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Nascar Monsterthon '18 #16: Nascar races on circuits too you know, Sonoma 350


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#1 OvDrone

OvDrone
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Posted 23 June 2018 - 11:05

Welcome y'all again to the sixteenth installment of the 36ish part 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Autosport Series. 16th race weekend of the season is go in a place called the Valley of the Moon.

 

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Yes, Sunday evenin' we go racing on an A C T U A L C I R C U I T  No more left turn jokes.

 

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I miss Marcos Ambrose

 

The race starts at 8 pm UK time ( 3 pm EDT ); so we have F1 at Paul Ricard, imediately followed by Road America, immediately followed by Sonoma ( and World Superbikes at Laguna Seca, afterwards ). I don't know about you, but that is E X C E L L E N T

not to mention DTM, WTCR, BTCC, Blancpain GT and other madness

 

Saturday, June 23 – Drive for Safety Pole Day #TSM350 @RaceSonoma

9 a.m.  Spectator gates open

10:00 - 10:15 a.m. TJ Majors, spotter for the #22 team, Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

10:00 - 11:15 a.m. STEM Race Car Challenge (Sunoco Victory Lane)

10:15 a.m. NASCAR Pro Series West Qualifying

10:30 - 10:55 a.m. Kids-only autograph session #1 with Kurt Busch & TY Dillon (wristband required) (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Matt DiBenedetto Q&A (RevZone in Turn 7)

11:00 - 11:15 a.m. STEM Challenge talk with NASCAR Pro Series West driver Hailie Deegan (Sunoco Victory Lane)

11:15 - 11:30 a.m. Skeet Ulrich, star of CW's Riverdale,  Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

11:30 - Noon Raceway Girl photo session with #TSM350 trophy (RevZone in Turn 7)

11:45 a.m. Drive for Safety Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

11:45 - 11:55 a.m. Scott Pruett Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

Noon - 12:20 p.m. West Series driver Q&A: Will Rogers & Kody Vanderwal (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

12:30 - 1:00 p.m. Raceway Girl photo session with #TSM350 trophy (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

12:30 - 12:45 p.m. Scott Pruett Q&A (RevZone in Turn 7)

1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Kids-only autograph session #2 with David Ragan, Parker Kligerman & Grey Gaulding (wristband required) (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

1:00 p.m. NASCAR Pro Series West Pre-Race Ceremonies 1:30 p.m. NASCAR Pro Series West Race Carneros 200(64 laps)

Sunday, June 24 – Toyota/Save Mart 350 #TSM350 @RaceSonoma

7 a.m.  Spectator gates open

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. NASCAR Trackside Live (Sunoco Victory Lane)

8:30 - 8:50 a.m. Raceway Girl autograph session (RevZone in Turn 7)

8:45 - 9:00 a.m. Jonny Moseley - Grand Marshal Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

8:50 - 9:10 a.m. Daniel Suarez appearance (Toyota PitPass)

9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Matt DiBenedetto Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

9:00 - 9:15 a.m. NASCAR Next driver, Hailie Deegan, Q&A (RevZone in Turn 7)

9:15 - 9:30 a.m. Earl Barban #48 team spotter Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

9:20 - 9:35 a.m. Ty Dillon Q&A (RevZone at Turn 7)

9:20 - 9:40 a.m. NASCAR Pro Series West driver Hailie Deegan appearance (Toyota PitPass)

9:30 - 9:45 a.m. Scott Pruett Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

9:45 - 10 a.m. NASCAR Next driver, Hailie Deegan, Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

10:00 a.m.   Driver/Crew Chief Meeting (Turn 11) (pass required)

10:00 - 10: 15 a.m. Samantha Busch Q&A (Save Mart/Lucky Breaking Zone)

10:15 a.m. Pre-Race Show powered by Friedman's Home Improvement

10:15 a.m. Wild Things Airshow Stunt Plane with Steve Stavrakakis

10:25 a.m. Chat with the Champ, Martin Truex Jr. Q&A (pass required) (stage on drag strip, enter by Turn 10 drag tower)

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Raceway Girl autograph session with #TSM trophy

10:45 a.m. Patriot Jet Team Air Show

11:20 a.m. Toyota/Save Mart 350 Driver Introductions

Noon Toyota/Save Mart 350 (110 laps)

Followed by Track Walk for prizes

 

Actual Track Map:

 

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Last time out in Michigan, Clint Bowyer won another weirdly weather affected race by an early Stage 3 pass on teammate and 2018 Nascar Overlord - Freaky Fast Kevin Harvick.

