NASCAR

[Lockheed Bob]

Did anyone watch the NASCAR "Bud Shootout" last nite? They were pairing up & running speeds of 200 to 206 MPH at around 9000 RPM. Very exciting but hairy as one wreck showed. Daytona "500" quals today on Fox.

[darrellmims]

Re: NASCAR

getting back like the old days when you could draft pass , It's getting exciting .Now NASCAR leave them alone!

[wolfee]

Re: NASCAR

The quals or the Gatorade dual 125's is today, but listed as being on Speed, not Fox. Is the info on NASCAR.com wrong?

[MMPerk]

Re: NASCAR

Quals are today...Gatorade races are Thurs.

[wolfee]

Re: NASCAR

Quals are today...Gatorade races are Thurs.

Oh.. thanks for the correction.

[Guest]

Re: NASCAR

Pole Quals on Fox right now...

Jury still out for me on the new cars. Not sure I like the "Noah's Ark" approach (two by two). While the freight train thing was getting a little tired, when one guy stepped out he had to know whether or not the guy behind him was going with him. If not, he's hung out and drops to the "Caboose" position.

Now, you're already paired up. And as mentioned, the closing speed over the pair in front can be a recipe for disaster. Once you get there you'd better have someplace to go.

Guess we'll find out Thursday in the Gatorade's and on race day.

Track is incredibly fast. Talledaga fast...but alas. It's still on "Approach Speed" for us!

Cheers,

[BKB]

Re: NASCAR

Me thinks they defeated the purpose of the restrictor plate by repaving the track.It is hella fast.I think too that they should do away with the restrictor plates and just let'em race.If that ain't got the stones to go out and really race then don't go out and play with the big boys.
Never been a restrictor plate race fan.Always figured they where going to get someone seriously hurt or killed in the inevitable "big one".
They've been lucky so far.Going to be a lot more interesting with 43 cars instead of just 24.

The above rantings where brought to you by a Nascar and Air race fan.
They are just one mans opinion to be taken with a grain of salt. :^)

[gp70442]

Re: NASCAR

I think too that they should do away with the restrictor plates and just let'em race. If that ain't got the stones to go out and really race then don't go out and play with the big boys.

Just to make sure I understand your logic, you think that going balls out at 250 mph or so will be safer? I don't think those shoe boxes are safe anywhere near 200, or 180 for that matter.

One thing for sure, they were moving on Sat!
GP

[BKB]

Re: NASCAR

Just to make sure I understand your logic, you think that going balls out at 250 mph or so will be safer? I don't think those shoe boxes are safe anywhere near 200, or 180 for that matter.

Yes they where moving on Saturday night

I say let them race.I think they are going to approach aero-max speed.
No matter how much horsepower they push it with.

I agree with you too,that they're not safe at 180.So why not 250?
I personally don't think they'd go that fast but that's just my opinion.

Remove the plates.Give the driver back control.Instead of just hanging them out there in some mambie pambie,motor chocked,follow the leader ,golf cart race.I don't want to see dancing partners.I want to see race car drivers.We do see some great racing on the slower smaller tracks for sure.I want to see what they are really capable of without restriction on the super speedways.
As smooth as Daytona is now.Imagine what a flying inverted wing Indy car could do out there.Boggles the mind.

With the speed numbers we see in modern day auto racing.They try to lull us into thinking the cars are safe.Maybe so,maybe not.It's about energy dispursement in a crash.Sure a 3500 pound car car absorb and dispurse tremendeous energy.Can a human body? That is the real limitation.This will never change.I am not some sort of macabe demon.
I certianly don't ever want to see anyone hurt or killed.It is the nature of the sport lest we forget.Wrecks happen,people get hurt and killed.
Minimize it as best as reasonablely possible and just let them race.
Again if our opinions vary we can agree to disagree.Correct?

[John H]

Re: NASCAR

Me thinks they defeated the purpose of the restrictor plate by repaving the track.It is hella fast.I think too that they should do away with the restrictor plates and just let'em race.If that ain't got the stones to go out and really race then don't go out and play with the big boys.
Never been a restrictor plate race fan.Always figured they where going to get someone seriously hurt or killed in the inevitable "big one".
They've been lucky so far. :^)

There's already been somebody killed in a plate race. Ironically, the only fatality in the 24 year history of plate racing was the master of drafting on the big tracks, Dale Earnhardt.

