Nascar.........anyone in?

[Rembrandt100]

Ok so I posted this before last season started and got little response. Please do not bother posting the jokes or stories mocking the sport as I have heard it all before. I have been afan since the 60's and no matter what you have to say about it, it is irrelevant to me.

Just wondered if anyone had a fantasy team and where? I have one a yahoo.

Dave

[YoungDr3amer]

The "sport" of Nascar needs some turns or loops, that would make it interesting. Think Speed Racer.

[Rembrandt100]

The "sport" of Nascar needs some turns or loops, that would make it interesting. Think Speed Racer.

Your opinion while having nothing to do with the question, is noted


Dave

[Cas77]

I saw the title...and opened the thread looking for some good redneck jokes. Kinda disappointed.:D

[gorf]

Just wondered if anyone had a fantasy team and where? I have one a yahoo.

Dave

There's not much around for Canadians other than yahoo, I imagine you're watching tomorrow? I heard tickets were going for as cheap as $65. We're heading off to the LVMS race, there were no discounts there and tickets were selling rather quickly I thought.

[Rembrandt100]

There's not much around for Canadians other than yahoo, I imagine you're watching tomorrow? I heard tickets were going for as cheap as $65. We're heading off to the LVMS race, there were no discounts there and tickets were selling rather quickly I thought.

Yes watched todays race and the Gatorade duels on Thrus. I read that people were walking away from scalpers selling $135 face value tickets for $100.

Dave

[gorf]

Yes watched todays race and the Gatorade duels on Thrus. I read that people were walking away from scalpers selling $135 face value tickets for $100.

Dave

Interesting. We paid $229 each for our tickets but we got the Neon Garage Pass too, might as well go for it just incase we don't ever get to go again.

The rain was disappointing, I don't mind Kenseth but I'm a Hendrick's fan and it sure would have been nice to see #24 win. Who are you cheering for or does it not matter and you just enjoy the races?

Got an email from LVMS that drinks (water pop, not booze) is discounted by $1.00 but that's it.

[Rembrandt100]

Interesting. We paid $229 each for our tickets but we got the Neon Garage Pass too, might as well go for it just incase we don't ever get to go again.

The rain was disappointing, I don't mind Kenseth but I'm a Hendrick's fan and it sure would have been nice to see #24 win. Who are you cheering for or does it not matter and you just enjoy the races?

Got an email from LVMS that drinks (water pop, not booze) is discounted by $1.00 but that's it.


Well hey crap happens. They have tried rain tires and the cars go forward alright but they do not turn in the sharp corners with the high bank. Never been to a race except for local tracks like Sunset, Flamboro and Cayuga a few times. As for my favorites I really do not have one. I would like to see Mark Martin win for old time reasons. I was a fan when he was a kid. I go back far enough to remember when the car on the track looked like my father's car. I remember Chis Economaki and Wide World of Sports on a Sunday afternoon with a 16 oz coke and a bag of peanuts.

PS: If you have a team on Yahoo I finished last week with 230 pts and ranked 128.647 place.

Dave

[gorf]

Well hey crap happens. They have tried rain tires and the cars go forward alright but they do not turn in the sharp corners with the high bank. Never been to a race except for local tracks like Sunset, Flamboro and Cayuga a few times. As for my favorites I really do not have one. I would like to see Mark Martin win for old time reasons. I was a fan when he was a kid. I go back far enough to remember when the car on the track looked like my father's car. I remember Chis Economaki and Wide World of Sports on a Sunday afternoon with a 16 oz coke and a bag of peanuts.

PS: If you have a team on Yahoo I finished last week with 230 pts and ranked 128.647 place.

Dave

You're a long time fan then and are probably a walking encylopedia of racing. I remember Wide World of Sports but that's as far as it goes. My knowledge is really limited, I just started watching the last couple of years, it started with the Edmonton Grand Prix and just took off from there into Nascar. One of my kids is a huge fan of racing so if you can't beat them, might as well join them. :D

Same on Mark Martin, I hope he wins a race or two. Nah, I didn't get a team in yahoo, good luck with your entry and kick some butt.