 

 

Here's a podcast to help pass the time 'til the next whatever race you're watching this sacred weekend:

 

 

So we are racing at a very familiar race track for Indycar and Nascar and whatever race series from the western hemisphere fans. Sonoma Raceway, formely known as Sears Point.

 

 

Sonoma is a 2.52-mile (4.06 km) road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains in Sonoma, California, USA. The road course features 12 turns on a hilly course with 160 feet (49 m) of total elevation change. With the closure of Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California after the 1988 season, NASCAR, wanting a west coast road course event to replace it, chose the Sears Point facility. Riverside International was razed for a shopping center development.

In 2002, Sears Point Raceway was renamed after a corporate sponsor, Infineon. However, as with many renamings of sports complexes, many people still call it by its original name. (It was never affiliated with Sears, Roebuck and Company, having been named for the nearby Sears Point Ranch founded in the 1850s by settler Franklin Sears.) On March 7, 2012, it was announced that Infineon would not renew their contract for naming rights when the deal expired in May, and the track management is looking for a new company to take over naming rights. Until it can find a new corporate sponsor, the course is simply identifying itself as "Sonoma".

 

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The track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6 (the Carousel), shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute is only used for NASCAR events such as the Toyota/Save Mart 350, and was criticized by many drivers, who prefer the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with the 70° turn, 4A bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 miles (3.20 km).

The Chute was built primarily for spectator visibility, to increase speeds, and improve competition for the stock cars, which are not necessarily groomed well for road course racing. However, it has been criticized for taking away a primary passing point, and some INDYCAR drivers believe eliminating The Chute and replacing it with a new hairpin at Turn 4A, then rejoining the track at Turn 5, would create a circuit with three passing zones (Turn 4, Turn 7, and Turn 11). Furthermore, the speeds of the current layout with The Chute have been slower than if the full configuration was used.

 

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From 1989 to 2001, the pit road could only accommodate 34 pit stalls. So, during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, some teams were required to share pit stalls while other teams were forced to pit inside the garage area. When cars dropped out of the race, their pit stalls were reassigned to cars who were sharing.

After a few years, a makeshift auxiliary pit road was constructed inside the hairpin (turn 11) nicknamed Gilligan's Island. Cars that had the nine slowest qualifying speeds were relegated to these pit stalls. Pitting in this area was considered an inconvenience and a competitive disadvantage, more so than even the disadvantages one would experience pitting on the backstretch at a short track at the time.

Since the length of the auxiliary pit road was significantly shorter than the main pit road, the cars that pitted there were held from 15–20 seconds to make up for the time that would have been spent if the cars had traveled the entire main pit road.

Pitting on Gilligan's Island had several other inconveniences. The location (the staging area for drag races) was landlocked by the race course, and crew members were unable to leave once the race began. Teams sent only the primary pit crew to Gilligan's Island, and once they were there, they could not access the garage area or their transporters to collect spare parts/tools. The only repairs that could be made were routine tire changes and refueling, as well as only minor repairs. Other auxiliary pit crew members, who were not part of the main crew, were staged in the garage area, and would have to service the car if it required major repairs. If a team pitting on Gilligan's Island dropped out of the race, the crew was unable to pack up their supplies and prepare to leave (a common practice at other tracks) until the race was over.

 

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I have heard myths that sometimes actual green flora can be found on the surrounding hills

 

Sonoma is a city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. Today, Sonoma is a center of the state's wine industry for the Sonoma Valley AVA Appellation, as well as the home of the Sonoma International Film Festival. Sonoma's population was 10,648 as of the 2010 census, while the Sonoma urban area had a population of 32,678.

