Nascar Chase Race #1 - Laser And Lugnut Feature Race At Chicagoland

[GA_Boater]

This weekend features all three national series and the first race of the Chase for the 16 eligible drivers in the Round of 16. And in Nascar's way, a big rule change! Something that has never been done before. Here is the racing schedule from MRN;




The entry list has 40 names, so no drama during qualifying. Except for weather, big rain chances Friday and Saturday. The Truck qualifying and race, along with Cup qualifying could be soggy. Saturday isn't as bad for X-Men Q-ing and racing, but rain could still impact both.

News and Notes

• Chase rule changes, now they did it! Nascar announces new rules

After Tony Stewart convinced Nascar that racing with less than 20 tight lugnuts and paying a $35,000 fine as a reward for speaking up back in April, Nascar has decided after 4 1/2 months to get serious about lugnuts, today, 4 days before the the first Chase race! Loose or missing lugnuts prior to the the race this coming Sunday resulted in fines and suspensions for the crew chief. In the Chase, depending on how many nuts are affected, excluding Nascar management of course, could mean that a race winning Chaser may not automatically advance to the next round and at the final race at Homestead, if the highest placing of the remaining 4 Chasers has loose or missing lugnuts, he is not the series Champion.

Post race Laser Inspection Station (LIS) flunks could also have dire results for the Chasers. 35 points will be docked, the crew chief fined $65,000 and 3 race suspension. A race winning driver failing the post-race LIS will not automatically advance and the apparent Champion failing LIS is not the Champion.

Editorializing - What is wrong with Nascar? Since the very first Nascar race, no driver has ever lost a win due to penalties. Race winners were especially exempt from having a win taken away. While it is way past time to penalize those that break the rules, this is the wrong time. You don't institute major changes 4 days before your vaunted Chase. Daytona next year is the time and place to start, not at the end of the season. Off the soap box.​

• Speaking of penalties, Richmond had 7 LIS penalties, including Truex Jr. failing the post-race LIS.
• Stewart and Newman will get a talking to after Stewart wrecked Newman and said it was intentional. Newman said " So, I don't think there was any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues."
• Richmond TV ratings - The lowest of the season.

iBOAT Fantasy Live

Sam60 won at Richmond for his 2nd :first: this season. Good pickin', Sam. Congrats
Trackchick Stars is beatin' the pants off of us in the overall standings.​

Make any roster changes before the race on Sunday. Good luck, y'all

One confused Humpster.

 

[GA_Boater]

Rain at Chicagoland for Cup qualifying. The field is set by points putting Shrubby on the pole followed by the rest of the Chasers since they have the Chase points reset to 2000 + added points for wins.

After Shrubby the rest of the top 16 - Keselowski, Hamlin, Harvick, Edwards, Truex Jr., Kenseth, Johnson, Logano. Larson, Stewart, Busch41 Buescher, and Elliott.

 

[GA_Boater]

Shrubby won the Truck race in overtime. :yawn: Hemric in 2nd was the highest Truck regular.

The Truck Chase starts next week at New Hampshire. The 8 Truck Chasers are Byron, Crafton, Nemechek, Bell, Sauter, Kennedy, Hemric and Peters.

 

[GA_Boater]

Erik Jones won the X-Race, thank goodness. Shrubby was running away with it when a tire went and he spun with about 18 to go.

The X-Chasers are EJones. Sadler, Suarez, Allagier, Dillon, Wallace, Gaughan, Poole, Sieg, Reed. BJones and Koch. The X-Chase begins next week at Kentucky.

 

[GA_Boater]

The 10 race Chase is on. Harvick and Almirola, unapproved adjustments, and Larson, transmission change, to the back.

Green flag!

 

[GA_Boater]

1st yellow at lap 49 while green flag stops were in progress. A tire got loose in the pits. Those tires always have a mind of their own! LOL

 

[GA_Boater]

Lap 100 - 1 caution so far, Johnson leading and only 19 cars on the lead lap. 13 Chasers on the lead lap.

 

[GA_Boater]

Lap 119 - Scott spins and the 2nd yellow comes out.

 

[GA_Boater]

And the 3rd yellow is for debris.

 

[GA_Boater]

5 laps to go with Elliott leading Truex and the 4th yellow. #24 lost his 1 second + lead.

McDowell had a tire go down.


The leaders pit for the overtime finish. Don't know why. Blaney and Kahne stayed out, both pitted later then the leaders.

 

[GA_Boater]

Truex wins and punches his ticket to the next round - If all his lug nuts are on and he passes the post-race LIS.

If FL ever updates, 96SprintBB97Johnson should be the iFL winner.

 

[GA_Boater]

Truex wins and punches his ticket to the next round - If all his lug nuts are on and he passes the post-race LIS.

If FL ever updates, 96SprintBB97Johnson should be the iFL winner.

Two cars failed laser inspection. Johnson and race winner Truex Jr. Truex also failed LIS last week at Richmond.

What does this mean for the Truex win? From Nascar - "The amount a car has to fail by to be considered an "encumbered finish" has not been reached at all during 2016". Does this mean Nascar is waffling? Encumbered finish by Nascar definition is missing 3 or more lugnuts or failing post-race LIS.

From Jayski's - "In the Sprint Cup Series, the first violation would result in an encumbered finishing position, the loss of 35 championship driver and owner points, as well as a three-race suspension and $65,000 fine for the crew chief."

Tuesday should be an interesting penalty announcement day to see Nascar stepping in the bucket of doo-doo. LOL

 

[MTboatguy]

I think they may be taking this LIS to far, how in the hell is a car going to be the same after they spend several hundred miles beating on each other!

 

[GA_Boater]

Jayski's - "Truex, Johnson fail post-race inspection: The race-winning car of #78-Martin Truex Jr. and the 12th-place car of #48-Jimmie Johnson failed postrace measurements. They were at the lowest levels so Truex will be able to use the win to advance to the second round of the Chase."

Truex has failed post-race LIS twice in two races. Last week and again this week. Shouldn't that say something? If Johnson was the the only flunkee, I bet it would be different. Since Truex got caught as the race winner, Chad Knaus gets away with it again!

Ryan Newman failed at Richmond and the points loss knocked him out of making the Chase. Jayski's again - "Childress will not appeal penalty: Statement from Richard Childress Racing Regarding NASCAR Penalty Issued to the #31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Team:
"We do not plan to appeal the penalty issued today to the #31 team. Our rear toe settings were well within specs during pre-race inspection. The car made contact with the outside wall during the race and there was clear damage to the right rear fender and tire. NASCAR has told us that the LIS standard is clear and the car must pass post-race inspection even if damage has been sustained."(Richard Childress Racing)(9-7-2016)"

11 days ago, hang 'em high. Today Nascar's new take is It's OK to cheat.

 

[MTboatguy]

Dale Jr. Tweeted a little while ago, that the LIS is as unpredictable as Austin Dillion's haircut!

:lol:

 

[GA_Boater]

Dale Jr. Tweeted a little while ago, that the LIS is as unpredictable as Austin Dillion's haircut!

:lol:

Ain't that the truth! LOL

 

[GA_Boater]

I would like to say that everyone passed inspection, but alas, I can't. The good news is all iFL competitors did make the grade.

96SprintBB97Johnson is our latest iFL race winner taking home his 2nd :first:. Congrats.

Trackchick lost a whopping 9 points to Vertical pedal. That really cut into TcS overall lead! Now only 547 points. :doh:

Next race - New Hampshire.