One of the things I like and respect about NASCAR is the fact that NASCAR has very strick rules and guidelines for everything including driver conduct off the track. The TV interviewes may seem a bit canned, polite and respectful.....but what's wrong with that.
In other sports the players act like jerks, can't talk in good english and say stuff that's inappropriate for a high paid star to say.
Anyway, Nascar seems to cast that old fashion, down home, clean American spirit that I for one appreciate.

One other thing, I would like to have that job of throwing a "wrapped hot dog" on the track to bring out the yellow. Maybe the NASCAR would pay me?

Bill,

I don't mind the clean interviews, I just would like to see some emotion in them. You know yourself that you can't go out there and race 500 miles and be as calm and relaxed as if you had just sit and had a few beers while watching a game on TV. As for the rest I agree, those overpaid people in other sports act like a bunch of fools. But that is what college scholarships get you when you don't have to go to class or learn anything more than how to hire an agent to count your millions. Darn, I think I am jealous. :rolleyes:

Ron :)

Ron,

I think if JJ can win in off road trucks he is probably capable of driving those "real" stocks cars you mention with the same result....

Pat,

You are correct about that. I just don't like the NASCAR interviews as they are so scripted and I don't personally dislike JJ. I just don't like his interviews as he seems so detached from everything. I do think he is a good driver and he and his team work together better than any other in NASCAR.

But I still don't much care for the direction that NASCAR is going. To me most of the races are just boring and I don't enjoy the wrecks as I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Like the one that Newman had at Talladega. Get rid of restrictor plates. the Lucky Dog rule, and let the teams do what they can and stay within the limits. We need more of the Smoky Unik type who can find and use every little gray area to make it fun again.

Ron :)

Up beat emotional interviews sell well to the fans. But that is not in any formula to win races. It bothers me also that JJ is so placid, as a fan. But, if you ever hear him and Chad on the radio during a race. The emotional flat line works well in getting things accomplished. I remember an Indy race where they monitored the drivers heart rate. Every single drivers pulse went up nearing the start except for one driver, and that was AJ Foyt. To me that shows a very focused mind.

JJ looks like he has to act after winning a race. OK be happy!

:)

I remember once a few years ago when AJ Foyt had a car in NASCAR and it ran out of gas. He grabbed the laptop that his crew chief was using and threw it on the ground and jumped up and down on it. They had to bleep out most of what he said but at least he shows some emotion and always has even when he was driving in the Indy cars. And as I have already said, JJ and his crew work together better than any other in NASCAR, including Jeff Gordon. JJ just radios in what is going on with details and Chad tells him we will take care of it, just hang on. On the other hand you have Bush screaming at his crew and they can't do anything right and that is not going to make any crew chief very happy.

Ron ;)

I also remember AJ pitting with troubles. Finally getting out of his car, pushing a crew member and grabbing the hammer the crew guy had and begins to beat on his own car. He was trying to fix it not beating it in anger. That was later in his racing age. lol!

I was watching one of the programs and Greg Biffle, Jimmy Spencer, and Michael Waltrip all agree the races need to be shortened by at least 100 laps and maybe more and they should drop Martinsville and maybe only run 30 races a year and no points after 35th place finish.

I saw that also. I wish they would run more road course races and more short tracks where the aero isn't everything. I heard that NASCAR is going to make a bunch of changes for next year but I don't know what or if they really are. Just the normal rumors going around with so many sponsors dropping out and people looking for rides. I did see that Robby Gordon has found a full time sponsor for next year.

Ron

Ryan graduated from Purdue with a degree in Engineering. Prior to Talladega, he has made the point that the rear wing design creates lift rather than down force when the race car is in the air and/or is turned backwards.

From AutoWeek.com

Quote of the week: This is an excerpt from Ryan Newman's meeting with the media at the Texas Motor Speedway and refers to his ongoing complaints about the current aerodynamics on the COT when it comes to accidents at Talladega:

"From an engineering standpoint, whatever we can do speed-wise and aerodynamically to keep the cars on the ground, in particular things in the back of the car, when it sees the air first for downforce, keep the lift out of the back of the cars is what we need to focus on. There has been testing done.

