[LSC9901]

By DAVID POOLE - The Charlotte Observer

Some observations on Sunday's race at New Hampshire from David Poole of The Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com: '
It’s a shame fans didn’t get to hear the entire postrace interviews with Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer. There was some funny stuff. Gordon and Stewart joked about being so far behind when the race finished that Gordon had to drive hard to catch up and offer congratulations to the winner. Stewart didn’t even bother. “I just walked to victory lane,” he said. “I never could catch up to him all day when he was moving.”
Bowyer had some of good lines of his own this week. He talked about how he felt he gave a win away at Richmond last weekend by spinning in a car that was, in his mind, as good as the one he had here. “Sometimes when you go for broke, you come up broke,” Bowyer said.
NASCAR said Sunday’s race was the first time since 43-car fields were mandated at all tracks that all 43 of them were running at the finish. Ladies and gentlemen, the car of tomorrow – you can’t hurt it and you can’t pass it.

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Ladies and gentlemen, the car of tomorrow – you can’t hurt it and you can’t pass it.

Well that s*cks!

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Ladies and gentlemen, the car of tomorrow – you can’t hurt it and you can’t pass it.

Ladies and gentlemen, the car of tomorrow - funny cars with a wing on the back

[NASCAR Gnome]

Speaking of a 43-car race... when and how did NASCAR decide that this was the "magic" number of cars in a race? I mean why 43? Why not 41 or 50 or 37 but 43?!? Also, is it true that the last spot, the 43rd spot, is reserved for a champion's provisional?

Sometimes, to be honest, it's very confusing...

Anyway, for those who complain that the CoT races are boring because you can't pass, someone explain to me how the #24 and #20 cars, both finishing 2nd and 3rd, moved their way around the field and passed a whole bunch of cars to get to their final finishing spots? Poole has never been a big proponent of the CoT or change and he's been moaning about this all year! (I listen to him on Sirius satellite radio to know his feelings about the subject well enough without having to read any of his articles!)

[jks812]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

Anyway, for those who complain that the CoT races are boring because you can't pass, someone explain to me how the #24 and #20 cars, both finishing 2nd and 3rd, moved their way around the field and passed a whole bunch of cars to get to their final finishing spots?

I've noticed that every COT race one driver complains about how you can't pass with it, but yet the other drivers manage to pass with it.
I heard Denny Hamlin after the race say you just can't pass with it. I'll say the same thing I said last time when Kenseth was the one saying that. Just cause Denny couldn't pass somebody doesn't make it the cars fault. Lots of other drivers had no problem passing.

[NASCAR Gnome]

If Poole is complaining about the CoT races now, wait until they take these cars to Talladega next month!

Last week, I heard reports on Sirius regarding the CoT tests they conducted at Talladega and the biggest thing that came out of that test was revising the word "SLINGSHOT"!

These cars are so closely matched that when they finally take them to the super speedways, like Talladega, observers and drivers at the test said that they are going to run three-and-four wide consistently. Also, if you get caught out of the "train" you can go from the front to the rear of the pack in a hurry! There's going to be a lot of drafting and bump-drafting and we can only guess how the "big one" will happen, if at all, if these cars are virtually "tanks" that don't turn!

I've seen all the CoT races this year and for the most part, the races have been exciting. What I can't wait for is to see how these winged vehicles will perform at a place like Talladega! It should be very interesting and, dare I say, exciting?!?

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

These cars are so closely matched that when they finally take them to the super speedways, like Talladega, observers and drivers at the test said that they are going to run three-and-four wide consistently. Also, if you get caught out of the "train" you can go from the front to the rear of the pack in a hurry! There's going to be a lot of drafting and bump-drafting and we can only guess how the "big one" will happen, if at all, if these cars are virtually "tanks" that don't turn!

Barring the "tank" reference, that's no different than how it is today at Talladega and/or Daytona.

Again ... I must be missing something today ...






http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb095&pp=ZN

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

What I can't wait for is to see how these winged vehicles will perform at a place like Talladega! It should be very interesting and, dare I say, exciting?!?

One of the problems the drivers will have with the COT at Talladega is the wing. It's so high on the rear, it blocks the view of the driver in the car ahead of you. Which means they can't see any of the in-car hand signals like they could with the old car, while their drafting. I haven't heard anybody say what the solution is yet, but I imagine the spotters are really gonna be busy.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

Speaking of a 43-car race... when and how did NASCAR decide that this was the "magic" number of cars in a race? I mean why 43? Why not 41 or 50 or 37 but 43?!? Also, is it true that the last spot, the 43rd spot, is reserved for a champion's provisional?

Sometimes, to be honest, it's very confusing...

Yep, #43 is for the past champ's provisional. but NA$CAR didn't think when they did that there would be so many .. in the past they've several past champs in a single race because they couldn't make it on time. also, until this year there was no limit on the number of times a past champ could claim a spot: this year they limited it to 6. Dale Jarrett and Terry Labonte are the "worst offenders" for taking advantage of this rule.

why? same old reason: a sponsor complained to an owner who complained to NA$CAR. reasoning: the guy was good enough in the past to make the race since he won at least one championship, so he's still good enough to be in a race.

so, like this year, teams hire past champs to kick their season off right by automatically making the Daytona 500.

but I don't remember when they started it. just seems like it's been there a long time.

I don't like any rule that gives a racer preference in a race (though I have no problem with some perks like garage preference and hauler order.) if they'd eliminate this one and the Chosen rule, then it'd be like it ought to be: the fastest race, the rest watch...

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by jks812

I've noticed that every COT race one driver complains about how you can't pass with it, but yet the other drivers manage to pass with it.
I heard Denny Hamlin after the race say you just can't pass with it. I'll say the same thing I said last time when Kenseth was the one saying that. Just cause Denny couldn't pass somebody doesn't make it the cars fault. Lots of other drivers had no problem passing.

Clint Bowyer as an example.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by jks812

I've noticed that every COT race one driver complains about how you can't pass with it, but yet the other drivers manage to pass with it.
I heard Denny Hamlin after the race say you just can't pass with it. I'll say the same thing I said last time when Kenseth was the one saying that. Just cause Denny couldn't pass somebody doesn't make it the cars fault. Lots of other drivers had no problem passing.

I believe that what they allude to is the fact that it is no problem for any fast car to pass a noticeably slower car (a typically-running Jeffie passing a poor-running GEM car, or a Red Bull car, for example), but when it comes to a car getting close enough to a leading car who is in "clean air," you have another matter.

The new car has much less down force on the front and when you get close to a car running fast, and in clean air, the air going over the lead car slightly misses the front of the following car and when the follower goes into turn, or pulls out to make the pass, it has less down force and becomes "tight."

This is what we saw at Bristol; a car could come through the field to get within sight of the leader but when it got within 40-50 feet of the lead car, it was almost as though the following car ran into a brick wall. Forward progress practically came to a stop.

[Nevadastars]

Personally, I think the majority of drivers hate the CoT and are just biting their tongues about it.............well, except Kyle Busch.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

Personally, I think the majority of drivers hate the CoT and are just biting their tongues about it.............well, except Kyle Busch.

Couldn't agree more, Donald. They actually have to get up on the wheel and fight this this, plus apparently combat body roll. In short, it makes the primadonas actually have to work a bit more than they are used to. I don't see that as an entirely bad thing.

The same thing goes for tracks. Show me a track the drivers all uniformily love (the new Bristol, California, Michigan) and I'll show you a track which offers marginal racing excitement.

[NASCAR Gnome]

I found out why 43 is the magic number: not enough pit stalls! That makes sense now... unless there's something else I wasn't told!