Nascar 2018 Race #25 - The Lady In Black, The Penultimate Regular Season Race

[GA_Boater]

With only 2 races before the playoffs, we're at Darlington for a Cup and X-Race. Trucks are off until their 2nd playoff race at Vegas.

The Cup race has 41 entries and weather is typical for this time of year, a chance of thundershowers popping up on Friday and Saturday. Sunday evening looks to be clear and rain free. From MRN, the schedule;

Darlington Schedule of Events

All Times Eastern

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Friday, August 31
Xfinity Series Practice: 1:05 p.m.-1:55 p.m. (NBCSN)
Monster Energy Cup Series Practice: 2:05 p.m.-2:55 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)
Xfinity Series Final Practice: 3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m. (NBCSN)
Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice: 4:05 p.m.-4:55 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)

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Saturday, September 1
Xfinity Series Qualifying: 12:35 p.m. (NBCSN)
Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying: 2:00 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN)
Radio Pre-Race: 3:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 3:00 p.m. (NBC)
Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200: 3:30 p.m. (MRN/NBC)

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Sunday, September 2
Radio Pre-Race: 5:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 5:00 p.m. (NBCSN)
Monster Energy Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500: 6:00 p.m. (MRN/NBCSN

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News and Notes

• News - Not much as is typical after a week off.
• There was talk of Furniture Row merging with GMS Racing, but it was only rumors apparently.
• Truex may or may not be driving for FRR next year. The fly in the ointment is primary sponsor 5 Hour Energy leaving FFR after this year. Owner Barney Visser does not want to self-fund any more and needs more big sponsors.
• TV ratings - 1.4 rating and 2.33M viewers on NBCSN. Last year the numbers were 2.3 and 3.82M viewers on NBC. Cable racing has to be killing Nascar or at least twisting the knife.

iBoats Fantasy Live

• Long time player, first time winner this season - Smokin'!. aspeck gets the wheel chock this week. Congrats, 'speck.
• Our long time league leader is still FlaCowboy, once again adding to his lead and it's now 369 points over Trackchick Stars.
• iFL will be extended past the regular season with changes for the playoffs. You can pick 2 playoff drivers and 2 non-playoff drivers, 4 in all. A garage pick is still in play except the garage driver can only be be switched with a like driver, playoff or non-playoff. Same bonus points for pole, heat and race winner, plus you can pick a playoff champion before the first playoff race.
• Pole picks lock on Saturday 9/1 at 1:55PM ET.

Humpty_Boater

 

[GA_Boater]

Both Cup practices are finished.

Practice 1 - Hamlin Larson Keselowski Bowman Newman the top 5.

Practice 2 - Newman Elliott Johnson KyBusch and KuBusch were fastest.

Qualifying is scheduled for 2 PM tomorrow - Pole locks at 1:55.

 

[GA_Boater]

Something is wrong with the Nascar tech inspection. Teams are using white Goodyear tire lettering as part of the Darlington throwback scheme and the white lettering is messing up the laser scanning. :doh:

NASCAR has asked teams to tape over white lettering on Goodyear tires. The throwback element was possibly causing some anomalies with the scanning station (not the teams’ doing). Tape taken off after tech

Hamlin wins the Darlington pole. Shocked because I picked him! The rest of the top 12 are Larson, Truex, Bowman, The Twerp, Newman, Jones, Joey, BuschX1, Byron, Elliott and Almirola.

Johnson scraped the wall during the 2nd round and will start at the rear for unapproved adjustments

NBC has the X-Race coming up shortly, about 3:30.

 

[MTboatguy]

Kevin just lost a whole bunch of respect I had for him....:blue:

 

[GA_Boater]

I missed the race.

But Keso won.

6:10PM is the cutoff for tomorrow's race.

 

[GA_Boater]

Some rain is in the area. :blue:

Start is delayed because of lightning.

 

[GA_Boater]

Finally - Green flag

 

[GA_Boater]

Halfway through the 1st heat, no cautions and only 17 cars on the lead lap.

Hamlin led the first 11 laps and Larson the rest and is the leader.

 

[GA_Boater]

Larson wins the heat. 14 cars on the lead lap and no cautions.

 

[GA_Boater]

1st caution when The Twerp nudges Gase into the wall and spins him.

Truex is the current leader.

 

[GA_Boater]

Larson wins his 2nd heat tonight.

 

[GA_Boater]

Dale Jr. is wound up tonight. He's having fun!

 

[MTboatguy]

He is becoming an "Animated" announcer...

 

[GA_Boater]

The calm is over. A few cars get together - Bowyer rear ended Newman as the 31 slowed to pit. BAM!

 

[GA_Boater]

37 laps to go and debris caution. Real debris - I saw it on the TV! :smile;

 

[GA_Boater]

Caution for JEarnhardt. 22 laps to go.

 

[GA_Boater]

Keso sweeps Darlington - Last night and tonight.

Gonna let iFL settle to see who wins with bonus points.

 

[aspeck]

I think GA’s (lug) nuts are loose! He needs penalized 2 points! Premature congrats to you, GA

 

[GA_Boater]

I think GA’s (lug) nuts are loose! He needs penalized 2 points! Premature congrats to you, GA

Ha Ha - The Bride agrees!

It's probably good by now, but only 1 point between us, 'speck. So gotta wait for Tuesday.

So glad I picked Hamlin for the pole and 5 points!

 

[GA_Boater]

Shock announcement - Furniture Row Racing is shutting down at the end of the season. The current champion, Martin Truex Jr, is out of a job after Homestead.

FFR was an outlier as the only Cup team west of the Mississippi River. Heck, the only Cup team west of the Charlotte/North and South Carolina area.

Barney Visser can't find a sponsor to replace 5 Hour Energy which doomed his team and he isn't going to self-finance a Cup team as he did in the beginning.

What does it mean to Nascar when the current Champion is looking for work before this season ends? No wonder Nascar is for sale!