The 2024 running motorsports thread

[maumann]

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.

Right in the middle of the Anybody But Waltrip era! Back when he was cocky but could back it up.

 

[SixToe]

As bad as Davey's death and funeral was, it seemed Bobby and Judy were absolutely devastated by Clifford's death. I've been to only a few funerals where I've seen someone who looked as emotionally and physically drained as they were. What a tragic, short span between Bobby's crash and divorce.

 

[Typist Clerk]

We've lost a giant. R.I.P., Bobby.

 

[Driftwood]

Pretty good end to the race, although not a way to decide a championship.
Fitting that the 22 won because Bobby Allison won his only championship in the 22.

 

[Batman]

Surprised it wasn't Danica driving.

 

[playthrough]

How did a Chevy executive get to drive the Toyota pace car?

 

[wicked]

The last week or so has shown what a clown show NASCAR is.

I'm not sure who you blame. The Frances are the constant — although Jim seems to like operating in the background bad letting his people (Phelps and O'Donnell) do the dirty work.

There was some really good racing and really fun finishes this year, but November left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Batman]

Joey Logano responds to the NASCAR purists who don't like the playoffs.

 

[maumann]

And yet they keep pushing the idea of a fourth OEM (Honda? Nissan?), like someone wants to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to create a vehicle they can't sell in a showroom? Or battle with NASCAR when the rules change on a whim?

NASCAR's "sell on Monday" hasn't worked out for decades. There is no way in heck anyone is going "I'm gettin' a Camry because of Tyler Reddick!" So they built a racing "EV" for shirts and giggles but there's no chance NASCAR alienates the Red State rednecks by switching motor specs, especially now that Trump plans to drill until the oil runs dry.

The arm-twisting NASCAR had to do to force teams to accept the most recent terms for charters has two teams suing and several others wondering where the heck the sport is going from here. They've got a new media deal and Goodyear's actually put some decent tires out but NASCAR can't seem to stop screwing up their own show. And there's no new younger fans.

Bobby Allison dead affected more people than Logano winning. That's really not a good situation for a sport doing its best to dig its own grave.

 

[Driftwood]

Holy crap. McLaren's constructor's championship is the first since '98. I didn't realize it's been that long.
I knew it had been a while, but not since before the turn of the century.


Also... this is the first post in the motorsports thread in nearly a month while most series have been crowning their champions. Shows where what we all once loved stands.

 

[bigpern23]

Holy crap. McLaren's constructor's championship is the first since '98. I didn't realize it's been that long.
I knew it had been a while, but not since before the turn of the century.


Also... this is the first post in the motorsports thread in nearly a month while most series have been crowning their champions. Shows where what we all once loved stands.

That was fun to see the Papayas take it home. Verstappen is such a brick, taking out Piastri in Turn 1 with a reckless dive in a race he had nothing to gain in.

Is Lando the favorite for the driver's championship going into next season? I think McLaren outscored Red Bull by like 200 points in the last 10 races. It'll be fun to see how Lando does if McLaren starts the season on equal (or better) footing with Red Bull.

 

[Driftwood]

That was fun to see the Papayas take it home. Verstappen is such a brick, taking out Piastri in Turn 1 with a reckless dive in a race he had nothing to gain in.

Is Lando the favorite for the driver's championship going into next season? I think McLaren outscored Red Bull by like 200 points in the last 10 races. It'll be fun to see how Lando does if McLaren starts the season on equal (or better) footing with Red Bull.

Good question. McLaren hasn't proven to me they are behind Norris.
I think Verstappen's success is as much contributed to Red Bull's dominance as his talent.
It will be interesting to see what Hamilton can do in a red car.