NASCAR/Auto Racing Discussion

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Here's a look at this week in Auto Racing and some news in auto racing.

Robert Wickens has confirmed that he is paralyzed from the waist down, following his violent crash during the Indycar series race at Pocono earlier this year.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2802871-indycar-driver-robert-wickens-confirms-hes-paralyzed-from-waist-down

Still not much action going on at this point in drivers changing teams for next season. Still no word on where Daniel Suarez is going to end up as of yet. It is expected that he will be moving to the #41 for Stewart Haas Racing, as it is speculated that Kurt Busch will be moving to the #1 for Chip Ganassi. Also in the rumor mill is a couple of major changes possibly happening in the Xfinity Series. Per Jayski reports, There is speculation that Ross Chastain will be moving to Ganassi full time in 2019. Also in the rumor mill is a possible move for Tyler Reddick to RCR and John Hunter Nemechek to GMS Racing following Spencer Gallagher's 'retirement' annoucement last week.

 

And now, a look at the events going on.
The Formula 1 series shifts to Mexico City and the very difficult Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for this year's Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday Afternoon. That series is down to its final 3 races of the season.

The Nascar Camping World Truck series Round of 6 in the playoffs moves to one of my favorite tracks on the circuit, Martinsville Speedway down in Ridgeway, VA for the annual running of the Texas Roadhouse 200 on Saturday Afternoon.

The Xfinity series have the weekend off, their final weekend off before the end of the season. Their next race is next Saturday at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The Monster Energy NCS makes its way to Martinsville Speedway as well for the First Data 500 on Sunday Afternoon, the first race of the round of 8. Coming off his wins at Dover and Kansas, Chase Elliott is the hottest driver in the series. Will his hot streak continue, or will we see a spoiler win? We will soon find out.

 

Expect more posting as I find out more information on the silly season movement.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Following this past weekend's NASCAR CUP series race, we've had a pretty quiet week.

Jimmie Johnson is going to have a new sponsor next year. Ally Financial will be sponsoring the #48 in every race over the next 2 seasons through 2020.
Tyler Reddick is heading to RCR next season following a one season stint with Jr Motorsports. More information on him to come.

Other than those two pieces of news, it's been a fairly quiet week. I'll post more as more information comes out reguarding next season. So, stay tuned.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

BREAKING NEWS  out of NASCAR 

Kevin Harvick has been penallized 40 points and his win last sunday at Texas has been ruled ineledgable after it was found that his team had tampered with the NASCAR issued and mandated spoiler. As a result, Harvick will be 4th of 4 heading into this weekend's race at ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix).

It has been confirmed. Martin Truex Jr will be taking over the #19 ride for JGR starting in 2019. Also coming with him is crew chief Cole Pearn.

THat's all for now. I'll update as more information comes out.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

LIttle bit more news of this weekend's race at the newly reconfigured ISM Raceway

WWE wrestler Matt Hardy will be the honorary pace car driver this weekend at ISM Raceway, promoting WWE's upcoming Royal Rumble event that is going to be held at Chase Field in Phoenix in January.

Not much else going on right now. There's going to be more silly season discussion coming, especially since we're now nearing the end of the 2018 NASCAR season.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

A look at this weekend's racing events

Starting with Formula 1, they will be at Autódromo José Carlos Pace for this year's penultimate race, the Brazilian Grand Prix. The race is going to be held on Sunday morning at just after 11 am.

And on to the triple barrel NASCAR action

Tonight is the final race in the round of six for the Camping World Truck Series down at ISM raceway for the Lucas Oil 150.

Tomorrow (Saturday), The Xfinity series will have their final race in the round of seven at ISM Raceway. THe race will start just after 2:30 pm central time Saturday.

And Sunday, we've got the Can-Am 500, the final race in the round of 8 for the MENCS at ISM Raceway. The race will start just after 1:30 pm central time on Sunday. 
 

Here's some silly season news from NASCAR

Ross Chastain has gotten his big ride. He will be full time in the #42 for Chip Ganassi in the Xfinity series next year, following his pair of stellar runs for Ganassi earlier this season.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Some news and notes as we head toward the season finales for NASCAR down at Homestead Miami
David pearson, the second winningest driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR cup series passed away on Monday at the age of 83. Pearson is remembered for his great runs in every car he raced. He also didn't do many full seasons, but when he did, he was tough to beat.

No other major news of note ongoing in the series, for now.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

With the 2018 NASCAR season now in the rearview mirror, I've been thinking about this season in general.

Camping World trucks: Champion-Brett Moffitt
The Trucks have always had some very exciting racing, and this year was no exception. Johnny Sauter and Brett Moffitt were the two most dominant drivers of the year in the series, with Moffitt ultimately earning his first NASCAR championship. 
Season Grade: A
Things I liked: Great variety of winners, more young talent on display
Things I didn't like: Cup series drivers still stealing wins and money away from smaller teams.