The area around what is now the City of Sonoma, California was not empty when the first Europeans arrived. It is near the northeast corner of the territory claimed by the Coast Miwok, with Southern Pomo to the northwest, Wappo to the northeast, Suisunes and Patwin peoples to the east.

The city is situated in the Sonoma Valley, with the Mayacamas Mountains to the east and the Sonoma Mountains to the west, with the prominent landform Sears Point to the southwest.

 

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Sonoma Valley is a valley located in southeastern Sonoma County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Known as the birthplace of the California wine industry, the valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of prohibition in the early 20th century. Today, the valley's wines are protected by the US Federal Government's Sonoma Valley and Carneros AVAs (or American Viticultural Areas).

 

Once a valley of the coastal Miwok, Pomo and Wintun peoples, called the "Valley of the Moon" in their legends, the valley was selected by the Franciscan order of Spain as the site to build the Mission San Francisco Solano, the northernmost mission in their chain of twenty-one missions built in Alta California. Established in 1823 and named to honor St. Francis Solanus, Mission Solano was the sole California mission established under the rule of a newly independent Mexico. Within two generations of the Spaniards' arrival, however, the indigenous societies of the region were dispossessed of their land and decimated by diseases to which Europeans were resistant. Soon after the Sonoma mission was built, it was secularized by the Mexican government, and, under the orders of Lieutenant, later General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, el Pueblo de Sonoma (the town of Sonoma) was laid out in the standard form of a Mexican town,[citation needed] centered around the historic plaza, which is still the town's focal point. Also known as "Valley of the Seven Moons"  The raising of the first California Bear Flag and Vallejo's arrest in 1846 by a band of Americans claiming to act on the orders of Col. John C. Fremont was the initial act that founded the Bear Flag Republic.[citation needed] Vallejo later transferred his allegiance with US statehood (1850), and with his amassed land holdings guided the development of the town and dispensed large ranches throughout the valley.[citation needed] California's first wineries were established here, including Buena Vista Winery (1857) and Gundlach Bundschu (1858).

The other communities in the valley, such as Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Schellville, and Boyes Hot Springs, were founded later in the 19th century, some as resorts centered on the geothermic hot springs that still well up from deep within the earth. Boyes Hot Springs and Agua Caliente were popular health retreats for tourists from San Francisco and points beyond until the middle of the 20th century. Today the Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Hot Springs remains as a main destination resort, and the wineries, the historic sites, and the area's natural beauty are the main tourist attractions.

 

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The phrase "Valley of the Moon" was first recorded in an 1850 report by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo to the California Legislature.

According to Jack London, who had a ranch there, the Native American word Sonoma means "valley of the moon." He used it for his book of the same name. But there are several other possible translations for Sonoma (see Sonoma County, California). According to the Miwok tribes that lived in the valley, and the Pomo, it meant "valley of the moon" or "many moons." White settlers may have accidentally translated the words "many moons" into "valley of moons." Miwok legends say that the moon seemingly rose from this valley, or was "nestled" in the valley, or may have even sprung up multiple times in one night.

In the native languages there is also a constantly recurring ending tso-noma, from tso, the earth; and noma, village; hence tsonoma, "earth village." Other sources say Sonoma comes from the Patwin tribes west of the Sacramento River, and their Wintu word for "nose." Per California Place Names, "the name is doubtless derived from a Patwin word for 'nose', which Padre Arroyo (Vocabularies, p. 22) gives as sonom (Suisun)." Spaniards may have found an Indian chief with a prominent protuberance and applied the nickname of Chief Nose to the village and the territory. The name may have applied originally to a nose-shaped geographic feature.

 

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The Sonoma Valley is part of the Coast Range Physiographic provence. Basement rocks that make up the valley at great depth are the Great Valley Sequence shale, sandstone and conglomerate deposited in a continental slope- to abysmal plain environment via turbidite flows. The Cretaceous Great Valley Sequence overlies and contacts the Franciscan Complex along the Coast Range Thrust. The Jurassic-Cretaceous Franciscan Complex includes crumpled, uplifted terranes that have resulted from the subduction of the former oceanic Farallon Plate under the North American continent. During late Miocene-Pliocene time (~10 to ~4 million years) the area was attended by volcanism (Late Miocene Tolay Volcanics and Late Miocene - Pliocene Sonoma Volcanics) which are interbedded with the late Miocene-Pliocene Petaluma Formation. The (~9 to 4 million year old) Petaluma Formation was a fresh-water river system flowing from east to west and through the volcanics.

