Nascar All-Star Race

[GA_Boater]

I don't usually do anything for non-points races, but the All-Star race is a big deal for some reason and there is some news out of Nascar.

Here is the schedule from MRN;

Charlotte All-Star Weekend Schedule


By
MRN Staff May 18, 2018 at 11:55 am

All Times Eastern

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Friday, May 18
Camping World Truck Series First Practice: 9:05 a.m.-9:55 a.m. Results
Camping World Truck Series Final Practice: 10:35 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (FS1) Results
Monster Energy Open/All-Star Race Practice: 11:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (MRN/FS1) Rain Delay
Pit Road Speed Practice: 3:05 p.m.-3:20 p.m. (MRN/FS1)
Camping World Truck Series Qualifying: 4:40 p.m. (FS1)
Monster Energy Open Qualifying: 6:00 p.m. (MRN/FS1) Canceled | Lineup
Monster Energy All-Star Race Qualifying: 6:35 p.m. (MRN/FS1)
Radio Pre-Race: 8:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200: 8:30 p.m. (MRN/FS1)

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Saturday, May 19
Radio Pre-Race: 5:30 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 5:00 p.m. (FS1)
Monster Energy Open: 6:00 p.m. (MRN/FS1)
Radio Pre-Race: 7:00 p.m. Approx. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 7:00 p.m. Approx. (FS1)
Monster Energy All-Star Race: 8:00 p.m. Approx. (MRN/FS1)

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As you can tell by the notes in the schedule, rain has been the big thing at Charlotte. Trucks managed to get in their 2 scheduled practices befoe the skies opened. Cup practice for the Open and All-Star race was delayed and eventually combined into one practice. Got in a few minutes and the rain came back. Right now everything is a big mess, but the has stopped and they are looking at resuming practice, but the schedule is totally screwed at this point. The Open lineup has been set by points.

More rain is coming from the south and it may skirt the track and it may not. Rain is forecast for the overnight hours and early morning, dry afternoon and right about race time - More rain.

As I'm writing, the Pit Road Speed practice has been cancelled. This is the Home Run Derby of Nascar.

News

• Kyle Larson got whacked with rear window brace badge of honor. He's #5 so far this year. 20 driver and owner points, Crew Chief fined $50K and Car Chief suspended for 2 races beginning next week. Team tried the crash damage excuse - No go.
• New rules;
  • The next and subsequent window brace rule breakers will be seeing higher fines and penalties, according to Nascar.
  • All cars must start the race on scuffed tires. This closes a loophole that cars not passing inspection and don't attempt qualifying can start on new tires while cars that attempt qualifying have to start on qualifying tires. Now all cars will start on scuffs.
  • All tools used must be battery powered for pit row crash repair. Last week Furniture Row dragged out a huge, corded carbide wheeled circular saw to remove damaged parts. Now a no-no.
• Kansas TV ratings down again - 1.2 rating and 2.04 million viewers on FS1, 25% ratings decline and 22% less viewers from 2017 (1.6, 2.6M) and down 36% and 35% respectively from 2016 (1.9, 3.1M).

More to come as the rain continues to fall.

Humpty_Boater

 

[GA_Boater]

Updated schedule for today;

Friday, May 18

Camping World Truck Series First Practice: 9:05 a.m.-9:55 a.m. Results

Camping World Truck Series Final Practice: 10:35 a.m.-11:25 a.m. (FS1) Results

Monster Energy Open/All-Star Race Practice: 11:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (MRN/FS1) Results

Pit Road Speed Practice: 3:05 p.m.-3:20 p.m. (MRN/FS1) Canceled

Camping World Truck Series Qualifying: 4:40 p.m. (FS1) Canceled | Lineup

Monster Energy Open Qualifying: 6:00 p.m. Canceled | Lineup

Monster Energy All-Star Race Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. (MRN/FS1)

Radio Pre-Race: 8:00 p.m. (MRN)
TV Pre-Race: 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200: 8:30 p.m. (MRN/FS1)

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All-Star qualifying is still on and set for 6:30. Still drying the track, but there may be a window for Cup Q-ing and the Truck race.

Forgot to mention that Cup cars will be running restrictor plates and some aero mods to experiment with. Barring yellow flag, the leader will run away as normal 1.5 mile races have been going lately.

And Nascar is looking at a $15-20M budget cap per car to make it more affordable. Don't know what all that means - Is it per car where top teams have maybe a dozen cars or a per team cap? No mention of owners agreeing or how Nascar will manage this cap.

 

[GA_Boater]

Qualifying in progress.

Stenhouse is the current leader. During All-Star qualifying, each team makes a pit stop. Stenhouse changed left sides first, backwards from the rest, so far. He is 1.5 seconds faster.

 

[GA_Boater]

McMurray was 1.5 faster than Stenhouse. Then they found a loose nut and got a 5 second penalty.

 

[GA_Boater]

Now Kenseth is fastest by half a second. Why is he in the race and in All-Star Q-ing? Might be time to read the rules for the Al-Star race. Nah!

 

[GA_Boater]

Kenseth has the All-Star pole.

Truck race in 30 minutes.

 

[GA_Boater]

Truck results;

Moffit won Heat 1, young Nemechek won Heat 2 and Sauter won the race. The Twerp was 2nd, followed by Jones, Moffit and Rhodes.

A combined practice for the All-Star Open and All-Star race tomorrow at 10:30 - 11:30, no TV or cable.

 

[GA_Boater]

OK I give, who's the twerp?

Iron - This why he's The Twerp - A comment after the Truck race he didn't win in a tweet from Bob Pockrass;

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Bob Pockrass‏Verified account @bobpockrass 12m12 minutes ago
Kyle Busch after the race on how he got back to the front: "Pure talent. That's about it. My pit crew did absolutely nothing to help me out tonight. My truck drove like s*it. These splitters are absolutely horrendous. You can't pass in traffic. ....

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So humble, beyond words!

 

[jbuote]

Typical Kyle "Rowdy" "TWERP" Busch.... (sigh.....)

 

[MTboatguy]

Matt is in because he is a previous winner as well as now an active driver, but if I remember right even a retired driver who has won the All star race if they so choose can run.

 

[GA_Boater]

I did look it up and Kenseth is eligible because of his win at Phoenix last year and his All-Star win in 2004 - So a double entry. Hope can win one more All-Star.

 

[GA_Boater]

Open is green. Heat winners, race winner and fan vote winner goes to the All-Star.

 

[GA_Boater]

Bowman wins the 1st heat and joins the All-Star group.

 

[GA_Boater]

Green for heat 2. Suarez in front.

 

[GA_Boater]

Suarez wins 2nd heat to transfer to the All-Star.

Race winner and fav vote left to decide the last two transfers.

 

[GA_Boater]

The Dinger win the Open and moves on and the fan vote goes to..........................................

 

[GA_Boater]

Still waiting for the fan vote, but the 10 lap shootout was amazing racing!

 

[GA_Boater]

Fav vote winner is Chase Elliott.

 

[GA_Boater]

In other racing news - Justify wins the Preakness. Only one win away at Belmont for the Triple Crown, last won by American Pharoah in 2015. Will there be a Triple Crown winner in 2018?

 

[GA_Boater]

Green flag for the All-Star race and Stenhouse takes the lead. Then Busch41 spins and eats the wall.

Anything for a million dollar payday!