**Offical NASCAR Thread**

[cooke726]

Originally Posted by clayj41

The Chastain news definitely surprised me. I'm happy for him though. Hope we get to see him smash some watermelons in the Cup Series. The Logano comparison is also fitting for Jones as he has the talent to compete for championships with another team in the years ahead if he finds the right fit. He's going to be a steal for someone if he gets passed up, which may happen given the lack of available rides. Penske definitely isn't a long term solution for him, and at this point I'd venture to guess that he drives for RPM if Larson ends up in the #48 like I expect.

I still feel like the #14 would be a better option for Larson though. His brand of racing is more befitting of Stewart, and Tony won't be afraid to go to bat for him when the heat undoubtedly gets turned up over him having a ride so soon after his use of a racial slur.

Erik Jones is a talented driver but I think if he was going to take over the 48 it wouldve been announced by now.

I think Hendrick is trying to get Larson into that ride...and that would make Jones their fallback option. I tend to agree that sponsors will likely avoid Larson like the plague...an interesting option for the 48 would also be Corey LaJoie

the 14 I think stays with Bowyer for 1 more season until they can pass it on to Chase Briscoe in 2021

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by cooke726

Erik Jones is a talented driver but I think if he was going to take over the 48 it wouldve been announced by now.

I think Hendrick is trying to get Larson into that ride...and that would make Jones their fallback option. I tend to agree that sponsors will likely avoid Larson like the plague...an interesting option for the 48 would also be Corey LaJoie

the 14 I think stays with Bowyer for 1 more season until they can pass it on to Chase Briscoe in 2021

This plays the biggest factor in all of this silly season talk, although I believe they only signed Almirola to a one-year extension so someone could still take Bowyer's ride next year and then Briscoe could take the #10 the following season.

I agree that Bowyer will likely stay another year, but if I'm Stewart I would much rather have a team composed of Larson/Jones and Briscoe than Bowyer and Almirola moving forward. Briscoe is obviously coming no matter what though.

[cooke726]

Originally Posted by clayj41

This plays the biggest factor in all of this silly season talk, although I believe they only signed Almirola to a one-year extension so someone could still take Bowyer's ride next year and then Briscoe could take the #10 the following season.

I agree that Bowyer will likely stay another year, but if I'm Stewart I would much rather have a team composed of Larson/Jones and Briscoe than Bowyer and Almirola moving forward. Briscoe is obviously coming no matter what though.

Almirola I think is one of the most underrated drivers in the field today...The only thing missing from making him top tier is the wins. He runs great at the superspeedways and the 1.5 mile tracks and hes a consistent top 15 driver who brings loyal sponsorship in Smithfield. I hope he hangs onto a competitive ride for the next few seasons.

the consensus is that Bowyer will inevitably end up in the broadcast booth

[cooke726]

ive also heard rumors of Alex Bowman taking over the 48 and Ally sponsorship and Hendrick trying to get Larson into the 88... so that may be a factor

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by cooke726

Almirola I think is one of the most underrated drivers in the field today...The only thing missing from making him top tier is the wins. He runs great at the superspeedways and the 1.5 mile tracks and hes a consistent top 15 driver who brings loyal sponsorship in Smithfield. I hope he hangs onto a competitive ride for the next few seasons.

the consensus is that Bowyer will inevitably end up in the broadcast booth

I like Almirola a lot. He's probably a top 10 favorite driver for me. But as consistent as he is, he's never going to win a championship. I mean, he's won two races his entire career, both of which were at superspeedways and one of which was rain-shortened. He's proved that Danica was the problem with the #10 team from a competitive standpoint, but I'd take Larson and Jones over him in a heartbeat. There's a reason he wasn't extended long-term.

I do think that Stewart would rather have Briscoe in the #14 since that's the flagship team along with the #4. The real question is when will Harvick hang it up, but at this point he may race until he's 50+. He's only gotten better with age, and he's making up for the peak years he lost with RCR.

Originally Posted by cooke726

ive also heard rumors of Alex Bowman taking over the 48 and Ally sponsorship and Hendrick trying to get Larson into the 88... so that may be a factor

That would actually make a lot of sense. The #48 is now in the company of the #3, #24, and #43 as far as legacy is concerned, and Bowman carries a much more pristine image.

[BigWhiskey1855]

Originally Posted by cooke726

Almirola I think is one of the most underrated drivers in the field today...The only thing missing from making him top tier is the wins. He runs great at the superspeedways and the 1.5 mile tracks and hes a consistent top 15 driver who brings loyal sponsorship in Smithfield. I hope he hangs onto a competitive ride for the next few seasons.

the consensus is that Bowyer will inevitably end up in the broadcast booth

As Clay said, Almirola has proven that Danica was the problem with the 10 and not the equipment. He brings sponsorship, which is your meal ticket in NASCAR and he's proven to be consistent. I don't shake things up in the 10 just yet.

With that said, I love Bowyer, but damn if I don't feel like he is wasting a seat. He has consistently underperformed aside from 2018 and really is out of excuses at this point. Clint is going to make a great ambassador for the sport in the same way that Jr. has, but he is really taking a spot away from guys like Jones, Larson, or even Briscoe by staying in the ride.

