it all.

[dfwabel]

Well, one Busch in the Chase is one too many for my liking, but at least it isn't Kyle.

Juan Pablo is in!!! That team will run really balls out. But i do like that Martin has his best chance in a decade to win a title.

[raysox]

So the chase starts this week, and I only have 1 problem with the current chase format.

I don't like how say Stewart had the lead going into, but is 2nd in points in the first race. I say they should have a 5 point difference for the drivers, THEN add on the bonuses....bonusi for wins.

Also, anyone want a chase sig like mine?

[floydnimrod]

Bobby Labonte is a "hot commodity." He said he could drive the 71 car next season, EGR's #1 car and RCR's #07 are also possibilities.

[oddball]

On the chase. Yes, it needs to be tweaked and what should happen is that they should separate those in the chase by the way they finished and give them a 100 point difference and then add 10 points for the amount of wins. I still think they need to tweak the points standings where the winner is given 20 or 25 points more than the second place car. On Bobby Labonte being a "hot commodity", he's about as "hot commodity" as Reed Sorenson. The teams that he could drive for, are second rate teams. Grant you that 07 was good last year, but Bobby's best days are behind him.

[floydnimrod]

On the chase. Yes, it needs to be tweaked and what should happen is that they should separate those in the chase by the way they finished and give them a 100 point difference and then add 10 points for the amount of wins. I still think they need to tweak the points standings where the winner is given 20 or 25 points more than the second place car. On Bobby Labonte being a "hot commodity", he's about as "hot commodity" as Reed Sorenson. The teams that he could drive for, are second rate teams. Grant you that 07 was good last year, but Bobby's best days are behind him.

That's why I put the phrase in quotes, I know his best days are behind, but it seems like he has a few options now, which I think is good for him. While he certainly won't make the chase, I think he can still get a few top 10s, maybe even top fives.

[Your Name Here]

I'll preface this by saying that I'm not a stock car fan, but I think they should award half of the points to the race winner, half as many to second place, &c.

[crashcarson15]

Honestly, I think the solution overall's something like this.

Top 15 score points as following:

1st-20

2nd-17

3rd-15

4th-13

5th-11

6th-10

7th-9

8th-8

9th-7

10th-6

11th-5

12th-4

13th-3

14th-2

15th-1

And separate the drivers by say 8 points going into the chase.

Yes, this is based off of the F1 point system.

[NEW.ERA]

If I could take ten tracks and that's all NASCAR would race on Loudon would be one of them the double file restarts make that race a must in the Chase.

Also congrats to the Old Guy Mark Martin kicked off the Chase in great fashion.

[dfwabel]

NASCAR will not change their scoring "yet" since the winner can get as much as 15% more than the 2nd place driver while F1 is a clear 20%. When NASCAR deals more with consistency, it matters. Plus, Max Mosley wanted to give the title with who won the most races or podiums, and it was shut down by the FIA. I can see them tweaking the Chase like the PGA has done with the FedEx Cup.

Currently, the 48 looks to get his 4th in a row, since he is better than Martin at the rest of teh races and JPM is not really good at the rest of the tracks. The 42 was pole in Kansas last year but was sent to the back of the field for failing inspection (in a dodge), but the Brickyard/Pocono Car will not be let out until Fontana and three straight 1.5 mile tracks. I really do not think he will win, but he should still be a top 5 driver the rest of the wat, including 'dega, the race which really counts!

[BrySmalls]

JJ threw down the gaunlet and welcomed the 11 other challengers to up their game. This weeks race is at Kansas where JJ is quite formidable. It's the third race for the Sprint Cup and we'll be getting a better idea of whose a contender (JJ, Martin, JPM) and pretenders (Kahne, Gordon), but anything is possible.