Danica ...so far so good at the 130 lap mark.

[Utah Bob #35998]

One of the most boring Daytona races I have ever seen. What does it say about this much-ballyhooed Gen-6 car if the only way to shake up the running order is with caution pit stops and restarts? There was absolutely NO passing during the entire debacle. Brian France, either fix your perpetual screw up, or get out of NASCAR, and don't let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you.

 

I'm sticking with NCAA baseball this year.

A pale reflection of 500s past. The Daytona is the only NASCAR race I watch even a portion of since the days of King Richard. If this isthe wave of the future...zzzzzzzzz.

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

Matt, I'm thinking that the restrictor plate and spoiler height has something to do with it also.

[Hoss]

But wait, there is a left turn coming up.....

[Klondike SASS Life #29713]

Not one of the best Daytona's they have had. I like the looks of the Gen 6 cars, but there was not really any passing, hopefully the get better. Danica had a really good race, and I thought she had a car that she could actually win with, she just did not pull out and try. She may have been frieght trained, but I thought she would try.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Might could be that the excitement yesterday was all the excitement they could stand for the weekend. I know something like that would make me a bit more cautious.

[Klondike SASS Life #29713]

Might could be that the excitement yesterday was all the excitement they could stand for the weekend. I know something like that would make me a bit more cautious.

That thought occured to me also. The Nationwide (with the exception of fans being injured) was a better race.

[Professor Tull, SASS #66742]

That thought occured to me also. The Nationwide (with the exception of fans being injured) was a better race.

 

The Nationwide cars and the Gen6 are different aerodynamic packages, which may have been the reason for better racing Saturday.

The idea behind the Gen6 was to break up the 2 car drafts from the last couple of years and go back to the type racing that was available 10+ years ago. It was a miserable failure - sadly.

It will be interesting to see what changes are implemented between now and Talladega and/or the next Daytona race.

BUT - with the increased grip this Gen6 car has, it should make for some VERY interesting racing at the 2 road courses - my personal favorite races to watch.

Theoretically the Gen6 car has somewhat leveled the playing field with the different teams, as no team has a specific advantage - as yet. For that reason, I am predicting that Marcos Ambrose runs off and hides from the competition on the road courses. The Gen6 car is set up and handles very similar to the Australian V-8 Supercars he was champion of - just has more horsepower than the supercars. He has not done too bad the last few years - 2 wins at the Glen - in equipment that would not be considered upper echelon.

professor tull

[John E. Law]

But wait, there is a left turn coming up.....

 

I am not a NASCAR fan by any means, I prefer racing with more "right" turns like Australian Supercars (Now that's stock car racing!!), but I don't think continous posts like this are gonna win you any friends around here.

 

As for the race. I tuned in for the last few laps and as for DP's race I think she tried to drop down and challange for the win but everyone especially Biffle left her out in the cold while the pack stayed in the groove (boring) and swallowed her up. It looked to me as if they were teaching the "new girl" a lesson, (i.e. no woman is winning the Daytona 500 as a rookie) but that's my opinion only.

 

Lastly, for those who think the drivers are not athletes need to think again. Try Iracing.com! It's a online race simulator where novices play and learn and professional drivers train (It Is NOT a video game). If you get good enough you can get into a real full lenght NASCAR (or many other types of racing) race. It takes an enormous amount of concentration to run in the pack and you are physically exhausted after 2 hours+ of "driving" and that's in your safe computer room, not in a 120 deg car pulling multiple G's at every turn. They are athlete's in every since of the word.

 

Here's a little video clip of me running a lap at Lime Rock in a Mazda Racing Series car.

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h288/raptor357r/?action=view&current=IMG_0214_zps0af244c6.mp4

 

JEL

[SOUTH-PACIFIC,SASS #59402]

Choked? Didn't look like it.

Got beat is all.

bob after listening to more short reports and comments i will withdraw this statement ( but not changing personal fellings) it was said she had a lots of trottle leftbut didn't get the ok to pull out.if she could have dropped down and blocked the others there was apossible chance for a wen or better place

[Blackwater 53393]

When Junior jumped out with Mark Martin, they were several miles per hour faster than the leaders. When they got to the front it was like they hit a wall!! You can run part throttle in the draft. That is a known fact. Even the front car benefiets some from the draft. If you're NOT in the draft, at present, it looks like full throttle isn't enough.

 

I hate parade racing! These cars have a lot of potential for exciting racing. When they get the aero package tuned and figure out a few other things it ought to be fun. Anyways, let's see how they are on the short tracks. That's where the real racing happens anyhow!!

[Mean Matt McCord, SASS #24683]

Matt, I'm thinking that the restrictor plate and spoiler height has something to do with it also.

You may be right, but whatever it is, yesterday's race was awful. And to make matters worse, a Hendrick car ended up winning. That was just the rancid icing on the moldy cake.

[Subdeacon Joe]

That was just the rancid icing on the moldy cake.

 

 

Bleh!!!

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

You may be right, but whatever it is, yesterday's race was awful. And to make matters worse, a Hendrick car ended up winning. That was just the rancid icing on the moldy cake.

Yes, the race was awful. The only good thing was that Hendrick cars finished 1st and 2nd.

[Clay Mosby]

Wouldn't mind if Junior or Kasey won. I'm a card carrying member of the anybody but Gordon or Johnson club!

[Long Branch Louie]

But wait, there is a left turn coming up.....

 

you should really try racing sometime...it's really easy, you get to go as fast as you want without anybody else in the way and you can be in terrible shape and have no problem doing 500 miles, it's easy....yeah, you should really try it.....

 

On a brighter note, I don't think Danica choked, last lap restrictor plate is a crap shoot, and if nobody goes with you you're done. Very few masters of the draft, last great one was Dale Sr.....

