LGP NASCAR Thread

[relantel]

Wreck fest continues. Almirola again, no yellow. Was racing Mark Martin for the lead. Two laps later, Biffle hard into the wall. Another yellow.

[relantel]

The 55 looks stout on the restarts.

[relantel]

Wow, Newman dumps Kyle Busch on the frontstretch, and Newman got dumped by Hornish trying to get out of the way. More cautions like this and 55 looks in great shape.

[relantel]

43 wrecks again, trapping 55/11 down a lap due green flags stops.

[JS©]

Kurt Busch drives for Furniture Row? Did he lose all of his sponsors?

[relantel]

Kurt Busch drives for Furniture Row? Did he lose all of his sponsors?

Kurt signed with them for 2013, and went over early, sending Regan Smith to the 51, before the Earnhardt injury led him to sub in the 88. Allmendinger filled in the 51 the last two weeks.

What a gaffe by Kahne on the final yellow. Should have restarted 2nd, but pulled a Marcos Ambrose and restarted 6th. The shuffle shuffled Smith out of the outside lane into the inside lane, and the inside lane was terrible on restarts, between the leader always choosing the outside, and cars dive-bombing the apron. Smith ended up 7th with a car that was a top 4 car.

Points race - Boywer gains a little, 48 holds even as they never lost a lap despite the heavy damage, and the 11 rebounded for 13th, losing only 5 points, now 20 back, and Bowyer is now 25 back.

[CERV96]

Like the 48 or not. They never gave up from being behind the 8 ball.

[TheHammer24]

Who even had good cars today? Other than 55 and 43 felt like everyone ran the same speed and strategy wrecking determined the finish. Denny needs to make up 5 points a race on the 2 and 3.25 points a race on the 48. That's a tall order. He can win at Martinsville ad Phoenix, but the Loudon car that was dominant is what he wrecked on Thursday. I'm just bummed right now.

[CERV96]

Who even had good cars today? Other than 55 and 43 felt like everyone ran the same speed and strategy wrecking determined the finish. Denny needs to make up 5 points a race on the 2 and 3.25 points a race on the 48. That's a tall order. He can win at Martinsville ad Phoenix, but the Loudon car that was dominant is what he wrecked on Thursday. I'm just bummed right now.

48 was as good as the 43 unil he wrecked himself.

[relantel]

last half of the race, first the 55 several times, and then the 17, each pulled away on every restart. The inside car never had a chance.

I know NASCAR doesn't have the yellow line rule outside the plate tracks, but the dive-bombing put a real disadvantage to the driver who lined up 3rd.

[CERV96]

It seemed like running out in front with clean air gave anyone an advantage today from what I saw. Maybe I am off though.

[TheHammer24]

I agree with both of you.

[relantel]

two possible solutions:

1. force the leader to start on the inside

2. Go back to single-file lead lap cars on the outside, and allow passing to the outside before the start finish line as used to be allowed. Might as well allow the lap-down cars to line up down below and race their way back past the leader.

(Then again, I think they need to get rid of the wavearound, and make the tail-end cars start behind the pace car in front of the leader)

[TheHammer24]

Ha, I feel like the pre-wave around rule was arcane. I also like double-file restarts, but I never watched in a different era. To fix the problem, I think you could just make the white line uncrossable for the first two laps after a restart.

[relantel]

Apparenty Earnhardt tested yesterday at Concord without ill affect, waiting on Doctor eval today.

Seems Allemendinger to stay in the 51 this weekend, leaving Regan Smith the odd man out.

[TheHammer24]

Apparenty Earnhardt tested yesterday at Concord without ill affect, waiting on Doctor eval today.

Seems Allemendinger to stay in the 51 this weekend, leaving Regan Smith the odd man out.

Really ironic that the opportunity to drive the 88 ended up costing him the ride in the 51. He'll be competitive in the 88 NW ride next year, at least.

[relantel]

I got the track wrong, 88 test was at Gresham Motorsports Park.

Word out about 1ish was Earnhardt has been cleared and will race at the paperclip.

[TheHammer24]

BK qualifies 32nd, Johnson 1st, Hamlin 5th. Johnson should take the points lead this week, and Hamlin should make up substantial ground. I think BK's run is reaching the end.

In other news, the NW series should be great next year. Sadler and Vickers are driving the 11 and 18 for the championship. Austin Dillon comes back in the 3. Hornish returns in the 12. Bayne enters the 6. Ty Dillon likely comes to the 2. And Regan Smith enters a full time JR Motorsports Ride. That's 8 legitimate, cup-caliber drivers competing for a NW Championship. Plus Algaier is always entertaining.

[shafnutz05]

BK qualifying 32nd at a track like Martinsville is huge. So hard to work your way back from a lap down there

[TheHammer24]

There's always next year. Was definitely going to finish in top 2. F.

[shafnutz05]

Wow....horrible, horrible luck for Hamlin. It's a two horse race now.

[relantel]

sorry hammer.

Until the late cautions, thought the 24 would get by the 48. Denied a real good finish, but at least there had been a set of green flag stops at Martinsville.

[TheHammer24]

sorry hammer.

Until the late cautions, thought the 24 would get by the 48. Denied a real good finish, but at least there had been a set of green flag stops at Martinsville.

Good point on the 24, he, Denny, and Bowyer had the best cars in the middle of the race. The 48 looked sluggish, but he benefited from #1 pit stall and inside line on the restart at the end.

I legit lost sleep over this last night. Not quite a nightmare, but definitely hearing Denny scream "Darien, the gauges are going crazy!! ****, it just powered down" on the scanner crushed a sports season in the same way an upset loss to the Steelers and Pens do.

I would cheer for the 15, but he can't catch the others. I like the 48 over the 2, I guess. BK annoys em, although he's good for the sport. The 48 is the Patriots to me -- hate him when competing with them, but kind of like him from a distance.

[relantel]

After Texas, 48 in the drivers' seat. 2 could still win it, but is probably going to have to win both Phoenix and Homestead to assure passing the 48.

[shafnutz05]

Wow. Truck series leader James Buescher into the wall with 3 laps left with a flat tire. Luckily for him, Dillon is way back in the field in 17th some laps down, but Peters is much closer. Willl make for a much more interesting finish at Homestead.