302 replies to this topic

[gm914]

Ok first time be gentle...

Where we racin'?
Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI. 'Home' of the Big Three.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Are you going to be a smartass all weekend again gm, or can we get some relevant information?

Track Specifications:
Superspeedway: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval
Banking: turns: 18 degrees; straights: frontstretch 12 degrees, backstretch 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 3,600 feet
Relevant?
Oh.

Weather: Lookin nice. NNS:Mid-high 80's, sunny as you like. Cup: Mostly sunny, chance of T-storms.
http://www.raceweather.net/
Television Coverage- NNS: ABC. Cup: TNT http://www.jayski.com/pages/tv.htm

Nationwide:
Alliance Truck Parts 250. Saturday June 16th. Green Flag approx 4:01pm/et
Entry List- http://jayski.com/ne...igan-Entry-List
Weekend Schedule- http://www.jayski.co...2nns-13michigan

Cup:
Quicken Loans 400. Sunday, June 17th. Green Flag approx 1:19pm/et
Entry List- http://www.jayski.co...igan-Entry-List
Weekend Schedule- http://www.jayski.co...ASCAR-Race-Info

No Trucks then?
Not until Kentucky, June 28th.
But, we will see Piquet in NNS next week! Permission to squeal, granted.
Stick around though, this weekend is gonna be fast.
How fast?

Let's Talk Re-Paving & Testing:
This morning was the first time Cup drivers had driven on the newly re-paved track, and whadyaknow, they've shattered the Lap Record. ALL of them.
Martin Truex Jr. became the first NASCAR driver in MIS history to turn a 200-mph lap when he hit 200.261 this morning.
The old track record was 194.232, set by Ryan Newman in a Dodge in 2005.
Since then, most everyone who has stepped into a racesuit today has beaten Newman's time, in fact ALL 43 cars have, with speeds topping 218mph and 7 cars clipping the 200mph(avg) benchmark.
Impressive.
Tony Stewart ended up fastest at 201.896mph.
http://jayski.com/st...is2012test1.pdf
http://jayski.com/st...is2012test2.pdf
NASCAR officials have no plans to run restrictor plates.

What's the PaceCar look like?
PaceCar my Detroit Iron ass! We got a PaceTruck..


Who's back?
NASCAR badboy (really?) and Autosport BB polarizer Kurt Busch, after a relaxing week of fishing.
He'll be running both Nationwide and Cup.

Bah! So who's sitting out?
Dave Reutimann. Tony Raines is sitting in. Maybe Tommy Baldwin thought Finch would axe Kurt. Either way, Roity's back in the #10 next race.

Who won it last year?
Denny Hamlin June 2011, 153.029mph, started 10th
Kyle Busch August 2011, 150.898mph, started 17th

Enjoy the weekend lads. Should be a good one. If any of you feel the urge to re-pave things this weekend, that's totally understandable. Who doesn't want a faster patio/driveway?

Edited by gm914, 14 June 2012 - 23:56.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Why is 218 okay at Michigan but not Daytona?

[HaydenFan]

Why is 218 okay at Michigan but not Daytona?

Not a clue. If you let them run Daytona like they do at Michigan (i.e. no restrictor plate), I don't think you'd worry about the big pileups either.

Edited by HaydenFan, 14 June 2012 - 22:41.

[gm914]

ESPN is asking the same question.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Okay. Here's the thing about satelite interviews.

-They need to figure out how to speed it up
-Or they need to do live-to-tape interviews so they can cut out the stupid gaps

[wacktifosi]

I'm pretty sure NASCAR has gotten by with just keeping averages under 200. It just doesn't matter at Daytona or Dega with corner speeds being so high.

(How the insurance company hasn't figured this out yet I have no idea. Or maybe they really think it is ok to just regulate averages?)

Edited by wacktifosi, 14 June 2012 - 23:21.

[nosaj100]

I along with anyone with half a brain called that speeds would be this high after the repave. I hope NASCAR leaves the plates off this weekend though to see how it goes. If its ok, maybe they'll ease up on plate restrictions at Dega and Daytona, which will cut down on all the pack racing and bump drafts

[OfficeLinebacker]

Why is 218 okay at Michigan but not Daytona?

