Author Archives: Rusty Norman

About Rusty Norman

Amateur writer, NASCAR Fan, musician and former local Stock Car racer.

Sprint Cup Teams Take On Michigan

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20130430 130611 Sprint Cup Teams Take On Michigan

If there is place where the Ford teams might be able to start the turn around on their 2013 season, it could be at the Michigan International Speedway. That may be true but it is definite, the Chevys will definitely have something to say about that and the Fords will probably have to fight one or more of them off to take the win and or even finish in the top five.

One thing this fan has noticed over time is that the Fords usually perform well at MIS but they don’t always finish up front. I’m not even so sure that Carl Edwards winning the pole says anything positive about how the race will go for the Fords. I do think Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards both have a little momentum for possibly finishing at or near the front but, only time will tell on that for sure.

Kurt Bush continues to impress with where he has qualified recently and also with the speed he has shown up with almost every week lately. His team has given him very good cars to work with but they have fallen just a bit shy of the mark in keeping up with their adjustments near the end of the races. He is one in particular this fan will be watching to possibly take it all the way to the finish Sunday afternoon. From this fan’s view, a team just can’t keep showing themselves strong week in and week out and not have something good happen for them. I do expect something good to happen for them soon and it could be this weekend.

I don’t know how the Toyotas will do this weekend but I can almost guarantee they will have a bit more horse power than they did last weekend. With the engine problems they have been enduring, it is obvious something had to be done and even though they are down a little at the moment, the long view is they hope to have engines that will last when it comes down to the Chase. I’m sure we will hear complaints from several of the Toyota drivers until they get those horses back but, I am sure they will appreciate the reliability they will have later in the season… well… that is IF they gain reliability from this process by TRD.)

From my view, the Hendrick teams are a little hard for me to figure out. It does seem that the #48 and #5 teams show up every week a bit more competitive than the #88 and #24 teams. It seems to me the #24 and #88 have been showing up more like the Stewart/Haas teams when it comes to performance. I am sure they all have their own agendas but for some reason it appears all but the #48 team of Jimmie Johnson are having a bit more trouble getting a hold of the Gen 6 car.

Kasey Kahne has had reliability issues in more than one area and so has Dale Jr. It could be coincidence or it could be just the way the drivers are adapting to the new car and the way it drives. It could also be that all of them are not working on the same setups. When it comes down to it on race day though, all four of them usually perform well unless they have a major equipment failure

When it comes down to the Stewart/Haas teams, they have struggled even though they are running Hendrick horsepower and equipment. Lately, they have been making a better showing but for the first part of the year, it was a completely different story. Both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman just didn’t seem to have the horsepower or the handling to begin the season but lately both have shown it’s there, they just have to be able to use it. As for Danica, well, she’s improving too.

When it comes to the race at MIS, it seems to always turn into a fuel mileage race but then don’t they all these days. From this fan’s view, it just depends on when and where the cautions fall just how exciting of a finish it will be at most any track the Cup teams race at. Since there is so much racing room at MIS and more than one good racing groove, it could very well be this becomes a bit more of a follow the leader and hope you can catch up to him race.

To me, that could mean there might not be as much drama as there generally is and I don’t say that as a criticism. Michigan has always been a fast track and horsepower, handling and track position are the prime ingredients. From my view, I think this one will be a fuel mileage race and it is going to depend on how the opportunities present themselves to the different teams near the end of the race.

It is just my opinion, but, the best thing that could happen to add real drama to the end of this one would be a caution come out near the end and they restart with about four or five to go. If they’re lined up the way I think they will be if it happens that way, it will be one whale of a finish…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 15, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Jason Leffler – (no words express…)

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Jason Leffler, (sigh)… Once again, the obvious danger of racing becomes very visible in the loss of Jason Leffler. Our thoughts, hopes and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jason Leffler at their loss. He was a husband, father and racer. There really aren’t words that fully express how we feel about the loss of one of the racing family… He will be missed…

Cup Teams Partying in the Poconos

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20130430 130611 Cup Teams Partying in the Poconos

Pocono is an interesting track. It has three corners instead of four and it has the longest front straight of any track that the NASCAR Sprint cup teams face. All three turns are different and that front straightaway… well… Let’s just say it seems it goes on forever at times.

