NASCAR running thread

I agree with this. It's strange to me how much people need to choose a side and stick to it when it comes to Danica, but I guess that's just the way of the world these days.

The reality is she gets more attention than she deserves as a driver, and takes a lot more shit than she deserves as a driver.

She's pretty good. She's not great, but she's a fully competent driver. Yes, she has a fast car, but she's a good qualifier. There are plenty of fast cars in the field, but she's the one who got the pole. She was the same in IndyCar -- a better qualifier than racer.

The detractors just seem so silly to me. I've repeatedly seen her one IndyCar win dismissed because it was a "fuel mileage" win -- like a race that involves strategy somehow doesn't count. People used to squawk that she was only in the series because she was a girl, ignoring that (a) she was, at times, the top American in IndyCar, and (b) she was routinely beating respected drivers on her own team.

The detractors will also gleefully point out that she's an asshole, like that somehow makes her stand out. If it weren't for her uterus, she'd just be ""fiery" and a "competitor."

She was a middle of the pack driver in IndyCar, and I suspect she'll be roughly the same in NASCAR. She's good enough to take a fast car and put it on pole, which is a hell of an accomplishment. I suspect she'll come in around the top 20, which would be a solid result for her.

I do find it kind of odd that's she's pretty inept at the road courses, given the time she spent in Europe. You would think it would be one of her strong points.

 

Or... It could be that those who follow NASCAR realize qualifying for restrictor plate races is pretty fucking meaningless. Daytona pole winner hasn't gone to victory lane in more than a decade. It's happened only a handful of times in the last 50 years.
I absolutely think Danica gets more coverage than she deserves.
So does Jr.
It's not because I hate women or women drivers, it's because I dislike seeing people placed on pedestals when have done little to earn it.

 

I don't recall quite this much noise in the last decade about what a cinch it is to qualify on the pole for the 500. Wonder why.

 

There's quite a chasm between "it's easy to do it" and "it's meaningless in terms of predicting the race."

You understand that.

 

God Bless America!!!!!

 

In her last two seasons, she had five top-10s on road/street courses. Since she only finished 10th in the points each year, I'd hardly say she stunk on road courses. Is she better on ovals? Yeah, but so is every full-time driver in Sprint Cup other than Montoya. With the equipment she has, I wouldn't be stunned if she pulls off a top-10 on a road course some day.

(Milka Duno? We shall not speak of her. Simona de Silvestro can drive on a road course, though.)

 

Sure.

But I also understand there wasn't nearly this kind of aggrieved, pre-emptive eye-rolling in the years the pole went to guys like Mike Skinner or Jeff Green.

 

Because no one gave a shit and NASCAR didn't cream its collective pants about it happening. Mike Skinner and Jeff Green didn't inspire coverage from non-motorsports media and bring about calls of a "change" to NASCAR.

 

Top 10s from that era of IndyCar are essentially meaningless. There were generally only 10 car/driver combos in any given race with a chance to win (Teams Penske, Ganassi, Andretti). You had the occasional interloper when a great driver ended up on a bad team (see Tony Kanaan in 2011). So when Danica was finishing 8-20 on road courses time after time, it's not like she's showing the same kind of great talent as when she nearly won the 500.

I hate to admit that as an IndyCar fanboi and a Danica fan. But I don't know any IndyCar fans who would try to convince you that Danica did well on road courses.

 

I wish Milka Duno would come over to NASCAR so she can mix it up with Danica again.

 

Again, sure.

But it's like a line drawing out of Escher to hear the press complain about Patrick's overexposure - while overexposing her and benefiting most from her overexposure.

Also worth noting how much reverence that press brings to bear on the skills necessary to "earn" the pole at Daytona when it suits the mythology of an Earnhardt or an Elliott.

 

THAT I agree with wholeheartedly.