Homestead Cup "Season Finale" Race Thread

[Jonesi]

48 cars on Entry List
Top 35:
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
5 MARK MARTIN
24 JEFF GORDON
2 KURT BUSCH
14 TONY STEWART
42 JUAN P MONTOYA
16 GREG BIFFLE
11 DENNY HAMLIN
39 RYAN NEWMAN
9 KASEY KAHNE
--
99 CARL EDWARDS
83 BRIAN VICKERS
18 KYLE BUSCH
17 MATT KENSETH
33 CLINT BOWYER
00 DAVID REUTIMANN
31 JEFF BURTON
47 MARCOS AMBROSE
20 JOEY L0GANO
07 CASEY MEARS
--
29 KEVIN HARVICK
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
44 AJ ALLMENDINGER
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
6 DAVID RAGAN
43 REED SORENSON
77 SAM HORNISH JR
98 PAUL MENARD
--
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
7 ROBBY GORDON
34 JOHN ANDRETTI
12 BRAD KESELOWSKI
96 ERIK DARNELL

GOGH 5 will DNQ
71 BOBBY LABONTE (has 1st Champ Prov)
08 TERRY LABONTE (has 2nd Champ Prov)
21 BILL ELLIOTT (has 3rd Champ Prov)
09 DAVID STREMME
82 SCOTT SPEED
02 DAVID GILLILAND
78 REGAN SMITH
87 JOE NEMECHEK
66 DAVE BLANEY
13 MAX PAPIS
37 TRAVIS KVAPIL
36 MICHAEL McDOWELL
70 TBA

[colinspooky]

Like to see Johnson win this year for the history it will create - always nice to be around for a bit of history. He may be a bit vanilla, but that's ok. Good driver, good team, nothing wrong with success. Makes you wonder what would happen if he drove a car with a, erm, lesser team. Is it all about the car?


And then Mark to win it next year, by a long long way.

And then............. who knows --- probably won't be watching it in the UK the way it is going

[djparky]

lets hope it's more interesting than the awful snooze fest of Phoenix (and I missed half the race because it clashed with Top Gear) and Texas. Not hopeful since it's another of those mid sized tracks that tend to be processional

all things being equal JJ will be champion again- he's making the rest of them look pretty crap really.

[Jonesi]

Starting Grid:
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
82 SCOTT SPEED
47 MARCOS AMBROSE
5 MARK MARTIN
14 TONY STEWART
29 KEVIN HARVICK
39 RYAN NEWMAN
16 GREG BIFFLE
21 BILL ELLIOTT
33 CLINT BOWYER
--
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
2 KURT BUSCH
44 AJ ALLMENDINGER
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
07 CASEY MEARS
78 REGAN SMITH
02 DAVID GILLILAND
36 MICHAEL McDOWELL
71 BOBBY LABONTE
24 JEFF GORDON
--
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
00 DAVID REUTIMANN
42 JUAN P MONTOYA
99 CARL EDWARDS
31 JEFF BURTON
9 KASEY KAHNE
12 BRAD KESELOWSKI
37 TRAVIS KVAPIL
77 SAM HORNISH JR
18 KYLE BUSCH
--
96 ERIK DARNELL
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
83 BRIAN VICKERS
17 MATT KENSETH
20 JOEY L0GANO
98 PAUL MENARD
7 ROBBY GORDON
11 DENNY HAMLIN
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
34 JOHN ANDRETTI
--
6 DAVID RAGAN
43 REED SORENSON
08 TERRY LABONTE

DNQ:
87 JOE NEMECHEK
09 DAVID STREMME
66 DAVE BLANEY
13 MAX PAPIS
70 MIKE SKINNER

[harvick#1]

lets hope it's more interesting than the awful snooze fest of Phoenix

Its Homestead- Miami, enough said, its gonna be a snooze fest

[Mark in Oshawa]

Its Homestead- Miami, enough said, its gonna be a snooze fest
This track usually puts on a decent race. Of course, I thought that about Phoenix but when one guy dominates, it is hardly going to be entertaining...

[Jonesi]

Its Homestead- Miami, enough said, its gonna be a snooze fest

I woke up during the race (a few years ago) when Kurt Busch lost a wheel while on the track.

[harvick#1]

2003 and 2004 were really the only good races they ever held.

now all everyone does is run on the high line single file

[Mark in Oshawa]

2003 and 2004 were really the only good races they ever held.

now all everyone does is run on the high line single file

Guess you didn't watch the truck race last night....I counted a few 5 wide instances on restarts...