Another interesting thing about Pocono this weekend is all of the rain they had in the area and at the track and the limited amount of time on the track the Cup teams had. This is the first visit for the Gen 6 car to Pocono and that means most of the teams will face Sunday’s race without many notes in their notebooks. The teams that that took part in the Pocono test session not long ago may have at least the slightest advantage over the others.

There was one other thing this fan noticed in the Saturday practice sessions. The Toyotas seemed to be somewhat MIA in the top ten. This fan just didn’t see them as competitive as they have been in past weeks. Kyle Bush was definitely visible but with the tenth fastest time in the final practice, even he wasn’t that happy with the performance of his Toyota.

Because qualifying was rained out, according to the rules the drivers will line up according to points and that also gives those higher in points the better pit choices. From this fan’s view, that could mean we see some of the drivers drop like rocks through the field when the race begins if they didn’t get a grip on their speed and handling at this tricky triangle during the two practice sessions. I do have to admit it does appear that several of those starting up front according to points also had some of the better practice speeds.

Kurt Bush continues to show up every weekend with a fast car and many think it is just a matter of time until he takes the trip to victory lane. Personally, I agree with them and do think it would be great to see the Furniture Row Chevy and Kurt Bush finish up front. Of the single car teams, they probably have a little better chance to do so than the rest.

All of the teams will face some unknowns Sunday afternoon. Because of the rain and the cloud cover for the two practice sessions, clearing skies and higher air and track temperatures could make for a very interesting first part of the race. Those that guess right will probably pull away from the rest, at least until the first couple of pit stops.

Three of the four Hendrick teams were in the top eight of fastest speeds in the final practice session as well as the two Stewart/Haas teams which also run Hendrick equipment. I expect all of them to make a good showing when it comes down to crunch time. Jimmie Johnson was second to Kurt Bush in the final practice and he just might take the win that he denied himself of in the final laps last weekend.

While we’re talking about Jimmie Johnson’s penalty for jumping the start last weekend, (which did cost him the victory), I’d just like to vent my opinion about the existing rule for starting the race. From my view, I think there should be a change that doesn’t give all of the starting advantage to the leader. Usually the leader gets the jump in any start or restart but now it has become a matter of strategy and often ends up with a judgement call on NASCAR’s part.

I realize the rule isn’t all that vague but it isn’t really a black and white type situation and it leaves too much room for interpretation. From this fan’s view, there are two possible starting places and one is contingent on the leader starting in the “box” or the flagman starting the race “if” the leader doesn’t. I think the part I don’t like all that much is the, “not being able to pass the leader” until the start/finish line. Perhaps better stated, “you can’t beat the leader to the start/finish line.” From this fan’s view (and I know I’m not alone in my thinking) the start should take place at the start/finish line and if the leader can’t keep up then too bad. You still can’t beat him to the line but you sure know where the race starts.

Oh well, enough on that for right now.

From this fan’s view, I think there are two areas that may cause problems for just about anyone with hopes of winning this one; Transmission problems and engine failures. Since there will be a lot of shifting going on all around the track, the weakest link could be the transmission. With the higher speeds and that long front straight, engine failures are always in the back of everyone’s mind.

Oh and there is one other thing… tire failure. One can only hope the right fronts can take the heat… so to speak.

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 8, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Cup Teams Will Try to Tame Dover’s Monster

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20130430 130611 Cup Teams Will Try to Tame Dovers Monster

Taming Monster’s is what all heroes want to do and this weekend will be no different for the the fans favorite drivers at Dover and from the looks of qualifying, the Toyota teams have a very real chance at making the Monster mild. The weather is going to be a bit warm and this fan expects to see some handling problems along with one or two engine failures. After all, the speeds are going to be up and it is still a little unknown what to expect for engine life on an unusually warm day in the Northeast.

The Monster is an interesting track, (at least from this fan’s view), and it can either be an exciting day or one that is a bit ho hum. Actually, I like this track, but I am sometimes a little disappointed by the racing. As has been the case a lot this season, timing of the caution flags has proven to be a race maker or a race breaker.

From this fan’s view (and in my humble opinion) I don’t really know what to expect on Sunday afternoon. If I decide to take the info from the first practice and qualifying into consideration, I would say the Toyotas have a great chance at making a very strong showing. What I mean is that both the Joe Gibbs Toyotas and the Michael Waltrip Toyotas are looking extremely tough and could walk away with many of the top spots. Matt Kenseth has been fast all weekend so far and even Denny Hamlin and Kyle Bush haven’t looked too shabby.