[Rembrandt100]

So you are off to the race this weekend. What do you get to see for the ticket price. Is it like a multi day pass so you can see qualifing and practice or just for the race day itself ? For that price I hope you got good seats up high in the stands. A friend of mine went to Michigan a few times and the first time he said was disapointing. When he got his tickets he was delighted that they were on the finish line and down close to the track. The reality was that from the seats he had you really could not see the finsh line due to the high banking and outside wall. The other years that he went he made sure the seats were higher up in the stands so that you could see the whole track. He added that it is better to be up higher in the stands also because of the haulers and such in the infield blocking the opposite side of the track.

Anyway I do hope that you enjoy your day at the races.


Dave

Ps: Take hearing protection and if you have one, a scanner. There will be people there selling the list of the teams radio channels or you can down load them from the net.

[gorf]

We're only going on Sunday (get to Vegas on Saturday) and we are higher up in the stands but you never know whether part of the track will be obstructed, I sure hope not. We should also have a good view of the finish line but if you blink, at 190 miles/hr. you miss it. :D

I think there's nothing like the comfort of your couch, no walking 1/4 mile to the bathroom or for food, or battling with 140,000 people for a view of a car or driver. We also picked up a Garage Pass which allows you access to Pit Road, Victory Lane and supposedly you get to see drivers/crew from the first floor and second level but I doubt you'll be able to get too close especially on race day. I'm not setting my expectations too high but its something we wanted to experience and Vegas is the cheapest for us as far as flights go. I just hope they don't have some damn Elvis impersonator singing the national anthem although he will be there, they've got some cheesy entertainment set for the weekend. :D

I hope its a good time, but I've been under the weather this past couple of days so hopefully I shake it before the weekend. Otherwise, Ouch!

So is Kenseth going to be a force to be reckoned with this year with his new crew chief? Interesting start to the season.






So you are off to the race this weekend. What do you get to see for the ticket price. Is it like a multi day pass so you can see qualifing and practice or just for the race day itself ? For that price I hope you got good seats up high in the stands. A friend of mine went to Michigan a few times and the first time he said was disapointing. When he got his tickets he was delighted that they were on the finish line and down close to the track. The reality was that from the seats he had you really could not see the finsh line due to the high banking and outside wall. The other years that he went he made sure the seats were higher up in the stands so that you could see the whole track. He added that it is better to be up higher in the stands also because of the haulers and such in the infield blocking the opposite side of the track.

Anyway I do hope that you enjoy your day at the races.


Dave

Ps: Take hearing protection and if you have one, a scanner. There will be people there selling the list of the teams radio channels or you can down load them from the net.

[Rembrandt100]

Well I do hope that you enjoy yourself while there. I have often wondered about the logistics of moving that many people in a few hours. Traffic leaving must be horrendous to endure. I remember reading somewhere that when Nascar comes to town they end up leaving about 25 million $ behind in the locals pockets. Like I said earlier I do not have a driver that I cheer, except for the drivers I picked for that weeks race, I just like a good race. Last weeks race had no cautions for accidents but 4 for rain delay and 1 when a car blew a tire and hit the wall. As for Kenseth a darn good start to the season for him.

Dave

[gorf]

Well I do hope that you enjoy yourself while there. I have often wondered about the logistics of moving that many people in a few hours. Traffic leaving must be horrendous to endure. I remember reading somewhere that when Nascar comes to town they end up leaving about 25 million $ behind in the locals pockets. Like I said earlier I do not have a driver that I cheer, except for the drivers I picked for that weeks race, I just like a good race. Last weeks race had no cautions for accidents but 4 for rain delay and 1 when a car blew a tire and hit the wall. As for Kenseth a darn good start to the season for him.

Dave

Ahhhh, the traffic. Well hopefully that was taken care of today, ofcourse at a cost. :|Apparently taking your car 18 miles can take up to 3 -3 1/2 hours so we booked a seat on a bus, well worth the money I think. The bus gets to go through Nellis Air Force base directly to the track and should take about 35 minutes. Oh yeah, these races are a goldmine for the locals. They pretty much nickel and dime you to death but what the heck, we just had to experience it.