At that time, volcanic lava flows and river sands and gravels were actively deposited together, hence "interbedded lavas and gravels". The volcanoes may have been similar to island arcs. The Petaluma Formation is found in outcrop from Sears Point to Santa Rosa (through Sonoma Mountain) and as far west as Cotati where it interfingers with a marine sandstone called the Wilson Grove Formation. Gravels in the Petaluma Formation did not come from rocks located in Napa, but have been sourced to mountains east of San Jose, California. This does not mean rivers flowed northward from San Jose to Sonoma; rather, strike-slip movement along the Hayward-Sonoma Valley-Carneros fault system has dislocated present-day Sonoma County north and away from the mountains in San Jose where the basin formed.

 

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Sonoma Creek is a 33.4-mile-long (53.8 km) stream in northern California. It is one of two principal drainages of southern Sonoma County, California, with headwaters rising in the rugged hills of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and discharging to San Pablo Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay. The watershed drained by Sonoma Creek is roughly equivalent to the wine region of Sonoma Valley, an area of about 170 square miles (440 km2). The State of California has designated the Sonoma Creek watershed as a “Critical Coastal Water Resource”. To the east of this generally rectangular watershed is the Napa River watershed, and to the west are the Petaluma River and Tolay Creek watersheds.

This south flowing river drains the western slopes of the Mayacamas Range, the southern slopes of Annadel State Park and the eastern slopes of the Sonoma Mountains with intermittent winter flows in the higher tributary reaches. As the tributaries and headwaters reach the valley floor, a perennial stream cuts through scenic and valuable vineyards of Kenwood. Sonoma Creek veers west at Kenwood and cuts a gorge running parallel to Warm Springs Road, where it turns south to historic Glen Ellen, passing within one mile (1.6 kilometers) of Jack London State Historic Park and the Wolf House and thence southward paralleling Arnold Drive. In the city of Sonoma it is an urban creek which emerges into agricultural areas to the south. Finally, Sonoma Creek discharges to the vast Napa-Sonoma Marsh at the northern tip of San Pablo Bay. Principal tributaries to the creek include Yulupa Creek, Graham Creek, Calabazas Creek, Bear Creek, Schell Creek, and Fowler Creek.

 

Soul River of the Race:

 

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A diversity of aquatic and terrestrial organisms populate Sonoma Creek and its riparian zone. Winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tsawytscha), Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are the most prominent fishes. Anadromous fish movements in Sonoma Creek have been studied extensively not only in the mainstem Sonoma Creek, but in some of the tributaries. These investigations have demonstrated a historical decline in spawning and habitat value for these species, primarily due to sedimentation and secondarily to removal of riparian vegetation since the 1800s.

A variety of salamanders, snakes and frogs are also present. The federally listed as threatened California red-legged frog is present in the northern reach draining the south slopes of Annadel State Park. Several endangered species (mostly associated with the marshy discharge area) present include California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris), California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis), California brown pelican (Pelicanus occudentalis), California freshwater shrimp (Syncaris pacifica), salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris ), Suisun shrew (Sorex ornatus sinuosus), Sacramento splittail (Pogonichtys macrolepidotus). The above are endangered species with the exception of the splittail, steelhead and black rail, which species are federally designated as threatened.

