Official NASCAR Thread

[Queen Prawn]

If it wasn't for that bogus speeding penalty, he likely would have finished 2nd or 3rd, but I will take a top 10 and enjoy it.

[RibbieRubarb]

I figured I'd come here for help.

 

My son (otherwise known around here as "The Boy") is rather obsessed with cars in general. He is begging to go see a NASCAR race. So, being the most awesome Dad that I am, I want to take him in July to the race in Joliet.

My question is where is best location to watch the race? I have never been to a NASCAR race and I don't know.

 

Thanks!

[Goldmember]

I figured I'd come here for help.

 

My son (otherwise known around here as "The Boy") is rather obsessed with cars in general. He is begging to go see a NASCAR race. So, being the most awesome Dad that I am, I want to take him in July to the race in Joliet.

My question is where is best location to watch the race? I have never been to a NASCAR race and I don't know.

 

Thanks!

 

haven't been to the speedway in joliet so don't know the sightlines and everything, but best location at a race usually depends on your personal preference of either wanting to be "up close and personal" to the action (probably won't be able to see 1/2-2/3 of the track but can better see the pits) or would like to see the entire track and therefore be higher up.

[Confederate_48]

CONCORD, N.C. -- Car owner Rick Hendrick on Wednesday announced the signing of driver Casey Mears to pilot Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 Chevrolets in the Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2007. Financial terms were not disclosed.

 

Mears, 28, inked a multi-year agreement that will keep him with the team through at least the 2009 racing season. He will replace Brian Vickers, who is slated to complete the current schedule after being granted a release from contractual obligations to Hendrick Motorsports beyond 2006.

[RibbieRubarb]

haven't been to the speedway in joliet so don't know the sightlines and everything, but best location at a race usually depends on your personal preference of either wanting to be "up close and personal" to the action (probably won't be able to see 1/2-2/3 of the track but can better see the pits) or would like to see the entire track and therefore be higher up.

 

Thanks! He'd want to see the pits in action.

[BHAMBARONS]

I figured I'd come here for help.

 

My son (otherwise known around here as "The Boy") is rather obsessed with cars in general. He is begging to go see a NASCAR race. So, being the most awesome Dad that I am, I want to take him in July to the race in Joliet.

My question is where is best location to watch the race? I have never been to a NASCAR race and I don't know.

 

Thanks!

 

 

I have been there, I would say the finish line mid section. This way you can see the pits and see a good portion of the track as well. And if your willing to spend $40.00 a pit pass is a must for your first visit that is awesome. I been to Bristol, Charlotte, Talladega,Phoenix and Darlington and Chicago Land of course the best track is Bristol nothing comes close to that track. My best experence was at Darlington seeing Craven and Busch.

[BHAMBARONS]

Tony wins at Daytona!!!

[Goldmember]

bad week once again for my picks, but jr. had an alright week--jumping 2 spots in the standings--so i'm a happy camper...

[BHAMBARONS]

bad week once again for my picks, but jr. had an alright week--jumping 2 spots in the standings--so i'm a happy camper...

 

My mistake (Boris Said) ended up getting me a 342 point week on Fantasy. And Tony is up to 5th again I was becoming very worried but this and a lot of the challengers having a tough week helps

Edited July 3, 2006 by BHAMBARONS

[Goldmember]

My mistake (Boris Said) ended up getting me a 342 point week on Fantasy. And Tony is up to 5th again I was becoming very worried but this and a lot of the challengers having a tough week helps

 

oh yeah, a lot of moving around this week. jeffy took a big hit in the standings knocking him outta chase contenders for now--making me even happier. biffle was also knocked out of the top 10. martin, burton & kahne took some smaller hits and jimmie lost a bunch of ground...

[BHAMBARONS]

oh yeah, a lot of moving around this week. jeffy took a big hit in the standings knocking him outta chase contenders for now--making me even happier. biffle was also knocked out of the top 10. martin, burton & kahne took some smaller hits and jimmie lost a bunch of ground...

 

I figured if movement was going to happen it would be Daytona. Kahne had a good car but was caught in the wrong draft and a couple of poor pitstops he finishes 25th. Another track he could have still got a top 10 easy. Suprised by the few early problems It was rather calm for Daytona until the end.

[Queen Prawn]

I've all but given up on the fantasy racing. Still participating and using the history report at the top, but I still suck at it. Oh well.

 

Glad JB and Kenny had decent runs, even though I missed the race.

[Confederate_48]

I cant wait for next year already. NBC will be gone and Yeley gets a fresh start on a season killed by bad luck.