As for the Michael Waltrip teams, both Martin Truex Jr and Mark Martin both showed signs of being able to run up front on Sunday and could make a run at the checkers by the end of the day. So far, I’m not willing to stick my neck out very far and say they can win it all this weekend. I do have to admit, they, along with the other Toyatas, have a lot of speed and that could lead to a trip to victory lane.

Of course as is the case often on a race weekend, you can’t always judge how a race will go by the first day’s practice and qyalifying sessions. Saturday had quite a different feel to it and all round and the Chevys looked as though they might make a fight of it on Sunday afternoon. Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon all looked much better than they did on Friday. Why I’d even go so far as to say they looked a lot better and should figure high on the list when it comes to being competitive by the end of the race. Even Dale Jr could end up in Victory Lane (and I don’t mean that to sound as trivial as it does at the moment. He could take the win and no one would be surprised.)

The RCR teams of Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard looked consistent and that good mean something good for either one of them when it comes down to cruch time. Of the two, Kevin Harvick would be my first pick if the winner was to come out of the RCR camp, but I’m not even counting out Jeff Burton either. It seems they are on to something and it could translate into a trip to Victory Lane for any of the three.

Kurt Bush has been one of the strongest cars over the last several weeks and I just can’t leave him off the list of possible winners in Sunday afternoon’s race. It would not surprise me at all and I think it would be a great thing for him to take the Furniture Row Chevy to
Victory Lane at the Monster Mile. I’m sure this is not just my opinion but, they have worked hard for it and it could very well happen this weekend.

Once again, the Ford’s just don’t seem to have the speed or the handling they need yet. Of course, we all know that can change this weekend and none of us would be all that surprised. Sometimes, all it takes is stumbling onto something on raceday and every Ford team can benefit and one of them end up leading the pack to the checkered flag. It’s not that they haven’t shown some muscle over the last 12 weeks, it’s just that they have been very inconsistent in performance.

Even Brad Keselowski hasn’t looked all that good lately (but many attribute that to the penalties they’ve served over the last few weeks. Now this is just this fan’s opinion but, I do think there is more to it than that. Sure, I know Joey Logano has been running quite well over the last several weeks and that just tells me the Penske teams aren’t completely lost. Time will tell whether they go on a tear or just continue on as they have.

Personally, this fan just thinks B K is in that “after winning the Cup Championship” rut that many seem to face in the year after they win it. (Well that is most everybody but 5 Time… )

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 1, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Endurance Is The Key for the Coca Cola 600

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20130430 130611 Endurance Is The Key for the Coca Cola 600

It’s Memorial Day weekend and between the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there will be 1100 miles of racing. Yeah, that’s right, it will be a full day of racing just on those two tracks alone. Many fan’s will enjoy both of the races on TV while many will enjoy them from the stands in both places. I would even veture a guess that many will watch one from the stands and the other on TV. Ah, the wonders of technology.

It’s a fact, the Cup teams will have to endure an extra 100 miles for Coca Cola 600 this weekend while most of us get to enjoy an extra day off and celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who died serving in the United States Armed Sevices. The two races are not easily confused simply because the cars are two completely different types of cars. The same can’t always be said for the Holiday though. It is often confused with Verterans Day.

The Cocal Cola 600 is the longest race in stock car racing and it is an endurance race for drivers, crews and equipment as well. It used to be a race that saw the drivers not really press to win until somewhere around the last 100 miles. Now, although this fan doesn’t think they drive flat out every lap, they do run harder than they used to for much of the race. I still think the real racing begins after they get close to the last 100 miles but I don’t know how many will actually admit to that.

I really think the Toyotas are looking awfully tough for tonight. From this fan’s view, it is still anyone’s race and they will have to drive all 600 miles to get the trophy. Although I expect track position to be very important (as it usually is) I don’t think it is something too many will worry much about until the latter part of the race. Well, that is unless someone is running away from most of the field and putting a lot of people down a lap or more. Depending on how the green flag runs go, it could happen that several do go a lap or laps down and never get the chance to catch up.

This race cannot be compared to last weekend at all simply because last week’s All Star race was a bunch of short runs, with everyone running every lap as fast as they could go. The race tonight will be about fuel mileage, tire management and not making any mistakes on pit road (especially near the end of the race) and trying to stay on the lead lap.

