Ok guys... see.. there is this thing called right turn... - NASCAR at the Glen Thead

First guys just about to turn right now. 

Did the ESPN anchor sort of just suggest that before NASCAR changed the rules for this year their drivers didn't try as hard to win races

My belief is NASCAR is making them say this. Every network that's covered the series this year has said something similar and its all bullshit. It's just being said to make NASCAR's utterly moronic championship system look good.

McDowell is extremely lucky. The way the frame broke and the rear end flew out, it left him vulnerable to a major injury or worse. Thank God another car didn't hit him or that he kept rolling on that frame. That was a major failure and I'm surprised to see it flailing around like it did. I'm sure that car will be taken back to R&D for analysis. Just goes to show you that no matter how well something is designed, some crazy thing can still happen.

Oh it's ON now.

May be a road course, but still the usual final laps mad dash for the cash

I see brake-checking at the restart isn't exclusive to open-wheel racing...

8 laps and 3 cautions to go...

Are these guys intent on making the biggest mess possible?

8 laps and 3 cautions to go...

And 9 years, apparently.

Man, I don't remember Nascar being this bad with caution flags.  But lately especially this year, it feels like it's just caution racing in every single race.  Maybe something needs to be done about this cause it's so boring.

Looks like Hamlin just spun.

i think we in G-W-C mode now i think,

Are these guys intent on making the biggest mess possible?

Two guys up front desperate like a teenage guy at a school party to score the win ..... 

Two guys up front desperate like a teenage guy at a school party to score the win ..... 

Who had nothing to do with the caution.

Ambrose wasn't ever going to give that up. Annnnnd caution!

2 to go by whitewater's count

does a red count as two?

With 4 to go, I'll lower it to one more...

well, it the 3rd time the red flag flew today but 2nd stoppage due to crash, any armco to repair this time or just a car to move?

Who had nothing to do with the caution.

Did anyone say they did? 

Man, I don't remember Nascar being this bad with caution flags.  But lately especially this year, it feels like it's just caution racing in every single race.  Maybe something needs to be done about this cause it's so boring.

I don't think it's just a NASCAR thing, it's an American racing thing. Was just watching the TUSC race, and there were a million full course cautions, mostly for things that didn't need to be, that all lasted about 30 minutes before the racing resumed.

I like all racing, but man it's frustrating.

I like the guy sitting in 3rd. Marcos and AJ are sure to dive bomb over each other. 

well another pointless NASCAR yellow leads to another caution and now another red flag...and they're jabbering on about winning the race and getting in the even more pointless Chase....this new points system is pathetic...sorry but annoyed with NASCAR this evening!

No green white... Congrats AJ!

Great finish, great win by AJ. 

That was good.

I don't think it's just a NASCAR thing, it's an American racing thing.

Er...last time I checked F1 had safety cars for wrecked cars on the track. Watkins Glen is narrow and extremely fast, unlike most Tilkedromes.

very exciting racing by both guys in the front, nice and clean, congrats to 'dinger

Good race.

Restarts were kinda meh though.

Its only fair that AJ "jumps" the starts after Ambrose tried to lag back and get runs on him on the restarts.

Edited by crbassassin, 10 August 2014 - 21:47.

 

Er...last time I checked F1 had safety cars for wrecked cars on the track. Watkins Glen is narrow and extremely fast, unlike most Tilkedromes.

Granted. But F1 is a lot better at getting back to racing quickly, which says a lot, even when they have that "lapped cars may now overtake" thing. I'm not bothered if there's several cautions, I just wish they could get back racing a lot sooner than it often takes, that's all I'm saying. Most American races I watch, I seem to see more caution laps than racing laps.

That said, that was still a pretty cool finish to that race. Pleased for AJ. It'd definitely be cool to see a road course race feature in the chase.

go AJ

really did leave exactly a cars width xD

I don't think it's just a NASCAR thing, it's an American racing thing.

I also agree that its an American thing to bunch up the field and spice things up.

It still bugs be that Marcos had to do a push to pass, and then AJ, pretty blatantly steered left to put Marcos out of the track.

I'll never get used to that being OK. Other than that, awesome!

Edit: Switched I'd to I'll. I should at least try to write halfway correct!

Edited by Myrvold, 10 August 2014 - 21:55.

It still bugs be that Marcos had to do a push to pass, and then AJ, pretty blatantly steered left to put Marcos out of the track.

I'd never get used to that being OK. Other than that, awesome!

Yeah that was stupid by Marcos.

There was still another lap to go and he was already trying to tap AJ.

Should have waited till last lap to try and nudge him away.

I also agree that its an American thing to bunch up the field and spice things up.

And also find time to show lots of commercials...

What bugs me (and this is more related to the TUSC race than what happened at Watkins Glen) is why they have to go full course caution for the smallest incident, even on a long track. Aren't marshals trained to deal with things under a local yellow?

After Marcus push and pass there on the last lap I was glad to see AJ return the favor and win the race. Felt that was a bit over the top by Ambrose as well as him throwing the car against Kurt a bit out of turn 1 on the last lap. Great finish and racing though and happy for AJ. 

