The 2024 running motorsports thread

Thankfully, the 500 has never added a title sponsor. I'd probably end my association with the race at that point. Presenting sponsor still makes my teeth clench.

The Heinz Southern 500 was the worst thing possible until NASCAR decided to give California the Labor Day date and wipe out 60 years of history. Then again, Richard Petty was a seven-time Winston-Nextel-Sprint-Monster Energy champion at some point, according to NASCAR PR.

 

You’d think the ball and stick leagues becoming a little more pregnant with sponsors each year would take note of how Brandz above all can burn fans out after a while, never to return.

 

On a brighter note, NASCAR did actually issue some penalties to the teams involved in the Martinsville ride around. Chastain, Dillon, and Wallace along with their teams got fined, and 9 team members are suspended.

 

Was glad to see that, although a "death penalty" type suspension -- where NASCAR parks the entire team for the finale -- would end all of the F1-type messing around. But NASCAR can barely keep everybody on the same page with the charters, let alone figure out who won.

And Daytona believes "any PR is good PR" so there's really no reason for the sanctioning body to do anything.

 

There were a lot of shenanigans going on at the end at Martinsville, and surprisingly Whiskey Riff did a good job trying to sort everything out.

NASCAR Issues Massive Penalties To Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon & Ross Chastain For Race Manipulation At Martinsville | Whiskey Riff

Martin Truex Jr. thinks messing around with the finish is a bad idea, amIrite?

 

Monumentally bad race in São Paulo for the papayas, particularly for Lando’s title hopes. Letting Verstappen win from 17th on the grid is a horrendous result. And the fucker never had DRS!

It makes Vegas a more attractive race for those attending, for sure. Either you get to see Verstappen clinch the title, or Lando keeps it in doubt a little longer. Either way, it’s a high-stakes race, so it should be fun. Would love to go, especially with prices way down, but I think my wife would kill me after I went to the World Series without her.

 

NASCAR must have known Bobby was not long for this world. That would explain the decision to give him the Grand National win

 

Big RIP.
Just a couple of weeks ago when they recognized the Bowman-Gray win, my mom even commented how rough he looked.
Huge part of my childhood. Back in the day when they let fans across the track and into the pits after a race, Bobby would sign autographs as long as folks waited in line for him. He was a true treasure of the sport both in terms being a heck of race car driver and good guy.
A couple of stories:
I don't remember what year it was, '78 or '79, but I was a big DW fan at the time. He was driving the 88. At the fall race in Wilkesboro, Bobby wrecked DW. After the race in the autograph line, here I was a little kid, shaking my tiny finger. "Bobby, I want to know what you mean wrecking Darrell like that." "Well, son, that's just part of racing." "I don't care if it is or not, I don't want to see that out of you any more." He was laughing. My mom was mortified and dragged me out of there.
A few years later after the race in the pits at Bristol, we were waiting for him to sign stuff, and Judy asked if anyone had a Coke. I reached into our cooler and pulled out a Pepsi. She said he couldn't drink it. As a kid, I was totally confused why if someone wanted a drink they wouldn't take one. I obviously get it when I got older and understood sponsorship, but it sure confused me at the time.

 

Above and beyond not wanting anybody to die, I hate that he passed on a football Saturday, when the story will get lost in the local media here instead of getting the full treatment he rightly deserves.

 

I'll even throw in another funny.
As a kid, to me, me dad was a dead ringer for Bobby, and his best friend was spot on for Donnie. It puzzled me more than once.
Come to think of it, my grandpa was the spitting image of James Arness on Gunsmoke, so that really hung me up.