There has been a lot of talk lately about how much faster the Gen 6 has been than the previous car and I can’t disagree with that. This car is fast and many track records have fallen by the wayside this season. What I haven’t seen a lot of this year is some really close exciting racing on a regular basis. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the racing hasn’t been good. It’s just that its been relatively predictable, (except when those late race cautions come out.)

Am I the only one that has noticed one car seems to dominate a race? Just look at the way Matt Kenseth has been running. He has often been running up front this season and has also been walking away from the field. The same with Kyle Bush and others. One car seems to get out front in the “clean air” and it has been hard for others to catch and pass them. From my view, it hasn’t happened just once or twice this season but has happened often. It also seems to happen especially at the 1 ½ mile tracks with regularity. I would even go so far as to say, if it hadn’t been for yellow flags coming out at strategic times, some of the races would have ended without much excitement at all.

What I expect to see tonight is the usual stuff for a Coca Cola 600. There will be long green flag runs and probably a lot of follow the leader, at least to begin with. When it comes down to the final laps, I really expect to see the Hendrick Chevys and JGR Toyotas to be fighting it out at the front. It could be Kasey Kahne or Jimmie Johnson or it could be Matt Kenseth, Kyle Bush or Denny Hamlin.

Kurt Bush has been running awfully good and could actually pull off the win and Jamie McMurray could end the drought for the EGR teams. In fact, I don’t really expect to see the unexpected tonight but it very possibly could be a night where someone totally unexpected wins. (Now what do you suppose that means…?)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 25, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Showdown and All Stars Under the Lights at Charlotte

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20130430 130611 Showdown and All Stars Under the Lights at Charlotte

If you know anything about NASCAR, you already know the Showdown and The All Star race aren’t just for show – They’re about winning. (Well… They’re about winning… and money… Lots of money.) In fact, it’s pretty much all or nothing and, if done right, it could be worth 2 million dollars tonight.

Another thing about the All Star race is that it isn’t like any other All Star performance in sports. The Sprint All Star race isn’t about just showing up, pretending it’s an important night and then putting on a poor performance. It is about driving as hard as you can, beating every other driver on the track and taking home that load of money. With the purse they’re running for (in particular this year), these drivers will always do just about anything to win and that makes it more interesting than any other professional sport anywhere.

NASCAR is different and this weekend’s race is different than any other. They’ve made changes to the format for the All Star event and it should make for a very interesting evening of racing. From this fan’s view, it looks like they’ve tried to eliminate any sandbagging at all and that means the All Star segments should prove to be flat out racing from beginning to end.

It’s not necessary to go into all the nuances of the races tonight but the field is set for the All Star event except for three. That would be the first and second finishers in the Showdown and, of course, the fan’s choice. Many think, since Dale Jr is already locked in to the All Star race tonight, the fan’s choice will be Danica. Of course, this fan isn’t so definite about that but I guess it could happen. If not, I do know there are a few others the fans might “favorite” into the final and that makes not knowing all the more interesting.

Of the ones that may not drive themselves into the All Star race from the Showdown, the fan’s choice could be a not-so-known one they want to give a chance to run with the “Stars” or it could be one of the more noticed drivers that just haven’t made it yet. Of those that are running in the Showdown a number of names do stand out and could be the choice of the fans. At least for the moment, I going to rule out four of them simply because they could finish first or second in the Showdown. Those would be Martin Truex Jr, Jamie McMurray, Jaun Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola. (I’m not saying they will take one of the top two spots, I’m just saying they could.)

A couple of names that stick out would be Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton. Although they have been around a while, it is possible they could get the nod from the fans but they are by no means a lock for the position. The more obvious choices, at least from this fan’s view, would be Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Paul Menard, Casey Mears, David Gilliland and, of course, Danica Patrick. Anyone has a chance of making it, but from my view, these are the most likely.

The Showdown will be flat out racing from beginning to end mostly because they either have to finish in the top two or be the fan favorite to make it into the All Star event. Finishing anywhere else means they likely won’t make the the Big Event for the night. To this fan, that alone spells intensity.

Speaking of intensity, the qualifying session for the All Star race was one of the most exciting I’ve ever seen in many years of NASCAR Cup races. It was a definite throwback to years ago and it remided me of just how much has changed to better protect the pit crews during a race. Although it was a great experience for this special weekend, I don’t ever see them reveting back to it for regular races (and honestly, no one expects them to.) It did remind this fan of how dangerous it used to be and how much better it is now, even though it is still a dangerous job for the crew members.

