2012 NASCAR thread

Part of me really hopes that Brad wins it, simply so that Dodge can leave on a high. I'm gutted that the 2013 Charger won't ever run in anger :(
 
That final lap: link.

Definitely Smoke's fault, and he copped to it in the post-race interview which was heartening. Just look at Brad's #2 though - involved in the wreck, yes, but didn't get much of it and managed to be 7th when the yellow flag flew. That's the kind of luck champions get.

I do feel sorry for Mikey Waltrip. He had a run that would have seen him past Stewart had Tony not tried to block, or at least get him a top 5 finish if the block had worked. Instead, he ends up 25th with a torn-up racecar.

A side-effect of Brad making it over the line 7th is that Jeff Gordon hasn't really caught up despite another 2nd place. He's made positions up, but no real ground made in the points. Everyone else needs Brad to have a really bad weekend before this Chase is out.
 
No word on Kenseth shoving Bowyer past the yellow line the lap before? I know NASCAR is a contact sport but that was cheeky and could have caused the wreck sooner..

 
They couldn't penalise him for that - the sheer quantity of whining if he'd taken a penalty for it post-race and promoted Jeff Gordon (a Hendrick car, after all) to the win would open up a hole in the space-time continuum! :p
 
JRS said:
They couldn't penalise him for that - the sheer quantity of whining if he'd taken a penalty for it post-race and promoted Jeff Gordon (a Hendrick car, after all) to the win would open up a hole in the space-time continuum! :p
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Hahaha. I wasn't suggesting a penalty, just that restrictor plate racing is enough of a wreck-fest without drivers cutting each other up at 200mph on top of it.
 
Indeedy. But something has changed, either in the tyre or the aero package, because drivers were saving stuff that looked like a lost cause all day long. Kenseth in particular, that car was so loose it looked almost as though it belonged on a half-mile dirt oval rather than a superspeedway.
 
JRS said:
Indeedy. But something has changed, either in the tyre or the aero package, because drivers were saving stuff that looked like a lost cause all day long. Kenseth in particular, that car was so loose it looked almost as though it belonged on a half-mile dirt oval rather than a superspeedway.
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Loose is fast on the majority of ovals, isn't it? Then again I never expected Danica Patrick to be a good road course driver in Nascar, so what do I know :p
 
Not at 'dega, with that banking, those speeds, and traffic. You want neutral, maybe a slight push. Kenseth pretty much had it spun out three or four times in the closing laps, and managed to somehow hold onto it.
 
sr4470 said:
Loose or not, the car obviously worked for Kenseth since he's placed 1st, 3rd, 1st, 3rd in the four plate races this year :p
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It's the first time I can recall seeing him fight a car like that in ages. Maybe even years!
 
Looks like Hornish is out of the running for the Nationwide championship after that wreck with Allgaier at Charlotte.

Logano won the race, in the only series he can :p four other Cup drivers in the top 5 places. Sadler is back in the points lead after his 3rd place. JR Motorsports struggled in the race by the looks of it, with Danica Patrick 11th and Cole Whitt 13th.

John Wrecks Townley as I call him actually managed to finish the race, albeit 14 laps down in 32nd place..
 
Series of updates for the rules in 2013.

1) Qualifying for the Cup series is changing. Firstly, the top 36 lock-in is no more:

In Sprint Cup competition, the series will move to a 36-6-1 format where the fastest 36 cars will make the race on speed.

The next six highest ranking cars in owners points that have not already earned a starting position through qualifying and who have entered the event by the posted entry deadline will also make the field. The final starting position will be awarded to the most recent eligible past champion driver. If there is no eligible past champion driver, then a seventh car will make the field based upon owners' points.

Provisional positions in the 36-6-1 format will be lined up by owners' points, not speed.

Since 2005, the top 35 cars in owners' points were guaranteed a spot in the field. Now, only a maximum of seven cars will be locked into a given race.
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Secondly, qualifying order is going back to being a random draw. If qualifying is rained off, the grid will continue to be set by speed in practice sessions.

I don't know if the annual brain-bender of Daytona 500 qualifying is changing, but I suspect not ;)

2) The owners points criteria are changing as well. Currently, the first five races see the previous year's owners points being used. Now, it'll be three races for Cup and Nationwide, four races for the Trucks.

3) Testing.

Beginning next season in the Sprint Cup Series, there will be up to four tests per organization available to teams at tracks at which the series competes. Since 2009, teams could only test at tracks that did not hold NASCAR national series events.
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For the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, starting in 2013, there will be up to two tests per organization at tracks where those series compete. If the organization has an official Sunoco Rookie of Year candidate, then that team will receive one additional test. Additionally, NASCAR will open track activity early for extended practice at two additional events per series, to be determined.
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4) The maximum field size for the Nationwide series is dropping to 40 cars. Apparently it's "in an effort to strengthen the ownership base up and create a sense of urgency among teams to make races". I suspect it's more down to how difficult it's been of late to find sponsorship for Nationwide cars! Trucks and Cup are holding at 36 and 43 respectively.
 
No comment on the Charlotte chase race...er economy run :p ? I think Bowyer has an outside chance based on that win, but I wouldn't bet against Keselowski or JJ taking the title at Homestead.

Bad luck for Smith, losing a top ten to a bad engine. No idea what happened to Gordon, I guess his fuel strategy was the wrong one.
 
Didn't see it, so didn't really have much to say! I should be watching the remaining races though.
 
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