California golden beaver ("Castor canadensis subauratus") were historically abundant along Sonoma Creek but were trapped out in the California Fur Rush of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In 1828 fur trapper Michel La Framboise travelled from the Bonaventura River to San Francisco and then the missions of San José, San Francisco Solano and San Rafael Arcángel. La Framboise stated that "the Bay of San Francisco abounds in beaver", and that he "made his best hunt in the vicinity of the missions". The beaver were likely wiped out by the mid-nineteenth century but returned to Sonoma Creek, likely from the Delta, in the 1990s. In 1996 a beaver family developed a taste for merlot grapevine bark in a vineyard beside the creek and were exterminated, leading to civic uproar and a shift to accommodate beaver resettlement. Sonoma Ecology Center executive director Richard Dale reports that although beavers fell trees and dam culverts, on balance they perform nearly "perfect stream restoration," because they cause the creation of deep pools, slowing the flow of flood water and enhancing fishery habitat. New beavers have recolonized Sonoma Creek and are currently located in both Sonoma and Glen Ellen. A "keystone species", the beaver have created habitat that has, in turn, led to the return of river otter ("Lontra canadensis") which have been sighted recently in the beaver pond below the Boyes Boulevard bridge in Boyes Hot Springs.

Upland ecosystems drained include mixed California oak woodland, chaparral and savannah woodland, In these upland reaches one finds plentiful black-tailed deer, coyote, skunk, raccoon, opossum, wild turkey, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk and occasionally bobcat and mountain lion. Prominent higher elevation trees include: coast live oak, Garry oak, Pacific madrone, California buckeye, Douglas fir, whereas valley oak is prevalent on the Sonoma Valley floor.

 

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Up until about 1850 Sonoma Creek was unchanged from its natural state. Adverse erosion and bank cutting were at sustainable levels and did not add enough turbidity to the creek system to discourage aquatic species. Flooding in the downstream reaches did not realize the modern frequencies since all the creek reaches could absorb more excess water from peak rainfall events. The Kenwood area existed in the form of a large marsh effectively blocked by a natural earthen dam from penetrating the course of the creek as it flows west out of Kenwood toward Glen Ellen.

With the advent of more intensive farming of Sonoma Valley in the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Kenwood Marsh was drained in favor of grazing, vineyards and other agricultural uses. This action removed the largest upstream buffer that assisted flood control in the lower reaches of Sonoma Creek. Consequently, the frequency and severity of modern floods (1960s onward) has been exacerbated by these interventions of humans.

 

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Spirit Plant of the Race:

 

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Buckeye

 

The "doctrine of signatures" -- the magical belief that items from nature reveal their purpose or usefeulness by their shape, colour, or markings -- may be what gives buckeyes their status as pocket pieces among men, for by "luck," they mean good fortune in sexual matters

In addition to increasing the bearer's sexual power, the buckeye is thought by many people in the eastern and southern United States to be a sure preventive of rheumatism, arthritis, or headache. Identical beliefs were recorded in Germany and the Netherlands during the early 19th century, but there the preventive power was attributed to the buckeye's European relative, the horse-chestnut. It is probable that European immigrants transferred the horse-chestnut's magical ability to the buckeye when they settled in America.

In the African-American hoodoo tradition, a buckeye in the pocket is reputed to increase one's supply of pocket money -- and the buckeye forms the basis of a popular hoodoo charm for gamblers:
Take a buckeye and drill a hole into it. Fill the hole with liquid mercury and seal it with wax. Carry it concealed in a mojo bag while playing at cards. Metallic quicksilver is used because Mercury is the god of games of chance and sleight of hand. Sometimes a silver "Mercury" dime is added to the bag to augment its mercurial power. Anointing the charm with Fast Luck oil likewise increases its efficacy. This same charm can also be made with a nutmeg or a whole John the Conqueror root.

 

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Buckeyes aren’t pretty. They don’t need to be. A buckeye does its best work if it’s inside your pocket. If you carry a buckeye in your pocket, it’ll bring you good luck. Just like a rabbit’s foot or a horseshoe or a four-leaf clover, the buckeye attracts good fortune.

When you first put one in your pocket, in the fall, right after the nut-like seed has ripened, the buckeye is smooth and round. About the size of a prune, the buckeye has a rich, brown color, similar to the wood of a cherry tree. The small, tan spot on it gives it its name.

As the buckeye ages — as it travels in your pocket, giving you something to twist in your fingers when you’re nervous or something to squeeze for hope when you have a bad day — it shrivels. The surface wrinkles. Pits form. It becomes misshapen. But it won’t rot. The buckeye stays with you.