[Badlands Bob #61228]

NASCAR would be a lot more interesting to watch if they ran it on a 1 mile figure 8 track.

[Noz]

did any one watch the finish. she chocked on the last lap

She didn't choke. She expected Dale Jr (her team mate)to help her and instead he cut her off.

 

Good run anyway.

 

First race I have watched in it's entirety since Dale Sr. hit the wall.

[Waimea]

 

 

Here's a little video clip of me running a lap at Lime Rock in a Mazda Racing Series car.

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h288/raptor357r/?action=view&current=IMG_0214_zps0af244c6.mp4

 

JEL

 

No fair. You turned off the video just before the metal twisting, bone crushing tree crash!

 

 

Nice computer set up BTW.

 

 

Waimea

 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

When I saw Earnhardt Jr making a run in the last lap, I was hoping Danica would hop in front and right that train to the winner's circle. Experience and some after-action discussions with her teammate will help her be better prepared next time.

 

I thought she ran a great race for her 3rd Daytona. A little more experience and she'll take the checkered on day.

 

But I will go on record as saying that was the most boring 500 miles I ever did see. Restrictor plates turn every car into a carbon copy of each other and the only margins where victory can be had are in the pits and in the crew chiefs' heads.

 

Oh well. Bristol is coming soon.

[Anvil Al #59168]

I like that she has said that she was not happy with how she ran at the end.

 

And that she learned something from it. And would make her better next time.

 

THAT'S a winning attitude.

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

" She expected Dale Jr (her team mate)to help her and instead he cut her off."

 

Not this year. She drives for Stewart-Haas. He drives for Henricks

[Bear Saint Paw]

So how many of you have tried the NASCAR driving experiences? I have done the one at Texas Motor Speedway for 10 laps. I was already a NASCAR fan (rooting for #3 since the 80's) and had lots of respect for what they do. After driving the 10 laps at max car speed of 150mph I gained even more respect for them!

I want to go back and do the bigger driving package of 60 laps or so someday! I also hear the Richard Petty Driving experience goes faster so hopefully I can do that one.

[Anvil Al #59168]

" She expected Dale Jr (her team mate)to help her and instead he cut her off."

 

Not this year. She drives for Stewart-Haas. He drives for Henricks

 

 

Yep. Her team mate is Tony Stewart.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

Oh look, it's another left turn coming up.

 

 

 

AN YUR POINT IS.................................

[Apache Hawk 60642]

NASCAR would be a lot more interesting to watch if they ran it on a 1 mile figure 8 track.

 

 

Be a lot more interestin' ifin' dey took off dim restrictor plates !

[Apache Hawk 60642]

But wait, there is a left turn coming up.....

 

 

 

Read post # 59 !

[Calamity Kris]

First and foremost, I will admit to being an occasional fan of NACAR. I will watch the races if I'm with friends etc. that are watching but I won't turn on the TV to view one. That having been said, I'm starting to get interested now.

 

I do have a question of you who are NASCAR fans and know much more about the sport than I. Is there an "entry level" for drivers before moving up to NASCAR? Where/how do you earn your chops before you go out on the track in a race like Daytona? Obviously there's years and years of training practice and races but how do you work your way up?

 

Thanks for putting up with the greenhorn questions. I'm just trying to learn.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

First and foremost, I will admit to being an occasional fan of NACAR. I will watch the races if I'm with friends etc. that are watching but I won't turn on the TV to view one. That having been said, I'm starting to get interested now.

 

I do have a question of you who are NASCAR fans and know much more about the sport than I. Is there an "entry level" for drivers before moving up to NASCAR? Where/how do you earn your chops before you go out on the track in a race like Daytona? Obviously there's years and years of training practice and races but how do you work your way up?

 

Thanks for putting up with the greenhorn questions. I'm just trying to learn.

 

 

No greenhorns here as fer as NASCAR goes !

 

Jeff Gorden and some others have been racing their whole lives ! Such as go carts and dirt track.

 

No one can just walk in and say, "I have my driver's lincese and I want to driver a race car !"

[Bear Saint Paw]

.....

 

I do have a question of you who are NASCAR fans and know much more about the sport than I. Is there an "entry level" for drivers before moving up to NASCAR? Where/how do you earn your chops before you go out on the track in a race like Daytona? Obviously there's years and years of training practice and races but how do you work your way up?

 

Thanks for putting up with the greenhorn questions. I'm just trying to learn.

NASCAR actually has many levels. Sprint Cup is actually the top level. Nationwide is the level below that most all race in before moving to Sprint Cup, some race in the truck series.

Then there is the regional levels below that, then the local tracks with different sanctioning bodies. Many raced dirt tracks before that and several raced go karts in the very beginning.

[Bear Saint Paw]

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/about-nascar.html

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

I just realized after reading, that to add an opinion of the race, I might lose some friend. I need to add racing to politic, religion. MT

[Utah Bob #35998]

I just realized after reading, that to add an opinion of the race, I might lose some friend. I need to add racing to politic, religion. MT

ditto!

[Grumpy Old Man]

Just ask Terry Bradshaw about his ride around Daytona with Dale Earnhardt.

Also the wreck in the Nationwide series, the engine went thru the crossover gate. My wife said they did not put it back in when repaired.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

I just realized after reading, that to add an opinion of the race, I might lose some friend. I need to add racing to politic, religion. MT

 

Aggg - goin' PC on me are ya

 

GG ~

[Long Branch Louie]

I just realized after reading, that to add an opinion of the race, I might lose some friend. I need to add racing to politic, religion. MT

 

I don't think so, I believe folks get upset if comments are made that are derogatory about the sport in general, just like we would if somebody said CAS is not "real" shooting....