[Heads22]

Just extending my lead.

[JoeBatterz]

NASCAR comes to Chicagoland Speedway this week starting with Pole Day on Friday.

[Goldmember]

Villeneuve eyes NASCAR switch

AFP--July 2, 2006

 

INDIANAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - Canadian Jacques Villeneuve could quit Formula One for the US-based NASCAR championship next year, the veteran racer said.

 

Villeneuve, 35, looks set to be dropped by BMW Sauber next year in favour of Polish test driver Robert Kubica, 21, who has regularly topped Friday practice sessions this year.

 

And with no top teams seemingly interested in him either, the 1997 World Champion could leave the sport with his reputation intact and switch to the Oval-based Saloon Series - second only to the NFL in popularity in America. Villeneuve told the Red Bulletin: "Going to NASCAR might not be such a bad career move because it's the most exciting race series in the US and it's a very different discipline to F1.

 

"I would not consider it a step down. Would I consider a move to stock cars? I would. But I would have to consider my family too as we would have to move to the US."

 

Villeneuve already has a proven record on Oval tracks. He won both the Indy 500 and the ChampCar World Series in 1995 before switching to Formula One with Williams.

 

But he ruled out returning to ChampCar or making a move to the IRL IndyCar series any time soon - claiming both series were not up to his standards. Villeneueve, an 11-times race winner, added: "As it stands now, CART and the IRL are looking tired. I would not consider a switch from F1 to either series a good career move.

 

"You only do that if you have no other choice, unless you do what Nigel Mansell did - win the F1 title, quit, and then take the Indy championship in your rookie year. That was amazing."

[Queen Prawn]

WOOHOO!!!! Jeff Burton has pole position for the Chicago race!!! Too bad I don't have tickets lol.

[Goldmember]

congrats queenie...

 

jr starting 25th. he'll make it up though...

[Goldmember]

UPS sticks with Jarrett in move to new Nextel Cup team

By CHRIS JENKINS, AP Sports Writer

 

 

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Dale Jarrett says he didn't want any part of trying to recruit his current sponsor to follow him to his new team.

 

They did anyway.

 

UPS announced on Friday that it would leave Robert Yates Racing at the end of this season to remain with Jarrett when he moves to Michael Waltrip's newly formed Nextel Cup team next year.

 

The move apparently happened without any lobbying from Jarrett, who said he recused himself from the negotiations out of respect to Yates. Jarrett and Yates have won 29 races together since 1995.

 

"Dale told us from the beginning, 'I don't want anything to do with you all talking to UPS,''' Waltrip said.

 

Now that the deal is done, Jarrett said he is excited UPS chose to stick with him. They will sponsor Jarrett through 2008 and might continue to sponsor Waltrip's team with a new driver beyond that.

 

"We feel very fortunate that we're the team that they chose and we'll continue this relationship for a couple more years,'' Jarrett said.

 

The deal is a major boost for Waltrip, who is starting a team nearly from scratch but now finds himself in the enviable position of having three fully sponsored cars next year when he only expected to have two.

 

"People thought we were maybe a little bit of a 'paper' team, not a whole lot substantial there,'' Waltrip said. "And like I said, we have a comprehensive map of where we're heading (and) how we're going to get there.''

 

Waltrip is still looking to hire a third driver, a move he hopes to announce in the next few weeks. He'll also have significant financial backing from Toyota, which is making its entry to the Nextel Cup series next year.

 

"We know the infrastructure that we need to build in order to compete with the teams that are winning today, and this allows us to build that infrastructure at a faster pace,'' Waltrip said. "Money buys speed -- that's obvious.''

 

And when it comes to buying speed, Yates just suffered a major blow to his purchasing power.

 

Considered one of the most formidable teams in NASCAR a few years ago, Yates now must replace a marquee driver and sponsor at a time finding either one can be a challenge.

 

"Obviously we would have liked to have Dale finish his career with us simply because I know we have been good for each other and he has repeatedly done the job for us in the (No.) 88,'' Yates said in a statement. "But now we are going to move forward and grow our company in a direction necessary to stay competitive.''

 

Driver Jeff Burton said drivers know that losing a sponsor can hurt a team owner.

 

"I don't blame UPS for continuing to (sponsor) Dale Jarrett,'' Burton said. "Jarrett is a highly respected winner that has done an awful lot for our sport. At the same time, they need to understand that it's the car owners that have financial liability in this thing, not the drivers.''

 

Burton, who left Roush Racing for Richard Childress Racing in the middle of the 2004 season, said he doubts Jarrett would have left Yates if the team's performance had been better.