I just watched a documentary on that day and Dale's last conversation while sitting in the red flag stop from a "big one" was with Childress. "Richard, if they don't do something during these plate races, somebody's going to get killed." It was one of two strange prophetic things Earnhardt said that weekend. While in a meeting the day before with Terry Labonte, for a promotional tie in that coming april (something about both equaling record amount of consecutive cup starts) Earnhardt- said "that's if I make it till then"

I hate these decade type anniversaries, because I just get bummed out all over again.

[kiwiracefan]

Re: NASCAR

Just to make sure I understand your logic, you think that going balls out at 250 mph or so will be safer? I don't think those shoe boxes are safe anywhere near 200, or 180 for that matter.

Yes they where moving on Saturday night

I say let them race.I think they are going to approach aero-max speed.
No matter how much horsepower they push it with.

I agree with you too,that they're not safe at 180.So why not 250?
I personally don't think they'd go that fast but that's just my opinion.

Remove the plates.Give the driver back control.Instead of just hanging them out there in some mambie pambie,motor chocked,follow the leader ,golf cart race.I don't want to see dancing partners.I want to see race car drivers.We do see some great racing on the slower smaller tracks for sure.I want to see what they are really capable of without restriction on the super speedways.
As smooth as Daytona is now.Imagine what a flying inverted wing Indy car could do out there.Boggles the mind.

With the speed numbers we see in modern day auto racing.They try to lull us into thinking the cars are safe.Maybe so,maybe not.It's about energy dispursement in a crash.Sure a 3500 pound car car absorb and dispurse tremendeous energy.Can a human body? That is the real limitation.This will never change.I am not some sort of macabe demon.
I certianly don't ever want to see anyone hurt or killed.It is the nature of the sport lest we forget.Wrecks happen,people get hurt and killed.
Minimize it as best as reasonablely possible and just let them race.
Again if our opinions vary we can agree to disagree.Correct?

The same thing happened during the 1980's with the World Rally Championships and the Group B rally cars, they were 600hp turbo 4wd monsters that were getting too fast after a couple of drivers and some spectators were killed, they banned them and redesigned the regulations adding restrictors and all sorts of things to slow the cars up, but now, some 25 years since the Group B cars were banned the current WRC cars are just as fast as the Group B cars were so all the regulations to slow the cars down over the group A period, and the previous WRC regulations havent really worked, so to see NASCAR tryin to do the same wont work in the long run short of making the cars less aerodynamic

[gp70442]

Re: NASCAR

BKB,

Again if our opinions vary we can agree to disagree.Correct?

Absolutely. No stress here at all.
What I wonder though is without restrictor plates the freight train will be even faster, closing rates faster and then one man out is really a problem with a greater speed differential. I don't have the answer but apparently neither does NASCAR. With the speeds we saw in the shootout I suspect we will see more rules changes coming up. Bill Elliot scenario all over again.

We'll see what the weekend brings.
GP

[BKB]

Re: NASCAR

I think with the plate elimination it would reduce the freight train ,follow the leader,I'm your dance partner type racing.The plate motors are starved for fuel/air mixture thusly the ability to make big power.

The theory is good.What's not good is the motor can't accelerate quickly the way and unrestricted motor can.Sure there would be some freight training.

But.............................the slingshot would be back.Gain that aero advantage in in the draft AND have the power under your right foot because the motors unrestricted when you pulled out to pass.

[Skyracer]

Re: NASCAR

The reality is, speed is controlled by insurance companies. Motorsports insurance underwriters are unwilling to accept the risk of excessive speeds, so organizers must do what they can to keep speeds below a threshold or risk not being able to purchase insurance. That is fact.

NASCAR made a couple of rule changes after the shootout that will have some effect on slowing the cars down; how much is yet to be seen. The rule changes are aimed at limiting how much time a car can stay in the draft by reducing the radiator air intake area, and also reducing the maximum coolant pressure. Thus, the car in back will not be able to stay in the close draft for more than a lap or two without losing coolant. In the shootout they were running coolant temp's in excess of 260 deg f lap after lap. With the rule changes the coolant pressure relief valve will "pop off" at around 230 deg f (33 psi) and, with the reduced cooling air intake area, that pop off pressure will be reached fairly quick. The only way to get the temp' back down is to get more airflow through the radiator by breaking the draft. Should be interesting to see what driving technique works best and who figures it out first.

[BKB]

Re: NASCAR

Nascar announced today further restrictions on the restrictor plates!
Closing the hole diameters by 1/64" (.015)

Other measures to slow the cars down where implemented earlier inthe week.Close the radiator opening.Decrease the cooling system operating pressure.

BORING.

I'll Tivo it and fast forward until the big one and hope nobody gets killed!