****NASCAR in 2015****

JRS

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Quick note to say that I'm not dead - just in a part of France where WiFi isn't exactly universal. Will update this thread next week when I get home.
 

JRS

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Well, I could post a round-up of what happened in NASCAR since the last race I posted about....but since no-one else seemed bothered enough to step into the breach I won't :)

I will however talk about Darlington. The Cup race saw the teams run the low-downforce package again, now with tyres from Goodyear designed to match. And couple all that to Darlington's legendarily tyre-eating surface and tricky nature, one hell of a race ensued. Okay, so Braindead Moron™ winning was fairly depressing. But the race itself? Great fun to watch.

NASCAR has taken the decision to use the standard 2015 aero rules package for the Chase, which is a little disappointing but I understand why they would go that way. Hopefully the low-downforce package becomes a part of the 2016 rules - and also hopefully they go back to the drawing board on the high-drag package used at Indy and Michigan, 'cause that sucked.
 

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The Cup race at Richmond Saturday night has set the field for the Chase.

a10op5.jpg


The points are as follows:


  1. Jimmie Johnson - 2012
  2. Kyle Busch - 2012
  3. Matt Kenseth - 2012
  4. Joey Logano - 2009
  5. Kevin Harvick - 2006
  6. Dale Earnhardt Jr - 2006
  7. Kurt Busch - 2006
  8. Braindead Moron™ - 2006
  9. Brad Keselowski - 2003
  10. Martin Truex Jr - 2003
  11. Denny Hamlin - 2003
  12. Jamie McMurray - 2000
  13. Jeff Gordon - 2000
  14. Ryan Newman - 2000
  15. Paul Menard - 2000
  16. Clint Bowyer - 2000
 

JRS

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Meanwhile, in the Trucks:


Just the good ol' boys
Never meanin' no harm
Beats all you ever saw
Been in trouble with the law
Since the day they was born

Straight'nin' the curves
Flatt'nin' the hills
Someday the mountain might get 'em
But the law never will

Makin' their way
The only way they know how
That's just a little bit more than the law will allow

Just the good ol' boys
Wouldn't change if they could
Fightin' the system like a true modern day Robin Hood
 
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I'm pretty up to speed anyway but I'd like some clarification on the 'chase' system.

Is it purely done on points or do wins come into it?

And are the points counted only between the chase drivers or through the entire field? For example if chase driver x is in 3rd and chase driver y is in 5th do they differ in 1 point because the car in 4th isn't in the chase? Or do they have two points difference? (Hope that makes sense :( )

Finally what's the best way to watch this in the UK? So far I've been limited to watching replays on Youtube.
 

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Sorry for not updating the thread.

Well, not 'sorry' exactly....;)

I'm pretty up to speed anyway but I'd like some clarification on the 'chase' system.

Is it purely done on points or do wins come into it?

I can't really explain it any better than Wikipedia has....so I'll quote it! :)

Wiki said:
Under the new system, the Chase field is expanded to 16 drivers for the 10-race Chase. The 16 drivers are chosen primarily on wins during the "regular season"; if fewer than 16 drivers win races during the regular season, the remaining field is filled on the basis of regular season points. These drivers compete against each other while racing in the standard field of 43 cars. The driver with the most points after the final 10 races is declared the champion.


The new playoff system means that drivers are eliminated from title contention as the Chase progresses. The bottom four of the top-16 drivers are eliminated from title contention after the third race (Dover) in what is called the "Challenger Round", reducing the size of the field by 25%. The bottom four winless drivers have their points reset based on the standard points system, while the remaining 12 Chase drivers' points are reset to 3,000 points. The new bottom four are eliminated after the sixth Chase race (Talladega) in the "Contender Round", reducing the size of the field another 33%. Those who continue have their points all reset to 4,000. Then the "Eliminator Round" involves axing 50% of the Chase grid, cutting the drivers 5th-8th in the points after the penultimate race at Phoenix, and the top four drivers have their point totals reset to 5,000 so that they are tied for the final race at Homestead-Miami for the title run. Of these four drivers, the driver with the best finish at Homestead is then the crowned series champion (these drivers do not earn bonus points for leading a lap or leading the most laps).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_for_the_Sprint_Cup#cite_note-9 Any Chase driver who wins a race is automatically guaranteed a spot in the next round. Up to three drivers thus can advance to the next round of the Chase through race wins, regardless of their actual points position when the elimination race in that round happens. The remaining drivers advance on points.

And are the points counted only between the chase drivers or through the entire field? For example if chase driver x is in 3rd and chase driver y is in 5th do they differ in 1 point because the car in 4th isn't in the chase? Or do they have two points difference? (Hope that makes sense :( )

The field of 43 drivers are still all going for points, so a Chase driver gets the points that his/her finishing position pays.