You hate the racing everywhere...I am shocked you keep watching.

[harvick#1]

I watched the truck race last night, and yeah that happens quite a bit on restarts, especially the finaly restart of the gree-white-checkered because thats the last laps of the season, of course every guy is gonna go for it all.

I've never been a fan of the crappy ISC tracks, much like Tilke tracks, there is no character.

Since Nascar is all thats left, thats all I get to watch :p : the WTCC is racing this week, but have no clue when they will race, most likely when I'm asleep.

what I hate is what Helton and France have done to this sport. they've been pushing good driver tracks away for tracks where you lift for alittle and stay full throttle. Homestead has always been a horrible track, yet Nascar loves horrible tracks, while tracks like Rockingham may not have been a good attendance track (maybe it was the schedule dates) it was always a good race because if was a drivers track. I've been a fan since 98, so this is my 11th year, which may not be as long as you have been a fan, but I know from 98-03 was great racing.

but this week, everyone is gonna be afraid to race JJ or Mark because they dont want to get in the way.

did you watch the IRL race at this track, quite pathetic

[Mark in Oshawa]

I watched the truck race last night, and yeah that happens quite a bit on restarts, especially the finaly restart of the gree-white-checkered because thats the last laps of the season, of course every guy is gonna go for it all.

I've never been a fan of the crappy ISC tracks, much like Tilke tracks, there is no character.

Since Nascar is all thats left, thats all I get to watch :p : the WTCC is racing this week, but have no clue when they will race, most likely when I'm asleep.

what I hate is what Helton and France have done to this sport. they've been pushing good driver tracks away for tracks where you lift for alittle and stay full throttle. Homestead has always been a horrible track, yet Nascar loves horrible tracks, while tracks like Rockingham may not have been a good attendance track (maybe it was the schedule dates) it was always a good race because if was a drivers track. I've been a fan since 98, so this is my 11th year, which may not be as long as you have been a fan, but I know from 98-03 was great racing.

but this week, everyone is gonna be afraid to race JJ or Mark because they dont want to get in the way.

did you watch the IRL race at this track, quite pathetic


First off, for you to go out on that limb for the Rock is a bit hilarious. It did produce some good races, and some dogs as well. Like all of them did. The problem is with the Rock it is in a small town halfway to Charlotte from Darlington. When you cant draw 50000 fans to a Cup race, you cannot support the purse to bring this series in. It is BUSINESS pure and simple and THAT is why the Cup guys are not there.

AS for the ISC cabal being blamed for dull racing, someone point out to me how Texas, Charlotte, and Vegas produce better racing? It isn't ISC's fault of SMI's fault per se. Both do a great job of building first class facilities for the fans. The problem lies in the sport is so competitive now that no one is marginally faster than anyone else. Other than JJ is seems...

If there was less 1.5 mile cookie cutter ovals, it would help a lot. Martinsville, Richmond, Darlington, Bristol and Indy are all unique ovals that provide interesting races. All are not typical. Toss in Phoenix and New Hampshire and the road courses now I think of it. Yet any of them can have a dull race. Phoenix is usually interesting...last race it wasn't.

The type of racing we have now is indicitive of how tight the racing is, how much drivers have not adapted still to racing these cars, and to an extent the rule package not being open enough to allow teams to find new ideas. That said, the old car was worse in a lot of cases, and less safe. a LOT less safe.

To nail NASCAR and ISC to the wall is just naive. It is a lot more complicated than that. It wasn't that long ego that I was watching races in the 80's were we had 10 cars maybe on the lead lap. Sometimes the leader was half a track a head as a matter of routine. THAT hasn't happened in the last 5 years.

[harvick#1]

the old car was just as safe, they just didn't race with the softer walls for most of its life, work could've been done to make the car safer on the old car.

the reason we don't see these races anymore where a leader dominates and laps everyone is because Nascar throws most of the time phantom "debris" cautions to keep the competition in check, I personally hate cautions (because I'm primarily a fan of road courses) and watching the truck race showed Nascar is way too quick on the trigger in throwing yellows, they throw cautions now for when drivers barely hit the wall. they see a shiny plastic bag and throw a caution because they think its sheet metal.

Phoenix has been one of my favorites because its a good drivers track, and yes last week was horrible, but I blame that on the new car, the old cars the drivers had to take car of the car, not smashing in the fenders. aero was always critical at just about every track, except for Martinsville.