Xfinity Series: Champion-Tyler Reddick
This Xfinity season has been one of my favorites to watch, mainly because of the competitiveness of the series. There was a good variety of winners as well, with Christopher Bell and Justin Allgaier leading the way in the series. Reddick being crowned champion was a major shock, but a good one at that.
Season grade: A+
I liked: Great variety of winners, Ross Chastain's great runs for Ganassi, unpredictability of the championship chase.
I didn't like: Cup series drivers continuing to steal wins form the full-timers of the Xfinity series.

Monster Energy Cup Series: Champion-Joey Logano
This was probably the most boring season of MENCS racing I've ever watched. Over half of the races were won by the so called 'Big 3' with Kevin Harvick leading the way. There were great moments however, with Chase Elliott's breakthrough win at Watkins Glen. A few shockers occurred as well, with Lowe's leaving the sport, and Chad Knaus being moved to crew chief the #24 for William Byron. 
Season grade: C
I liked: good variety of winners; Chase Elliott's breakthrough win, backing it up with 2 others
I didn't like: Too much focus on 'Big 3'; Lack of great racing; Cookie Cutter 1.5 mile tracks; the All Star race w/ restrictor plates; continued heavy focus on the 'Stage' racing, cautions at the end of each stage

 

Heading into 2019, I'd like to see the cautions at the end of each stage get removed. There is no need to have cautions at the end of the stages. I'd like to see Chevy return to form next year. Chevy only had a total of 4 race wins in 2018, including the Daytona 500. So, they need to step it up heading into what could be a very competitive season.

[LeafFerret 3,382]

Even though NASCAR ended a week ago, I seem to miss it already, isn't it funny that the one time that there's no racing is the one time that I look most forward to racing since it's like the end of the year and December and all that.

Anyway, how does my ride look for my F1 2018 career? Finished 7th in my debut race.  

[Tacodidra 59,798]

10 minutes ago, Chrysalis89 said:

Even though NASCAR ended a week ago, I seem to miss it already, isn't it funny that the one time that there's no racing is the one time that I look most forward to racing since it's like the end of the year and December and all that.

Anyway, how does my ride look for my F1 2018 career? Finished 7th in my debut race.

Quite a long wait for most racing series to resume... But at least Formula E will start its season in less than a month, so there is something!

You already beat Williams' best finish of the season, so I'd say that's quite impressive!

[LeafFerret 3,382]

Just now, Tacodidra said:

Quite a long wait for most racing series to resume... But at least Formula E will start its season in less than a month, so there is something!

You already beat Williams' best finish of the season, so I'd say that's quite impressive!

Oh, yeah, same for F1 as well, them going to December next year makes me get excited for next season as well.

Yeah, I play on medium with only the racing line on. I can handle with no assists.

Edit: sorry, accidentally pressed enter.  

Edited November 27, 2018 by Chrysalis89

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

1 hour ago, Tacodidra said:

Quite a long wait for most racing series to resume... But at least Formula E will start its season in less than a month, so there is something!

You already beat Williams' best finish of the season, so I'd say that's quite impressive!

True, Formula E is coming. But, there is also all the NASCAR silly season information that will be coming off and on throughout the rest of the off season.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

We've got some news from the Championship week celebrations over in Las Vegas

William Byron is the rookie of the year for the MENCS this year.
Chase Elliott, Eiliott Sadler, and Noah Gragson won the Most Popular Driver of the Year in their respective series.

In addition, we've got a bit of silly season news that came out earlier this week

Matt Tifft, who drove for RCR this past season in the Xfinity series, has been tapped to drive the #36 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports. This team is the reminants of BK Racing, which FRM did field the rest of the season following it's purchase back in August. THis makes Tifft the third driver to become of Rookie of the Year candidate for the 2019 MENCS season. 

 

No other news of note as of now.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

As previously expected, Kurt Busch will be in the #1 Monster Energy Chevy for Chip Ganassi Racing. In addition, a new team has been started up. Spire Sports + Entertainment bought the charter from the now shuttered Furniture Row racing. They will be fielding chevys with a car number of 77.

in Xfinity Series news, Justin Haley is moving to Kaulig Racing, giving that team their third driver in as many years.

Natalie Decker joins DGR-Crosley for select Truck Series races, along with a combination of K&N Pro series and ARCA races.

That does it for now. Still more open rides to fill. I'll keep up on the information. Until then, take it easy everyone.

[Prospekt 10,984]

It's so sad to see Furniture Row go. They were my hometown team for about 12 years, with guys like Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Regan Smith, and Kurt Busch rotating in and out before their golden age with Truex and Erik Jones. For most of their history, they really weren't the slightest bit successful. But it felt cool knowing that there was a team from Denver out there. I remember going bananas when Regan Smith won the Southern 500 in the 78. 

