2017 season thread

[jeffro151]

Figured it was time for this.

Some news:
NASCAR looking at shorter weekend schedules? UPDATE: What else is coming down the NASCAR pike? One-day shows for the top touring series - including the newly named Monster Energy Cup Series. When Brad Keselowski was asked whether the driver's council is behind the decision, he replied, "I think the whole sport is. We're trying to be smart with our time, especially with late starts. We'd like to see - because you don't get home to see your family until two, three in the morning if you're on a race team, so you lose part of Monday, too - so you have to find a way to get that day back and tie it all together. If you move qualifying closer to the race, you get that day back which is so important to everyone's quality of life in this sport.""(Motorsport)(1-26-2017)
UPDATE: The realization of having a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session occur on race day seems imminent. Exploring the race weekend schedules for 2017, CATCHFENCE.com found the Jun. 11 Pocono 400 race from Pocono Raceway is scheduled to host qualifying at 12:10pm with an anticipated green flag less than three hours later at 3:00pm Furthermore, practice for NASCAR's top series is not scheduled to begin until Sat., Jun. 10. The proposed schedule change is listed through NASCAR's mobile app. A NASCAR spokesperson could not confirm the new schedule alignment, but expressed that the series' schedules are often influx and are subject to change.(Catchfence)(1-31-2017)

 

[jeffro151]

NASCAR announces updated damaged vehicle policy: NASCAR officials unveiled a new Damaged Vehicle Policy on Wednesday at the sanctioning body's Research & Development Center, a policy that will be enforced in all three national series -- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series. Under the guidelines, teams no longer will be allowed to replace damaged body parts that are the result of accidents or contact. Repairs, such as fixing damaged sheet metal, will be allowed; however, teams will be given five minutes to fix damage once they enter pit road. If the damage requires the car to go behind pit wall or to the garage for repairs, the car will not be allowed to return to the race. Also, if the repairs take longer than the five minutes allowed, the car will not be permitted to return to the race. Once repairs have been made, a car is still required to maintain the minimum speed determined for that event. Once that has been accomplished, the five-minute clock is reset in case the car needs to come back down pit road.
Previously, teams were allowed to replace any damaged panels or parts with no time limit and no penalty. Quarter panels, splitters, hoods and deck lids damaged in accidents were often removed and replaced. Some repairs were completed on pit road; more extensive damage often meant a trip to the garage. Each time, the driver was sent back out onto the track as quickly as possible. Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition said the move is to help officials, who didn't often see what goes on in the garage but can better observe repairs on pit road. Safety is a crucial component of the policy, and for any vehicle undergoing repairs, the integrity of the safety systems "must be maintained." Teams will be allowed to correct mechanical or electrical failures that aren't the result of an accident or contact without penalty. Such repairs may be done on pit road or in the garage area, and the five-minute clock will not be in play in those instances. "We're not going to tell a guy who breaks his transmission at Watkins Glen or Pocono, for instance, and coasts into the garage area that he's out," Miller said. "Because that doesn't create an unsafe situation; that is a mechanical failure. It's more about crashed vehicles and all that is involved with that, from the crew guys to the drivers to dropping more debris on the track, which always happens. ... So there are exceptions for mechanical failures, those things can be rectified in the garage. That's going to be up to the series director's discretion to make those calls, but it's not going to be that difficult."
There will be modifications to at least two pit-road penalties under the policy for those making repairs. Any driver receiving a pit-road speeding penalty (entry or exit) will lose 15 seconds from the five-minute clock. Any team sending too many men over the wall will result in that car being removed from the race. When a car is damaged and repairs are made on pit road, teams know they will be at the tail end of the longest line, so extra men often go over the wall. (Each team is allowed six to work on the car and one to service the driver and/or windshield.)(NASCAR)(2-8-2017)

 

[Retroram52]

Brian France just keeps picking away at the competitive quality that used to dominate NASCAR. He'll succeed in creating a bland, useless joke of a corporate money-controlled Jimmy Johnson series. Personally, I am just about done with this train wreck.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Brian France & Company definitely destroyed the sport I love.

