2023 NASCAR Season

[thehef]

Who is out of the Nascar playoffs?
"Ross Chastain***, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski have been eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs."

From this fan's perspective, I can't think of this having gone any better (along with Logano and Harvick getting bounced out in the previous round).

I mean, I would've loved to see Denny Hamlin miss the cut, but he had already clinched moving onto the next round, so that would've been asking a bit too much Besides, sports are more fun when there are not just your faves to root for, but villains to root against. And with Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney comprising the rest of the final eight, Hamlin's the only one left who's really easy to root against.

***Note: I'll give Chastain props for apparently learning the lesson that you can't have the whole field against you and expect to contend. After all, we haven't really heard about him wrecking someone out of a race in quite some time.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by thehef

And with Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney comprising the rest of the final eight, Hamlin's the only one left who's really easy to root against.

Wow, I just realized that there is nobody left standing that I completely and wholly despise. Logano, Keselowski, Chastain, all gone. ******* Elliott never made the playoffs in the first place. Just a lot of Buescher, Bell, Blaney, Bland Boy Bonanza.

Never got the hate for Hamlin (NASCAR's Stirling Moss, e.g. most race wins without a championship). I loved how he egged on the crowd after winning Bristol (?) about, btw, "your favorite driver? I beat them. All of them!"

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Never got the hate for Hamlin (NASCAR's Stirling Moss, e.g. most race wins without a championship).

Well, there are basically three types of racing styles, as it applies to interacting on the track with other drivers: Clean, Aggressive, Dirty. Hamlin - as perceived by many fans - at best fits somewhere in-between aggressive & dirty. That, and the fact that personality-wise - in the opinion of many fans - he's pretty much an abrasive doosh. He often seems - much like Dale Earnhardt Sr did - to be one of those guys who can dish it out but can't take it. Struts around like "that's just racin' & I didn't do anything wrong" when he nudges someone into the wall to get the win, but whines like a bratty child when someone knocks him out of the way.

I consider myself representative of "most fans" in this case , and am therefore quite happy to see Denny come up just short of advancing to the title showdown race.

Originally Posted by Westheim

I loved how he egged on the crowd after winning Bristol (?) about, btw, "your favorite driver? I beat them. All of them!"

Not today, and not next week for the title, pal!

But sure. Some people like brash arrogance in sports (and enertainment, etc.) figures. Others are turned off by it & root against it, and instead root for the classy guys & gals. So that's a big part of it, too.

At any rate, the final four may be a bit bland, but my top two faves - Larson & Byron - are in it. And the other two - Bell & Blaney - are cool dudes. So even though there's no villain to root against, it should be fun!

[Westheim]

Yes, Byron squeezed in, barely. I was rocking back and forth for 500 laps, begging the racing gods for mercy.

At least there's no Joey Logano type of **** to sneak in and giggle off with a championship this year!

[Westheim]

So close.