Posted by Racing Maniac February 12, 2010 3:32:00 PM
Alliances: With all the crackdowns doled out by NA$CAR in years gone by, followed by their new found leniency; Big Brother seems to have a deaf ear when it comes to the maximum number of cars a team can have. We all remember the quandary that Roush was in with his 5 teams and having to drop down to 4 this year. However, the almost sudden spurt of 'alliances' has allowed the big teams to greatly extend their presence on the track. Alliances can offer stuff like chassis, setups, engines, marketing, etc, etc, so the little teams all of a sudden have a huge influx of technology at their disposal. And those 'alliance' teams are also buying their way into the top 35 and guaranteeing themselves a spot in the first few races. A couple of these 'alliances' are boosting the total number of cars associated with a big team to as many as 10 and 12 cars. Is this fair? Heck NO. What can we do about it? Not a ding dang thing. Sort of makes you wanna barf, doesn't it?
Green-White-Checkered Flags: OK, due to the recent Bud Shootout, NA$CAR changed the rules governing the end of the race so we can have a green flag finish. Some of the drivers have weighed in on the subject, and SirMark thought it might lead to an endless amount of restarts in order to accomplish the new ruling. But it looks like NASCAR gave this some more thought, and limited it to 3 green-white-checkered restarts. Let's hope that most of the field doesn't run out of gas because the race is that much longer. Stay tuned...
Four Eyes: Jeff Hammond finally had to bite the bullet and start wearing glasses. He's not quite the dapper fellow he once was, cuz Father Time has a way of kicking you in the ribs. It's tough getting' old, ain't it, Jeff?
Roushketeers: Although having a flash of brilliance every now and then, it's pretty clear that the Cat in the Hat hasn't caught up with the field when it comes to technology. They thought they were coming in here with a package that would make them very competitive, but they're still lacking that mysterious 'something' that would get them back to the front of the line. But then, maybe their cookie cutter cars will have that edge... maybe.
RCR: This outfit seems to have gotten their act together. That is, except for Jburton, who just doesn't seem to have the same inherent drive as he used to, or as much as Happy and Bowowyer do now. Jburton is one of the most respected drivers on the circuit, yet he is utterly miserable at qualifying, and for one reason or another can't seem to get the job done on the track. One more bad year and he just might be 'promoted' up to a management position... or headed back to South Boston, VA.
Hendrick: OK, lemme go out on a limb and suggest that Gordo and Jr. swap crew chiefs. It appears that the Rickster is gonna hang on to all of 'em for a while, so the best solution to this quagmire might be to play musical chairs. Ten to one that Gordo would run better. I can't quite force myself to say the same thing for Jr., although I still believe he can wheel a race car every now and then. If Jr. doesn't watch out, Junior Nation could become Rowdy, Inc. But nooo, the Rickster wouldn't do anything quite so harsh, so I must be dreaming again. ZZZZZZZZZ
Gibbs: No comments here, cuz they seem to again be on the road to success. The Coach doesn't seem to have done anything wrong since he started that team. Ooops. I almost forgot his failed return to the Redskins...
Overview: One might think that the guys in the top 35 could just tool around and not use up their 500 car. The same might be said about a couple guys who raced into it via their qualifying run. However, this turned out to be a couple of races that lived up to the hype. How could anyone say they were boring, considering that both races ended in almost dead heats? Close yer eyes and think of what's gonna happen in the last 10 laps of the 500...
Kudos: Who woulda thunk that das Knaus would keep JJ on the track instead of puttin' some rubber on the wheels? And who woulda thunk that the second race would have only one Yellow, making the last 30 laps a run for the roses?
Heaps of 3’s all over yer local Lowes store, and the foam spewing outta yer can of Bud,
Racing Maniac
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