Finally what's the best way to watch this in the UK? So far I've been limited to watching replays on Youtube.

I've pretty much gave up trying to fathom out the ways of watching it live legally these days....

So, an update on how things stand post-Martinsville, the first of the Eliminator rounds. Eight drivers are still in contention - Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr, Kevin Harvick, Braindead Moron™, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano. Jeff Gordon has sealed a chance at the title with his win at Martinsville (and wouldn't that be one hell of a way to bow out!). The other seven drivers have two more races (Texas and Phoenix) to get themselves locked into the title fight.
 

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Wow.

So, at Martinsville a thing happened. Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano have spent most of this year mad at each other, various incidents having occurred between them. Then there was this latest one. Kenseth was off the pace and several laps down due to an earlier crash involving himself, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch. Logano came up to put him another lap down, and....


....crashy bendy smashy time.

Now, this sort of thing has happened an awful lot in the sport. NASCAR operates a 'have at it' policy in most respects. And so more than a few people thought that Kenseth would be spoken to, but ultimately not take any punishment.

Matt Kenseth suspended for two races.

So yeah, possibly a bit of a surprise. But reading the comments that the NASCAR hierarchy made, I tend to agree with it. Logano was leading at the time. If he'd gone on to win, he'd be locked into the title fight at Homestead. As it stands, he's in a bit of a hole with points and now really needs a win to get there. Kenseth was well down the order, not in contention for the race win and not in contention for the title. And it's not as if Logano was the reason for his crash earlier in the day - Kenseth was narked about being spun by Logano at Kansas a few weeks ago.

Joe Gibbs Racing are appealing the punishment, and NASCAR has said that they'll expedite the appeals process.
 
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Not trolling here, but what exactly is it about NASCAR that you like ? Especially for a European, with so many other Motorsport options to follow out there.

Obviously there's an attraction out there, its pretty huge in America (where i happen to live) i can't seem to figure it out... I'm interested in what makes you guys (presumably all Brits) enjoy the sport?
 

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I think a lot of it comes from racing the Papyrus sims when I was younger, gaining an appreciation of how different it was to European circuit racing. But even earlier on, when I was able to see races on TV when visiting family over in Canada, I was drawn to it. A lot of the negative comments about the sport - 'oh, they just turn left', 'oh, the tracks are all identical', 'oh, it's all so unsophisticated' - have never really entered my mind. I just thought 'wow, these cars are big, loud, fast and this is dangerous. That's awesome!' :)

I will say that much like with F1 I have more of an appreciation for the sport back in time than I do for the here-and-now. It's just with F1 the contrast to how things used to be is a bit more dismaying, whereas with NASCAR the only thing I really detest about the modern sport is the Chase format. I understand why it was brought in (not for nothing is it sometimes known as the 'Matt Kenseth Rule'), I just don't think it was a totally perfect response to the situation.

Oh, step one of the JGR/Kenseth appeal has been shot down - National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss is now their last chance. He's looking at it I believe as I type this.
 

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Loghead and Brat playing games on the restarts are what resulted in the crash that took Kenseth out of contention so he had every right to be miffed at Loghead for the the crash.


It was a slowish restart, but nothing too out of the ordinary for Martinsville.

Kenseth and Logano have been chippy for ages. And I have to point out a spot of hypocrisy on Kenseth's part here as well:

NASCAR.com said:
Kenseth expressed frustration at Logano's unapologetic stance after the incident, saying he "should have stopped running his mouth, A, and No. 2, he's lying when he said he didn't do it on purpose."
And what does you blaming this latest collision on a tyre going down count as, eh Matt? ;)

Anyway, Kenseth's final appeal is done. Penalty upheld but probation shortened to the end of the year instead of six months. No word yet on who could take over for the two races.
 

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No, no, no, NO!

Chase-style championship format being looked at for Xfinity, Trucks.

*rage*

***edit***

Anyway, while the Xfinity and Truck series championships are still in a halfway sensible format....here's how the titles can be clinched.

Xfinity - Chris Buescher currently leads the championship from Chase Elliott by 18 points. If Buescher finishes 13th or better, 14th with a lap led or 15th with the most laps led then he wins the title.

Trucks - Erik Jones leads Tyler Reddick by 19 points, so he takes the title by finishing 15th, 16th with a lap led, 17th with the most laps led.

And in the Cup series it's down to a straight four-way shootout. Whichever one of Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr crosses the line first takes it.
 
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JRS

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Yep. Drove a great race, a deserved champion. Congrats also to Chris Buescher and Erik Jones, champions in the Xfinity and Truck series respectively.
 
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