Funny you should ask...

"When you look at Daytona and Talladega ... when you run a lap 203 mph your low is 202 and high is 204. Here, when you run 200 mph you may be a 215 somewhere but you're 185 somewhere else. We still feel pretty good."

Source: http://espn.go.com/r...an-test-session

[PaulC2K]

Couple of Q's from a NASCAR rookie...

Seeing as a Gibbs car won each of the races last year, is there a good chance we'll see the same strong showing this time too? Is that result likely to be a factor, is it a good Toyota track or do they seem to do well there, is it entirely random or do things change that much that its of little relevence??
I fairly randomly picked them as my guys to follow ('Hamlin' is close to 'Hamilton', and figured id cheer the other 2 as well) so im hoping for a 3rd Hamlin win ASAP and hopefully this will be the one.

Whats the fuss about Piquet Jnr? I was reading an NNS thread a while back and people seem to be really excited about him, GM sounds like he needs a change of underwear, and all i really know him for is his exploits in F1 and well theres little to be proud of from that chapter of his racing career.

Last one, (split into 2 parts ) do people typically pick a favourite driver and support them (or a couple of drivers), specific teams, is it more like the team/franchise sports where you follow 1 driver/team and the rest can go to hell, or is it pretty much watched for the general fun of racing?? I guess theres no single answer for everyone, but i cant quite judge it from what i get to see. I've always typically followed a driver and hope a couple others do well too, but i've noticed on these forums there are people who support a team and whoevers driving for them.
During the race if Jnr gets to the front its like the whole crowd want him to win, nobody else seems to get a reaction (from TV footage), and that leads onto whats the deal with Jnr anyway, why does everyone love him, and does he always need 2 bites at the cherry when doing TV interviews?;)

I've always held the common European 'rednecks going round in circles' view of NASCAR, but figured i'd give it a go and tbh its been more entertaining (Hamlin doing well might have helped get me into it too tbh) than the majority of stuff ive followed for decades , which seems to be getting duller and duller each season. I sit impatiently infront of a monitor for 2+ days waiting to watch the race (we wont go into that ;)) and it rarely disappoints, and we've got Infineon Raceway next week too, a real track :D

Anyone fancy filling in the blanks for this NASCAR n00b? Cheers.

[gm914]

Whats the fuss about Piquet Jnr? I was reading an NNS thread a while back and people seem to be really excited about him, GM sounds like he needs a change of underwear, and all i really know him for is his exploits in F1 and well theres little to be proud of from that chapter of his racing career

OK this one's directed at me so I'll bite.

1. Piquet is in the Truck series, not NNS
2. I rarely wear pants while watching NASCAR.

Although I started living in the States some 13 years ago, I only started paying attention to NASCAR with the SHOCKING announcement of JPM quitting F1 and coming over.
So I dropped the "F1 elitist act" and decided that after watching a few races, holy crap, this game is tough. And fun. And I don't have to get up at 5am to watch it.

Same when Marcos Ambrose moved from V8SC. Proven winners in other disciplines giving it a shot, so there must be something to it.

Because I was a NASCAR rookie myself, I didn't have any link to the Jeff Gordon's, the Jimmie Johnson's, the Dale Jrs, and I wasn't about to latch onto the whole " that guy wins a lot, I'll support him" ideology.
I'll take the underdog most every time.
So when Piquet was banished from the F1 paddock, announcing he was coming to NASCAR, I thought to myself here's a kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders, career in ruins, if he's got the balls to prove to everyone he IS a racer, if he can redeem himself, NASCAR is the place for it.
Hey, it's America. We can look past previous misdeeds. Generally are forgiving bunch of people.
More so than the poppy-cutting grudge holding Brits. (not all mind you, just some)

And so he's proven that he's a tough little fighter. Kids got heart.
He has a following on here. From Americans and foreigners alike. Weve seen him develop and mature into an oval racer.
There's not one regular poster on the NASCAR threads that wishes him ill, and we all want to see him get his first win.

Join us and put aside whatever prejudices people told you you should have against him.
You just might become a *whispers* NASCAR fan.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Funny you should ask...