When it comes to the All Star race, the changes made to the format just about guarantee lap after lap of hard racing, drivers trying to finish up front and have the best average finsihes over the first segments and then take it all the way to the end to collect the the big payout.

The All Star race is always exciting and a fan favorite. It shows what the drivers are made of and definitely shows just how competitive they are, especially when it involves the possibility of taking home a million or two dollars. If the All Star qualifying session was just a hint of what we might see tonight, well… hold on because anything can happen (and probably will…)

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 18, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

NASCAR Cup at Darlington from a NASCAR Fan’s View

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20130430 130611 NASCAR Cup at Darlington from a NASCAR Fans View

Darlington… The Lady In Black… The Track Too Tough To Tame…

These are all phrases used to describe one of the legendary tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It’s been around since 1950 and, though it has changed over the years, it has never lost its appeal and remains one of the tracks drivers love and hate.

There are several things that are obvious and yet over looked by the casual NASCAR observer and one of them is the shape of the track. It was egg shaped when it was built and it is egg shaped now. Its unique shape makes it a challenge to the drivers that they love and hate (and, yes, I know I just repeated myself) but they do enjoy the challenge it presents to them. If you listen to them talk about about it, they usually make it known it is a challenge and then they follow with a smile and say how much they love it.

Over the course of time, both the casual NASCAR observer and the dedicated fan have heard of the Darlington Stripe. What some don’t realize is that the Stripe is a “badge of honor” and almost every driver (if not all of them) wear it with pride. Well… that is if their “stripe yeilding encounter with the wall doesn’t cause them to have to stop and make repairs so they can continue.

One thing this fan has noticed with the Gen 6 car is that it appears it is usually necessary to make at least a quick pit stop to ge the fenders off the tires after a run in with the wall. Now this is just this fan’s observation but with the Gen 6, the shape of the fenders almost makes contact with the wall a definite stop for repairs. It appears the flare of the fenders folds in over and into contact with the tires. That could prove to be a bit of a problem as the race progresses with the Lady In Black tonight under the lights. No driver is exempt from a tangle with the wall at any time on this track and it is a long race.

I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know when I say the fastest way around this track is near the top. What that means for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 is it will probably be hard to pass and could mean a lot of single file racing during the night. With the increased speeds the Gen 6 cars are running at almost every track, the margin for error is small for the drivers, especially at the Darlington Raceway. There isn’t much racing room and small errors in judgement could become big problems for many in the field.

Kurt Bush is looking very strong for tonight and will start on the pole. Whether or not he will be able to stay up front remains to be seen but he does get around “The Lady” very well and it would not surprise this fan if he finishes at or very near the top spot by the end of the night.

Of course, brother Kyle is looking to make it difficult for Kurt to start on the pole and stay out front all the way to the end and since he started on the pole in the Nationwide race Friday night and won, I expect his chances are good. He starts third tonight, right behind his brother and would like nothing better to make another sweep of the weekend. Of course, both of them will have to contend with Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne, and they start second and fourth. I guess it will depend on where Kurt wants to start from, either the outside or the inside, and that could make a world of difference for the first few laps in particular. This fan thinks Kurt will probably choose the outside starting position, but I guess we won’t know that for certain until the start of the race tonight.

It will be interesting to see how Matt Kenseth of JGR and the Penske teams of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano do tonight considering they will be working without some key personel. From this fan’s view, I don’t expect it to have much effect on their performance. The Penske teams have struggled a bit since NASCAR found the work they were doing with the rear ends of their cars unacceptable. That may have just been the stress of the pending penalties but now that they’re here we will see how they do. As for Matt Kenseth, well, at least from my view, he’s just fast this year and has been strong almost every single week.

The Roush and Petty Fords are still struggling but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pressing the issue near the front at least for part of the race tonight. I’m not willing to stick my neck out and say Greg Biffle could win tonight or even Carl Edwards. I think it is a possibility one of the Fords could win but not something I really expect.

Like it or not, the Hendrick Teams still look strong with three starting in the top ten and Dale Jr starting sixteenth. Any of the four could be the victor tonight and Jeff Gordon would like nothing better than to take home the trophy on the night he starts his 700th race in a row. Now, I’m not saying he will win, but he usually runs well at The Lady In Black and tonight could be his night.

