Thought I'd get an early start on next year's thread plus this news probably doesn't warrant its own thread... Scott Speed secures 15-race NASCAR Sprint Cup deal with Leavine Family Racing See, it's not all about Danika. Image Unavailable, Please Login
If Red Bull would have started with two drivers that had the experience to DEVELOP the cars they would have been a lot better off, that was their only mistake, I agree with Randy Pemberton totally on that. Scott STILL isn't that guy, neither was AJ or Brian Vickers.
I'm not sure that would have made a difference, I think for Red Bull the decision was based on sales/demographics and not on-track performance.
Didn't see this coming: http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7359221/ex-tony-stewart-crew-chief-greg-zipadelli-joining-competition-director
http://www.nascar.com/news/111220/mkenseth-cedwards-best-buy-sponsorship/index.html?eref=/news/headlines/cup Fingers crossed that the King pulls a competitive deal together.
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7375723/aj-allmendinger-drive-no-22-sprint-cup-car-penske
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7375365/nascar-trevor-bayne-not-afraid-show-religious-side
I'd REALLY like to see Hornish back in IndyCars. that whole deal bums me out like you can't believe. way too good of a driver to be sitting on the sidelines with a crap Nationwide deal. who knows, he could have been a 4 time Indy winner by now.
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/7403381/dover-international-speedway-widen-grandstand-seats
Does the addition of wider seats open a national cultural phenomenon (adding wider seats in airplanes, theatres, stadiums, etc.) or is this a way for Dover (not an ISC track) to kill two birds with one stone? They cater to the cliche NASCAR fan base and as a European colleague puts it, "They will be able to mask ever declining ticket sales and empty seats by about 30,000 in order to get their 'sell out'". BHW Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The former more than the latter. I think the fact that nascar racing is more politics and IROC cars has finally caught up with it. Their grassroots audience has left, for the most part, because it simply isn't the racing that it used to be. Oh, yeah, it's competition, but the cars are all basically the same, just like in IRL, and we have seen what THAT series has evolved into. This also doesn't mean 'nobody' goes to the races anymore, and there ARE some real fanatics, but it doesn't have the same KIND of following it did 10-20 years ago. 'Ever declining ticket sales'? Not THAT 'ever', but since 2008, when the economy took direct aim at the very folk that follow nascar racing - the blue collar guys and gals. And nascar isn't the only sport to suffer declining ticket sales. I still think it has more to do with the mechanical product losing its' identity.
I agree 100%...the racing isn't as good, nor are the racers. bunch of crybabies and d-bags now. NASCAR has massive overcapacity on all levels. too many series, too many races, too many seats to sell, too much TV time. IMO they need to axe the truck series (which would remove 30 races, 300,000 tickets and ~150 hours of TV programming a year). then, increase the difference between the cars so manufacturers have some input and innovation. want to succeed in NASCAR? build a faster car, not lobby for sanctions against the others. sadly it will be a while before the current crop of drivers cycles out. we need more Dales, Terrys, Rustys and Rickys and fewer Kyles, Kurts and Kevins
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7423042/aric-almirola-drive-no-43-richard-petty-motorsports-sources-say
why are they still running restrictor plates with EFI? can't they get the same results with a different engine map?
I don't know but I suspect there is a two word answer: It's NASCAR. http://www.nascar.com/news/120109/preseason-thunder-advance/index.html
http://www.nascar.com/news/120112/notebook-preseason-thunder-daytona-nascar-eliminates-car-to-car-communications/index.html?eref=/news/headlines/cup I wonder if this will lead to more 1 finger drafting gestures.