Source: http://espn.go.com/r...an-test-session

So entering the corner 10mph quicker than you would at Daytona and 30mph quicker than the speed you need to be doing, is better?

[Option1]

Good question. Apparently so.

Neil

[PaulC2K]

OK this one's directed at me so I'll bite.

1. Piquet is in the Truck series, not NNS
2. I rarely wear pants while watching NASCAR.

Yeah, i know he's doing trucks, but pretty sure it was an NNS thread talking about him, and the whole gradual process of moving up when he's ready not just because a door opens.

I originally picked my 3 guys to follow as Hamlin, JPM (due to his F1 days) and Danica (underdog and i use GoDaddy so used to seeing her face plastered on their site), but then found out Danica wasnt doing many races, and i rarely saw JPM so i just figured i might as well just follow the JGR team although they're my backup if anything happens to Denny, then i'll hope the other 2 do well.

Ive grown to ignore M. Schumachers past actions, and although Piquet Jnr's actions were premeditated which goes beyond MSC's multiple attempts at taking people out to win (Hill @ Adelade for a WDC, Villeneuve @ Jerez also WDC, and parking at Monaco) i dont believe they were planned, though still intentional, i cant quite forgive Piquet for his role, and wouldnt be disappointed if he was shunned by the motor racing community and never seen again tbh. Dont wish anything nasty to him, just believe his actions have a consequence, and leaving FIA sanctioned sports and carrying on isnt particularly fair. But thats just my personal feeling, no issue with others liking him, just noticed in one thread there seemed to be a lot of excitement around his mediocre but improving results, and wondered why people were that fussed, regardless of his F1 past. I sometimes watch the NNS races while waiting for the NSC, so maybe i'll keep an eye on him in this one.

[Dilla]

This is the most I've anticipated a Michigan race in forever. The Pocono race was most interesting it's been in years, so let's see if NASCAR can do it twice in a row.

I along with anyone with half a brain called that speeds would be this high after the repave. I hope NASCAR leaves the plates off this weekend though to see how it goes. If its ok, maybe they'll ease up on plate restrictions at Dega and Daytona, which will cut down on all the pack racing and bump drafts

No worries:

No restrictor plates planned at MIS: NASCAR officials said they have no plan to add restrictor plates used at Daytona and Talladega to reduce speeds. Vice president of competition Robin Pemberton expected speeds to slow on their own as the track rubbers in and the temperature rises. Series director John Darby said NASCAR has a speed at which liftoff is a concern as is the case at Daytona and Talladega, and "we're not there yet."(ESPN)(6-14-2012)

Couple of Q's from a NASCAR rookie...

Seeing as a Gibbs car won each of the races last year, is there a good chance we'll see the same strong showing this time too? Is that result likely to be a factor, is it a good Toyota track or do they seem to do well there, is it entirely random or do things change that much that its of little relevence??
I fairly randomly picked them as my guys to follow ('Hamlin' is close to 'Hamilton', and figured id cheer the other 2 as well) so im hoping for a 3rd Hamlin win ASAP and hopefully this will be the one.

There are tracks generally considered Manufacturer tracks. Michigan was a Ford track that has become a Toyota-dominated one of late. The plate races have been Chevy tracks for a while.

Whats the fuss about Piquet Jnr? I was reading an NNS thread a while back and people seem to be really excited about him, GM sounds like he needs a change of underwear, and all i really know him for is his exploits in F1 and well theres little to be proud of from that chapter of his racing career.

For this board, this is an open wheel/European-style racing forum, so the open wheelers tend to be the members' favorite.

For me personally, it's like gm's reasoning to a lesser extent. Unlike gm, I've been a NASCAR fan (born and raised in North Carolina, USA) since I was a child, so another open-wheeler entering was a 'blah' announcement to me. So when Piquet first entered NASCAR on a partial schedule two years ago, I didn't really care. I figured he was just bidding his time until an open wheel opportunity came about before bailing. But, he's stuck around and has been humble about his positioning. He's taking his time and hasn't turned his nose up at the lower levels like many others from different series before him (which is why I like Ambrose as well).



^That moment is when I started cheering for him officially. He showed me that he cared, so I became a fan.

