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The NASCAR/Automobile Racing Thread

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    • The NASCAR/Automobile Racing Thread

      We have football and baseball, but no racing thread. I know I can't be the only NASCAR fan here. I was nice and included all other auto racing as well. I suppose we can go with all motorsports. Or just thread drift like mofos, as usual.

      Anyway, I went to Talladega yesterday. I had thought it was a bucket list/one time only thing. Sort of like a Muslim visiting the various holy sites. However, now that I've been there, I will be back.

      I'm going to copy/paste from my Facebook page rather than re-type the entire thing. I'll edit the profanity, of course.

      Some observations from yesterday's race:

      1) Talladega is a great track for a lot of reasons.
      a) LOTS of free--FREE--parking.

      b) Easy to get in and out. Sure there was a line of cars and it was a stop and go parking lot, but DUH. All in all it was very well managed traffic flow. From what I saw most of the problems were caused by people who were rude and/or stupid and didn't follow the process. "Oh, f**k that sign saying I should be in the far right lane for where I need to go. The far left is moving faster. I'll cut over later." Fortunately there weren't many of those. Kudos to area law enforcement for managing the process as well as whoever planned it all.

      c) I'm sure sitting down low you can't see a lot of the track, but track visibility up medium high was MUCH better than I expected.

      d) Seating rocks. There might be some bleacher seating but very little of it. Individual fold-down seats as far as the eye could see, or cared to. I can't stand bleacher seating.

      2) If you are pi**ed off at Joey Logano for winning, shut your stupid farking cakehole. IF anyone f**ked up, it was NASCAR. Personally, from my vantage point, I was unable to judge who was out front by a nose at the very instant the yellow flag came out. I doubt anyone else at the track was either. I haven't seen video and don't really care if I do. Nothing can be done. Wouldn't be the first time NASCAR f**ked up, probably won't be the last. Am I bummed that said possible f**kup left Junior out of the Chase? Of course I am. But the behavior of fans at the track yesterday was abominable.

      3) If you are pi**ed off at Joey Logano (kid got booed WAY more heavily yesterday than I've ever heard him get booed) because of last week when he put a bumper under Kenseth to take the win, you can also shut your stupid farking cakehole. You know who made a career of doing that? Let me give you a little hint: He drove the number 3 Goodwrench Chevy for Childress Racing. I'm not comparing Logano to a legend. Only time will tell on that. Simply reminding you that he did EXACTLY what The Intimidator did on a regular basis. I'm not for flat out intentionally wrecking someone, but if I have a faster car and you're blocking me, you're getting the bumper. THAT is racing.

      4) If you're pi**ed off that there were not three G-W-C attempts, let me clue you in on something I discovered last night. NASCAR changed it last week to where there will only be ONE G-W-C attempt. Stupid as hell, but they did. "But Garry, there were two." No, there were not. On the first restart, the wreck/caution occurred before the leaders had crossed the start-finish line so they had not officially taken the green flag. That did not count. Read here:

      nascar.com/en_us/news-media/ar…ale-jr-kevin-harvick.html

      5) Birmingham Tower is a great place to sit. Right at the exit from pit road and not far from the start-finish line. A clear view down pit road and pretty good visibility of the whole track.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • I'm a Jr fan, let's get that straight right off the bat. Now the race....

      I was actually surprised NASCAR waited as long as they did to throw the caution. I understand why they did, though. They had made the rule earlier about 1 GWC for safety and it was beyond evident they made the right call if you watched the last two restarts. Like you said, the leaders were nowhere near the S/F line when the caution flew on the first one so the second had to happen. without the caution, Jr. wins the race, period. Did I want Jr to win? yes. Was I pissed that it went down the way it did? yes. But......

      The delay in throwing the last caution was to see if it was going to be possible to race back to the line. It wasn't so I kinda glad they threw it when they did. Like I said, of course I wanted Jr to win, but I'll be damned if I would have wanted to hear all the "rigged" BS that would have been bandied about if they had thrown the caution 1 second later when Jr, and not Logano, was in the lead.

      As for Harvick. He's catching all kinds of hell for deliberately causing both wrecks. Well, I'm not buying it. Yes his car was forked and wouldn't accelerate, but he HAD to stay out. He hasn't run 30 races to toss away a chance to advance. His sponsors and his team haven't spent the money they've spent to have him toss away a chance to advance. He pulled out of the way on the first restart and was not involved in the wreck. He pulled out of line on the second restart as well, yes a little late, BUT.....he had already done it once and Bayne knew it was coming and tried to go around him on the outside, taking away Harvick's only avenue to get out of the way. After Bayne had watched him pull out on the first restart there is ZERO excuse for him trying to go around on the outside during the second restart. Bayne caused the second wreck, NOT Harvick. In fact, if anything, Harvick was helping Bayne's cause by waiting to pull out. By waiting he allowed a bigger gap between Bayne and the car in front of him thereby allowing him to have a better run going when he got caught up.