"I learned some of that stuff on Wednesday morning talking to Mr. (John) Darby and Mr. (Robin) Pemberton, that they have tested. But I don't know that they have tested everything. I don't know that you can test everything. But obviously more testing needs to be done in order to make it safer for everybody. Speed is a part of it. The faster you go, the more likely you are to take lift.

"We were talking before, an airplane takes off at 160 miles an hour. We're 40 miles an hour above that at times. There's plenty of potential for a car to take lift, whether it's going forwards, backwards or sideways. We have to take everything into consideration, as drivers, as teams, as a sanctioning body, to control that situation."

There have been complaints about that wing causing lift ever since they put it on the car. But NASCARs answer was with the car design the old type spoiler like the other cars had would block the drivers rear vision, thus the wing lets them see past it.

Ron

Ron, the drivers have also complained that the elevated wing on the trunk inhibits rear vision, since it is placed mid-height to the rear window, as compared to the spoiler laying flat on the trunk, comparison was made to the Nationwide series, had not previously heard of the version you mention ?

Maybe it's possible both versions exist, depending upon the driver.

Don,

I don't think the spoilers on the Nationwide cars are as high as the ones on the Cup cars were. Atone time there was even talk of making them out of clear plexiglass so they could see through them but that wouldn't work either. Just another of the many rumors that abound when changes are made I would guess.And I would think the drivers height might also play into this as a taller person might be able to look over the wing easier than a shorter one. I have heard some drivers say they don't have much trouble seeing out the back and others say they have problems. Not sure what the answer to that would be, but they all seem to agree the wing does create lift.

Ron :)

Except on a road course, how many drivers look in their mirrors? They have spotters telling them where everyone else is around them.

I watched the Nationwide Race yesterday and Kyle failed to win the championship, but basically all he has to do is show up at the last race. He drove the devil out of that beat up car. I doubt if many others would have finished as well as he did with a car like that.

Ron

i am so sick of hearing.......Jimmy Johnson is our leader...........i never voted for him..
good run by Burton.....

Bob,

Well he all but clinched the championship yesterday and with just one race to go we will get a break from the NASCAR shows. I thought that maybe Curt Bush might be able to run with hm but he couldn't and it turned into a JJ led race all the way once he got in front. I wish it had been another driver, but we will see some history made next weekend. Also noticed they had several empty seats as usual lately.

Ron :)

yeah........Mark still has a slim chance..........
there was only one caution that was questionable.......for debris in the turn that they never showed........
as far as history goes.......that like saying that all of Bonds home runs were legit......

Considering that these are basically spec racing cars, Johnson's team certaining does do a good job in all aspects. They are well prepared, they do a good job in the pits, and ofcourse JJ does a very good job on the track.

As far as the rear wing goes, I always thought that it had a "ricer" look to it. It sure looks out of place on the back of a "stock car".

It appeared that there were not nearly as many empty seats yesterday as we have seen the past few weeks but I did notice that yesterday, they were advertising tickets for the Daytona 500 for "as low as $55". Tickets sales must be slow.

Wayne

JJ needs to finish 26th or 27th, or higher at Homestead and he wins the Cup series. Dave Despain mentioned on Wind Tunnel last night that prior to the Chase concept, there have been times the point spread between 1st & 2nd going into the last race has been greater then JJ & Mark Martin

The #48 & 5 will be back at the NASCAR R & D Center in Charlotte today for a thorough inspection........are they legal or ? These two cars have had numerous post race inspections at the R & D.

Dave also mentioned that Chad Knaus, #48 Crew Chief, replays and studies the race and pit stop tapes , what could have been done better.

For " spec " cars sure is a vast difference in performance, might be Hendrick cars & drivers are at the top of their game. Dave also mentioned that Burton/Childress are rebuilding their cars, better performance the last 3 weeks with a new Crew Chief.