If you lose it, it’s easy enough to find another. The native buckeye plant, which produces the inedible nut in your pocket, grows statewide. People in the mountains know it as a tree. The yellow buckeye, Aesculus flava, grows up to 70 feet. In the Piedmont, the painted buckeye, Aesculus sylvatica, is a shrub, only five to 12 feet. Both species produce yellowish flowers.

In the Coastal Plain, the red buckeye, Aesculus pavia, is one of the first blooms to signal spring. Its red, bell-shaped flowers emerge the same time as ruby-throated hummingbirds return for its nectar.

 

Spirit Animal of the Race:

 

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Salamander

 

The salamander animal totem is an amphibian that has close symbolic ties with the element of water. As a water-dwelling creature, it emulates flowing motion, transformation, and sharp intuition. We can easily detect these qualities simply by observing it in nature. These characteristics are intensified during the night, as salamanders are nocturnal animals.

Creatures of the night all share attributes symbolic of shadows, secrets, pristine vision, and psychic abilities, as well. As a particularly diverse spiritual totem, the salamander is also representative of a comprehensive list of symbols, such as emotion, renewal, awareness, and spirituality.

Like other amphibians, salamanders undergo an intense period of transformation throughout their lives, making them a concrete representation of the life cycle that all creatures experience. Metamorphosis always involves constant growth and adaptability throughout transitional periods.

In fact it is safe to say that the entirety of life is simply a series of ever-changing states. You can never get too comfortable, as your circumstances will inevitably change. The salamander accepts this and thrives on it.

 

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Flowing, Intuitive, Sharp, Adaptable, Secretive, Psychic, Renewal, Spiritual, Emotional

 

Although they are considered solar animals, salamander animal spirits rely heavily on their nocturnal abilities. They prefer to hunt at night and have keen vision and awareness in the darkness. As such, they prove to be highly dynamic in their qualities, symbolizing the two polar opposite times of the day.

For us, this symbolizes the ever-relevant theme of proper balance in all that we do. We must be able to adapt to all situations and seize opportunities regardless of how or when they choose to present themselves to us. The cold-bloodedness of the salamander is also comparable to the necessity of being able to adapt to our environment.

 

Salamander symbolism teaches us to perceive impending changes and make adjustments to the best of our abilities rather than fighting inevitable changes. We should strive to evolve throughout our lives rather than fearing and trying to prevent it. Change is inexorable, so it’s best to put a positive twist on it.

 

Astrology Chart of the Race:

 

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Powerful emotions and critical situations may arise. Rather than overreact, try to see and feel the message your soul is trying to give you.
Allow your passionate, creative juices to rise and flow. Open yourself to others. Play, dance, and sing your heart out enjoying the eternal dance of the yin/yang.
Observe reactions that can liberate you from past conditioning. Increase the time between the feelings & action. Consciously create positive outcomes.

 

Here's someone from Sonoma:

 

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I have a lot of good memories from Sonoma, like:

 

 

and

 

 

Let's have a great weekend of Racing. Cheers

 

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*triple sacred boogity*
 


Edited by OvDrone, 23 June 2018 - 12:17.


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#2 FLB

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Posted 23 June 2018 - 12:06

Beautiful part of the world.

 

One of the most interesting NASCAR races of the year, IMHO. I'm old enough to remember Riverside and still miss it. 



#3 Myrvold

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Posted 23 June 2018 - 12:08

Ok. Too long (though great) OP for me to read while being social with my family.

Any Ringers entered?

#4 dbltop

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 07:05

I was at the track today and it was very hot, 103 in the shade of the overhang in the main grandstand. Elevation changes don't show up well on tv, they are much steeper than they look. Will be watching from turn 2 tomorrow. BTW, your buckeye looks like what we in Canada call chestnuts.



#5 OvDrone

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 10:12

I was at the track today and it was very hot, 103 in the shade of the overhang in the main grandstand. Elevation changes don't show up well on tv, they are much steeper than they look. Will be watching from turn 2 tomorrow. BTW, your buckeye looks like what we in Canada call chestnuts.

