2021 NASCAR Discussion ThreadNASCAR

[Dylan]

Well, turns out we get the Gen 6 car for one more year. The Cup Series gets a new schedule that features a few more road courses, a pile of dirt gets poured on Bristol, and driver names are back on the windshields. Also the truck series gets a new (technically old) name and while unfortunately loses Eldora, gains a new race at Knoxville! A bunch of drivers are in new rides after a crazy silly season and a new team featuring Michael Jordan will be hoping to vie for wins! 2021 is shaping up to be an incredible season!

Spoiler: 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Schedule

Spoiler: 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule

Spoiler: 2021 eNASCAR Coca Cola iRacing Series Schedule

 

[HaydenFan69]

We don't get the new Fontana until 2022+? Right?

 

[Dylan]

We don't get the new Fontana until 2022+? Right?

Correct. This will be the final year on the 2 mile oval. Construction of the new half mile oval is scheduled to begin sometime after this years race.

 

[Adamgp]

I was talking with my Dad last night, We will be skipping our Daytona trip for 2021. First year since 1999 we won't be there for the 500. We just didn't want to get on a plane and make the trip until the 'Rona gets under control.

As season ticket holders our tickets were already paid for a while back, but Daytona is putting that money towards the 2022 race so we don't lose anything.

So with not going to the 500, and Chicago removed from the schedule, I'm not planning on going to any races in 2021.

 

[01GTP]

So with not going to the 500, and Chicago removed from the schedule, I'm not planning on going to any races in 2021.

Sad to hear but a smart move. 👍

I'm surprised to see racing at Darlington on Mother's Day.

 

[opelgt1969]

I was talking with my Dad last night, We will be skipping our Daytona trip for 2021. First year since 1999 we won't be there for the 500. We just didn't want to get on a plane and make the trip until the 'Rona gets under control.

As season ticket holders our tickets were already paid for a while back, but Daytona is putting that money towards the 2022 race so we don't lose anything.

So with not going to the 500, and Chicago removed from the schedule, I'm not planning on going to any races in 2021.

You might want to think about Bristol spring race it should be wild on dirt ,they have added several other races for the week check BMS website for info. If you're into camping I might let you use my yard I'm about 5 miles from track in Br,Va.

 

[Northstar]

Daytona’s road course will likely replace California on the schedule.

https://www.jayski.com/2020/12/08/n...lace-auto-club-race-with-daytona-road-course/

This seems to align with the rumor Long Beach and other racing in California will also be cancelled in ‘21.

 

[Adamgp]

You might want to think about Bristol spring race it should be wild on dirt ,they have added several other races for the week check BMS website for info. If you're into camping I might let you use my yard I'm about 5 miles from track in Br,Va.

That would be a fun race to see in person, and thanks for the invite, but I don't think we will be going outside of IL anytime soon. Probably not until at least the second half of next year when maybe travel/quarantine rules are more lax.

 

[Dolph Drago]

Daytona’s road course will likely replace California on the schedule.

https://www.jayski.com/2020/12/08/n...lace-auto-club-race-with-daytona-road-course/

This seems to align with the rumor Long Beach and other racing in California will also be cancelled in ‘21.

What's this mean for Sears Point? Will it be off the schedule again next year?

 

[Blitz24]

What's this mean for Sears Point? Will it be off the schedule again next year?

Sonoma is too early to speculate on, as it is 3.5 months afterwards (June 6th).

What MIGHT be intriguing is if they can move up the starting date of the construction and perhaps run the final race of 2021 at the new layout for Auto Club (doubtful in my eyes though).

 

[Dylan]

What MIGHT be intriguing is if they can move up the starting date of the construction and perhaps run the final race of 2021 at the new layout for Auto Club (doubtful in my eyes though).

 

[Blitz24]

NASCAR has released the 2021 start times and... surprise surprise, almost all races are scheduled to start between 2:30 and 4 PM ET. The races which will not start at that time (which are not night races) are the following:
Talladega Races: 2 PM ET
Indy Road Course: 1 PM ET
Charlotte Roval: 2 PM
Fall Texas: 2 PM
Fall Martinsville: 2 PM.

Indy obviously has no lights so they don't want a debacle like they had a few years ago.

 

[Dolph Drago]

I miss the 1 PM starts. It's been about 15 years and they apparently still haven't learned that rain exists and can make races go long. Yes, quite a few of the tracks have lights now, but fans shouldn't be forced to sit through long delays that could have been avoided had the race started at a practical time.