Last one, (split into 2 parts ) do people typically pick a favourite driver and support them (or a couple of drivers), specific teams, is it more like the team/franchise sports where you follow 1 driver/team and the rest can go to hell, or is it pretty much watched for the general fun of racing?? I guess theres no single answer for everyone, but i cant quite judge it from what i get to see. I've always typically followed a driver and hope a couple others do well too, but i've noticed on these forums there are people who support a team and whoevers driving for them.

Mixed, I personally have specific drivers I don't mind winning or go out of my way to cheer for, but I like Fords in general. It does vary, there are a lot of drivers to chose from, so it's kinda hard to pick one guy. Picking a team leads to more satisfaction and celebration.

the race if Jnr gets to the front its like the whole crowd want him to win, nobody else seems to get a reaction (from TV footage), and that leads onto whats the deal with Jnr anyway, why does everyone love him, and does he always need 2 bites at the cherry when doing TV interviews?;)

His dad is one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all-time. Jr. was quite formidable in his younger years, but hasn't much success the last 5-6 years.

Edited by Dilla, 15 June 2012 - 02:53.

[gm914]

I sometimes watch the NNS races while waiting for the NSC, so maybe i'll keep an eye on him in this one.

Next one, Road America (Sargento 200) June 21-23.

If you are a NASCAR rookie I recommend trying to catch the Camping World Truck Series.
A lot of young drivers trying to fight their way up the ranks and get recognition. Say you find a driver you decide to follow, you can watch him (if he's good enough) rise to NNS and then Cup.
Then you can have the satisfaction of saying "Man I've been watching him since he was a rook. I remember his first win, his first Title"
etc...

btw if you hear anyone being referred to as 'Shithead' on the thread, that's Kevin Harvick.
(JP's favorite pantomime villain)

Edited by gm914, 15 June 2012 - 03:22.

[loki]

NASCAR badboy (really?) and Autosport BB polarizer Kurt Busch, after a relaxing week of fishing.
He'll be running both Nationwide and Cup.

Hopefully for the sake of his career he wil stop running his mouth.

Great opening post, BTW.

[gm914]

He's behind you.

Oh **** Jon, don't do that!

Hopefully for the sake of his career he wil stop running his mouth.

Great opening post, BTW.

I get the feeling brother Kyle and James Finch have ordered extra duct-tape for this weekend..

[Jim Thurman]

Next one, Road America (Sargento 200) June 21-23.

If you are a NASCAR rookie I recommend trying to catch the Camping World Truck Series.
A lot of young drivers trying to fight their way up the ranks and get recognition. Say you find a driver you decide to follow, you can watch him (if he's good enough) rise to NNS and then Cup.
Then you can have the satisfaction of saying "Man I've been watching him since he was a rook. I remember his first win, his first Title"
etc...

btw if you hear anyone being referred to as 'Shithead' on the thread, that's Kevin Harvick.
(JP's favorite pantomime villain)

...or you could go further back and remember when they raced weekly at the local short track before moving to a national, touring series. Oddly enough, for me that means seeing Kevin Harvick racing when he was a teenager ;)

I also saw Ernie Irvan, but not at his weekly local track. It was a big regional race.

One member here saw Dave Blaney race in his sprint car days, before he moved to stock car racing and NASCAR.

[Jim Thurman]

Back on topic..
I didn't get where I am today....

'fraid I'm not much of a people person, Reg "Great" "Super", etc.

"15 minutes late, sorry, stoat on the tracks at Surbiton."

Edited by Jim Thurman, 15 June 2012 - 04:34.

[PaulC2K]

Cheers for the feedback guys. I always have a ton of questions, and they're almost always between race weekend and a couple of days afterwards, usually if ive just watched the NNS race or NSC qual, but i havent seen the race which has long passed, so cant go anywhere to ask without running the risk of spoilers.
Im not sure im quite ready to start watching the truck series too, ive watched say every third NNS race and find it harder to get into it, probably because even though ive not really watched NASCAR before, theres a lot of well known racers in there even if you go out of your way to not follow it. I dont quite get the guys like Logano doing half the NNS races, but i guess if i knew Hamlin was doing one i'd watch then, or if i thought it would be a good track for it. Typically it boils down to what other races are that weekend, and if its quiet then i'll watch it. If theres a couple of things on then i'll usually pass.