 

[bksballer89]

Super excited

 

[wildturkey]

That damaged vehicle rule is total bullshit. One of the marks of a truly skilled team is taking a damaged race car and salvaging a good finish. It's what makes champions. Gordon and Johnson's teams were damn good at this. Hell, some can do it without even losing a lap if the situation is right. It's part of the sport.

It's also not cost effective because teams will just pour that money into something else. Plus, its racing. Even budget teams at your local tracks have spare parts and supplies for repairs.

It's also not a safety issue. Why? Because the entire job of the race officials in the garage is to deem if a car is safe to go onto the track. So this rule is just a redundancy.

These changes are just more nonsense to fix a problem that doesn't exist. I hope whatever fans that are left enjoy a race where "the big one" happens early and the rest of the race consist of 8 cars because the others all failed to meet the damage requirements. Can't wait to see NASCAR's reaction when they start having drivers intentionally wrecking others knowing they won't be able to get back on track for a payback hit

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Brian France just keeps picking away at the competitive quality that used to dominate NASCAR. He'll succeed in creating a bland, useless joke of a corporate money-controlled Jimmy Johnson series. Personally, I am just about done with this train wreck.

I think I am. Brian France definitely must have threatened the drivers and commentators if they didn't say how great this point system is and to have them tell fans to "give it a chance." We all know about how Larry McReynolds and the Waltrip's have their noses so far up France's ass that they know what he had for breakfast a week ago, so them liking it doesn't surprise me at all. Unless I missed it, I have only maybe seen one person in the media (someone on ESPN.com) that has even remotely questioned anything about the new changes. I still want to know how they expect a points system that nobody can easily explain or comprehend fully is going to get new people to tune into or attend races.

As for the damaged vehicle rule, @wildturkey echoed my thoughts perfectly.

 

[Gopherfan84]

It's gotten to the point where if I want to watch NASCAR, I'll go to YouTube and find a race from back in 1980's or early 1990's when it was actually good. I practically never watch a full race anymore.

 

[Retroram52]

Same her Gopherfan. Many of the new races in this warped format are just so boring and you can pretty much guess who is going to win after a few laps. The new paint schemes are out and it is more yawning for me.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

NASCAR's new format change to vary by race

 

[wildturkey]

NASCAR's new format change to vary by race

"Hey guys, we need to attract more viewers. How should we do that?"

"I know! Let's change the race every week so no one has any idea what they are watching"

"Sounds great! We're so smart"

*stuffs collective dicks into electrical sockets*

 

[jeffro151]

Despite all of the changes, I'm excited to see cars back on the track starting this afternoon!
Clash practice 5-6 and 630-7 on FS1
Clash race Saturday at 8 on FS1

 

[BPNAZ]

Despite all of the changes, I'm excited to see cars back on the track starting this afternoon!
Clash practice 5-6 and 630-7 on FS1
Clash race Saturday at 8 on FS1

debated about going tomorrow night, but going oncall at my job quickly changed that. I did get tickets to the Duel races on Thursday. the 500 is just too expensive after just buying a new house. Despite my thoughts on how the sport is going down the shitter.......Daytona is still Daytona

 

[BPNAZ]

Toyota camp already playing games by not practicing. Sooooooooooooooooooo annoying and ridiculous

Either make practicing mandatory or just do away with them altogether

 

[jeffro151]

Toyota camp already playing games by not practicing. Sooooooooooooooooooo annoying and ridiculous

Either make practicing mandatory or just do away with them altogether

Looks like they just wanted to run the later session since that's closer to what they will race under.

 

[Retroram52]

Since the rain has shown up for the clash, they are bullshitting in the booth with Dale Jr and Jeffie. Looks like Hendricks Incorporated is in the booth now. It's a real "love" fest going. Puke!

 

[Retroram52]

The rain is still causing a delay for the Clash and Fox is showing the 1993 Daytona 500 with all the old drivers and cars. Even Dick Trickle is in this one.

 

[molsaniceman]

Its race Time Go JJ

 

[jeffro151]

Lol @ the JGR cars choking in the end.

 

[BPNAZ]

There's really no reason why that race should been 75 laps. Especially with under 20 cars in it