2017 NASCAR Discussion threadNASCAR 

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Furinkazen
Who was it who turned up to a Cup Race a few years back with no pit crew and got parked?
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Kingofweasles
Joe Ruttman at the spring Rockingham race in 2002 for Phoenix Racing? I remember back then that there were several start & park teams that would basically show up with a skeleton crew, qualify and them run the car until the first round of pits stops because they didn't have the proper fuel equipment to service the car.
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It was Joe Ruttman, indeed. Rockingham, but different year. From Wikipedia:

"In 2004, Phoenix Racing, a team known for its prowess at Superspeedways, and veteran driver Joe Ruttman failed to hire a pit crew during the Subway 400 at Rockingham Speedway. NASCAR black flagged Ruttman's No. 09 Dodge for not having a pit crew, parking the car after only one lap. The team earned $54,196 for their efforts, but were referred to as "sort of a sham" by NASCAR vice-president Jim Hunter. It had been rumored, however, that NASCAR itself had contacted teams (including Phoenix) to fill the 43-car field after only 37 entries planned on running the race, an accusation the sanctioning body denied."
 
Dolph Drago
It was Joe Ruttman, indeed. Rockingham, but different year. From Wikipedia:

"In 2004, Phoenix Racing, a team known for its prowess at Superspeedways, and veteran driver Joe Ruttman failed to hire a pit crew during the Subway 400 at Rockingham Speedway. NASCAR black flagged Ruttman's No. 09 Dodge for not having a pit crew, parking the car after only one lap. The team earned $54,196 for their efforts, but were referred to as "sort of a sham" by NASCAR vice-president Jim Hunter. It had been rumored, however, that NASCAR itself had contacted teams (including Phoenix) to fill the 43-car field after only 37 entries planned on running the race, an accusation the sanctioning body denied."
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More proof the dwindling team count isn't a new thing. And I'd believe NASCAR doing that "on the sly".
 
Carbonox
How long has it been though since the last time the fields were regularly at or below 40 with no DNQ's?
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I think one of the Martinsville races in 1998 only had 37 entries, and that was the catalyst for NASCAR to put a foot down and say "43 cars for each race come heck or high water". Of course, with how expensive it is to run a cup team nowadays, the charter system was implemented to consolidate 36-38 (?) cars and everything I've read has NASCAR bigwigs saying anything more than that per race is a bonus.
 
Really bummed Chase didn't get it.

Drivers eliminated from the championship: Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch.
 
From the replays I've seen, Chase wasn't even close enough to get around Newman, let alone be held up by him. The #18 found the better line, and just drove around the #24. That's what happens when a faster car comes up behind you.

I'm sure the psychotic #24 fans of social media, the bunch we all love to hate, won't see it this way though.
 
GTFan24
Lost respect for that ****head Newman. Other than that a very well deserved win by Rowdy 👍
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No racer should ever be expected to just give up their position on the lead lap if they still have any glimmer of hope in winning a race or championship.

Newman needed to stay on the lead lap and hope for a caution. But, he still had a chance to gain points on Stenhouse if he could stay on the lead lap and get lucky.

Tony Stewart won a championship by driving like that in 2011. He fought for several laps to keep from going a lap down at Martinsville, and later won the race. Had he just pulled over and given up the lead lap at Martinsville that day, he would currently be a two time series champion.
 
GTFan24
Lost respect for that ****head Newman. Other than that a very well deserved win by Rowdy 👍
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He does that to everyone regardless of who is leading. That same move he pulled would be pulled on Kyle Busch, and he'd also use that on Jr. if he was trying to lap him. I'd like to see Chase win too, but he should have tried the high line to get around Ryan since both he and Ryan were low the entire time. He only went there after Kyle blew by him to take the lead. If Chase moved high and Ryan went up to block, you'd have a point. But Chase didn't move, Ryan didn't move, and Kyle took advantage of the line nobody used to pass Chase for the win. Ryan didn't do anything wrong because he like @BKGlover was trying to run his own race and tried to chase down people to get points back.
 
At some point HMS has to realize that putting Chase in that #24 was a mistake. You listen to his interviews and all but says "they have made it easy for me". But yet no wins in 70 races. He isn't in the class of Danica as a failure, but he is getting there.
 
yellosnake
At some point HMS has to realize that putting Chase in that #24 was a mistake. You listen to his interviews and all but says "they have made it easy for me". But yet no wins in 70 races. He isn't in the class of Danica as a failure, but he is getting there.
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Well, where else could they have put him at the time? Gordon was the One guy retiring while no one else was AND its against the rules to run 5 full time cars in Cup.

Its also worth bringing up again that Gordon wasn't spectacular in his first two seasons either. Not everyone is gonna come barging in and taking the wins right off the bat.
 
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yellosnake
At some point HMS has to realize that putting Chase in that #24 was a mistake. You listen to his interviews and all but says "they have made it easy for me". But yet no wins in 70 races. He isn't in the class of Danica as a failure, but he is getting there.
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Last time I check Danica didn't have as many top 10s in her first season, or her second season, or her third...
 
First it was "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville."

Then it was "Awesome Chase from the same place."

Now we have "Awesome Chase, of 2nd place."

Jokes aside, he's another guy that's turned into the rookie Larson, or 2013 Jeff Gordon: He can put himself into position to win, but he just can't close the deal, whether it be late race restarts, or holding off a hard charging Kyle Busch or whomever it may be. He's a decent driver, but I don't think he's held up to the hype when he was in the Xfinity series in 2013. But, he has a long career ahead of him, he's still learning. He'll get one one of these days, then he'll turn into Larson and clock them off left and right. He just lacks that tiny bit of experience to know what to do in the final laps of a race. If he would have moved into the #18's line, Busch wouldn't have had anywhere to go, and Newman wouldn't have even been a problem.

