Daytona 500 Kicks Off 2017 And Nothing Is Changed

[sam60]

I told my wife that I wasn't watching Cup racing this year. She works Sundays and won't be home for another hour.

 

[GA_Boater]

Now it's Truex taking his turn to bring out the yellow after clipping Larson.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Logano!!!!

 

[GA_Boater]

Final lap wreck, just like what will happen next Sunday. Logano has the leaders cleared out of his way for the win.

 

[GA_Boater]

The Shrubby whining begins. Complaining about Bowman not working with him on the final 1/2 lap. As Bowman said - Shrubbs didn't work with the 88 during the other 74 1/2 laps.

 

[GA_Boater]

Chase Elliot has the pole and Dale Jr. is #2. This is a repeat for Elliott after taking the pole last year, the 5th time for back to back D500 poles in Nascar history and Jr.'s 4th time starting on the front row.

With the front row is settled for the Daytona 500, the remaining 38 spots will be filled by Duel results on Thursday.

 

[sam60]

I told my wife that I wasn't watching Cup racing this year. She works Sundays and won't be home for another hour.

It wasn't a points race so it's OK. She can't wait for next Sunday's race....I will fill her in if she misses some of it.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I had no idea they did away with the souvenir haulers. That was the fun part when we used to go to 'Dega. Go to your favorite hauler and buy stuff....... Heard they've been pulling seats at tracks to make the stands look more full..... I know they put big banners over empty seats....

USA TODAY Sports asked about 200 fans at tracks, on the phone and on social media who have reduced their racetrack trips to explain why. The three most-cited reasons:
--Cost. Fans said tickets are the smallest impact on their financial decision, because ticket prices are dwarfed by the cost of hotel rooms and transportation to events.
--NASCAR’s competition-related decisions and constant rules changes have hurt the sport’s credibility and turned off some traditional fans, such as Jim and Lanette Williams, who opted to travel and see more of the USA instead of spending many weeks a year following NASCAR. “The constant changes NASCAR does, it doesn’t have the same good feeling it used to have,” Lanette Williams, 63, told USA TODAY Sports. “We’ve just lost interest in NASCAR. NASCAR has lost interest in us.”
--The experience is different. Instead of a midway with souvenir haulers, there’s now one merchandise tent area. Prerace entertainment such as the Sprint Experience and Fox’s NASCAR RaceDay TV stage are gone.

 

[GA_Boater]

The foot and a gun - Nascar's new way. Not really new because they've been taking potshots at their feet ever since the Chase, but their aim has improved.

Rain, Rain, Rain. Cup didn't get a practice in for the Duels tonight, so some drivers have no track time because so far the only practices have been for the Saturday's......er Sunday's Clash. I won't pick on them, Ha, because there have been no on-track activities since qualifying on Sunday. 3 wasted days or how do you make SpeedWeek last forever or 11 days? Must be New Math or Common Core.

The first Duel is scheduled for 7:20 if the rain allows. FS1 is showing starting at 7 for the pre-race.

 

[MTboatguy]

NASCAR needs to be listening to the comments of their long time fans, we may be getting old, but we know...

 

[GA_Boater]

I still think they sold their soul, if they have one, by giving Monster the dominant visibility in the new logo.

 

[GA_Boater]

Now I know they have no soul. From Jayski's Twitter;

Top 10 finishers in each Duel will get points tonight. 10 points for a win, down to 1 point for 10th place.

 

[GA_Boater]

The first speed crash repair test after 3 cars are involved in a wreck with 10 laps to go in Duel #1. 5 minutes or to the garage you go.

 

[GA_Boater]

Chase Elliott wins Duel #1. The first points leader of 2017 with places 2-10 getting points also. The rest get Participation ribbons. :doh:

 

[GA_Boater]

Hamlin won Duel #2 meaning a tie for 1st place in points.

Jr. led until lap 58 when Hamlin got around him and he faded to finish in 6th place. Dale is still starting the 500 on the front with pole sitter Elliott.

I wonder how Monster feels about all the Gatorade signs and only the Busch bros are swilling Montser. LOL

 

[boatman37]

i don't mind giving the pole winner a few points for regular races. i have thought that for awhile. some teams focus on race trim in practice and some focus on qualifying trim. might force a few more to focus more on qualifying. i think some teams don't worry about qualifying and just take what they get. i think the #88 falls into this and i think that has cost them a few wins.

 

[GA_Boater]

It used to be the pole winner got a point. I don't see the point of awarding points to 20 drivers - That's half the field. No idea if qualifying points are making a comeback. I hope not because points are for winning and placing well in the race. Not this stupid thing that begins on Sunday with segmented races and points for each segment!

 

[aspeck]

Sprinkles are for winners!

 

[GA_Boater]

Sprinkles? They should get donut holes - The real hole. LOL

Reed Sorenson and Timmy Hill DNQ'ed in the qualifying Duels - Back home for them.

Truex, Buescher, Allmendinger failed post-race inspection, moving to the back on Sunday joining those in back up cars, Johnson, Blaney and Menard. The tail-end is going to be crowded and we still have 3 practices to go.

It seems Truex is still having inspection issues spilling over from last year. Both Truex and The Dinger get no points for flunking post-race. Dinger finished 4th and Truex was 7th in their respective Duel race.

 

[GA_Boater]

Tonight's Truck race was won by 19 year old polesitter Kaz Grala.

The 2nd lap featured an 18 truck wreck and on the final laps 12 trucks committed mayhem on each other allowing Grala to scoot by for his first win and the youngest Truck winner. The final lap melee had Matt Crafton doing a better than any Joey Chitwood stunt by flying and performing a 360 barrel roll in mid air finishing on his feet, I mean wheels. Matt was OK after.

With all the wrecks, Dale Jr. tweeted the perfect race summary with an animated gif that doesn't copy well, so a still pic.


X-Men at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon.