****NASCAR in 2015****

JRS

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So, February is upon us and the NASCAR season will soon be getting underway.

Sprint Cup Series.

Driver and team changes.

A few driver changes this year. Trevor Bayne is running full time in Cup competition for Roush Fenway Racing in the #6. This has been made possible by RFR no longer running the #99 car for Carl 'Braindead Moron™' Edwards - he's now driving the #19 for Joe Gibbs. The Wood Brothers #21 will still run a limited schedule, Ryan Blaney will drive. Marcos Ambrose has returned to Australia to race again in the V8 Supercars, Sam Hornish Jr will drive the #9 for Richard Petty Motorsports. Cole Whitt moves from BK Racing to drive Front Row Motorsports' #35. Alex Bowman also moves from BK Racing, he'll drive the #7 for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Michael Annett leaves TBR to drive a second car for HScott Motorsports, the #46.

Over at Michael Waltrip Motorsports, Brian Vickers is sitting out the first two races of the year while he recovers from heart surgery - Mikey will be in the car for the Daytona 500, Brett Moffitt will sub at Atlanta.

A few team changes as well. The Motorsports Group are fielding a Cup car, the #30 - Ron Hornaday Jr will drive. Tommy Baldwin Racing have reportedly sold the #36 entry to Jay Robinson Racing, though I don't believe that's been confirmed yet.

Schedule changes.


Atlanta moves to the second race of the season, and the spring Bristol race has moved from March to April. So now the teams get a three race stint in the west without having to head to Tennessee just to come back. Daytona's second race (Coke Zero 400) will be held for this year only on the Sunday night rather than Saturday. Kansas and Charlotte have swapped their Chase races. And joy of joys, the Southern 500 at Darlington returns to Labor Day weekend after 11 years.

Other news.

So....qualifying for the Daytona 500. Always an anomaly, this year it's getting a new tweak - group qualifying for the pole.

NASCAR.com said:
Qualifying will consist of three rounds with the first round divided into two groups based on a random draw. Vehicles drawing an odd number will be in the first group with even numbers in the second group. The first round is five minutes, and the 24 fastest cars advance to the second round. Following a 10-minute break, the second round will be five minutes with the fastest 12 advancing to the third and final round. A seven-minute break will precede the third round, which will last five minutes. The top two cars will make up the front row for the Daytona 500.

The rest of the field is set, as always, by the Duels.

NASCAR.com said:
The Duel at Daytona, two 150-mile qualifying races, will determine starting positions for the Daytona 500 beyond the front row. The fastest qualifier in Coors Light Pole Qualifying will be on the pole for the first Duel at Daytona, and the second-fastest qualifier will be on the pole for the second Duel at Daytona. In the event of cancellation, the field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Those cars earning odd-numbered positions from qualifying will be assigned to the first Duel race. Those cars earning even-numbered positions from qualifying will compete in the second race.

The starting positions for each Duel race will also be based on qualifying times.

That bit's pretty much as it's always been for the 500.

So the line-up will be....

NASCAR.com said:
Daytona 500 lineup

• The two fastest qualifiers during Coors Light Pole Qualifying earn starting positions one and two.

• The highest 15 finishers in each Duel race -- excluding the already locked-in front row -- will earn a spot in the Daytona 500, and fill positions 3-32.

• Based on their finishing position in the first Duel race, the top 15 will line up on the inside row (odd-number starting positions).

• Based on their finishing position in the second Duel race, the top 15 will line up on the outside row (even-number starting positions).

• Positions 33-36 will go to the four fastest cars from any round of Coors Light Pole Qualifying that have not already earned a spot.

• Positions 37-42 will be provisional positions, and go to the highest six cars in 2014 owner points that are present, have entered by the entry deadline and have not already qualified via the Duel or Coors Light Pole Qualifying.

• The 43rd starting position will be assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion who did not make the field by any other method, providing the driver had competed in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position remains unused, it will be assigned to the next highest car in 2014 owner points not already locked into the field.

Tony Stewart and defending Cup champion Kevin Harvick are both on record as not being madly in love with group qualifying at restrictor plate tracks. If it turns into a giant cluster **** at the 500 I suspect we won't see it again.

So....anything else, anything else....oh yeah, just one thing but barely worth a mention - it's Jeff Gordon's last full-time season.

*blink*

:eek:

He's not using the word 'retirement' yet, and you'd suspect that he'll stay very involved in the NASCAR scene (and more than likely with Hendrick). But this year will definitely be the last Daytona 500 that he enters, and his last chance at a fifth Cup title. The #24 will be driven from 2016 on by Chase Elliott, who will defend his Xfinity (formerly Nationwide) title this year and drive a limited Cup schedule in the #25 for Hendrick.
 
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JRS

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Xfinity Series.

So yeah, new year and new title sponsor for the series. Just after I'd gotten used to calling it Nationwide and not Busch :rolleyes::p

A few driver and team changes here as well. Turner Scott Motorsports has disbanded, the remnants merging with Chip Ganassi. Dylan Kwasniewski and Kyle Larson will share driving duties in the #42. Daniel Suárez will run a full schedule for Joe Gibbs' #18, and Darrell Wallace Jr is also running a full schedule - he'll drive the #6 RFR car that Trevor Bayne is vacating. Eric McClure is leaving TriStar Motorsports, he'll drive the #24 for JGL Racing who are switching to Toyotas. Cale Conley will drive his old ride at TriStar in the #14, and Blake Koch is also in at TriStar to drive the #8. And Ross Chastain is replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt at JD Motorsports in the #4, Earnhardt will drive the #55 Viva Motorsports car.

Similar schedule changes to the Cup series - Atlanta for the second race, the 'west coast swing' through March, Labor Day weekend for Darlington.
 

JRS

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Camping World Truck Series.

Ah, my favourite of the big three NASCAR series. I really wish a UK broadcaster would show some love for the trucks, they truly are one of the best shows in town!

So, driver and team changes. Tyler Reddick will drive the #19 full-time for Brad Keselowski Racing. Erik Jones and Justin Boston will run the full season for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the #4 and #54 respectively, with Darrell Wallace Jr having gone to the Xfinity series. With TSM shuttering and Ganassi taking over what was left, Ben Kennedy has moved over to Red Horse Racing to drive their #11 truck. And a lack of sponsorship has seen Joey Coulter's ride disappear - he stays on with GMS Racing as a 'team relationships coordinator', whatever the hell that is. Hopefully he'll get a drive again, 43 top 10s in 91 truck starts is a pretty decent showing.

Schedule - the trucks will run a Saturday double-header with the Xfinity series at Atlanta, Xfinity race first at 2pm ET with the trucks at 5:30pm.
 
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Hopefully you don't abandon this thread as quickly as the 2014 one, JRS ;)

Good to see new talent moving up without needing to bring millions in sponsorship with them...something the European ladder system could learn from.
 

JRS

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Hopefully you don't abandon this thread as quickly as the 2014 one, JRS ;)

Meh, no-one seemed to be bothered. I'll post if other people are posting. Otherwise it's just me talking in an empty room!

Good to see new talent moving up without needing to bring millions in sponsorship with them...something the European ladder system could learn from.

It is, though sponsorship dollars are still critical - see Joey Coulter.
 
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Meh, no-one seemed to be bothered. I'll post if other people are posting. Otherwise it's just me talking in an empty room!

Not really an empty room, but more just a quiet room:D

I love NASCAR but rarely have time to watch or catch-up on it so this thread will help me keep track.

Good work on the opening post!
 
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Its a shame the Sprint Cup isn't easier to watch in the UK.

Motors TV do a pretty good job with the Nationwide Series, but we are lacking a (non subscription) Sprint Cup highlights show that would make following it much easier.
 
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Its a shame the Sprint Cup isn't easier to watch in the UK.

Nascar have been uploading their races to Youtube for several months. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePiZ6aIusQQ

Again, a complete 180 degrees from the European model.

Meh, no-one seemed to be bothered. I'll post if other people are posting. Otherwise it's just me talking in an empty room!

I was updating the 2014 thread after you left...I gave up because nobody was replying to my posts.

It is, though sponsorship dollars are still critical - see Joey Coulter.

True, although it's the third tier series. Mosport was a great race in 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2MU_WRdkFc), the Trucks need more of that and less piggybacking on the saturated Cup markets (Texas etc).
 
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Sprint Unlimited on Sat 14th. And eligibility has changed again.

This race, like the All-Star race at Charlotte later in the year, doesn't pay points. It's just about prize money. This year, the field will be as follows:

  • the 16 drivers who qualified for the first part of the Chase
  • drivers who won pole positions (not counting those on the pole when qualifying was rained out and practice speed set the grid)
  • previous entrants in the Unlimited who entered at least one race last year
  • anyone who started on the front row at the Daytona 500, if they didn't get another pole position last year
  • remaining spots to make up a minimum 25 car grid to go to the highest finishers in the championship last year who don't otherwise qualify for a spot under any of the above rules
An extra spot has opened up on the entry list because AJ Allmendinger won't be running his #47 car in the race. The late change to the eligibility rules caught out his team (JTG Daugherty Racing), their budgeting for the year only accounted for the 36 races of the regular Cup season and it was a bit late to consider screwing around with things just to make the Unlimited. Better to focus on the regular season and making a good start to things at the 500.