 

[Northstar]

NASCAR will use the full CoTA layout. I'm going to guess it will largely depend on the package they bring when it comes to whether the race will be exciting or not.

It's also crazy to think we will have 7 road course races on the schedule (granted it was originally 6) after having just 2 for the longest time and a 3rd for the last few years. From a "fan seeking the most value" perspective I can certainly see why they have grown in popularity.

Edit: Darlington will also be moving the throwback themed weekend to their May date.

https://racer.com/2020/12/11/darlington-moves-throwback-weekend-to-may/

 

[Adamgp]

This showed up in my Youtube recommendations this morning.



Waltrip and Despain were right. Kill the roots, kill the tree.

 

[JackRyanWMU]

Further expanded on in this video:

​

 

[Earth]

Adding more roadcourses is further taking the serious from it's roots.

All NASCAR needed to do was shorten the schedule to 30 races, get rid of the chase, get rid of stage racing and shorten most races so they fit in a 2.5 hr window, and introduce a cool looking car that doesnt look like a square, bloated pig of a box. That haven't done any of that.

They can do things like broadcast the races in 4K HDR, but they havent done that either.

Just throwing more roadcourses in there is so lazy.

 

[Northstar]

NASCAR has confirmed the events that will have practice and qualifying.

- Feb. 14: Daytona 500
- March 28: Bristol Motor Speedway dirt
- May 23: Circuit of the Americas
- May 30: Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway
- June 20: Nashville Superspeedway
- July 4: Road America
- Aug. 15: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
- Nov. 7: Phoenix Raceway

I can understand not having a full weekend every round in order to limit the chances for spreading Covid, but not even trying to do qualifying shortly before the race on race day just seems lazy.

Santino Ferrucci will also switch from IndyCar to the Xfinity series.

https://racer.com/2021/01/08/ferrucci-signs-part-time-xfinity-deal-with-sam-hunt-racing/

 

[Dolph Drago]

I can understand not having a full weekend every round in order to limit the chances for spreading Covid, but not even trying to do qualifying shortly before the race on race day just seems lazy.

Agreed. Also it would bring the Bud Shootout Busch Clash field back to normal. (I don't know how many other people care about it, but I always liked the idea of having a race for the pole sitters)

 

[HaydenFan69]

Plus, if you’re not giving points to the pole winner, you have to reward them somehow.

I think come 2022, we could see arrive and race be the norm. It became the gimmick that actually kinda worked and gained approval from the fans (unlike everything else they’ve tried these past 2 decades). The semi randomness lead to some good races.

 

[Northstar]

I think come 2022, we could see arrive and race be the norm.

I don't think that will even be an option with the new car being so different than what we've had up to now. It worked last year and will probably work again this year simply because the teams already have mountains of notes to go off of, those notes will be useless in '22.

Plus with tracks (hopefully) being able to have fans back in large numbers they will want something to draw people to the track.

 

[Northstar]

Want to see something shocking? Fox actually made a good ad for the 500 and the upcoming season in general.

 

[Dolph Drago]

Want to see something shocking? Fox actually made a good ad for the 500 and the upcoming season in general.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the ad on TV too.

 

[yellosnake]

See that Jamie MacMurray is gonna run the #77 at Daytona. Looks like those charters will be important for at least one race this year

 

[Northstar]

Austin Cindric will attempt to make the 500 in a 4th Penske. Qualifying is going to be very interesting this year, I wish NASCAR bumped the field back to 43 for just this race.

https://www.jayski.com/2021/01/20/austin-cindric-to-attempt-daytona-500/

 

[Blitz24]

It's weird how there is no Saturday Busch Clash or Sunday qualifying this year. Instead, the Clash (run on the Daytona Road Course) will be Tuesday February 9th in the evening, qualifying Wednesday night, the Duels Thursday night, ARCA and Trucks on Friday, Xfinity on Saturday and the 500 on Sunday February 14th. I can't recall the last time there was televised activity at Daytona for 6 straight days.

 

[Blitz24]

Driver list for the Clash has been set. 21 drivers will run but Ty Dillon will be piloting the #23 23XI Toyota sponsored by Root Insurance as Bubba Wallace is ineligible for the Clash.

 

[Dylan]

First race of Speedweeks is live now!

 

[Northstar]

The Clash is under way!

Edit: Well, that sucked.

 

[HaydenFan69]

The Clash is under way!

Edit: Well, that sucked.

Right! But when we complain about online driving here, that is why those drivers exist. They see that. If it was a points scoring race, Blaney could easily justifying punching Elliot in the face.