      This version of plate racing is better than anything they've had in recent memory and Talladega is the best track to watch NASCAR, glad you enjoyed it!
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Foresight ().

    • Dmax wrote:

      Bristol Rocks!!
      I LOVE Bristol!

      Funny you mention that about the football game. I tell people (who haven't been there) all the time that the best way to put it is a race in a football stadium. Well, that or 43 cars in a fishbowl. :p
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • One of better features of NASCAR is Outback Restaurant as a sponsor. Thanks to their driver Kevin success throughout the season, I've enjoyed several free bloomin' onions.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • I'll have to look over my shoulder for awhile over this one...

      One of my hiking buddies owns the paint booth for Hendricks racing, Gordon, jr, johnson, etc.
      He also does the maintenance on it ... It was x mas time and he didn't have a winter bag. So I sent him a new synthetic 0* bag. Before I sent it it I put a rubber mouse into the bottom of it.

      He found it in the middle of the night while sleeping in the shop :thumbsup:

    • Well, it's good to see that NASCAR understands the difference between a bumper to move a slower car out of the way and a driver being a punkass little b***h going for revenge. Kenseth has joined the ranks of Kryle Bit*h, Danicant, and Carl Edwards, intentionally wrecking someone.

      nascar.com/en_us/news-media/ar…920533&mid=6277949&jb=493
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • 15 years ago today we lost a legend.

      This evening his son won the first of the Duels. Only a qualifying race, but any win at Daytona is a pretty big deal, and so fitting for Junior to do so on the annivesary of his father's passing.

      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • I was not a Dale Earnhardt fan when he was alive but wish I had been, I learned to truly respect him after his death when I heard other racers comment on him, my favorite, and I do not remember who said it...paraphrased...the worse thing a driver could imagine is to be in the lead on the last lap and look in the rear view mirror and see Dale Earnhardt...he never came to place, he came to win.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • I know what you mean as far as not being a fan. I was only a few years into really following NASCAR at that time and hadn't really picked a favorite driver by then, but was leaning toward his son, having seen the ass-kickings he handed out in the (then) Busch series, not to mention thinking he was just a cool kid. But I had learned enough to know Sr. was one of the best ever to get in a car.

      Ironically, regarding your last statement, he died doing exactly the opposite, making his car four lanes wide to block for Mikey and Junior.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • I've always been put off by NASCAR due to drivers taking a highly refined car (though until recently carbed ) and using it as a means to extract revenge upon a driver judged to have 'done someone wrong.'

      However I knew an old-timer whom wrenched on Plymouth factory Hemi powered cars in the late sixties. He always had a tale or two when at the house. He spoke of watching Richard Petty in a Superbird qualify but the following year NASCAR banned both it and the Daytona.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Nothing like seeing any sport live. With racing you can keep track of the race better watching it on TV, but damn if it doesn't kick ass sitting in the stands.

      Michigan, Vegas, Bristol x 2, Charlotte x 2, Richmond, Darlington, Dover, 'Dega. Going to Atlanta next weekend, and probably 'Dega again in May.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • I was becoming a semi-fan of Danicant at one point. I wasn't going to dislike her the way some folks did simply because she was being crammed in our faces by the media hype, and I didn't buy into the BS that she was only getting the ride because she's an attractive woman. One race, she had gotten spun out by someone and the network played her post-wreck conversation over the radio with her crew chief. She was all fired up, and half the conversation was bleeped out. You could tell most of it was F-bombs. BOOM! I was a fan. Well again, semi-fan. I'll stick with Junior overall.

      Then she went and ruined it by intentionally wrecking Sam Hornish Jr. at Talladega AFTER the race was over. You don't do that. You can put a bumper under them to let 'em know you're behind and faster and that they'd better get out of your way. You can choose not to let a car have the space you're occupying. You can do any number of other things which constitute "rubbin's racin'". But you do NOT intentionally wreck someone. She should've been banned from NASCAR (or any other racing) at that point. The list also included Kryle B*tch, Carl Edwards, and after last year's shenanigans, Matt Kenseth.
      Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      WOW WHAT A FINISH!!!!!!
      A buddy texted me with 10 laps to go, but I was on a trail. Caught the last two laps on a sports show. Closest finish ever, or so the broadcaster said.

      On another note, a free Bloomin Onion on Monday at Outback.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Could not agree more. Not a huge race fan, but puttin' someone into the wall is like sliding into second base with your foot 10 feet away to spike a player, like kneeing a guy in the face when he's on the ground, like leading with a helmet or horse collarin' but way way worse...it's damn near attempted murder! How would someone feel if the racer they finished off actually died, crazy ain't it?