When I look at the lineup for tonight, I see a lot of possible winners and need to win(ners… ) I haven’t even mentioned Tony Stewart or Ryan Newman (and I really don’t expect them to win) or Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr (and they very possibly could…) I just know tonight is going to be all about track position, being out front and not making any big mistakes either on the track or in the pits. That in itself isn’t easy at The Track Too Tough To Tame…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 10, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Thoughts on Penske Penalty Reduction

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Just some quick thoughts from this NASCAR Fan’s view. By now, everyone’s heard of the ruling by chief appellate officer John Middlebrook and they know that Penske’s penalties have been reduced. Since that is the fifth reduction out of six taken before him in three years, makes this fan wonder if NASCAR thinks their penalties are too soft (if they’re going to keep getting reduced.)

Honestly, this fan thinks that sounds just a little bit wimpy but, it’s okay because NASCAR is still NASCAR and I do respect John Middlebrook’s decision.

I am of the opinion that the penalties shouldn’t have been reduced as much as they were. I could’ve understood reducing them by half or one third but two thirds doesn’t make sense to me. It all goes back to intent and many in the garage area believe that there was intent on the part of the Penske teams. Makes one wonder whether or not NASCAR will be able to control certain other things in the future.

Of course no one will care about this, but when I was racing at our local short tracks. We got torn down and found illegal because we ground the oil passages on our motor and they said that wasn’t legal. In reality, that didn’t do a thing for making us go faster but because the rulebook didn’t say we could, they said that it was illegal. Of course the rules were changed after that to state that we could not do that to the engines in the future.

This fan believes working in gray areas should have its consequences especially when the line is stepped over, although I do understand both sides of the issue.

Should be interesting to see how all the rulings go for the JGR #20 team tomorrow. After all, what is too severe when it comes to penalties…?

See Ya Next Time…

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
(c) May 7, 2013 all rights reserved
Rusty Norman – NascarFansView – Justafansview

Talladega Ending Was Definitely Worth The Wait

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20130430 130611 Talladega Ending Was Definitely Worth The Wait

Well… it took almost all day and even with the 3 hour 45 plus minute rain delay, the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega was well worth the wait. As a fan, I am glad NASCAR stuck it out and let the race finish under green. Because they did, those of us that also stuck it out to the end were treated to another fantastic ending to a restrictor plate race.

It was good to see the unexpected winner David Ragan make all the right moves to win in seeming overwhelming odds. From this fan’s view, NASCAR made all the right moves all day long and even though some drivers did think it was too dark to be racing, this was as good as it gets when it comes to watching a race all the way to the end. It was also exactly what NASCAR needed and deserved for sticking with it.

As a fan, it is good to see the teams are getting a handle on the Gen 6 even on the Super Speedways. As it stands right now, this fan can’t wait until the Cup teams return to Daytona in July!

But wait a minute, I’m getting a little bit ahead of things. I can’t wait till Darlington this coming Saturday night!!!

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 5, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Restrictor Plate Racing at Talladega from a NASCAR Fan’s View

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affbannerblank2 Restrictor Plate Racing at Talladega from a NASCAR Fans View
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20130430 130611 Restrictor Plate Racing at Talladega from a NASCAR Fans View

Talladega… what do you think of when you hear the name? Do you think “Speed” and “High Banks” or do you think “Pack Racing” and “The Big One?” I’m sure many of you think “The Big One” simply because it happens so often at the restrictor plate tracks but you do know that Talladega does stand by itself amongst all the tracks, don’t you?

Some will say it is just like Daytona, (interpreted as saying there is no difference between the two), while others will say the two are completely different. Of course, anyone that really knows anything about the two tracks understands the two restrictor plate tracks NASCAR visits are not at all the same. From this fan’s view, the only real similarity they have is restrictor plates. Daytona has always been, and is, a handling track and Talladega has always been, and is, a horsepower track. Since they both require the teams to run restrictor plate engines, you’re probably asking, “how can this be?” Doesn’t the restrictor plate cut back the amount of available horsepower they can use? Isn’t it an equalizer when it comes to horsepower?

Well, I don’t know how you keep doing it but, you do keep asking great questions. Since no one wants a complicated answer to these questions (and that includes me), I offer my simplified “fan’s view” of the not so obvious differences that many fans know about but may not pay that much attention to.

