NASCAR running thread

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

What happens in Daytona, etc.

;D :-*

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

IJAG - Please tell me Denny wasn't texting when he crashed in Daytona 500 qualifying.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

IJAG was sleeping when he crashed.

But just hearing Denny crashed in qualifying changes my day.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Jr. wins the pole.

And in related news, Art Bell has applied for press credentials for next week's race.

http://www.nascar.com/news/110213/dearnhardtjr-wins-daytona-500-pole/index.html

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

NASCAR stupidity shines through again. Dale Jr. wrecks in practice, has to start his qualifying race from the back in his back-up car. If he wins the qualifying race, he starts the Daytona 500 from the pole, right? Nope. Regardless of how he finishes in the qualifying race, he has to start at the back. Had he qualified third last weekend and went on to win his qualifying race, he would start on the pole Sunday.
So now NASCAR officials are stuck by their own lame rules. Follow the rule and it looks stupid. Make an exception and everyone will say the fix is in for Jr. to win. Sucks to be them.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Except for the fact qualfiying at Daytona (and Talladega) mean virtually nothing when it comes to the race.
It is nothing close to the handicap of starting 43rd at a short track or a road course.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Unless the big wreck happens early.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

I guess the point of the rule is to keep a driver from bringing a "qualifying car" - purposely crashing it so they can run their race car? Doesn't seem to make much sense, especially with some of the flotsam and jetsam that made it into the race because NASCAR is running out of teams.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Story that had FNC up in arms this morning and rolling Mr. Boogity Boogity Boogity and his posse:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/16/congresswoman-wants-to-end-militarys-nascar-sponsorships/

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

If the Army can prove it is cost-effective, I don't have a problem with it. Though I think it would probably be better if they sponsored a Nationwide team - they would still hit most of the NASCAR tracks and set up their booths etc. Imagine if the Social Security Administration sponsored a race team.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

But that's just it -- they can't, can they?

And [crossthreading to the SB thread] can't the military co-opt these events anyway? You mean to tell me NASCAR would say no to the Guard asking for permission to set up a booth at a track w/o paying for it?

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

And that's the whole point. There aren't a handful of companies getting a decent ROI on a $20 million per sponsorship. DuPont and DeWalt pretty much learned what McDonald's and Kellogg's and Jack Daniels and about 50 other corporations figured out years ago.

NASCAR's been spinning the numbers forever, and until recently, nobody cared to call bullshit. They've got 70 million fans. Really, so how come the ratings are in the 3s and 4s? Supposedly, 40 million watch four hours a week on TV? Show me those ratings, too.

The box score from Thursday's race had an attendance estimate of 80,000. If there were 50,000 in the stands, Joie Chitwood would probably have shit bricks. Want to know how scientific NASCAR's figures are? Used to be their timing and scoring guy would take his pipe and sit outside of the media center, scan the grandstands and come inside and pick a number out of his ass to put at the bottom of the box. One race, attendance at Pocono suddenly went up 5,000 -- even though the Mattiolis haven't put a dime back into that place in years.

The lies go on and on and on: Forty percent of fans are women, 70-something percent buy brands tied to NASCAR, Martinsville generates $300 million a year for the local economy, blah blah blah.

Of course, NASCAR fails to mention that all those figures come from PR and marketing firms THEY PAY to come up with those numbers. Yeah, that's a real good reason to believe what you read.

Want the best one? NASCAR hired a consulting firm last year to determine they should integrate their marking and PR departments. And the new head of that department, hired a month ago? Brett Jewkes, who just happened to be managing partner of the firm that did the study. How convenient.