NASCAR Chase Race # 3

Ron61 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-28-2008, 04:23 PM

Well Jimmy Johnson won today but I was hoping Edwards or Biffle would beat him. At least part of my dreams are coming through. Kyle Bush is off to a very bad start. Tony Steward had a rough day also. Now I can go watch the baseball playoffs and decide who I am going to root for. Looks as if the Mets are having another late season crash.

Ron

392cobra · #2 (**permalink**) 09-28-2008, 04:54 PM

Did you watch that Outstanding Texas - Arkansas game yesterday ??

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 02:48 AM

Fred,

Arkansas without doubt has one of the worst football teams in their history. I think it was the week before they got beat by some huge score. I don't even watch them any more. UCLA is my favorite team and they haven't been to good at any sport for several years, but still hold their own with most teams in basketball. Texas on the other hand has a pretty good team and should move up some in the rankings, especially since USC went to Oregon and fell apart.

Ron

Joe Wicked · #4 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 04:41 AM

Ron,
I am a Jimmy Johnson fan, so I rather enjoyed the ending. All together it was a good race no matter who ended up winning. Biffle did not have the car at the end to win, but Edwards sure did. I have to give Edwards a lot of credit for going for the only thing that might give him a win and hitting the wall, not lifting and going for it. Lot of heart there. Made for a great finish. 1/2 way through 3&4 I was getting kinda loud because I did not want to see him loose after finally being able to hold him off. I actually thought the caution flag was going to come out with 10 to go when Waltrip blew his tire. Rubber was flying on the track. To be honest, I think they should have thrown it then and not for the last car to hit the wall with no major damage. I think if they would have thrown it then, Edwards would have gotten around Jimmy. The single file restart, would have made all the difference.

Ron61 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 05:40 AM

Joe,

If Edwards or Biffle can't win it then I will pull for Jimmy Johnson. They seem to have the most consistent team over the past three years and it would be nice to see someone replace Jeff Gordon, and also this would make 3 titles in a row if Jimmy wins it. I like Edwards, but would rather see Biffle win because then he would be the only person to have won titles in all 3 series. Anyway it goes, it looks as if it is going to be a close race to the end unless one of them has some bad luck. I am happy that Kyle bush is all but out of it.

Ron

Joe Wicked · #6 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 07:18 AM

I like Biffle as well, but I have been a Hendrick fan since the 90's. I was a Roush fan as well, with Jeff Burton in the 99, Mark Martin in the 6, and the whole old crew. Now that those drivers have moved on, I followed the driver, so although I like Biffle, I am not what you would call a fan of his. I also followed Evernham after he left Hendrick to start his own team for a while, but when Bill Elliot retired the first time, I lost interest. I started following Johnson just because he was a new Hendrick driver and I am now a fan. I do like Jimmy more than Jeff, but I still pull for him. Next year it will be Jimmy, Jeff, Dale Jr, and Mark Martin, so that is a dream team for me. I would be happy with either Jimmy or Biffle winning the championship. Jimmy would be only the 2nd driver to win 3 in a row, and Biffle would be the first (as you said) to win a championship in all 3 top divisions.

Ron61 · #7 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 07:26 AM

I like Jeff Burton too and he is one of the better drivers. I do think that when Dale Jr. moves to Hendrix they should get rid of that crew chief of his, even if they are related. Dale Sr. would never have put up with him this long. It seems he just can't set a car up to run well for more than part of a race and that part is always at the beginning or middle of the race. Then when Jr. radios in it is awful all he can say is Just Hang On. I was a big fan of Dale Sr. and like Jr., but I don't think he will ever be the driver his dad was. However he seems to be taking a more serious approach to it now than he did a year or so ago. Only time will tell.

Ron

Joe Wicked · #8 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 08:42 AM

I became a fan of Jr last year when he had the media hand feeding him insults to Theresa, and he refused to bite. He always took the high road in the public discussions. That to me was a great respect to his fathers company even if he did not agree. It was around that time that I started watching what he was doing. I too hope that he gets a different crew chief as I don't think that they are a good match. I don't think he is a bad crew chief, just not the right fit. I am sure he can set up a car that would be perfect for someone else.

wtm442 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron61

I am happy that Kyle bush is all but out of it.
Ron

Best part of the whole NASCAR season is to see that dickhead go down the drain! He makes Jeff Gorden look like an angel.

Wayne Maybury · #10 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 08:50 AM

Who is moving to which team next year? What is happening to Tony Stewart?

Carl Edwards showed a lot of desire to win yesterday and showed a lot of class after the race was over.

Jimmy Johnson has the best looking wife.

Wayne

Joe Wicked · #11 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 09:15 AM

Wayne,
Tony Stewart bought into HAAS CNC racing. It is now Stewart-HAAS racing. He will be driving 1 car and Ryan Newman will be driving the other car. (Chevrolet). Joey Lagano will be replacing Stewart in the 20. Allmendinger is out of the 84, no ride yet. Rookie Speed will be in the 84. David Stremme is in the 12 car, Mark Martin is in the 5 Car for Hendrick full time for 1 season (going for that championship), I can't remember right now where Mears is going.