That was some great, great racing. 

Credit to Allmendinger for keeping his head on both late restarts when Ambrose could have gotten away twice. Agree about the safety here - street course confines with wide-open speeds in places. What's unnerving about the spot of the Newman-McDowell crash was that the guardrails funnel to the track edge further down. Someone could have been directed head-on into that conceivably in the aftermath.

While it's a nice story for JTG, reality is a team 248 points out in 24th (along with Busch in 23rd, Almirola in 22nd) or multiple whole races behind the leader gets a shot at the title under this idiotic system (not likely to win it, but the principle....)

Edited by John B, 10 August 2014 - 22:24.

my quote "I also agree that its an American thing to bunch up the field and spice things up"

And also find time to show lots of commercials...

So in the end it all boils down to $$$

What's unnerving about the spot of the Newman-McDowell crash was that the guardrails funnel to the track edge further down. Someone could have been directed head-on into that conceivably in the aftermath.

It will funnel to the track edge further down no matter what you plan to do, because of the longer layout that needs runoff.

And quite honestly, put 2-3 meters of grass between the track edge and the tarmac runoff, and they cannot go full throttle over the track limits, thus greatly reducing the chance of advertising time and injury.

First win for JTG Daugherty Racing at their 202nd attempt.  Congratulations.   Bit of a contrast from fielding Bobby Labonte last year...

Dinger's waited even longer - 213 races...

well there is double the cars, on a shorter than normal f1 track. so theres that, but it is the american way

YEA !!

AJ WINS !!

Brad Daugherty was hysterical in the booth.

Jp

Bit of a contrast from fielding Bobby Labonte last year...

That was actually something I was thinking of. If a team like Germain Racing would hire a road course expert, with some oval experience, would that be better or worse than having a normal oval driver that's rubbish on road courses.

And I know that Germain Racing started out that way in the Cup Series,

I also agree that its an American thing to bunch up the field and spice things up.

Trucks are dispatched from different places on the circuit and when there are non race vehicles on track they use a full course caution.  Just like F1 when they send a safety car out.  The clean up of a 3500 lb stock car and the removal is quite a bit different than a 1500 lb formula car.  The staffing is different as well. Those in the corner stations are flaggers, not safety crew.  The safety crews are in the trucks that are dispatched to the scene.  Most of the other forms of road racing in the US have a local yellow but when NASCAR runs the few road courses they have if a car crashes they usually throw a full course yellow.

First win for JTG Daugherty Racing at their 202nd attempt.  Congratulations.   Bit of a contrast from fielding Bobby Labonte last year...

 

Dinger's waited even longer - 213 races...

The manufacturer switch and RCR support is also a huge upgrade. They had basically been left for dead by Toyota. They've have some good runs this year even on the non-road courses.

Very happy for AJ. Like others said, that was some great racing. It took awhile because of the red flags from some unfortunate accidents but the finish was worth the wait.

As for the caution talk, that's just how American (and specifically NASCAR) is as others have said. The only one that was questionable was the caution for Josh Wise around 10 to go. He pulled off and stopped so they threw the caution because he's sitting on the exit of a turn. But as soon as the caution waves, he drives off. Frustrating for sure but its not like NASCAR knows he can drive away.

It's been mentioned dozens of times here, but the overriding reason for full course cautions in US racing is liability. Tracks have to carry extremely expensive insurance policies. In the past there have been some very expensive lawsuits because a track worker has been injured or killed while on track, and full course caution doesn't completely make it safe for track workers, but it does reduce the risks of injury by a huge extent. Don't blame US racing, blame the f-ucking US lawyers that are slathering over suing some poor track owner for every dime he has if some worker gets injured on a race track.

whitewater, you are completely right. Specifically NASCAR did so after the EMT was struck during an ARCA race at Daytona and Indycar folowed suit, but unfortunately it will continue to fall on deaf ears here as the forum continues to devolve into nothing more than Euros on an American-bash fest. They don't want answers or knowledge, they simply want to piss, bitch and moan against all things U.S.

Look at the thread about the Stewart incident: bash American racing, bash NASCAR, bash dirt, bash ovals, bash Sprint racing, all from "experts" who know absolutely nothing about the subject (proven over and over again by their knowledgeable comments).  Pathetic.

I'll post it here rather than the ridiculous thread.

One thing I can guarantee.  ESPN and PR folks are already working on Stewart's first "sit down interview", which will air on SportsCenter. Perhaps they'll even do a segment for E:60 "The Redemption of Tony Stewart"

And, beginning tomorrow, the crew of yammerheaded stick & ball sportswriters, none of whom give two hoots in Hell about motorsport and have the knowledge to match, will be all over ESPN wiping Tony's ass.  First Take, Around The Horn, Pardon The Interruption...all will help clear ESPN's favored son in the court of public opinion.

It might not be the regulars because, well, didn't most of them get suspended? (oh, that's right no one is "suspended" at ESPN)

ESPN, it's just what they do.

Edited by Jim Thurman, 11 August 2014 - 03:52.