First of all Talladega is a bigger and wider track than Daytona and the turns are a bit of a smoother transition. The banking is higher at Talladega and it is well know that, when it was built, it was to be the World’s biggest and fastest oval track. In case you’re not familiar with it, Talladega is the biggest oval track the NASCAR teams face and for the present it is the biggest of it’s type in the world and that includes Indianapolis. So, it was built to be exactly what it is – the biggest and fastest oval track in the world.

Since technology plays such a big part in racing, the speeds became high (which is what was hoped for) but keeping the cars from becoming air-borne and putting the drivers and fans watching the race more at risk, NASCAR chose to limit the speeds by requiring restrictor plates on the engines. The plates work, but they have brought a whole different set of challenges to racing on what are called the Super Speedways. All of this has been well documented over the years along with how all of the drivers feel about restrictor plate races so we don’t need to get into it here today. We all know that every track has its own personality and, from this fan’s view, Talladega is much different than Daytona but both are exciting and both are fast (uh, that is, considering the limitations of the restrictor plates.)

The rain out of qualifying may make a bigger impact than many think. As usual, the benefit of qualifying is pit choice and that alone could change the outcome of the race. Also, as usual, the benefit of pit locations for the teams is most important when it comes to cautions and where they fall in the race.

Another thing about the rain out is that it gives an idea of what is being rumored for a possible change in how qualifying might be done in the future. Of course this is pure speculation from this fan’s view but it is possible qualifying could be changed to a driver’s fastest laps in practice. Now, don’t go getting your underwear in a bunch because this is just my opinion (even though it has been rumored lately.) I’m not saying this is the way qualifying will end up but I am saying I’ve heard it may be considered and this would give us fans a glimpse of how it may look.

It is difficult to speculate on which driver may win on a restrictor plate track since these are races that anybody in the field has a chance to win. As long as their cars can make it to the starting lineup and they have an engine that runs, any of them have a chance to win.

What this fan hopes is that this race is more like the old days of drafting and pack racing. I really like the door handle to door handle, bumper to bumper excitement of pack racing. Although not a big fan of the “two car tandem”, I did enjoy it at first but it just didn’t generate the same feeling of excitement for me. What really kind of killed the two car draft for me was when one or more of the drivers would lose their partner for one reason or another and they had to hunt for another drafting partner (or steal one from someone else.)

I know there are drawbacks to pack racing, too, and this fan’s biggest hope is that the cars don’t spend a lot of laps killing time running single file until we get near the end of the race. It is probably inevitable that there will be some time killing, I just hope to see more of the pack type racing, two and three wide instead of everybody running single file up next to the wall for an extended period. From this fan’s view, I can’t think of anything less exciting than 43 cars running running lap after lap, single file, not passing or swapping positions at a Super Speedway. Well… that is unless they run all day without the Big One…

Just kiddin’…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 4, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Richmond Didn’t Disappoint – Typical Short Trackin’

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20130430 130611 Richmond Didnt Disappoint Typical Short Trackin

(Just some quick thoughts from this Fan’s View…)

As expected, Richmond didn’t disappoint. The Cup series saw emotion and some pretty good racing. All in all, It was a typical Saturday night short track race under the lights in the Cup series and the Nationwide series on Friday night saw even more emotion and things carried over outside the track.

In typical short track fashion, both Friday night and Saturday night were filled with emotion and some pretty good racing. Whether or not we’ll see any penalties from the Friday night happenings remains to be seen.

Can’t wait for Talledega coming up this weekend. Don’t know about you but this fan thinks it could be an interesting time also.

See ya then…

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© April 30, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions

Saturday Night Short-Tracking Under the Lights at Richmond

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091218 iPhoneCamPixes 060 003A 150x150 Saturday Night Short Tracking Under the Lights at Richmond

The track record fell at RIR for qualifying this weekend for the first time since 2004. It is becoming a habit with the Gen 6 car and some say it is showing itself to be the fastest stock car NASCAR Cup has seen. Of course we all know there is more to racing than just speed and it remains to be seen if the race at Richmond International Raceway will be exciting or “just another race” when the Cup teams take to the track Saturday night, “under the lights.”