I watched 2010's NSC races at Infineon & WG originally, and the intention was just watch the road races cos ive zero interest in them going in circles, then i saw 2011's shortly after, and also Road America & Montreal NNS races, and thats when i figured i'll give the full series a shot, ovals and all. Im desperately trying to get hold of the 2010 Infineon race to watch it again, but no luck, was a cracking race too.
The WG races both years were boring in comparison (ending in '11 was interesting!) and JV made Road America entertaining at the end.
The road courses are the highlights for me, plus Daytona & Talladega, hopefully i'll add a couple more as the season goes.

Anyway, i'll stop rambling about general NASCAR topics and let it get back to Michigan

[pingu666]

i follow parker kligerman in trucks because i used to race against him a few times on iracing

looking forward to seeing the high speeds at michigan

[gm914]

Trucks ARE cool..Kimi said so.
Jp

EDIT: It was the KBM NNS car he had trouble with.

This is gold
I especially liked one of the commenters (made up) takes on the post-race interview.

Trackside Announcer: "Kimi, what happened out there?"
Kimi: "The number 87 Perky Jerky Toyota Camry it cannot turn because it have no water."
Trackside Announcer: "You were experiencing radiator trouble?"
Kimi: "Wait. What?"
Trackside Announcer: "Do you think you'll be able to improve on your finish next race?"
Kimi: "No. My Finnish is fine, I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

[OfficeLinebacker]

I've decided this is going to be a fuel mileage race. Book it. Long green flag runs towards the end. Fuel mileage weird because at these high speeds there is tremendous aero drag. Thus hard to save fuel without really slowing down.

[Option1]

I've decided this is going to be a fuel mileage race. Book it. Long green flag runs towards the end. Fuel mileage weird because at these high speeds there is tremendous aero drag. Thus hard to save fuel without really slowing down. With a GWC finish.

You left off one bit, so I added it above.

Neil

[HaydenFan]

You left off one bit, so I added it above.;)

Neil

Nope. Denny Hamlin win by 10+ seconds. Long green flag run to the finish. Last 70-80 laps without caution. Only 2-3 cautions all race. Much like Fontana (with a possible chance of showers as well).

[gm914]

I guess the Nationwide race will give us a clue to how things play out.
Speaking of:

NNS Practice 1 Top 5:
1. A.Dillon 37.599sec (191.495mph)
2. D. Anica
3. Ku. Busch
4. J. Allgaier
5. M. McDowell

NNS Practice 2 Top 5:
1. A.Dillon 37.716sec (190.900mph)
2. J. Logano
3. E. Sadler
4. P. Menard
5. J. Buescher

[HaydenFan]

I take it McDowell is in the JGR car this weekend again? Wish he'd get a full time ride with a team. Showed tremendous speed and pace in ARCA, just not given the right chance in NASCAR.

[OfficeLinebacker]

I take it McDowell is in the JGR car this weekend again? Wish he'd get a full time ride with a team. Showed tremendous speed and pace in ARCA, just not given the right chance in NASCAR.

He needs to somehow escape his current claim to fame, which is first and most thorough crash safety tester for the COT. (see my sig)

Edited by OfficeLinebacker, 15 June 2012 - 17:55.

[Juablo]

JPM looking quick this weekend. He's using a new chassis which will have more of Heroy's input into it. Plus he was one of the guys who did the tyre test here so hopefully they gathered some good data to help get the setup right for the race.

Edited by Juablo, 15 June 2012 - 18:21.

[gm914]

Cup Practice 1 Top 5:
1. Martin 35.754sec 201.376
2. Earnhardt Jr. 200.803
3. Bayne 200.700
4. Stewart 200.736
5. Kenseth 200.574
10 drivers were over 200mph.
http://www.jayski.co...is2012prac1.pdf

Happy Hour Practice Top 5
1. Biffle 35.172sec 204.708
2. Ambrose 203.551
3. Harvick 202.954
4. Edwards 202.943
5. Menard 201.737
14 drivers were over 200 mph.
http://www.jayski.co...is2012prac2.pdf

I didnt understand Pemberton's statement that speeds would decline as the track rubbers in.
Anyone want to make a qualifying speed prediction?

