The Official Race Thread

[Deputy Nutz]

Indy will be interesting but their is still to much controversy with open wheeled racing. I really don't like how they depend on the team concept during the race with blocking and stuff.

Indy is a coulda woulda shoulda.... They have blown it too many times.

[chain_gang]

I agree somewhat nutz, however Indy is starting to get back where it used to be in the early 90s, and I believe they're going to go above and beyond Nascar, only because of Nextel's involvement. The races this year have been stale, and boring. The excitement of what the drivers are going to do in the final laps, are gone, for fear of punishment, with the exception of the Nascar Golden Boys. Nextel is blinded by dollar signs, and it's affecting the quality of the races and the race tracks. Up pops the same 1.5mi oval in every major market, although toyota may help with interest for a year or so. I just think Indy, while not having the highest ceiling race wise, will out do Nascar for the reasons I gave.

[Little Whiskey]

Chain gang. i see some of your points and agree with the commercial take. when they went split screen on the 500. i couldn't believe it. I'll bet soon you will see that in nascar. it is very frustrating when a caution comes out during a break, or somthing big happens and they still go to commercial.

I think nacar is the "common man's" race. where as IRL and Cart, are the upper class. you can't go to the dealer and test drive an Indy car, but you can go and drive around in a Monte Carlo SS. Granted it doesn't bear many other similarities other than the name plate. other than INDY those races don't sell out and the TV coverage is terrible. If it weren't for SPEED TV you would be tough to find talked about.

I took don't like the cookie cutter tracks, and was very upset when they dropped Rockingham during realignment along with the other track changes, but i see why they are doing it. they are trying to get a limited, but long, schedule to other larger markets. Nascar was very confinded to the south west and extremly limited in the west.

initially i was upset with the CHASE, but after the last couple years i have really grown to enjoy the playoff format. it was good for nascar and good for the fans.

I agree money is changing the sport. but it is that way for most sports that become popular. how many times do you yell at the tv when they go to commercial befor a punt then after a punt, and before and after a kickoff. same thing with nascar.

if INDY style racing starts to grow and get back to prominance i think they will go thru the same thing, with money.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I agree somewhat nutz, however Indy is starting to get back where it used to be in the early 90s, and I believe they're going to go above and beyond Nascar

Not a chance in hell, IMHO. I don't like the addition of Toyota, and your criticisms of NASCAR are valid, but this just ain't going to happen.

[Little Whiskey]

Not a chance in hell, IMHO. I don't like the addition of Toyota, and your criticisms of NASCAR are valid, but this just ain't going to happen.

come on harv, i think you can do better than that!! give some reasons buddy.

[chain_gang]

initially i was upset with the CHASE, but after the last couple years i have really grown to enjoy the playoff format. it was good for nascar and good for the fans.

Yeah at first I didn't know what to think about the Chase format, I kind of thought it was disrespectful to past winners. I do like it a lot now and it makes it more interesting towards the end of the year. The free pass rule is another I kind of like, however, I'd like to see the driver that gets a free pass only be able to do it once during the race. I still watch Nascar, but this year seems to be a little boring compared to years past for some reason.

I also agree that if indy gets more viewers and fan support they'll get into marketing a lot more, just as any other sport does.

[Little Whiskey]

The free pass rule is another I kind of like, however, I'd like to see the driver that gets a free pass only be able to do it once during the race.

I glad they did away with racing back to the caution flag, but i agree with you on the once per race rule change. i think you should be able to race back with one or two laps to go. i like the green white checkers rule but still hate the fact that the race can finish under caution, and you can't race back to the finish line.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Not a chance in hell, IMHO. I don't like the addition of Toyota, and your criticisms of NASCAR are valid, but this just ain't going to happen.

come on harv, i think you can do better than that!! give some reasons buddy.

The biggest reason: Americans like sports that are distinctly American. Stock car racing, not open wheel racing, is distinctly American.

[Little Whiskey]

i agree with you harv.


so why your dislike for toyota entering Nascar? are you only against cup, or where you against the trucks too?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm the ugly American. I don't want Toyota dominating NASCAR like they do the Truck series.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Kenseth with a nice win today at Dover. He passed teammate Jamie McMurray with 3 laps to go.

[Little Whiskey]

I was hoping that FC watched the race. Her boy had a damn good chance of winning. those closing laps were some great racing. I wouldn't have been too upset if kenseth couldn't have passed him. he is due for a break.

speaking of breaks, do you think someone can pull the horseshoe out of Jimmie Johnsons rear. the guy was laped during the race and was in the back of the field all day long, and still pulls out a top ten finish. I hate to say it but this might be his year.

I don't know if you heard in the post race interviews, but reiser (kenseth's crew cheif) had called for him to pit under the final caution. If he had there was no way he wins the race. even though he had the best car all day, there just wasn't enough laps for him to fight thru the field.

[MadtownPacker]

The race on the new movie "Cars" looks exciting.

[Deputy Nutz]

McMurray and Kenseth don't much care for each other, so I am glad that #17 car sped past him.

Kenseth is gonna be the #1 car going into the Chase. Whether or not he can hold on is another matter, but he has the best car, and right now the best pits. He is even running in the top ten in the super speedways. Rousch is by far and away the strongest team out there right now.

[Little Whiskey]

nutz i think they might have mended a few of those fences. it probably helps a little bit that they are now on the same team. I was curious to see how it would play out after it was announced that rousch had hired mcmurry to drive the 97 (or 26), since they have had more then words the past couple years. I thought their relationship was going to be similar to Robby Gordon and Harvick, when they both raced for Childress. but so far it has worked out. they raced each other very clean at the end of the race. I was more concered about Harvick wrecking one of them, then i was about each of them taking the other out.