2024 NASCAR Season

[Westheim]

Coke 600!

I've already been watching two different sets of cars going round in circles and three baseball games for the last 10 1/2 hours, but I can take another 600 miles or so. (staples eyelids to his forehead so as to not fall a-zzz)

Bring it!!

[Westheim]

Guys. A rain delay at 3:30 in the morning (German time) ain't no fun. Do something!

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Guys. A rain delay at 3:30 in the morning (German time) ain't no fun. Do something!

Well, they did something: They called the race :-/ At least someone innocuous like Cris Bell was credited with the win, and not some d/b such as Hamlin, Busch, or Wallace...

At any rate, the weather gods sure did Kyle Larsen no favors. If anyone could win the Indy 500 and the CC 600 on the same day, it is he... Maybe next year.

[Westheim]

Stewart-Haas shuttering doors at end of season

Aw.

If you ever wanted to own a Cup charter, now might be the time to pounce with four getting washed onto the market.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Stewart-Haas shuttering doors at end of season

Aw.

If you ever wanted to own a Cup charter, now might be the time to pounce with four getting washed onto the market.

SHR is a very distant third place among the three four-car teams... well behind the two powerhouses, Hendrick and Gibbs... That said, I could see any of SHR' current top three drivers - Briscoe, Gragson, Berry - doing very well on one of the better teams...

There's rumors that three of SHR's four charters will be sold to teams that are currently two-car operations: Front Row (Michael McDowell & Todd Gilliland), 23XI (Tyler Reddick & Bubba Wallace), Trackhouse (Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez).

Other than SHR, there are currently two three-car operations: The formidable Penske Team (Blaney, Logano, Cindric), and the back-ending Spire (Hocevar, LaJoie, Z Smith). But that number could rise to 5 three-car teams if those rumored charter purchases go through...

I had wondered Hendrick or Gibbs might further expand their domain by purchasing one, but my buddy Chet G. Petey told me that Cup teams are limited to four charters... Seems like one of the only two one-car operations - JTG or Wood Bros, neither of which is anywhere close to thriving - ought to consider buying one given the fact that single-car teams aren't really competitive (and haven't been for years).

Or maybe Penske will try to give Hendrick & Gibbs a run for their money and join their ranks as a four-team powerhouse...

[Westheim]

JTG Daugherty used to be a two-car team and was terrible. Remember that #37 car? Ya, me neither.

The Wood Brothers are content where they are in their technical alliance with Penske. I don't see them finding the funds for a charter at any price. Big Roger might as well buy it himself.

Unless it was changed again recently, even the fifth-string "R&D" cars are not allowed anymore for the four-car teams (Hendrick, Gibbs). They were a bit of a loophole to get a fifth car on the grid in at least a handful (seven?) events a year, usually for a prospective rookie. This is like 10+ years ago.

Which makes me think - since Gibbs still has that 23XI appendix through the Denny Hamlin entanglement - that maybe Rick Hendrick can nudge Dale jr. to finally pony up and bring a JR Motorsports car to Cup racing. As far as I know, Hendrick has no satellite team - there's just too many Chevy teams around that pretend to be first-rate.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

JTG Daugherty used to be a two-car team and was terrible. Remember that #37 car? Ya, me neither.

Welp, ya made me look it up. Thanks for that ... So the 37 was driven by Chris Buescher and then Ryan Preece... I guess those players changing ownership is like rearranging deck chairs... (Although Buescher has been ok the last couple years.)

Originally Posted by Westheim

The Wood Brothers are content where they are in their technical alliance with Penske. I don't see them finding the funds for a charter at any price.

The latter is very likely true, but as for the former, if they are content - since the 2018 season - with 1 pole, 36 top tens, and ZERO wins in 229 races, then they might just find themselves ecstatic should they come close to achieving mediocrity. Heck, to count their last 10 Cup wins you have to go back to the earliest years of the Reagan administration. I mean, I don't think it would be odd to ask, "What's the point here?"

Originally Posted by Westheim

Big Roger might as well buy it himself.