I still believe on of the few things that can improve the racing is to get rid of that rear wing and put a spoiler back on the car, or if they have to have a rear wing, try redesigning one that can move the air in the rear end better.

[Mark in Oshawa]

the old car was just as safe, they just didn't race with the softer walls for most of its life, work could've been done to make the car safer on the old car.

the reason we don't see these races anymore where a leader dominates and laps everyone is because Nascar throws most of the time phantom "debris" cautions to keep the competition in check, I personally hate cautions (because I'm primarily a fan of road courses) and watching the truck race showed Nascar is way too quick on the trigger in throwing yellows, they throw cautions now for when drivers barely hit the wall. they see a shiny plastic bag and throw a caution because they think its sheet metal.

Phoenix has been one of my favorites because its a good drivers track, and yes last week was horrible, but I blame that on the new car, the old cars the drivers had to take car of the car, not smashing in the fenders. aero was always critical at just about every track, except for Martinsville.

I still believe on of the few things that can improve the racing is to get rid of that rear wing and put a spoiler back on the car, or if they have to have a rear wing, try redesigning one that can move the air in the rear end better.

I used to believe in the tooth fairy, but I realized that was a lie too Harvick.

The softwalls were around before the COT. They came first. Guys still got hurt. NASCAR and the teams didn't spend all that money to build these cars if they were not gaining on safety, and you can bet men like Richard Childress and Jack Roush would have screamed bloody murder if they didn't see the safety gain. This car is more durable, which has allowed for closer racing. Saving the fenders allows guys to lean on each other MORE. THAT is what fans want isn't it? The old car was so damned aero dependent that if you wrinkled a fender at a faster track, you were done for.

I don't like the rear wing, I am with you on that, but it isn't a deal breaker either. I think the Nationwide COT is a better looking machine and THAT is where they needed to go with Cup.

I know you don't like this car, but the fact is we sometimes are fooled into thinking what happened in the past with the old car was all good..and many of the complaints I see now were part of the old car and them some.

[Copse]

Ok... That's also a way to defend 5th in the standings. There goes any positive thoughts I had about Smoke. :down:

[The instant classic]

hmm weird i just saw a commercial made by lowes that said
"great job jimmie on 4 in a row" wow i mean WOW they shot that commercial edited it sent it to the tv network all in 8 mins after the race ended.
WOW and to think some say Nascar is fixed, crazy talk crazy talk.

[Jonesi]

hmm weird i just saw a commercial made by lowes that said
"great job jimmie on 4 in a row" wow i mean WOW they shot that commercial edited it sent it to the tv network all in 8 mins after the race ended.
WOW and to think some say Nascar is fixed, crazy talk crazy talk.

and it's a safe bet there was a Kellogg's & Car Quest ones ready if Martin won. and because it takes awhile to get them ready there were probably Dupont, Miller, FedEx, & Office Depot ones made too.

[The instant classic]

and it's a safe bet there was a Kellogg's & Car Quest ones ready if Martin won. and because it takes awhile to get them ready there were probably Dupont, Miller, FedEx, & Office Depot ones made too.

i was playing around :p :

[harvick#1]

Ok... That's also a way to defend 5th in the standings. There goes any positive thoughts I had about Smoke. :down:


once again Nascar showing they have no discipline when it comes to firsts attackers, if Tony was black flagged for that mess, Montoya wouldn't have spun him out.

I will have to bite my tongue and say Homestead finally produced a good race, all bit Dr. Punch and DJ crying about the competition being too close to Jimmie the whole damn race. I really wish Nascar could find some unbiased announcers. gave no respect to AJ finishing in the top 10 at all, dont believe he was even mentioned.

When is Jooyner gonna get some talent again, had to bounce off the wall about 20 times tonight :laugh:

if this is what RCR has for 2010, then I'm hoping for some good things to come, although Harvick's pit crew still sucks bad

[mileman]

Congratulations to Smoke - driver of the number 14 "Smoked Butt" car for a 22nd place finish. May you have many more like it. You will deserve every one of them!!

[wedge]

hmm weird i just saw a commercial made by lowes that said
"great job jimmie on 4 in a row" wow i mean WOW they shot that commercial edited it sent it to the tv network all in 8 mins after the race ended.
WOW and to think some say Nascar is fixed, crazy talk crazy talk.

Of course its fixed.

Not even real JJ fans would be seriously that pumped to see JJ win another title! :D