Reminder! Daytona 500 today 1pm on Fox

[runco]

To all of you fans, today is the Daytona 500 at 1pm on Fox, 12noon for you western TN folk.  I feel like I have to remind people, because I do think the sport may be loosing its edge it once had.  I do follow the sport through out the year, but not like I use too.  I work with a recent college graduates that are into cars, but really don't care about NASCAR and have no affection.  Did you know its 15 years this past week that Senior Dale Earnhardt left us.  To me the sport just has not been the same. 

 

BTW keep the Danica comments to a minimum you shallow fair weather fans!  ;)

 

Anywho here is some information:

 

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html

 

Starting lineup

 

 

Pos. Car Driver Team 1. 24 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 2. 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 3. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports 4. 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 5. 22 Joey Logano Team Penske 6. 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing 7. 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing 8. 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 9. 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 10. 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing 11. 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 12. 95 Ty Dillon Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing 13. 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports 14. 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 15. 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing 16. 10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing 17. 34 Chris Buescher Front Row Motorsports 18. 14 Brian Vickers Stewart-Haas Racing 19. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 20. 93 Matt DiBenedetto BK Racing 21. 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing 22. 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports 23. 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing 24. 38 Landon Cassill Front Row Motorsports 25. 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 26. 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 27. 7 Regan Smith Tommy Baldwin Racing 28. 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing 29. 23 David Ragan BK Racing 30. 47 AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing 31. 15 Clint Bowyer HScott Motorsports 32. 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing 33. 32 Bobby Labonte Go Green Racing 34. 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports 35. 44 Brian Scott Richard Petty Motorsports 36. 83 Michael Waltrip BK Racing 37. 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing 38. 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing 39. 59 Michael McDowell Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing 40. 26 Robert Richardson Jr. BK Racing

Edited February 21, 2016 by runco

[jgradyc]

I grew up watching Fireball Roberts and Ned Jarrett, but today's crop of drivers doesn't excite me. I don't really have anyone to pull for or pull against

[runco]

That line up looked different when I posted on my screen, here is a picture:

 

[URL=http://s963.photobucket.com/user/runco0318/media/daytona%20500%2002212016_zpswo1ahkal.jpg.html][/URL]

[TripleGGG]

Went to my first Daytona 500 41 years ago when I was 9. Was able to get autographs from all the greats, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Bobby and Donnie Allison and many others. Loved the sport and always went to several races every year. The past few years NASCAR has slowly lost me. I believe it started when Earnhardt died. I will DVR and watch the 500 today because it's in my DNA but probably wont watch much the rest of the year. Heck watching the truck race and couldn't believe the "we are going to throw a caution if we go green for 20 minutes" rule. Just not the same IMHO.

[Randall53]

I used to love to go to the Daytona 500. Now it's just a reminder that I need to get the lawn mower serviced and ready to go. LOL. I still like to watch it on TV though. I used to always go to Talladega and Atlanta also, but it's been years.

[Johnny Rotten]

GO Ricky Bobby!!! if you aint 1st your last...

[quickbiscuit]

I've always been a huge racing fan. Was involved with dirt car racing for a long time and loved nascar pre-2001.

After Earnhardt's death, nascar started to change its image and destroyed the racing in the interest of safety. Now you've just got a bunch of clean-cut, corporate puppets driving cookie-cutter race cars. It's not about who's the best driver or who can build the fastest car anymore. Now any car on the track can win if they are in the right place at the right time and get in a line that can push them to the front. That's just not racing to me. I'm going to watch some of the race today, but I'm sure the racing will be boring and I'll probably grab a nap about 50 laps in.

I'm really surprised nascar still has the popularity that it does. It's lost a tremendous amount of its southern fan base. Sponsors are dropping like flies and aren't putting the money into a sport that isn't bringing the return that it used to. If nascar lasts another 10 years in its current form I will be fooled.

[NextExit]

watching the truck race and couldn't believe the "we are going to throw a caution if we go green for 20 minutes" rule. Just not the same IMHO.

