Daytona 500

[Mike.357]

One of the couple of NASCAR races I will not miss seeing. This is the week of the year I really miss living in Florida. If we were still there I would have been in Daytona off and on for the last week, and would be there right now.

So who do you all like in todays race.

My favorite is Mark Martin so I am rooting for him. Not so sure he can win unless the stars line up and the planets are aligned right. But he "da man":D

My top three picks are

Little Dale, Smoke and JJ.

Dotson, Kenseth will come in 40th, LOL!!

and if you are hating on NASCAR start your own thread.

Can't wait til they roll out.

[Guest dotsun]

Kenseth ownz ju!!!!! Just ask your wife.

[Guest darkstar]

Not that I hate NASCAR or anything but I just can't seem to get into it. I appreciate the skill it takes to drive a machine like that, and all the strategy involved but it just seems like a bunch of cars going in circles. I'm sure I am missing the point and all, and I've been told a million times if I went to actually see a race I'd like it, but it just escapes me.

[Marswolf]

I'll be watching.

I saw a race at Daytona long ago. Not NASCAR, but a sports car race.

I expect a good race.

[nightrunner]

i predict Dale JR. makes a full sweep

[strickj]

Not that I hate NASCAR or anything but I just can't seem to get into it. I appreciate the skill it takes to drive a machine like that, and all the strategy involved but it just seems like a bunch of cars going in circles. I'm sure I am missing the point and all, and I've been told a million times if I went to actually see a race I'd like it, but it just escapes me.

The same here.I jjust can not get it for the life of me,and I have been to a race that an ex paid for.I have also been to an nhra race that did turn me into that sport but driving in circle:confused:whats the point?

[Guest bkelm18]

[Guest TargetShooter84]

Not that I hate NASCAR or anything but I just can't seem to get into it. I appreciate the skill it takes to drive a machine like that, and all the strategy involved but it just seems like a bunch of cars going in circles. I'm sure I am missing the point and all, and I've been told a million times if I went to actually see a race I'd like it, but it just escapes me.

+1. I just have to agree with that.

[Rightwinger]

If you can bring yourselves to do so....go to a local track and watch some racing. Atomic near Knoxville, Fairgrounds in Nashville, there is a little track with great action when they can keep it running in Carthage, TN. Another good one is Highland Rim off I-65 near between Greenbrier and White House.

Then multiply that action by a factor of 20!

[Guest TargetShooter84]

If you can bring yourselves to do so....go to a local track and watch some racing. Atomic near Knoxville, Fairgrounds in Nashville, there is a little track with great action when they can keep it running in Carthage, TN. Another good one is Highland Rim off I-65 near between Greenbrier and White House.

Then multiply that action by a factor of 20!

I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not, but I used to go to Atomic speedway in roane co. but did you know that it is now officially shut down for good? Its being demolished to make way for a company truck fueling station. Last time I drove by, its nearly halfway demolished

[Rightwinger]

I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not, but I used to go to Atomic speedway in roane co. but did you know that it is now officially shut down for good? Its being demolished to make way for a company truck fueling station. Last time I drove by, its nearly halfway demolished

Damn! It was a great little track! In my work and travels over the years I have been to many great little tracks.

There is another one just north of the I40/I81 split towards the Greenville exit if I recall that has great races. There is the little one in Seymour, think it was like 441. Even Wartburg has a track that they did something cool at. They built it in a bowl of land, one whole side is terraced off so you can just pull up in your car and park overlooking the track! There are several levels.

Local racing has a lot of emotion, great drivers mixing it up with new ones or not so good ones and the environment lends to lots of paint swapping!

Go see a race and keep the local tracks open!

Oh yeah, my thanks to Ryan Newman for winning me this weeks office pool! I now have some discretionary dollars to spend! Racing been very very goot to me.

[Marswolf]

Racing is a lot of fun. NASCAR, dirt track, drag racing, road courses - whatever. There is a lot of skill required to be a good driver, or mechanic or whatever.

Some of the most fun I've had as a spectator was getting filthy at dirt tracks.

[Rightwinger]

+1 on the brown FOG!

