2014 NASCAR Season Discussion

[oochymp 2,393]

well, the Number 3 is back and it's starting at the front, seems like a good way to kick off the 2014 season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Austin Dillon put the famed No. 3 back out front at Daytona International Speedway.

Dillon won the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500 driving the No. 3 Chevrolet -- a car Richard Childress has refused to field at NASCAR's top level since Dale Earnhardt's fatal accident on the last lap of the 2001 race.

But with his 23-year-old grandson ready to move to the Sprint Cup Series, Childress allowed Dillon to use the number widely associated with the seven-time champion. Earnhardt won 67 races, six championships and the 1998 Daytona 500 driving the No. 3.

Dillon turned a lap at 196.019 mph to win the pole.

Martin Truex Jr. qualified second with a lap at 195.852 mph in a Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet that gets its engine from Childress.

Austin Dillon puts No. 3 on pole for Daytona 500 - ESPN

 

 

Edited February 16, 2014 by oochymp

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Just like last year when Danica got hyped up for winning the 500 pole, Dillon will fizzle out quickly. He's obviously better than the GoDaddy girl but still, just a bunch of hype.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I didn't see it, but apparently the Shootout (Sprint Unlimited my ass) was exciting. Hopefully that's a good sign for the 500.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup:
1.#3 Austin Dillon
2.#78 Martin Truex, Jr.
3.#20 Matt Kenseth
4.#11 Denny Hamlin
5.#5 Kasey Kahne
6.#24 Jeff Gordon
7.#9 Marcos Ambrose
8.#41 Kurt Busch
9.#88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10.#27 Paul Menard
11.#98 Josh Wise
12.#33 Brian Scott
13.#43 Aric Almirola
14.#21 Trevor Bayne
15.#47 AJ Allmendinger
16.#42 Kyle Larson
17.#38 David Gilliland
18.#40 Landon Cassill
19.#31 Ryan Newman
20.#15 Clint Bowyer
21.#14 Tony Stewart
22.#1 Jamie McMurray
23.#26 Cole Whitt
24.#32 Terry Labonte
25.#16 Greg Biffle
26.#52 Bobby Labonte
27.#10 Danica Patrick
28.#13 Casey Mears
29.#23 Alex Bowman
30.#99 Carl Edwards
31.#55 Brian Vickers
32.#48 Jimmie Johnson
33.#2 Brad Keselowski
34.#17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
35.#22 Joey Logano
36.#7 Michael Annett
37.#18 Kyle Busch
38.#4 Kevin Harvick
39.#36 Reed Sorenson
40.#51 Justin Allgaier
41.#30 Parker Kligerman
42.#66 Michael Waltrip
43.#34 David Ragan

DID NOT QUALIFY: #35 Eric McClure, #77 Dave Blaney, #83 Ryan Truex, #87 Joe Nemechek, #93 Morgan Shepherd, #95 Michael McDowell

[Sarge+ 3,436]

 

DID NOT QUALIFY: #35 Eric McClure, #77 Dave Blaney, #83 Ryan Truex, #87 Joe Nemechek, #93 Morgan Shepherd, #95 Michael McDowell

 

Lmao these guys. I don't know why some of them even try anymore. Joe Nenechek literally wrecks every race.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Nemechek used to be a solid driver, won a few Cup races but ever since he lost that gig in that old 01 Army car he's been stuck driving his own cars with no funding. If he isn't out there wrecking he is just collecting a paycheck to start and park. Sucks to see his career go down the drain though, he is a rare Florida representative in NASCAR.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

lolDaveBlaney.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

To be fair to Blaney, his team withdrew their entry which is why he DNQ'd. But still, he is lol worthy.

[oochymp 2,393]

I really hope this doesn't become a feel mileage race, it's already a race of attrition

[oochymp 2,393]

Man, that was a great race

[oochymp 2,393]

That first pit box had been great for Kenseth today

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Kurt Busch!!!!!

lolBradKeselowski
lolJimmieJohnson

[oochymp 2,393]

I was at the race this afternoon, and it was fantastic, I will say that it provided a great illustration about the main issue I have with the new Chase qualifying system: Jimmie ran a fantastic race and finished second by a hair, but his finish doesn't matter at all, Matt Kenseth had some great moments, but made some horrible decisions in laps 200-300 that dug him too deep of a hole, in spite of that he climbed up from 27th on lap 400 to a sixth place finish, but that doesn't matter

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the new Chase, but NASCAR has been trying too hard to put an emphasis on winning over points racing. Not surprised they've gone this far.