Stupid isn't it?  And the new charter system is a joke too.  36 guaranteed too qualify and 4 competing for a spot.  No more 43 cars.  Imagine how much money those under-funded teams are spending only to find out they didn't qualify and have to move on to the next track.  With the cookie cutter cars they have these days, the only way to tell them apart is the badge on the front.  Gone are the days you could tell the difference between a Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.  A rainy day like today and I'll watch.  Summer time, I'll be outside.  However, despite my negativity, I'll be at Bristol in April and August because my Uncle makes the trip down so I get to visit.  BTW, the last 2 years, they've had plenty of empty seats.  It doesn't fill up like it used to. 

[Possumslayer]

Go Kenny Schrader!

[Sam1]

[Hiker]

I'm watching. Love Daytona and Talladega. Hoping for Dale Jr. To win. Kurt Bush fan too!

[Mike.357]

most famous words in NASCAR, "there's a fight"

 

Ken Squire's words really are what put NASCAR on the national map. Those words were a description of that in a nutshell.  Of course a huge blizzard and a captive TV audience did not hurt.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDcmz8VMew

 

I saw a show years later where the Allison's and Yarborough discussed that sequence of events.  Allison made mention of Yarborough repeatedly hitting Allison's fist with his face.    :clap:

[TripleGGG]

Stupid isn't it?  And the new charter system is a joke too.  36 guaranteed too qualify and 4 competing for a spot.  No more 43 cars.  Imagine how much money those under-funded teams are spending only to find out they didn't qualify and have to move on to the next track.  With the cookie cutter cars they have these days, the only way to tell them apart is the badge on the front.  Gone are the days you could tell the difference between a Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.  A rainy day like today and I'll watch.  Summer time, I'll be outside.  However, despite my negativity, I'll be at Bristol in April and August because my Uncle makes the trip down so I get to visit.  BTW, the last 2 years, they've had plenty of empty seats.  It doesn't fill up like it used to. 

Love Bristol and went to both races for many many years.  Gave up my tickets a few years ago.  Talking of cookie cutter cars, one of my all time favorite statements was by Richard Petty at Daytona.  The Dodge was horrible aerodynamically (Dodge Magnum when they raced the body style that was produced by the factory) and when asked why his speeds were down Petty said "it's like pushing a barn door around this track, Dodge is going to have to change this body style".  What is cool is they did change the body style.  I was in the Ford business for 22 years actually owned a dealership for awhile.  Back then it was a true statement "Win on Sunday, sold on Monday".  Was great times then.

[TripleGGG]

most famous words in NASCAR, "there's a fight"

 

Ken Squire's words really are what put NASCAR on the national map. Those words were a description of that in a nutshell.  Of course a huge blizzard and a captive TV audience did not hurt.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDcmz8VMew

 

I saw a show years later where the Allison's and Yarborough discussed that sequence of events.  Allison made mention of Yarborough repeatedly hitting Allison's fist with his face.    :clap:

Never get tired of watching this clip. I was in Daytona that year and the whole place was nuts.  Those words and those drivers of that era made NASCAR.  Most would have raced regardless of a payday.

[Sam1]

most famous words in NASCAR, "there's a fight"

 

 

At my uncle's track (actually my cousin, he was just older than me so it was more like an uncle) we had 1 rule - you could fight until the police broke it up, but if you did fight it had to be in the front straight so the fans could watch it too.  We would milk the hell out of that stuff from the tower... And drunk rednecks on a dirt track = fight almost every Saturday.

[TripleGGG]

At my uncle's track (actually my cousin, he was just older than me so it was more like an uncle) we had 1 rule - you could fight until the police broke it up, but if you did fight it had to be in the front straight so the fans could watch it too.  We would milk the hell out of that stuff from the tower... And drunk rednecks on a dirt track = fight almost every Saturday.