Now to wait and see if someone comes along with a sackful of sponsor cash to get him into the race :)
 

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A few more qualifying drivers have pulled out of the Unlimited.

Brian Scott, David Gilliland and Brian Vickers join Allmendinger on the sidelines. Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Casey Mears and Ricky Stenhouse Jr will race in their place under the final rule I listed above. Guessing financial reasons for all bar Vickers, who won't be starting the season due to recovering from heart surgery.

The 25 car field will be as follows:

  • Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon are in based on winning a pole position last season
  • Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr in due to being previous Unlimited winners
  • Danica Patrick, Braindead Moron™, Martin Truex Jr and Greg Biffle for being former Daytona 500 pole-winners
  • Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman for making the Chase last season
  • and Menard, Mears, Bowyer and Stenhouse Jr as mentioned
The format this year is a first segment of 25 laps when a competition caution will come, followed by a final 50 lap segment. And the starting order and pitroad positions will be decided by a random draw on Friday done by fans paired with the crew chiefs for the eligible drivers.
 

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Lot of racecars got bent up in the Unlimited. Only 12 finishers! Congrats to Matt Kenseth on winning it, must be good to get back to Victory Lane after a winless '14 season.

Group qualifying produced a few talking points. Firstly, the front row is a Hendrick lockout with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson prevailing. Jeff's pole-winning lap is the 5th fastest Daytona pole lap ever.

Secondly, Clint Bowyer is mad as hell, and I can't say that I blame him. Reed Sorenson may not even make the Duels and the 500 now, his team don't have a backup car here.

Thirdly, couple of penalties handed down. Dale Earnhardt Jr's car failed post-qually inspection because it was running too low at the left front. All times disallowed, he'll start 25th in the first Duel. Denny Hamlin's car was found to be running a 3¾in split side-to-side on the track bar, the maximum allowed is 3in. He'll start 24th in the second Duel.

Qualifying results.
Duel line-ups.

Some cars are already locked into the race, some will have to race their way in through the Duels.

Locked in:

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson - via pole qualifying
Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Braindead Moron™, Jamie McMurray - top qualifying speeds
Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth - owner points
Tony Stewart - most recent champion provisional

Six drivers find themselves needing to race their way into the main event - Michael Annett, Ryan Blaney, Ron Hornaday Jr, Justin Marks, David Ragan and Reed Sorenson.
 

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By the way, a full copy of the Unlimited has been put on Youtube. Not sure what the rules are on linking to it here (it's not on the official NASCAR channel), but it won't take much finding!
 

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Junebug and Johnson won their respective Duels.

Duel 1 results.
Duel 2 results.

Barring any engine or car changes, this is how they'll line up for the 500. Going home are Ron Hornaday Jr, Josh Wise, Jeb Burton, Justin Marks, Alex Bowman and Brian Scott.

There was a frank-bordering-on-direct conversation between Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin post-Duel 2, after once again Danica's car got turned by Denny. He thinks her car setup is way too loose, she thinks he's parking on her left-rear quarter panel and taking the downforce off the spoiler. Either way, time to fix whatever it is.

Trucks tonight. They'll qualify at 16:30 ET and race at 19:30.

Entry list.
 

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Wow.....genuinely didn't think that they'd do this. NASCAR indefinitely suspends Kurt Busch in the wake of the restraining order that his former girlfriend obtained recently. He's out of the 500, out of the #41 car until further notice, out of NASCAR competition in it's entirety until further notice. No word yet from SHR over who will take over driving duties.

If you've not read a single thing about this case, it really makes for a confusing tale in parts - the accusation from Busch (under oath!) that Patty Driscoll is a trained assassin has to rate pretty high up on the insanity gauge....This one's gonna run and run.
 
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So then, after quite a few big wrecks so far. Is there anyone even left?

Also it seems slapping out fires in the pitlane is a new thing this year, seem to remember it happening in one of the duels last night as well.
 

JRS

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Congrats to Tyler Reddick - his first national series win in only his 18th start!

14 trucks on the lead lap by the end, and only 21 finishers. That's Daytona for you.

***edit***

Re: SHR and Kurt Busch - Regan Smith will sub for this race, no decision yet on Atlanta onwards. Wonder if this really is the final straw with Busch's career?
 
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