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

6 hours ago, Prospekt said:

It's so sad to see Furniture Row go. They were my hometown team for about 12 years, with guys like Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Regan Smith, and Kurt Busch rotating in and out before their golden age with Truex and Erik Jones. For most of their history, they really weren't the slightest bit successful. But it felt cool knowing that there was a team from Denver out there. I remember going bananas when Regan Smith won the Southern 500 in the 78. 

They did have a slight bit of success with Nemechek at the helm, as he did win the pole for a race at Talladega back in 2008. It's sad to see them go, but it;s also part of the sad truth about NASCAR. There simply isn't enough new sponsorship coming into the series.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Some off season updates for NASCAR

John Hunter Nemechek will be heading to GMS racing in the Xfinity series, driving the #23 Chevy Camaro for the team.
Blake Koch is making his return to full time racing in the Xfinity series next season, coming to drive the #4 Camaro for JD Motorsports. 
Truck Series Champion Brett Moffett is out at HRE. This is due to the lack of sponsorship. The team intends to go full time next season, and have not announced who is taking over the ride in 2019.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Updates

With Kurt Busch heading over to drive the #1 Monster Energy/McDonalds Chevy for Chip Ganassi, Jamie McMurray will be running his final race as a cup series driver at the 2019 Daytona 500. Following, he will transition into an analyst role for Fox.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the honorary pace truck driver for the 2019 Daytona 500.

Not much else going on right now. I did find an interesting article that talks about the current teams and what could happen with their ownership moving forward
https://autoweek.com/article/monster-energy-nascar-cup/racin-oldies-nascars-aging-team-owners-face-future-diverse-plans?fbclid=IwAR208kfEY7wW-3UkqDuiEUGPX_48Xz91DivQrfgj1HLvPwDC8qssW4F4ucM

[Cyclone 1066 3,616]

On ‎12‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 1:36 AM, Prospekt said:

It's so sad to see Furniture Row go. They were my hometown team for about 12 years, with guys like Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Regan Smith, and Kurt Busch rotating in and out before their golden age with Truex and Erik Jones. For most of their history, they really weren't the slightest bit successful. But it felt cool knowing that there was a team from Denver out there. I remember going bananas when Regan Smith won the Southern 500 in the 78. 

Regan was always my underdog pick and when he finally won at Darlington I too freaked out. That team in general was always my dark horse pick. Sad to see them go but the went after their best few seasons.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

19 hours ago, Cyclone said:

Regan was always my underdog pick and when he finally won at Darlington I too freaked out. That team in general was always my dark horse pick. Sad to see them go but the went after their best few seasons.

That's the nature of NASCAR unfortunately. You've got to have the sponsorship to pay the bills.

[LeafFerret 3,382]

I find it funny that the one time I come back to my hometown, I can already think about how big of a NASCAR fan I was back in 2010 and now that I’m back here, I’m already thinking of what happened last season and looking forward to Daytona and Speedweeks. Also made me remembered how I became a big Denny Hamlin fan back then.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

On 12/29/2018 at 5:47 PM, Chrysalis89 said:

I find it funny that the one time I come back to my hometown, I can already think about how big of a NASCAR fan I was back in 2010 and now that I’m back here, I’m already thinking of what happened last season and looking forward to Daytona and Speedweeks. Also made me remembered how I became a big Denny Hamlin fan back then.

Ah, that's nice. I'm really looking forward to this season as well, because there are so many unknowns. That starts with Ford moving to the Mustangs in the cup series, and toyota moving to the supra in the Xfinity series. There's also the crop of rookies in the cup series, which is a pretty good bunch. Plus, I'm really looking forward to see if Chase Elliott can keep up his great performances that he had in the last half of 2018.

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

Good Monday Evening everyone. We've got lots of news coming from NASCAR today.

Daniel Suarez has officially been signed to drive the #41 Ford Mustang for Stewart Haas Racing. The team will have backing from longtime sponsor Arris and from Haas Automation. The announcement came out on Suarez's 27th birthday (which was today).

It was announced late last week that Chip Ganassi Racing was shutting down its Xfinity program, following DC Solar's problems with the Federal Government. Latest on Ross Chastain is that he's running full time in the #15 Chevy Camaro for Premium Motorsports in the MENCS. No other information is available about this at the moment.

In addition, it was announced that Natalie Decker will be driving a handful of races for DGR-Crosley Racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, including the season opener at Daytona.

That's it for now. More information will be posted as it becomes available. 

[LeafFerret 3,382]

My shirt has arrived in the mail today. Looking great. Going to be cheering for him all the way from Brisbane, Australia. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Chrysalis89

[Patty Thundersnow 4,129]

On 1/8/2019 at 2:20 AM, Chrysalis89 said:

My shirt has arrived in the mail today. Looking great. Going to be cheering for him all the way from Brisbane, Australia. 

Bowman is a good choice. I think he plus Hendrick in general will have a bounce back season in 2019.

[LeafFerret 3,382]

You cannot help but wonder if Jimmie's new scheme reminds you of a certain pony in the show.