Good luck in your picks Sundays race.

[Rembrandt100]

I will let you know my picks so you can cheer for them in person. I have to have my weekly team ready before qualifing. I can make changes, but only among my team up to the start of the race.

Dave

[Rembrandt100]

Hey that is a great plan.

BTW Do you argree that Kenseth won that race due to the pit crew. Rember he beat Gordon out of the pits at least 3 times in a row. Other than that it was free sailing for either of them with clean air.

Not sure if you will agree with me here but I would like to see one race a year that could be concidered "run what you got". No restrictor plates or other rules ( concerning slowing of the cars) that apply to the rest of the season. Just a great shootout.

Dave

[gorf]

BTW Do you argree that Kenseth won that race due to the pit crew. Rember he beat Gordon out of the pits at least 3 times in a row. Other than that it was free sailing for either of them with clean air.

Not sure if you will agree with me here but I would like to see one race a year that could be concidered "run what you got". No restrictor plates or other rules ( concerning slowing of the cars) that apply to the rest of the season. Just a great shootout.

Dave

Getting out of the pits first will win a race so yes I agree with you. From what I remember Jeff had a huge problem with his crew last year but hopefully they can snap it up and get him out quicker. The last race was pretty good and I don't think they made any major mistakes other than not being as quick as Kenseth's crew. I haven't heard if he made any changes in pit personnel or not, but while surfing around once, I found this online a had a good chuckle.


Jeff Gordon Fires His Entire Pit Crew

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon has announced he has taken advantage of a new “Stimulus Package” program to employ inner-city youth by firing his professional pit crew, and replacing them with ex-gangbangers.

The decision to hire the boys was inspired by a recent documentary on how unemployed youths from street gangs were able to remove a set of wheels from a car in less than 6 seconds — even without proper equipment. Gordon’s existing pit crew could only do it in 8 seconds, even with the benefit of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of high tech machinery.

The scheme was hailed as an “excellent and bold move” by Gordon’s management team, as most races are won or lost in the pits.
At the crew’s first practice session, not only was the inexperienced crew able to change all 4 wheels in under 6 seconds, but within 12 seconds they had changed the paint scheme, altered the VIN number, and sold the car to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 cases of Bud, a bag of weed, and photos of Jeff Gordon’s wife in the shower.



Can you imagine running a race with what you got? Do you remember an interview last year, I can't remember who said it but a comment was made about the donkeys :D at the back of the track causing a crash. I'd be a little worried about the donkeys wiping out a contender but what a race that would be.






I will let you know my picks so you can cheer for them in person. I have to have my weekly team ready before qualifing. I can make changes, but only among my team up to the start of the race.

Dave

Well, I'm not cheering for Biffle so strike him off your cheer list. How many teams to do need? I'll give you my best chance of winning picks and then my picks on who I'd like to see win.

[Rembrandt100]

Getting out of the pits first will win a race so yes I agree with you. From what I remember Jeff had a huge problem with his crew last year but hopefully they can snap it up and get him out quicker. The last race was pretty good and I don't think they made any major mistakes other than not being as quick as Kenseth's crew. I haven't heard if he made any changes in pit personnel or not, but while surfing around once, I found this online a had a good chuckle.





Can you imagine running a race with what you got? Do you remember an interview last year, I can't remember who said it but a comment was made about the donkeys :D at the back of the track causing a crash. I'd be a little worried about the donkeys wiping out a contender but what a race that would be.







Well, I'm not cheering for Biffle so strike him off your cheer list. How many teams to do need? I'll give you my best chance of winning picks and then my picks on who I'd like to see win.

Great story about Gordon's crew. If I remember correctly that is a whole new crew.

In the fantasy sport world you get to pick a new team each week. The drivers are divided into 3 groups.
Group A is last years chase drivers.
Group B is high place finishers during last season.
Group C is the rest of the field.