Yep, as I was sayin': He should, to join Hendricks & Gibbs as a four-car powerhouse!.

Originally Posted by Westheim

Unless it was changed again recently, even the fifth-string "R&D" cars are not allowed anymore for the four-car teams (Hendrick, Gibbs). They were a bit of a loophole to get a fifth car on the grid in at least a handful (seven?) events a year, usually for a prospective rookie. This is like 10+ years ago.

Right. Pretty sure the charter system not only limits a team to four charters, but also limits them to four entries per race. IOW they can't have a fifth car attempt to qualify on speed if they have their four chartered cars already entered in the race.

Originally Posted by Westheim

Which makes me think - since Gibbs still has that 23XI appendix through the Denny Hamlin entanglement - that maybe Rick Hendrick can nudge Dale Jr. to finally pony up and bring a JR Motorsports car to Cup racing. As far as I know, Hendrick has no satellite team - there's just too many Chevy teams around that pretend to be first-rate.

I'd like to see it. Then again, even with an alliance with Hendrick, that would still be a one-car operation. Those are pretty much losers. Doubt Dale Jr. would want to risk that. The alternative would be to try to make it a two-car operation, which would be more money (hello, Teresa?)... I think Dale Jr's best path - if he were so inclined to be a Cup owner - would be to buy that fourth SHR charter and align with Hendrick as close as the rules will allow for a season or two, while trying to acquire a 2nd charter as soon as possible. But then he's also still very close with Childress, right? So a Childress/Earnhardt Jr partnership could have the prospects of a solid three- and then four-car team... As Richard Childress closes in on 80 years old, I could see that happening at some point...

[Westheim]

Say what you want about Pocono. The racing is usually drab, but the wrecks are special.

But LaJoie should get parked for that one. That was atrocious.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Say what you want about Pocono. The racing is usually drab,

Seriously! I was glad I was watching on dvr so I could fast-forward through the last 20 or so laps...

Originally Posted by Westheim

... but the wrecks are special.

I'm not one who watches NASCAR for the wrecks, though they can be entertaining. So I was still scanning while fast-forwarding, hoping I'd be able to stop ffwd for a caution - for any reason - that might scramble strategies, or at least bunch them up for some semblance of an exciting finish. Alas, it was not to be...

Originally Posted by Westheim

But LaJoie should get parked for that one. That was atrocious.

Well, I'm not so sure about parked, but punished, ya. I mean, I've seen worse. Busch himself didn't get punishment of any kind for deliberately wrecking McDowell in the All-Star race. I realize it was an exhibition, but still: A deliberate wreck is a deliberate wreck and there's no real predicting when you intentionally wreck someone if you're only going to take out your intended target, as I seem to recall Busch did, or if you're going to wipe out a handful-or-so of other drivers, as LaJoie did on Sunday... And was LaJoie's maneuver significantly different than what Hamlin did to Larsen last year at the, same track?

NASCAR seems, IMO, to be very inconsistent on these things. I mean, what that complete idiot/d-bag Bubba Wallace did to Bowman during the cool-down in Chicago was pretty dangerous, yet he only received a monetary slap on the wrist.

At any rate, I've never been a Busch fan - uite the opposite - because of his can-dish-it-but-can't-take-it mentality, and his overall jerkness. But this horrid streak that he's on - some really bad luck - kinda takes the fun out of enjoying when he wrecks or breaks down... I'll admit that I gained a small measure of respect for the guy when - right after the scuffle with McDowell - he yelled at McD "I suck just as bad as you!" Classic

[Westheim]

I'll give this much to Austin Dillon: it has to be an outrageous move to make me feel kinda sorry for "Sliced Bread". What a dirty ******.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Westheim

I'll give this much to Austin Dillon: it has to be an outrageous move to make me feel kinda sorry for "Sliced Bread". What a dirty ******.

I rather enjoyed two of the bigger crybabies on the circuit getting bounced.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Jason

I rather enjoyed two of the bigger crybabies on the circuit getting bounced.

Absolutely!

