NASCAR Track Troll

Texas Speedway

cravensworld — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:48:11 +0000

First, take a look at this weekend’s race. Notice the handling of the cars

Now look at this footage from last years Samsung 500

Maybe it’s not just a bunch of sour puss guys gripping about sour grapes. From comparing the old car with the new I can see a difference in maneuverability and speed. The old car holds the track better, wider stance, better downforce means less slipping and sliding.

The new car is safer, and we’re glad of that. If it wasn’t we might have lost a driver this weekend. Here McDowell talks about his close call. He’s one lucky guy.

Martinsville: Goody’s Cool Orange 500

cravensworld — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:09:55 +0000

pic from NASCAR.com

Going into this weekend at Martinsville there was some contention about a sway bar that went missing and then turned up at a Toyota team’s garage after last year’s Dover race. Hmmmm…suspicious.

What is a sway bar?

Sway Bar: Sometimes called an “antiroll bar.” Bar used to resist or counteract the rolling force of the car body through the turns. according to Nascar 101

For the most part, this whole situation is being made light of. Jeff Gordon sarcastically suggesting that NASCAR bring in the FBI and Michael Waltrip (ahem, aka, culprit) had this to say comparing the sway bar to a pen, “They come in different sizes and shapes,” he said. “Some of them are expensive and some of them are not so expensive, but they all do the same thing and that’s write. It’s not the pen that makes it write, it’s the person pushing it.” From this ESPN article from David Newton.

In fact the only 2 people that think this is anything is Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jack Roush. So that is that about the cotton picking sway bar, now onto something more important - the race!

This track is tough on cars and a strain on driver’s tempers. Here is the story of Matt & Dave;

Lap 328 — YELLOW FLAG NO. 15: Matt Kenseth spins in Turn 1. He has major damage to the front after being clipped by David Gilliland and making contact with the wall.Lap 330 — Matt Kenseth is on pit road as his crew tries to repair some of the nose damage.Lap 361 — YELLOW FLAG NO. 16: Matt Kenseth hits David Gilliland heading into Turn 1, spinning Gilliland into the wall.

Lap 363 — Matt Kenseth is held on pit road for aggressive driving.

See, patience is a virtue, he waited 30 laps.

To the wire: Fuel & tire strategy

With under 40 laps, pit strategy becomes key to success. Should you wait for the next caution? Come on in for four and fuel? The Carl Edwards team is reporting that they may be 8 laps short on fuel. There may be a caution if they’re lucky. We may even have a race called on rain (since we are over half over midway with 17 to go).

David Reutimann #44 is smoking on the sideline I guess he was the one leaving gear oil on the track.

3 to go looks like Hamlin #11 has it if Jeff Gordon doesn’t get him.

White flag! Hamlin wins. Carl Edwards runs out of gas on the last lap and has to settle for 9th. Here are your unofficial results.

pic from NASCAR.com

Bristol: Thanks Dale

cravensworld — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:07:40 +0000

This is Dale Jarrett’s last points race. But I don’t think he will stay out of racing, how do you retire from a sport like this? Here drivers talk about his impact and his character from nascar.com

Darrell Waltrip has laryngitis, he sounds terrible and is conspicuous for his absence.

Tony Stewart is looking good. I wonder how those tires are treating him. heh. He’s led 218 laps. Watch out for Newman! Oopf that was a little close. That’s the thing about Bristol there’s no leaving the pack behind.

A little late on that caution #9 for Vickers. Waltrip says “Definitely a tire.” and it sounds like one of the Budweiser frogs.

Stewart stayed out while Harvick went to pit. There’s only 9 laps left.

Looks like a race between Stewart, Earnhardt and Hamlin since Harvick pitted.

Oops. Well, that will teach me to guess too far ahead at Bristol. Stewart is taken out by Harvick. On purpose? I can’t really say since I wasn’t in either car when it happened, but it sure looked that way to me. Fortunately they are good friends off the track. Still cold comfort to a driver that led the most laps. Hamlin looses power, car won’t pick up the fuel, and Earnhardt drops back. Bristol truly belongs to anybody. The race ends on overdrive after a green/white checker. Here are your unofficial results.

Top 3 drivers:

Burton, Harvick, Bowyer

Aric Amirola had a good day, finishing 8th driving Mark Martin’s #8 car. Not a bad weekend for a rookie.

Earnhardt Jr. wins 5th, his 3rd top 5 finish this season. Junior is also 5th in points with Kyle Busch 782 points at1st. I’m enjoying seeing some new names in the top 10. Looks like that maybe the reign of Gordon and Johnson may be over, which is a relief to be honest.

March 16, bristol

cravensworld — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:07:44 +0000

I am ready, oh yes, this is the race that we have all been looking forward too. SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, Lets go racin’ boys! The map says 1998, but the track is still shaped like a bowl. No straight aways and no easy turns. It’s shaped like a popcorn bowl. So, good luck with that.

Atlanta Speedway 20 to go

cravensworld — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:23:17 +0000

Unfortunately I missed the majority of the race. Sometimes life gets in the way.

Kyle Busch could be the first one to win in a foreign car since 1954 which was won by Al Keller in his Jaguar XK120. Of course then again we all know that this track is famous for close finishes.

2 to go:

Kyle Busch is still in the lead. He just gave #44 Dale Jarret a little nudge and crosses the finish line in his #18 Toyota. A first for that car maker that just entered NASCAR this season.

Tony Stewart “…if I was them I’d be embarrassed.” He’s talking about the quality of Goodyear tires. He was very heated and had lots to say, including that if they can’t do any better than that then they need to get out of the sport. Ouch. There were other complaints about the tires, that they were hard and Junior complained that he wasn’t able to take off like he would like to. “They did fall off really fast, but we couldn’t go out there and go real fast right out of the gate like we used to be able to do.”

Last week at Vegas, tires also created problems for Kurt Busch who’s tire exploded in the middle of a turn and sent his car to the wall. Stewart and Robby Gordon also experienced similar trouble causing wrecks. In Stewart’s case spraining an ankle.

A New Home for My Newest Obsession

cravensworld — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:06:10 +0000

This week is the Atlanta Speedway and it has a history of close finishes.

1:30 p.m. on Fox

Last week’s Vegas race was exhausting, so I don’t know if we will have a live blog here, but we might.