NASCAR

[dxartist]

"The Sprint Cup" sounds more like a go-cart championship

[TONYCLT]

"The Sprint Cup" sounds more like a go-cart championship

[TONYCLT]

Aaron Fike the 8th place driver in the Truck Series is being held in Ohio on a heroin charge. He was charged with possession of heroin with at a Ohio theme park (Kings Island) Aaron will be relaced by David Green.

[Raintree21]

Coca-Cola North America and International Speedway Corp. signed a 10-year agreement to bring Coke brands to 10 ISC race tracks. This means that Coca-Cola brands over the next few years will become the official soft drink, sparking beverage and water changes at 10 race tracks owned by International Speedway Corp. Here is when the deal becomes effective at various tracks.

2008

[kendroberts]

I've created an "odds of making the Chase" website:

http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NASCAR.html

If you check it out and have any ideas for improvement I'd love to hear them.

Thank you,

Ken

[TONYCLT]

Budweiser will not sponsor Dale Jr. in 2008 but they will still be a main sponsor for someone in 2008.

[dgreco]

I've created an "odds of making the Chase" website:

http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NASCAR.html

If you check it out and have any ideas for improvement I'd love to hear them.

Thank you,

Ken

[TONYCLT]

who do you think they pick up?

[TONYCLT]

Big news coing out of Ginn Racing both Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek were released from there contracts tuesday, Regan Smith will drive the 14 car at Indianapolis while no driver has been named for the 13 car, Aric Almirola will split duties with Mark Martin in the 01 Army car. Almirola will drive his first race in the 01 car at Watkins Glen.

[drjnieto]

www.autoracing1.com/Images/2007Misc/OrlandoArena2.jpg

Does anyone know if Orlando will have a Grand Prix, any rumors. I found the article above about a proposed track.

[TONYCLT]

www.autoracing1.com/Images/2007Misc/OrlandoArena2.jpg

Does anyone know if Orlando will have a Grand Prix, any rumors. I found the article above about a proposed track.

[mod134]

The Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando hosted 2 NASCAR Craftsman Truck races in 1997 and '98, won by Joe Ruttman and Ron Hornaday, Jr., respectively. Orlando has never hosted a NASCAR Busch Series race.

The new Orlando Grand Prix is rumored to be on the Champ Car World Series calendar for 2008. The last venture for CC in Florida occurred in 2003 when they competed in St. Petersburg in February and Miami in September.

Edited July 22, 2007 by mod134

[TONYCLT]

The Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando hosted 2 NASCAR Craftsman Truck races in 1997 and '98, won by Joe Ruttman and Ron Hornaday, Jr., respectively. Orlando has never hosted a NASCAR Busch Series race.

[mod134]

No problem, Tony. Florida has had different tracks over the year host the Busch-Cup cars. After the exciting finish this weekend at Gateway, I wish some of the stand-alone Busch tracks like St. Louis could get a Cup date, if NASCAR (even though there's no chance of it happnening) would limit most, if not all of the tracks to 1 Cup date.

[TONYCLT]

No problem, Tony. Florida has had different tracks over the year host the Busch-Cup cars. After the exciting finish this weekend at Gateway, I wish some of the stand-alone Busch tracks like St. Louis could get a Cup date, if NASCAR (even though there's no chance of it happnening) would limit most, if not all of the tracks to 1 Cup date.

[WOT]

^Even though I reside in Michigan, I would argue that it is down right silly that MIS has 2 races - less than 60 days apart. I would love to see them race at KY and MIS lose a race. Similar tracks so the teams would essentially run the same car.

Also - Now that the USGP is off Indy's schedule, I would move the Brickyard 400 later into the season so to avoid the always possible HOT and HUMID midwest weather. I have been to 5 or 6 Brickyards where is was downright miserable because of heat and/or humidity.

just sayin....

[mod134]

I think some of the tracks like Michigan and Pocono having races so close together is poor on NASCAR's part. Its not like, at least in this case, the tracks have a ton of other series competing there like IndyCars, etc., like they did at one time.