And expecting someone who is fighting to stay in the Championship to pull over has to be delusional. This is racing, not "after you."
 
Basically he just isn't a winner. Like I stated earlier, you watch his interviews and he has no confidence in his own abilities. Considering HMS has no Infinity Series program, I would only guess that previous to the 2016 season they looked at JRM who they support and didn't see an option. There was the option of Regan Smith or Elliot Sadler, but neither of those guys would have had the commercial value compared to putting in a younger guy with a famous name.
 
yellosnake
Basically he just isn't a winner. Like I stated earlier, you watch his interviews and he has no confidence in his own abilities. Considering HMS has no Infinity Series program, I would only guess that previous to the 2016 season they looked at JRM who they support and didn't see an option. There was the option of Regan Smith or Elliot Sadler, but neither of those guys would have had the commercial value compared to putting in a younger guy with a famous name.
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I think, like Larson, it'll take one to open the potential fully. Let's face it, even if Busch, Larson, Harvick, Kes, Logano, etc showed up en masse to every Xfinity and Truck race, it still wouldn't be close enough to a Cup transition phase. Chase has to get better (obvious, yes I know), but for lack of a better term he either has to win one...or he has to snap. He CAN win, he's shown that, but he has to put it all together.

Also, let's not forget another high-praise young driver who couldn't get over the hump for what seemed like forever, Kasey Khane. What was it, seven-eight second place finishes (five in one season IIRC) before he finally got one. It's not gonna hurt that the entire Hendrick program seems to have been given the kick-in-the-*** it needed. Kasey did OK today, Jr looked good, Jimmie was near the front, Chase was at the front, and that hadn't been the case since...Daytona in July I want to say. One thing that would help Chase at Charlotte would be if stupid 🤬 stopped happening on the quad-oval trio (Charlotte, Atlanta, Texas) because, perhaps Texas aside because I don't recall there being anything there, the scene I remember most for the 24 in 2017 is when he had a chunk of metal go through the front of his car, killing the power and leaving him in a position for Kes to plow into him. 2016 was the wreck Austin started with a handful of laps to go.

BTW, I don't see Byron doing any better. I actually think he'll be more pedestrian than Chase has been, maybe not to Khane levels, but he's not the next Gordon.
 
yellosnake
At some point HMS has to realize that putting Chase in that #24 was a mistake. You listen to his interviews and all but says "they have made it easy for me". But yet no wins in 70 races. He isn't in the class of Danica as a failure, but he is getting there.
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We've awaited the return of ICEYOU, you are shaping up to fit that void in a single page. Trail blazing you are.
 
Well I think Byron is way more talented as a driver. He has won in anything he was put in. He also has wins in Infinity vs Cup regulars. A win or two isn't out of the question next year. Has confidence and even brings a sponsor. Not really sure what to make of Bowman. He ran around in Tommy Baldwin's junk for awhile but showed positive glimpses when he filled in for Junior last year. Any way you look at it, its JJ and the kids for HMS
 
Watched the race on my DVR and it drove me crazy how Chase essentially allowed Kyle Busch by for the win without even putting up a fight. No, I'll just stay at the bottom lane and moan about things in the post-race. He's not going to win races with that attitude.
 
yellosnake
Well I think Byron is way more talented as a driver. He has won in anything he was put in. He also has wins in Infinity vs Cup regulars. A win or two isn't out of the question next year. Has confidence and even brings a sponsor. Not really sure what to make of Bowman. He ran around in Tommy Baldwin's junk for awhile but showed positive glimpses when he filled in for Junior last year. Any way you look at it, its JJ and the kids for HMS
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So Redtailboa...how is Chase a consistent driver then if he doesn't have a shot at winning or "isn't trying"? Could it possibly be, that fighting for position in late stages with a weaker car is not only a futile effort, but also risks destroying one or both cars in said meaningless fight?
 
GTFan24
Lost respect for that ****head Newman. Other than that a very well deserved win by Rowdy 👍
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Did you really "Lose Respect", or are you simply pissed that Chase failed to accurately get by a driver on his own so are blaming a guy who was trying to fight for a championship? (despite him not even being close to "Blocking" Chase). Even as someone who wanted Chase to win, I saw the replay and instantly knew it was Chase that made the mistake.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
So Redtailboa...how is Chase a consistent driver then if he doesn't have a shot at winning or "isn't trying"? Could it possibly be, that fighting for position in late stages with a weaker car is not only a futile effort, but also risks destroying one or both cars in said meaningless fight?
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Find it hard to believe that the 24 would ever be referred to as an inferior car unless there was an issue with who had older tires, as this was not the case. Maybe you didnt watch the race. But you can read this board and pretty much everyone here with the exception of the guy blaming Newman saw him give away yet another race
 
yellosnake
Find it hard to believe that the 24 would ever be referred to as an inferior car unless there was an issue with who had older tires, as this was not the case. Maybe you didnt watch the race. But you can read this board and pretty much everyone here with the exception of the guy blaming Newman saw him give away yet another race
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HMS cars aren't the top of the heap anymore Redtailboa, how do you know what was and wasn't the issue? I saw the race, and I saw a far more dominant Kyle as usual, perhaps re-evaluate and get back to me on how you know for certain his car wasn't weaker.
 
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