From this fan’s view the qualifying was interesting but, as in weeks past, was inconclusive for telling exactly which of the top qualifiers might have an advantage. Even with all of the hoopla this last week surrounding Matt Kenseth’s team and JGR, they still managed to put two cars on the front row. Of course that would be Matt Kenseth’s #20 Toyota on the pole and the #11 (of Denny Hamlin) driven this weekend by Bryan Vickers. I don’t know how you feel about that but from where I come from, it is called making a statement.

I have heard a lot talk this last week about how unfair many think NASCAR is being with JGR and Kenseth but from my view, rules are rules. Since the introduction of the Gen 6 car, it appears NASCAR has really come down hard in recent weeks with what many call outrageous fines and penalties and JGR and Penske have born the brunt of the so called “wrath of NASCAR.” I don’t really know how the appeals will go for either team, I just know that a line has to be drawn somewhere and it appears some lines have been crossed that shouldn’t be crossed, at least as far as NASCAR is concerned.

In some ways, I agree with those that have said the penalties seem a little excessive. In other ways, I see NASCAR’s point and have to agree with them to the point of, they have to do what they have to do (and to that point, they always have done it. )

Personally, I don’t think the real argument is what some are trying to make it. I don’t think JGR had any control over what happened, but it did happen and I do get the feeling, were the shoe on another’s foot, they would want NASCAR to handle it the way they did. I don’t think anyone thought the light rod made a hill of beans difference to how Kenseth finished or hs been running. The question in my mind is, what if two of the eight rods were found to be light? Would that have made the penalties more understandable? I know I’m headed down a dead-end street here, but, where is the line to be drawn and should it matter whether it was a mistake or whether the “intent” to actually gain an advantage was there or not? The facts are, the rod was light, the rule said it couldn’t be and that should settle it, (at least for now.)

On a more positive note, as a former racer, I like the way the engineers and crew chiefs constantly push the envelope when it comes to getting every ounce of speed out of these cars. Yes, sometimes they do work in the grey area (or maybe I should say they often work in the grey area) and sometimes that causes them to step over the line and causes a new rule to be made that specifically addresses that area in black and white.

I always remember the rule book we had for our local tracks. They all generally had the same statement tucked away somewhere in the pages that was a cover-all statement and it generally went like this… “Just because these rules don’t say you can’t do something, doesn’t mean you can.” Sure, I know that is a simplification of the actual statement but the point is, racer’s, crew chiefs and engineers are smart and innovative and they always seem to find a place in the rules that requires those rules to be written in a more specific way so the grey area is no longer grey. Sometimes it just has to say more than, “… Actions detrimental to Stock Car Racing.”

From this fan’s view, I expect a bit of break away at the beginning of the race much as we saw last week with Matt Kenseth taking off from his pole position and staying out front for many laps. The very same thing could happen tonight. Richmond is a fast track and we should all be treated to an exciting night of racing simply because it is very fast and considered a Short Track..

I can’t speak for you but I came away from qualifying with the same feeling I have developed over the last few races. I don’t think qualifying speeds tell the whole story but, I do think for those qualifying up front it gives a definite advantage all round to them. That being said, there are a lot of fast cars and great drivers starting in the top twenty-five whose speeds were only thousandths or hundredths slower than the others and I expect many of them will be pressing their way toward the front as the race progresses.

Have I picked winner yet? No, not really but I do think other than the JGR front row, Jeff Gordon has a very good shot for taking the win tonight. Clint Bowyer is another that runs very strong at RIR and I don’t expect him to be silent either. Dale Jr seemed very happy with his racing setup and that could mean a trip to Victory Lane for him by the end of the night, too. I never discount the Bush brothers (especially at Richmond) and lately Jamie McMurray has been running very consistently. Why, we might even see Martin Truex Jr taking the win tonight.

From this fan’s view, unless they make some very good adjustments I don’t expect the Fords to win tonight and it still appears to me the RCR teams just aren’t there yet with the Gen 6 car.

Judging from the practice sessions and the qualifying speeds being so close together, it is my opinion it will be hard to pass and I expect to see quite a bit of the old “bump and run.” Of course that will depend on whether or not those that want to pass can get close enough to use the “chrome horn” so they can pass. I also expect the difficulty in passing to take its toll on the drivers emotions and there could be a few tempers displayed by the end of the night. I mean, after all… This is basically Short Track racing on a Saturday night and we all know what that can mean, don’t we…?

See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© April 27, 2013 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PodCastNorm Productions