I also agree that some tracks should lose a date. The KY-MI switch is an interesting one. The ongoing problem I have with it is that new dates when they were available/distributed were not given to old tracks like Phoenix that have been on there awhile. Instead they went to boring, new tracks out West (ie: Fontana), which doesn't sit well with many fans. The roots of the sport, in tracks like Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Darlington were ripped out in favor of boring tracks that do not offer the same challenging and close racing. It just doesn't cut it for me to have the season-hype for Daytona change to Welcome to LA the next week. Since 1982, when Daytona became the season opener, Richmond and Rockingham alternated the second race for years. Now we're stuck without either of those tracks in the early part of the schedule, and Rockingham gone entirely - set to go on the auction block .

I'm surprised that NASCAR hasn't considered mid-week races or 1 day shows to get 2 races in 1 weekend. This would allow more race dates on the schedule and allow different tracks on the schedule without the onslaught of lawsuits. I wouldn't mind seeing the Cup guys run a lot of places ... Pikes Peak in Colorado would be interesting along with Nazareth. However, I don't think either of those tracks are running anymore. The newest road course out west would be a challenge - Miller Motorsports Park in Utah . Why not get Wisconsion on there by running Milwaukee/Road America? Nashville has the superspeedway or their old cup track - Music City Motorplex. That and Memphis would add 2 new short tracks in the mix . I've got plenty of great ideas regarding what's wrong with NASCAR and how to fix it. Sadly, as long as Brian France and his minions see the almighty dollar to boost the stockholders of ISC and his own wallet with TV deals and the like, the sport will continue this downward spiral that has become noticed lately with the attendance and TV ratings dropping.

There are plenty of options for tracks if ISC could be broken up via an antitrust lawsuit; or simply a matter of NASCAR taking a better look at the scheduling.

[TONYCLT]

Nicely put

[WOT]

Nicely put

[TONYCLT]

Since we are on the topic of tracks Darlington is finally getting a makeover the 10 million dollar repaving project will be complete before the 2008 Carolinas Dodge Charger 500, its the first time 12 years the Lady in Black has been repaved which should make for very exciting racing.

[mod134]

I'm taking a wait and see attitude on Darlington. While an article I read on the the track claims it will be tamer with the new paving, the last repaving job doesn't have me convinced. The 1994 and 1996 Southern 500 each had 6 yellows. In between that, when the track had the new paving, the races had between 11-15 cautions. So it seems like the track is really tough getting a new handle on the track, but once it ages a little, like 2 years, the track should be back to normal.

Edited July 23, 2007 by mod134

[TONYCLT]

I'm taking a wait and see attitude on Darlington. While an article I read on the the track claims it will be tamer with the new paving, the last repaving job doesn't have me convinced. The 1994 and 1996 Southern 500 each had 6 yellows. In between that, when the track had the new paving, the races had between 11-15 cautions. So it seems like the track is really tough getting a new handle on the track, but once it ages a little, like 2 years, the track should be back to normal.

Edited July 24, 2007 by TONYCLT

[mod134]

This is true Tony. That Charlotte race with levigating was a nightmare. That original Bristol concrete race (although I wish they went back to asphalt along with Dover) ... they actually set up cones and had drivers run the high line in practice to try and build the outside groove. However, after reading about how the old track actually had less banking as you went up the corner, that would only exacerbate the issue of not being able to pass without bumping another driver. With more banking as the car goes up the track, this is similar/is progressive banking. Without seeing the track on TV I can't judge it. Fortunately, the Truck teams just finished testing there and gave it rave reviews.

Actually, a new paved surface can be slightly more abrasive on tires. Given all this and the nature (plus proximity to the Chase) of the Bristol night race this one should be exciting for reasons other than who wrecked who.

Edited July 23, 2007 by mod134

[mod134]

To borrow a phrase from a guy on ESPN's NASCAR piece on now, "I decry the new tracks because it seems that all the tracks I love are dying and the tracks I hate are multiplying. That sums it up for me.

[TONYCLT]

When NASCAR closed Rockingham, North Wilkes, and cut out the Southern 500 they took away some of the best racing the sport ever had for crappy tracks and low attendence i.e. California, and Kansas City even Atlanta can't sell out like the rest of the tracks can.