I'm no Dillon fan though I don't really pay him much attention, but I gotta say it was HIGHLY entertaining to see him totally bulldoze two guys just seconds apart like it was last lap in demolition derby... and neither of those guys could he have passed without the extracurriculars. It was like, "Joey, you think you're gonna win this race? Nope, I'm bashing you into the wall. And Denny, you think you're getting past me as I regain control after spinning Joey? Nope, I'm gonna hook you and spin you out. Gotta get my win!"

And then Austin's "Hate that I had to do that, but praise the Lord!"

Don't get me wrong. If Dillon had done that to one or two of the drivers that I actually like, I'd be calling it the same thing that Logano did. Either way, though: Classic Nascar!

[Westheim]

Austin Dillon's Richmond win stands, but won't get him into the playoffs

After a full review of footage and data, NASCAR officials ruled Dillon’s victory would stand, but that his automatic berth in the 16-driver postseason field would be voided for violating Section 12.3.2.1.b of the NASCAR Rule Book, which deals with playoff eligibility and states: “Race finishes must be unencumbered by violation(s) of the NASCAR Rules or other action(s) detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.”

Dillon is also docked 25 points to pour salt into the wounds.

Logano meanwhile got fined $50k for driving through the celebrating #3 crew on pit road with screeching tires and a very broken race car.

Dillon's spotter got banhammered for 3 races for calling out for Dillon to "wreck him" when Hamlin tried to get past out of turn 4.

Funny how Denny Hamlin is the only one with his paws clean after this race.

+++

Addendum: No more braindead racer wives carrying toddlers into traffic on the cooldown lap!

Everybody wins on that one.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Austin Dillon's Richmond win stands, but won't get him into the playoffs

Dillon is also docked 25 points to pour salt into the wounds.

Logano meanwhile got fined $50k for driving through the celebrating #3 crew on pit road with screeching tires and a very broken race car.

Dillon's spotter got banhammered for 3 races for calling out for Dillon to "wreck him" when Hamlin tried to get past out of turn 4.

Funny how Denny Hamlin is the only one with his paws clean after this race.

+++

Addendum: No more braindead racer wives carrying toddlers into traffic on the cooldown lap!

Everybody wins on that one.

I think the message here is that you're generally free to quite intentionally wreck somebody to win a race, but if it's two separate intentional wrecks in the span of a few seconds, then you've crossed a line. Either that or if you're a back-ender (wrecking stars, as opposed to other back-enders), you get less leeway on wrecking people to win a race.

Whatever the message is, it illustrates that NASCAR is absurdly inconsistent with rules interps and punishment. But we already knew that.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by thehef

I think the message here is that you're generally free to quite intentionally wreck somebody to win a race, but if it's two separate intentional wrecks in the span of a few seconds, then you've crossed a line. Either that or if you're a back-ender (wrecking stars, as opposed to other back-enders), you get less leeway on wrecking people to win a race.

Whatever the message is, it illustrates that NASCAR is absurdly inconsistent with rules interps and punishment. But we already knew that.

Careful, before NASCAR rules your comment as "detrimental to stock car racing" and gives you a 3-race ban as well!

[Westheim]

Harrison Burton

[Westheim]

Watching the tape delay of the Atlanta race, because the channel that holds the rights in Germany is stuck in ******* 1997 or something, and the booth goes like "whoah, this is so much fun!!"

No, it's not. It's the dumbest form of racing. 38 cars asphyxiating without air, unable to get away from each other, but still with enough power to obliterate a bunny rabbit into its individual atoms upon contact, or whatever Briscoe did to Larson without asking for consent in stage 1.

Stages. Don't get me started on STAGES.

Hot take: putting Atlanta on plate rules is a disgrace worse than besmearing the National League with the fake position!

[Jason]

Agree on Atlanta.

[Westheim]

Daytona or 'Dega, final ten laps, put Logano and Keselowski next to each other - scrapyard. Every single time.

Most stupid form of racing, but if Byron makes it through without a scratch, I'll reserve complaints for later.

[Westheim]

All four Hendrick Chevys in the third round!