 

Jarrett has won only two races since the beginning of the 2003 season, but Yates remains optimistic about his team's stature in the garage.

 

"I'm convinced we are still one of the top-five teams in all of NASCAR,'' Yates said. "But we won't be satisfied until we are winning championships as proof that we're the best.''

 

But will Jarrett and his sponsor be any better off with Waltrip, a new team working with a new manufacturer?

 

It might not really matter.

 

Patrick Guilbert, UPS's vice president of sponsorship, said that while winning is important, it's just as important to have a driver who can appeal to employees and customers.

 

"I don't know that any successful program that is built entirely and solely on performance,'' Guilbert said. "This sport and the venue that it provides is an opportunity to hit on all cylinders, no pun intended, that provides an opportunity to grow business, deliver that motivation platform for our employee base and perform at track.''

 

Waltrip -- who for years has both battled and embraced his reputation for being a better pitchman than driver -- insists his team is serious about performance.

 

"Our PR story has been very positive, and we've done some wonderful things,'' Waltrip said. "But just equally, on the competition and performance side, we're doing just as good of a job. And we feel like that as we develop and unfold, that we will be a formidable group, able to win next year.''

[Confederate_48]

"I'm convinced we are still one of the top-five teams in all of NASCAR,'' Yates said. "But we won't be satisfied until we are winning championships as proof that we're the best.''

 

Yeah thats why UPS and DJ bailed to go to a team that doesnt even have a car built yet and Sadler is trying to follow.

[Queen Prawn]

Damn, I was sooooooooooooo hoping they would black flag that little b****. Still, a second place finish is nothing to sneeze at.

 

GO JB!

[Confederate_48]

JOLIET, Ill. -- Danica Patrick could become the next star driver to defect from another major racing series to NASCAR.

 

"I'm trying to get her here [into NASCAR]," said T.J. Patrick, father of the woman who dazzled the motor racing world last year by nearly winning the Indianapolis 500, but has struggled with a mediocre Indy Racing League car ever since.

 

T.J. Patrick, who has managed his daughter's career since her childhood, was at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, holding exploratory talks with some Nextel Cup teams and sponsors about the possibility of Danica leaving the IRL for NASCAR as early as next year

 

Her contract expires with the IRL's Rahal-Letterman Racing team, co-owned by TV comic David Letterman, at the end of this season. In addition to considering NASCAR, the Patricks are negotiating with other IRL teams -- and appear unlikely to renew with Rahal-Letterman next year.

 

Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman racing, declined comment through a spokesperson.

 

The Patrick family is from Roscoe, Ill., but Danica, 24, now lives in Phoenix with her husband and wasn't at Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400 NASCAR race.

 

T.J. and Danica's mother, Bev, came to the Joliet track because "we've had some inquiries" from NASCAR teams, T.J. said.

 

Young American open-wheel drivers have been steering steadily away from IndyCars and into NASCAR for the past decade -- from Jeff Gordon to Tony Stewart to Ryan Newman to Kasey Kahne.

 

They come for much more money, fame, what they consider more intense competition, and the sheer volume of racing.

 

The Patricks were in the Nextel Cup garage area as guests of the powerful Roush Racing team, which fields Fords for Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin.

 

There have been other women in NASCAR.

 

Janet Guthrie, also an Indy-Car pioneer, was the first, competing in 33 Winston Cup races between 1976 and 1980 with five top-10 finishes.

 

Patty Moise of Jacksonville raced in the Busch Series in the 1980s.

 

Shawna Robinson ran a limited Winston Cup schedule in the late 1990s. And Erin Crocker is a promising developmental driver who currently competes in the Craftsman Truck Series.

[Goldmember]

Montoya dumps F1 for US oval series NASCAR

AFP

July 10, 2006

 

 

JOLIET, United States (AFP) - Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya shocked the auto racing world Sunday, announcing he will depart Formula One after this season to race in the American closed-cockpit oval series NASCAR.

 

Montoya, a former Indy-car star, will leave McLaren Mercedes to sign with Chip Ganassi's team in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most popular form of US auto racing.

 

"When people think of moving from Formula One to NASCAR, some people think I'm crazy, but I think it's exciting," Montoya said.

 

"I think it's a great challenge for my career. Coming here is probably going to be my toughest challenge ever."

 

Montoya has no triumphs this season and only two podium finishes, his best showing a runner-up effort in May at Monaco. He stands sixth in the current F1 table after placing 18th last week at the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis.

 

"I'd rather race here and work with Chip and have fun than be (in F1) and not enjoying it," Montoya said.

