Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!!

S

Spydertrader

Before the green flag drops on this year's Daytona 500, we have The Bud Pole Shootout scheduled for 8:00 PM Saturday February 11, 2006.

With the countdown nearly complete, some turn their thoughts thoughts toward the upcoming NASCAR 2006 Racing Season. The sight of 43 cars traveling in a 180 mph pack, the sound of a 770 horsepower engine turning 9000 rpm's and the sweet aroma of high octane fuel mixed with burning GoodYear Rubber, create an unbelievable assault upon the senses. Whether you prefer the short tracks of Bristol and Martinsville, the super speedways of Talladega and Daytona or The Road Courses of Watkins Glen and Sonoma, what thoughts do you have for the coming year? Will Tony Stewart repeat as champion? Can Dale Earnhardt, Jr. improve over last year's season? Will Jeff Gordon keep the 'Drive for Five' alive? Or, does Greg Biffle hold the title of heir apparent to the NASCAR Champion Throne? Will Mark Martin really retire this time? And, can Bobby Labonte restore the once great Petty Enterprises to their former glory?

With over 33,000 registered members, I have to believe more than a few race fans visit this site. Even if you prefer those pointy nosed cars of Formula One (or CART & IRL) with a driver who's name most NASCAR Fans cannot pronounce, feel free to join in the discussion. All race fans have at least one thing in common - total displeasure with the job performance of Tony George and his stewardship of the Indianapolis 500.

So Race Fans, How bad have you got it?

- Spydertrader
 
Persistent rain forced NASCAR officials to postpone Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The race will go green at 4:42 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. TNT will have live coverage beginning at 4 p.m.

- Spydertrader
 
Indy 500: Sunday, May 28

hmm...maybe I'll go this year. Never been, and Indianapolis is not that far from Chicago, where I live.

Is it a fun day?

Do they sell cold beer? :)
 
Indy 500 sounds good, but only with cold beer. I find right hand turns much more exciting and, thus, shun all formal and organized racing events.
 
I thought Denny Hamlin looked pretty goo d in the few races he ran last year. The 11 car had struggled all year, except for the few races Terry Labonte drove it, but when they put Hamlin in the car, it was like night and day. The guy is a big time talent, and finally Tony has someone else who is prepared to run up front to give him some help. Of course, Hamlin should give tony half his winnings from yesterday, because the Nextel Cup champ pretty much ushered the kid to the line.
 
You gotta love a sport where people do this sort of thing. http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/02/12/jjohnson.tlabonte.qualifying/index.html Kind of like if an NFL team put helium in the ball prior to a long field goal attempt.

Of course, NASCAR has a rich history of cheating, and the watchword is "it's not cheating if they don't catch you." Certain crew chief's cars were known for being able to stretch a tank of gas far beyond the limits of thermodynamics, and cars have been known to magically lose a couple of inches of ground clearance once they get up to speed. And of course the conspiracy theorists have long maintained that NASCAR routinely gives certain favored teams a "pass" every once in a while to gain some illegal speed for a race.

I have to wonder how the corporate sponsors, who have basically squeezed all the color out of NASCAR with their concern for "image," feel about being identified with repeat cheaters?
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

I thought Denny Hamlin looked pretty goo d in the few races he ran last year. The 11 car had struggled all year, except for the few races Terry Labonte drove it, but when they put Hamlin in the car, it was like night and day. The guy is a big time talent, and finally Tony has someone else who is prepared to run up front to give him some help. Of course, Hamlin should give tony half his winnings from yesterday, because the Nextel Cup champ pretty much ushered the kid to the line.
More...

Interestingly, Denny Hamlin and his father ran out of money to continue racing several years ago. At their final race, another car owner overheard Hamlin and his father discussing how they had simply run out of money and found themselves unable to finish the season. The car owner, wanting to race against, and beat, the very best made Hamlin and his father an offer. "Figure out how much money you need to attend the next race, and I'll call you next week to work something out so you can make it." Before the deal was signed, the car owner had a falling out with his own driver, and instead of sponsoring Hamlin on a one race deal, the car owner offered him a full time ride. The next year, Denny Hamlin won 28 of 35 races and bringing him to the attention of several Nextel Cup Teams. The rest, as they say, is history.

Nice to see a rookie win a race.

- Spydertrader
 
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