But again, KURT BUSCH!

[oochymp 2,393]

so seven races in we have seven different winners, Chase qualifying could be interesting, especially when you look at who hasn't won one yet, you have to think Jimmie, Gordon, Stewart, Kenseth, and Hamlin won't be held out of victory lane for too much longer, then you've still got guys like Kahne, Truex, Bowyer, and Biffle that you could easily see winning one and I'll be surprised if Larson doesn't win one at some point as well as he's been running, and that's 17 names (including the seven that have already won one) without even listing a true dark horse, which you know is going to happen at some point

 

also Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick, two of those race winners, are currently sitting at 25th and 26th respectively in points, might they test the top 30 requirement for Chase qualifications? I know it's really early to seriously consider that possibility, but it's still worth pointing out

Edited April 7, 2014 by oochymp

[Milla4Prez63 678]

There is no way Kurt and Harvick don't end up top 30 in points unless they get injured or something. They have good strong teams that run well, but bad luck has given them a lot of bad finishes to surround those wins they got. Who is going to pass them in points to drop out of the top 30? Parker Kligerman? Cole Whitt? Alex Bowman? lol

[oochymp 2,393]

very true, as I said, it's definitely early to say it's a real possibility that they drop out of the top 30, especially when you look at the standings and realize mots of the drivers out of the top 30 haven't even attempted all seven races, but it would be interesting, the more likely scenario is the one in which we have more than 16 race winners

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I expect one team to step up to the plate here and start winning soon. If Kevin Harvick could stop having car problems every damn week it could be him because that 4 car is FAST every damn race only for something to break.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I gotta say, I'm impressed with Chase Elliott. Bill's son has won the past two Nationwide races making him the youngest back to back winner in history at just 18. This dude is the next star in NASCAR, especially since he is young to end up in a Hendrick car more than likely.

Jeff Gordon's heir?

[Vin+ 3,121]

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/3/25/5546138/nascar-doge-dogecoin-talladega-reddit

 

[Milla4Prez63 678]

lol Awesome.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

3rd for Kasey and 6th for Carl at Kansas. Good day for racing, boys!

[oochymp 2,393]

Kenseth once again salvages a top ten finish from a very mediocre race, it's a shame it doesn't matter in the new format

[oochymp 2,393]

well the Coke 600 was awesome, disappointed Kenseth couldn't hold on for the win, but if anyone's gonna take it I don't mind Jimmie

 

it's interesting to look at potential Chase scenarios now that we're 12 races in with 10 different winners, it's good to know that if anyone gets in based on points it's likely to be Kenseth, but I'm still hoping he gets a win soon, and I do feel I need to point out that Kurt Busch, despite his win in Martinsville, is sitting at 28th, dangerously close to out of the top 30 required for the Chase, though as we discussed before it's hard to pick drivers who might pass him and he is still 51 points clear of Cole Whitt, who's sitting in 31st, but it's still an amusing possibility for me to consider, and he has finished outside of the top 30 in six races so far, leading the circuit with 5 DNFs, and only has two top 20 finishes (3d in Fontana and his win in Martinsville) he's gotta figure something out to finish races

 

if anyone's wondering, here's what the field would look like if the Chase started today:

 

Logano

Harvick

Gordon

Kyle Busch

Edwards

Earnhardt

Johnson

Keselowski

Hamlin

Kurt Busch

Kenseth*

Vickers*

Newman*

Biffle*

Larson*

Dillon*

 

*=non-winners filling out the grid

Kahne, Bowyer, and Stewart are the most glaring omissions to me

Edited May 26, 2014 by oochymp

[Milla4Prez63 678]

Dale Jr. wins at Pocono today, making this season his first season with more than one win since....2004.