You need to pick 2 drivers from group A, 4 from group B, 2 from group C. Of these you pick 1 from A, 2 from B, 1 from C as your starting drivers and that leaves the others as "on the bench". This has to be done before qualifing. All of these drivers can earn points for qualifying. Once qualifing is over you can change your drivers from bench to starters if you want but only starter drivers will earn points for the race.

This week so far I have:

Group A Johnson as starter and Kenseth on the bench.
Group B Stewart and McMurry as starters and Truex and Ragan on the bench.
Group C Labonte as starter and Sorrenson on the bench.

No driver can be used as a starter more than 9 of the 36 races.


As for the "run what you brung" race, it could look something like this:

http://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=biggest+nascar+crash+in+history&emb=0&aq=0&oq=biggest+nascar+crash#

Daytona was 1 year old, 68 cars started the race, first crash took out 37 of them. Watch the start of the race, there is even a Studibaker Golden Hawk in the front of the field. There are about a dozen vids on that page and links to other pages where you can see the car maybe your father drove in a race.

Dave

PS: I just watched it again. The best part is seeing the drivers climbing out of the cars wearing street clothes and shoes and a motorcycle helmet.

[gorf]

Okay, just guessing here but I'd mostly change Group B. I don't like that in this league you can only use a driver 9 times as a starter, you have to be pretty strategic in playing your starters.



Group B Gordon and Kyle Busch as starters and Stewart and Biffle on the bench.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out tomorrow but it sounds pretty amazing with 37 cars being taken out and drivers without any substantial protective gear on. Enjoy watching the race on Sunday and good luck in your picks.

[Rembrandt100]

Okay, just guessing here but I'd mostly change Group B. I don't like that in this league you can only use a driver 9 times as a starter, you have to be pretty strategic in playing your starters.



Group B Gordon and Kyle Busch as starters and Stewart and Biffle on the bench.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out tomorrow but it sounds pretty amazing with 37 cars being taken out and drivers without any substantial protective gear on. Enjoy watching the race on Sunday and good luck in your picks.

Only problem with your picks is that both Gordon and Bush are in group A. The limit of picking a driver for 9 races only is the norm for fantasy sports. The same rule applies to Fantasy Golf.

Have a great day at the races.


Dave

[gorf]

Hey Dave, I have no idea what I was thinking last night but I think its obvious I wasn't. :D Interesting position for Kenseth at the back of the pack, I didn't catch much at all of qualifying so I'm wondering if he had problems of some sort. Would have been neat to see Kyle/Kurt start the race off with Vegas being their home town.

Have a good week, I'm off to the airport in 5 hours, I thought I saw someone from Alberta with a sign behind the Speed guys during qualifying. Weather looks good for the race, enjoy watching.

[gorf]

Hi Dave, just a quick update, it was a beautiful day and being at the race was great. LVMS is huge with alot to see, I would have liked to have gone the week previous just to take in the pre-race free events that were happening around town. The bus shuttle worked out really well going to LVMS, disorganized leaving though. They needed better signage for where people should go to line up for their buses. Driving looked like a nightmare so we still did take the better option.

Took a backpack with our own water bottles plus we refilled them, at $4 each even with the discount, I'm glad we did take our own. Our seats were not the greatest, it was difficult to see across the track because of the RV parking and the distance, it was tough to see who's car was who's. I also missed seeing the detail of the pits that you see on TV. The outcome was not as I would have liked to see, I was hoping for a Hendrick's car to win but you have to admire the driving ability of Kyle Busch coming from the rear to take the win. I was a little surprised with him being a hometown boy that the fans weren't more behind him, there were groups in our section that actually boo'd him as he came around the track. Pretty classless I'd say. Programs were $15 and came with a t-shirt, LVMS car and the actual program, without the added stuff they were $10.

All in all a great trip, alot to cover in one day and tiring as we were lined up at 6:45 AM, but worth it. No regrets going at all.

[Rembrandt100]

Hi Dave, just a quick update, it was a beautiful day and being at the race was great. LVMS is huge with alot to see, I would have liked to have gone the week previous just to take in the pre-race free events that were happening around town. The bus shuttle worked out really well going to LVMS, disorganized leaving though. They needed better signage for where people should go to line up for their buses. Driving looked like a nightmare so we still did take the better option.

Took a backpack with our own water bottles plus we refilled them, at $4 each even with the discount, I'm glad we did take our own. Our seats were not the greatest, it was difficult to see across the track because of the RV parking and the distance, it was tough to see who's car was who's. I also missed seeing the detail of the pits that you see on TV. The outcome was not as I would have liked to see, I was hoping for a Hendrick's car to win but you have to admire the driving ability of Kyle Busch coming from the rear to take the win. I was a little surprised with him being a hometown boy that the fans weren't more behind him, there were groups in our section that actually boo'd him as he came around the track. Pretty classless I'd say. Programs were $15 and came with a t-shirt, LVMS car and the actual program, without the added stuff they were $10.

All in all a great trip, alot to cover in one day and tiring as we were lined up at 6:45 AM, but worth it. No regrets going at all.


That is great. I am glad that you enjoyed yourself. Did you see the smaller 1/4 mile track right beside LVMS? That is where both the Busch brothers cut thier teeth on racing and won championships. With Kyle's style of driving I can believe that he was unliked there. A tee shirt and a program for $ 15 does not sound bad. Seeing the backstreach from the front grandstand seems to be most peoples complaint but after all it has to be close to a 1/2 mile away with the added attraction of all the equipment in the infield. Maybe I will try to get to a race. Just to see it for real at least once. By the way I did not get to see the end of that race. With the crash that happened just before the finish TSN cut away to WOMEN"S CURLING. Yes WOMEN"S CURLING!!!! As if anyone really watches that. I guess they had to meet Canadian content rules. I did get to see it on the internet a day later.

As for my fantasy team I am in the worst shape I have ever been as of last week. My best year I was in the 88% mark for the season. At presant I am below 50%.

Dave

By the way did you get to look at the link I sent?

[gorf]

Too bad you missed the end of the race, how frustrating! The race ran long, if I remember correctly there was 14 cautions. Yes, I did see the small track and looks like the Busch brothers might be a force to be reckoned with this year. We did go to the M&M's store, they have a #18 actual car there (a little banged up) on the 4th level, pretty cool to see, we were trying to figure out how they got it up there. I guess Kyle made an appearance at the M&M's store sometimes during the week. Joey Logano was at Home Depot pre-race also. They had an event one evening at the Nascar Cafe and some other stuff going on. We never made it to Lowes and didn't hear if Jimmi dropped in, I doubt it, those guys weren't very visible. Casey Mears, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman were signing autographs in the garage on race day.

Even though you miss stuff at the race that the media is tuned into, its still worthwhile going. Seeing all the tires ready to go in the pits pre-race was cool to see, the Thunderbirds, watching the cars being pushed out onto the track, the smell of burning rubber, the crashes, the burnout, Victory Lane, everything was basically a new experience. If you get a chance to go, do it. Right now the dollar sucks but hopefully it'll come back soon. We stuck with Vegas being on the west, it was the cheapest as far as flights went. It does add up if you want to take in the added features like getting access to certain areas of the track but that's part of the whole experience I think, you have to do it atleast once. I'd rather go to a race than go sit on a beach for a week or two. We're starting to price out flights now and keep an eye on ticket prices (Phoenix) and maybe next year we'll go again.

I had a quick glance at your pool before we left, this year is just unpredictable as far as who to pick with the problems that Hendrick's is having and changes in teams, rules, etc. I never would have thought Michael Waltrip would be in 14th spot in the standings at this point. Good luck with your pool, your previous 88% is rather impressive.

I just caught your edit and yes I did watch the video, what a great piece. Its amazing that no one was seriously injured or killed in the pile up. No protective clothing, no gloves, it looked like the drivers were helping flip the cars back over. Unreal, like you said street clothes and a motorcyle helmet.