Edit: The Stewart HAAS racing will not run the 66 and 70 cars next year. Ryan's car # will be 39 and I can't remember Stewarts number. No official word on sponsorships. UPS rumored to be going to 39 a couple of weeks ago.

BeanCounter · #12 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 10:54 AM

I gave up my tickets to my daughter. Sec 123 Row 25 right as you straighten out from turn 4. She said it was absolutely the most exciting finish she'd ever seen.

Joe Wicked · #13 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeanCounter

I gave up my tickets to my daughter. Sec 123 Row 25 right as you straighten out from turn 4. She said it was absolutely the most exciting finish she'd ever seen.

Hell it was exciting watching it on my 46" TV in HD, I can only imagine how it was in person. Probably the best finish of the year. Edwards even admitted that he intentionally drove it into the wall trying to get just enough to get in front and possible slow Jimmy down. That is what you call putting it all on the line for the win. Could have cost him a lot though, but it worked out that he still finished 2nd.

Ron61 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 11:38 AM

They both knew that they had a big enough lead to take chances in the last 100 feet. The finish of the last two races has been the best I have seen in a long time.

I saw a guy that represents UPS on one of the NASCASR shows and he said they were going to the Stewart/Haas racing but not which car they will be on. Leaves Michael Waltrip scratching for a sponsor and he wants to start a 3rd car next year.

Ron

Bill Bess · #15 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 11:51 AM

I love my boy Jimmy and hope he can get a third championship, but I really love Carl Edwards.
Carl is one of the best drivers these days, drives a Ford and is always cool and respectful when on camera...I would like to adopt him as a son.
I really like what he said about "going for it" when he passed Jimmy and then hit the wall. He said " when you hit the wall you just punch it and go...it works in video games". He is a great example of how most of the NASCAR drivers show class and the spirit of good competition.

OLd Bill

Ron61 · #16 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 11:59 AM

Bill,

Remember the old Darlington Stripe. I once heard Richard Petty say he ran right up against that rail as it helped his car turn and only scraped some paint off so long as you never slid into it. I will say that these new cars don't disintegrate like the old ones did at every bump.

Ron

Wayne Maybury · #17 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 01:44 PM

Something came to mind yesterday when I was watching the race. In all sports, only the teams that make the playoffs are allowed to continue to play after the regular season is finished. The "Chase for the Cup" is basically NASCAR's playoffs as only a dozen cars are now in the running to have a chance to win the cup. Then how come 43 cars are still in each race? Actually only the 12 cars that qualified for the chase should now be racing. Comments?

Wayne

Ron61 · #18 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 01:50 PM

Wayne,

Just running 12 cars would be a disaster. Just the finances alone would bankrupt many teams and NASCAR would not draw the crowds they do for a 12 car race. What really makes it interesting, and NASCAR will never admit this, but people want to see the non chasers wreck and cause the ones in the chase to have problems. Way back when this idea was first hatched, they talked about having two races, one with the original 10 cars and the other with all the rest. When they did a poll of fans and everything they found they would be racing in 1/2 full tracks as fans just weren't interested in that kind of racing. Also there is the sponsorship to consider. They are leaving now by the droves. If you cut it down to 12 cars then next season that would be about what you had for a season of racing as the sponsors pay millions to have their names on the cars for the full season.

Ron

Wayne Maybury · #19 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 02:11 PM

Ron

I was going to mention the sponsorship thing but didn't. If only 12 cars were running in the chase, there would be much more pressure from the sponsors to make it into the chase. I just find it ironic that cars and teams that have absolutely no chance of winning are still out there mixing it up with the 12 cars that are in the chase. At least they could guarantee the 12 chase cars starting in the first 6 rows. Johnson & Edwards as well as Biffle & Gordon put on quite a show yesterday and NASCAR managed to keep the yellow flag in their pocket for the final 25 laps for a change.

OK, here is another question for NASCAR fans. Let's assume that there are 12 cars in the chase that are fairly tightly grouped in points and a 13th place car just a few points out of the chase. What would happen if that 13th place team really got their act together and starting winning most of the remaining races and actually ended up first in the points at the end of the season? How could NASCAR possibly not give the cup to the car that had the most points overall?

Wayne

Joe Wicked · #20 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 02:42 PM

Wayne,
All of the chase cars got a jump in points to 5000 plus a bonus 10 points for each win they had during the season. Originally it was the top 10, as no one outside the top 10 ever has come back to win it in the last 10 races. They expanded to 12 to widen the competition. With the current points setup even if 13th place won every race, they would not equal the points of any of the Chasers.

I like the idea of them all out there during the chase as it would be a boring race with only 12 cars that are more concerned with what they have to loose vs what they can gain/do. This also means that a bad day (or 3 in a row with Busch) can take you out of the chase effectively. Finishing 12th on a bad day, you will not loose much ground ever.