Friday and Saturday night - Let's go to the fights at the track and see if a race breaks out. LOL

[bersaguy]

When Dale Earnhardt died a piece of NASCAR died. My son was a Earnhardt nut and he spent 4 grand on a Dale Earnhardt  Mac Tool Box and keeps it covered in a corner of the shop all covered up with a Dale Earhart logo on the cover. He bought the box 3 years before Dales death and about a year after Dale died he had a guy offer him 8 Grand for it and he called me and ask me if I thought he should sell it and I said it's not eating anything and it can only go up in value as long as Dale Junior is still racing and keeping the name in front of fans.

 

I told him when the offers went 10 grand or more sell it cash only. I also told him to add that box value to the Shop Keepers Insurance policy as a collectors Item and he insured it for $10,000.00.

 

Now as far as NASCAR to this day and will be a fan till the day I die. I spent 14 years racing at Nashville Speedway, Smyrna Speedway and Highland Rim and once in a while in Birmingham. I still have the feel of Burnt Rubber and hot gear oil in my veins Most all my friends are Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt, Legano Fans. My driver has been Rowdy Kyle Busch ever since the first time I saw him drive and I knew he would be a champion one day but didn't expect it to be last year after his injury at Daytona. When NASCAR offered him that deal that he could still race his way in and he won his first race back and it was a road course with all that shifting with those sore legs I knew right then he was going for the gld and he brought the gold home.

 

Now as far as cookie cutter cars that's all the Auto manufacturers are giving them to work with. It's not NASCAR, it's the lack of skill in the designing at the Auto Makers. I was a mechanic for almost 35 years and I could tell you what make and model a car was from 1/4 mile away back years ago. Today, unless I', parked next to it and can read the name on it I have no clue what it is. I listen to police everyday say that the bad guy got a way in a black car, possibly a Chevy Malibu, or Toyota Camry but it might have been a Honda Accord. They cannot tell them apart any more either.

 

Like I said I will be a die hard fan till they are shoveling dirt in my face and Kyle and maybe even Kurt will be my two drivers. They both drive like a Young Dale Sr. did that earned him the name "The Intimidator"  Kyle was not afraid to use his bumper from time to time on slower cars after he would bump them a few times letting them know he was faster.  

 

Now that is one place that NASCAR has hurt the sport. It use to be "Rubbing was racing!" Now if you rub a little to much your parked for a few weeks. To me that's a crock...........................jmho

[Sam1]

Friday and Saturday night - Let's go to the fights at the track and see if a race breaks out. LOL

 

That was pretty much it.  And for the few years that Tony Stewart would show up before he was banned for crashing people, there was a 100% chance that a fight was gonna happen during the late model races. 

[blewbayou]

I grew up on a dirt track back in Ohio. My dad raced 410 sprint cars. I've always followed the outlaws sprint series. More recently getting into the late models some. Dad and I are rolling into our 10th annual trip to Charlotte, NC in November to watch the world finals at The dirt track.

Dirt track is evolving some, but it's still real racing. NASCAR has changed, I use to follow it some years ago. Earnhardt has dramatically changed the sport. As mentioned already, cars have been equalized to the point that it's not fun to watch. They say it's in the interest of safety...There has to be some safety, sure, but it's racing. Drivers know the risks, let them race, let the best team and the best driver win. Remove all the restrictions that make the cars so completely equal. No team has an edge.

I'm gonna stick with dirt track, on a rainy day I might catch a few laps of NASCAR, but I don't plan a day around it.

[pops572]

I dont want to ruin it for anybody, but they gonna go left, then they gonna go left, then they gonna go left, then......

[Sam1]

I dont want to ruin it for anybody, but they gonna go left, then they gonna go left, then they gonna go left, then......

 

spoiler alert: somewhere in between a driver will not turn left as expected.

[NextExit]

spoiler alert: somewhere in between a driver will not turn left as expected.

Yup.  Someone will pull a "Matt Kenseth" move and turn right in front of a driver to intentionally wreck him.

And there will be plenty of lefts and rights (and a few 360's) when they get to a road course. :D

[Hozzie]

What a finish. Glad for Hamlin.

[Mike.357]

boring race for the most part but WOW what a finish,  good for Hamlin

[TripleGGG]

Agree. What a finish.