[Mike.357]

todays race ended up being pretty good. Very exciting last few laps. I still can't figure out how Jeff Burton went from first to thirteenth in one lap at the end. I was rooting for him since his wife is hot and they were going to show a lot of her, lol.

My predictions did not pan out too well. I suspect I would have hit it a little closer had Johnson not got involved with trouble on the backstretch.

At least MM beat Kenseth And we can all be thankful that the Shrub did not win.

There is a great track up in New Tazewell. It is a high bank dirt track that bills itself as the worlds fastest 1/3 mile. I have been there several times and it is a great nights worth of entertainment. And as Mars said you will come away wearing a layer of dirt. But it washes off and is worth it.

strick asked

whats the point?

Competition my friend. Just like any sport. A bunch of people competing and one walking away the winner.

[saintsfanbrian]

Car of tomorrow has really messed things up in NASCAR. The other thing was "fixing" Bristol. I didn't realize it was broken? 2 Grooves? Come on.

Kenseth would have been fine if it weren't for little David Reagan.

I was happy to see both Gordon and Johnson off of the track. Glad that Newman won over Pole "Smoke"r or Shrub.

[Mike.357]

I am not so much against the new body on the cars but I dislike that any of the things that make the cars unique from manufacterer to manufacterer is gone. Aside from a decal on the front bumper they are all the same.

I wish they would make them run cars with bodies that are more similar to what is in the showrooms, they could still do modifications for safety. But at least give the cars individuality again.

I would also prefer the get rid of spoilers (wings) and air dams. Put skinnier tires on the cars that force drivers to use brakes to make it through turns. I don't know how feasible it is really but I bet it could be done.

I won't be watching next week in Fontana, tooooo boring. Makes me mad, they dumped Rockingham, and only one race at Darlington to run twice in California now.

Watch camera angles of the stands too. Lots of empty seats out there. The TV networks are limited on how much of the grandstands they can show anymore. all tracks are losing attendance and NASCAR execs do not want it seen on TV. Daytona and Bristol being exceptions, not many unused tickets there.

Anyway I am glad the drought between football and racing is over.

Brian I wold liked to have been in the 17 car garage after him and the 6 got together. I bet there will be fireworks at the garage on Monday. Pretty much a boneheaded move on Ragans part. I still can't believe Robby Gordon got a top ten, maybe they put some Jim Beam in the tank!

Edited February 18, 2008 by Mike.357

[Guest Boomhower]

There is a great track up in New Tazewell. It is a high bank dirt track that bills itself as the worlds fastest 1/3 mile. I have been there several times and it is a great nights worth of entertainment. And as Mars said you will come away wearing a layer of dirt. But it washes off and is worth it.

I have spent a many a nights listening to those cars roaring echo thru the hollars. Most of the weekends and summers during my teenage years were spent on a farm about a mile away from the track.....The two racing seasons before I moved to knoxville were spent down in the pits working with the local county rescue squad. I always got stuck standing in one of the turns, but what a blast to be just feet away as they slammed those late models into the corner sideways, two and three wide at times. Talk about being covered in dirt....and red clay at that.

[DMark]

With the current COT body being a handfull to drive I say...

Take the plates off and give them all of the HorsePower the engine builders can make.

We'll then see who the real racers are - - - He who lifts last going into turn three!

[Cannon Fodder]

Local racing has a lot of emotion, great drivers mixing it up with new ones or not so good ones and the environment lends to lots of paint swapping!

That is the whole fun of it, watching the backwoods sportsman cars. These guys are not afraid of putting a scratch on the car and some of the antics are just funny. One thing I hated about the Fair Grounds is when they put the Sportsman cars on the big oval, they just wasn't as much fun as watching full-size cars on the little oval that is tight for a Legand car.

I need to get back up to Ridge top, I haven't been there in years. I haven't even been to the Fairgrounds since my uncle died, just kind of dampened my spirit since that was half of the fun of the race, being with him.

[Guest TargetShooter84]

All this is making me miss Atomic Speedway It was so easy to get to and it was about 10-15 min drive....now the others are farther....

[RedHead_1911]

Tony Stewart fan all the way in Nascar, but I'm more into Grand Prix.