Edited by gm914, 15 June 2012 - 21:31.

[OfficeLinebacker]

I don't understand Pemberton's comment, either. I've always heard that a track gets faster as it gets rubbered in. Though there may be exceptions.

Anyone watching the ARCA race? Are they flat out around the track? How many HP do they have?

[HaydenFan]

I don't understand Pemberton's comment, either. I've always heard that a track gets faster as it gets rubbered in. Though there may be exceptions.

Anyone watching the ARCA race? Are they flat out around the track? How many HP do they have?

ARCA engines are similar in power to the Nationwide cars, but using the old Cup cars.

[OfficeLinebacker]

I don't understand Pemberton's comment, either. I've always heard that a track gets faster as it gets rubbered in.

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said Thursday he expected speeds to get slower as the track rubbered in and the temperature rose.

Instead they got faster. Tony Stewart's top lap on Thursday of 201.896 mph was topped by nearly 3 mph. Twice the number of drivers topped 200 mph in Friday's final practice than did on Thursday.

http://espn.go.com/r...crease-michigan

[Lemnpiper]

I didnt understand Pemberton's statement that speeds would decline as the track rubbers in.
Anyone want to make a qualifying speed prediction?

I'll try


A Chevy at 203.409 mph

[pingu666]

it depends on the rubber goodyear bring, and partly the track. most race tyres prefer to bond/stick to something like themselves, some of goodyears tyres dont like to stick as well to there own compound, for whatever reason. but it works well as the grooves open up rather than narrow down. wonder if michigan will be single file or multi groove

[gm914]

I'll try

A Chevy at 203.409 mph

Ok I say a Ford takes it.
At 205.669mph

[gm914]

Austin Dillon took the Nationwide Pole with a 37.82sec (190.375mph)

Rounding out the Top 10 were:
2. Cole Whitt
3. Joey Logano
4. James Buescher
5. Danica Patrick
6. Elliot Sadler
7. Paul Menard
8. Justin Allgaier
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Kenny Wallace

[jonpollak]

Is ABC gonna delay the NNS Start?
Is the IndyCar race going to ESPN NEWS?

All these questions..
Jp

[gm914]

Marcos Ambrose claims Pole for tomorrows Quicken Loans 400!!

Well that was an interesting Quali. Times were steadily dropping until Marcos Ambrose (20th qualifier) posted a 35.74sec @ 203.241mph
Out of the next 25 drivers no-one was able to go faster than a 201.8 (Biffle)
Rounding out the Top 10 were:

2.Kevin Harvick
3.Greg Biffle
4.Kasey Kahne
5.Ryan Neman
6.Matt Kenseth
7.Trevor Bayne
8.Tony Stewart
9.Joey Logano
10.Jimmie Johnson
http://www.nascar.co...board/cup/qual/

[pingu666]

time to hunt for stream :/

[Andrew Hope]

Danica .

[gm914]

Did he just say-
"The Green is out again"
or
"The Queen is out again"?

[Red17]

Watching it live on MotorsTv, saw the green and realised to my horror that one of the Cope twins sneaked on the grid once again.
I will be cycling through Lemans after 2 hours of watching live roller hockey.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Damn, it sucks to be Brad Sweet right now. And 22 (Keselowski?) has to be saying PHEW right now.

WAIT! Did the 38 even hit the wall?

[gm914]

No! I think Tony Hawk is in that #38.

[jonpollak]

Joining you from the Milwaukee race..
Where's the media darling?
Recover from her 1st lap spin has she?
Jp

[Bloggsworth]

Danica .

From 40th to 8th place, not too shabby.

[gm914]

.
Where's the media darling?
Jp

KuBu currently in 3rd.

[jonpollak]

KuBu currently in 3rd.

Oh My Giddy Aunt
Well Played.
Jp

[OfficeLinebacker]

I thought Austin Dillon tapped her but I guess not. Excellent little sequence there.