 

Yes, chestnuts come from the buckeye tree.

 

Hope you'll enjoy yourself. Even with the inferno that the weather is, I would love to be there. Cheering for anyone in particular?



#6 Risil

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 12:04

Speaking of verdure @ Sears Point, I was browsing Youtube and I found it:

 

 

Unrecognizable!



#7 OvDrone

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 19:02

That is stellar footage Risil ^^

 

Race is about to go G R E E N

 

Racing marathon continues.



#8 Jim Thurman

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 19:32

 

Sonoma is a 2.52-mile (4.06 km) road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains in Sonoma, California, USA. The road course features 12 turns on a hilly course with 160 feet (49 m) of total elevation change. With the closure of Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California after the 1988 season, NASCAR, wanting a west coast road course event to replace it, chose the Sears Point facility. Riverside International was razed for a shopping center development.

 

[citation needed] Vallejo later transferred his allegiance with US statehood (1850), and with his amassed land holdings guided the development of the town and dispensed large ranches throughout the valley.[citation needed] California's first wineries were established here, including Buena Vista Winery (1857) and Gundlach Bundschu (1858).

The other communities in the valley, such as Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Schellville, and Boyes Hot Springs, were founded later in the 19th century, some as resorts centered on the geothermic hot springs that still well up from deep within the earth. Boyes Hot Springs and Agua Caliente were popular health retreats for tourists from San Francisco and points beyond until the middle of the 20th century. Today the Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Hot Springs remains as a main destination resort, and the wineries, the historic sites, and the area's natural beauty are the main tourist attractions.

 

 

A few here, Riverside International Raceway was eventually razed for future development, mainly commercial. The shopping mall covers a relatively small area, most notably turns 6 and 7A. As late as the late 90s, the turn 9 and pit area was undeveloped and sat crumbling.

 

The [citation needed] makes this look like a Wikipedia cut and paste   ;)  However, any attempt at some historical and general information post is welcome  :up:

 

Now, why have I highlighted Schellville? In addition to being the closest community to the track, the town was named for the Schell family. One of the descendants of that family was Harry Schell, an American Formula One and sports car racer in the 1950s



#9 OvDrone

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 19:36

It is a cut and paste. Did not have the time to write quite everything myself. But I did learn a lot of new things.



#10 AlexPrime

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 19:38

Nice race so far.



#11 OvDrone

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 20:06

Very tough break for AJ.



#12 FLB

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 21:54

Truex!  :clap:



#13 OvDrone

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 22:01

I am a very happy dude. Good way to end another good weekend. :clap:



#14 dbltop

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 00:18

Just back to the timeshare in Napa, and I have to say that it wasn't a particularly exciting race. My guy Blaney had a bad day but it was nice to see Truex win to add some Canadian content. Not as hot today, very sunny and pleasant.



#15 FLB

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 00:31

Mike Joy mentioned Toyota's Le Mans win a couple of times during the broadcast.



#16 John B

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 02:25

Not even a road course could break up the usuals at the front this year....

IMO not a good advertisement for stage racing. They took away some of the strategies that have made this race interesting in the past. Perhaps awarding points without cautions might work better. The disruption of normal race flow is outweighing the novelty.

#17 dbltop

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 02:32

Cole Pearn is the best crew chief going right now. He ordered his driver into the pits while running second to Harvick in the final stage. All the teams listen to each other so Childers ordered the #4 car in first. Just like Pearn wanted him to. He then told Truex to stay out for awhile. That strategy, plus no late cautions gave the #78 team an easy victory.



#18 John B

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 03:23

Truex championship was the result of another call at Homestead vs. Busch who was faster that day

#19 AlexPrime

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 09:19

Very happy for Martin. I don't like Kyle and I am neutral about Kevin, so the championship was quite dull for me. Now with Truex winning three races, it is more exciting for me, because I am a fan :clap: And also I am happy for Toyota, although concerned with Chevy :confused:



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#20 Branislav

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Posted 25 June 2018 - 10:19

Perhaps awarding points without cautions might work better.

I agree.