 

Montoya knocked F1 for stressing technology over entertainment, enjoying the side-by-side racing and greater passing opportunities NASCAR ovals provide.

 

"Anyone who watches their races knows it's not the most exciting thing you can watch," Montoya said. "How hard is it to pass in Formula One? Then if you do pass someone and you touch wheels, you're 'an animal.'"

 

Just minutes before the announcement here at Chicagoland Speedway, Montoya telephoned McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and Mercedes-Benz racing director Norbert Haug to inform them of his decision.

 

"I can't say they were happy about it," Montoya said.

 

Montoya will take a pay cut to leave F1 and return to his former boss but said he has been unhappy for several seasons.

 

"I don't think you're going to be happy getting more money and being miserable all day," Montoya said.

 

Walking away from an estimated 14 million-dollar F1 annual salary, Montoya enters a series where racers average about five million dollars in base salary with the chance for twice that in endorsement deals.

 

"Formula One has been great for me. I've won great races, but how close the racing is here and how exciting it is and how much fans love it," Montoya said. "It's hard to turn it down."

 

The 30-year-old from Bogota has started 137 races in F1 and Indy-style cars with 18 triumphs, 26 pole positions and 60 top-five showings.

 

Ganassi is confident Montoya can adapt to a series he knows mainly from television and video games.

 

"I've seen this guy adapt to cars and adapt to tracks like no other driver I've ever seen," Ganassi said. "I don't have any question that he'll be able to adapt to a Cup car.

 

"It's not going to be a walk in the park. It's going to be a lot of work."

 

Montoya won the 1999 Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) season title driving for Ganassi, becoming the youngest champion in series history, and took the 2000 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.

 

Montoya jumped to F1 with Williams-BMW in 2001 and joined McLaren Mercedes in 2005.

 

The South American star will replace US racer Casey Mears, who is leaving for a rival team at season's end, inside the number 42 Dodge Charger for the 36-race 2007 campaign.

 

"I think sometimes people don't know how tough it is out here and how many great drivers are out here," Montoya said.

 

Montoya looks forward to the challenge of racing in cars that can bump and a series that has evolved from a regional fad to a national craze.

 

"When I called Chip I said, 'Chip, you know what? I want to come back racing and I think the best place to do racing is here.' I said, 'This is what I'm looking for,' and Chip said, 'OK,'" Montoya said.

 

"It took us an hour to close everything. It was that simple."

 

Montoya is expected to bring greater global profit for NASCAR, especially in South America.

 

"Juan Pablo Montoya's entry into NASCAR is historic," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "It encompasses all the things that are important to NASCAR, the things that we've worked very hard to establish.

 

"Juan Pablo is someone who touches not only the Hispanic fan base, but also a driver with an international following."

 

Montoya's first time behind the wheel of a stock car came at Indy in June of 2003 when he drove the Chevrolet of four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway F1 road course.

 

"It was a lot of fun," Montoya said. "You could push the car. You could slide the car and it was really friendly to me on the road course. That was really exciting."

 

Gordon, who took a spin in an F1 car, looks forward to competing against Montoya.

 

"It's a great thing for the sport to have such a world-class driver want to compete," said Gordon. "I welcome him and respect him for accepting the challenge."

 

Montoya might try to compete in some late-season NASCAR events. NASCAR has four races scheduled after the Grand Prix finale October 22 at Brazil, where Montoya is reigning champion.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=a...v=afp&type=lgns

[Queen Prawn]

I hope she doesn't come over. She doesn't have the talent or dedication for it (she's already admitted that part in an interview). I'd rather watch Erin Crocker continue to improve and make it the big show someday.

[Confederate_48]

Would converting from open-wheel, single-seat, 1,600-pound IndyCars to full-bodied, 3,400-pound stock cars be too much?

 

"I don't think she'd have a problem," said her father, a veteran racer.

 

"You could give her six months or a year in a car and do some testing and learning. She understands the basics."

 

Before Patrick started her IndyCar career, Ford Motor Co. engineers gave her a test session in a NASCAR Busch series car, and she excelled.

 

Patrick is only 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 100 pounds. But her father, gesturing at a stock car going through inspection, said, "Strength-wise, it's probably easier to drive one of these because they have power steering where we [in the IRL] don't right now."

 

 

Id like to see it happens just to see how they go about doing it. She would no way run Busch and Cup because she already doesnt like how long the Cup schedule is. I think if she started in Busch she wouldnt even be competative. Luckily shes only 24 because I think it would take her a few years to learn.