[clayj41]

2021 schedule announcements being made today. So far we've learned:

-Darlington and Atlanta are back to having 2 races
-Indy will be ran on the road-course, a day after IndyCar runs the same course
-COTA (Austin, TX) confirmed to be making its NASCAR debut after last week's announcement that Texas Motor Speedway would be losing one of its point races but hosting the All-Star Race

I've long advocated for more road courses, and the writing's been on the wall with Indy, but I still have mixed feelings about it. Racing the oval is boring as hell, but it's always been such a prestige race.

[Ascf33]

Awesome. I hope it brings more people back. I haven't watched a single race this year I don't think.

[dmbmuskie]

I know they have multiple layouts they can run, but COTA seems way too technical for a NASCAR.

Hopefully they run the short shoot loop at IMS and just haul ass through T1 and down the front.

[dmbmuskie]

I know they have multiple layouts they can run, but COTA seems way too technical for a NASCAR.

Hopefully they run the short shoot loop at IMS and just haul ass through T1 and down the front.

Would have liked to see them run Road America.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by dmbmuskie

I know they have multiple layouts they can run, but COTA seems way too technical for a NASCAR.

Hopefully they run the short shoot loop at IMS and just haul ass through T1 and down the front.

Would have liked to see them run Road America.

Just announced!!! They'll be running there on the 4th of July. I've wanted that race for years!

Hopefully none of this is coming at the expense of Sonoma and Watkins Glen. I can't expect that to be the case since fans were so vocally disappointed about those tracks being skipped this year due to COVID.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by Ascf33

Awesome. I hope it brings more people back. I haven't watched a single race this year I don't think.

This past Sunday at Vegas was the only race I didn't watch in its entirety. The NFL always takes priority this time of year, especially when the Packers are playing on SNF.

Wish we still had a fantasy league. I'm ranked 84th in the world in NASCAR Fantasy Live this year.

[Strider_BTCS]

Six road courses next year is awesome.

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by clayj41

Just announced!!! They'll be running there on the 4th of July. I've wanted that race for years!

Hopefully none of this is coming at the expense of Sonoma and Watkins Glen. I can't expect that to be the case since fans were so vocally disappointed about those tracks being skipped this year due to COVID.

That’s awesome. Would have liked for that to have been the double header with IndyCar or IMSA. It’s a haul to go there just to watch 1 race per day.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by Strider_BTCS

Six road courses next year is awesome.

I absolutely love it. My only critique is that if they're making it such an emphasis in the regular season, they should schedule at least one extra road course in the playoffs. All they'd have to do is push Watkins Glen back a month.

Originally Posted by dmbmuskie

That’s awesome. Would have liked for that to have been the double header with IndyCar or IMSA. It’s a haul to go there just to watch 1 race per day.

7 hour drive for me. I'll likely make the trek next year if the world is semi-normal again. Probably end up staying in Green Bay with some friends for the weekend.

[clayj41]

The spring Bristol race will be on dirt!

[BigWhiskey1855]

I'm not sure how I feel about the schedule changes so far. Ditching a points race at Texas/Michigan for an additional Atlanta/Darlington doesn't do much for me. Atlanta is a whole lot of Kevin Harvick hugging the white line and that's about all it is good for. Most NASCAR media hasn't had much good to say about Bristol with dirt. Especially since it's one of the few races that still can bring a lot of excitement for an entire race. Honestly, more short track racing is what was needed, not road courses. The road course product has really suffered the last few years under the current package. Maybe the next gen rides work better with this schedule, that's what the original intention was when these schedule changes were in the works. Excited about Nashville though, just because I finally have a track within 2 hours. Not sure the racing brings anything different than your typical oval.

[dmbmuskie]

The dirt race honestly holds no appeal to me.

NASCAR on a road course is probably the most entertaining form of racing out there. Will be interesting to see if they embrace the festival atmosphere with cars on track from dawn to dusk.


Would be cool if they brought the V8 Supercars into COTA.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by BigWhiskey1855

I'm not sure how I feel about the schedule changes so far. Ditching a points race at Texas/Michigan for an additional Atlanta/Darlington doesn't do much for me. Atlanta is a whole lot of Kevin Harvick hugging the white line and that's about all it is good for. Most NASCAR media hasn't had much good to say about Bristol with dirt. Especially since it's one of the few races that still can bring a lot of excitement for an entire race. Honestly, more short track racing is what was needed, not road courses. The road course product has really suffered the last few years under the current package. Maybe the next gen rides work better with this schedule, that's what the original intention was when these schedule changes were in the works. Excited about Nashville though, just because I finally have a track within 2 hours. Not sure the racing brings anything different than your typical oval.

That's my gripe with Nashville. I'm not overly excited about the prospect of them racing at that specific track, but I hope it's a stepping stone to them returning to the Fairgrounds eventually.

I agree about the need for more short track racing and converting boring ass Auto Club to a short track is a step in the right direction. I've resigned myself to the fact that a lot of the racing is going to suffer under the current package. I hope the Next Gen goes a long way in fixing that, but the reason I'm excited about road courses despite the product not being as exciting as it used to be is that there needs to be a better balance of different racing disciplines in the sport. Forcing drivers to leave their comfort zone is the next best thing if we're not going to have consistently competitive side-by-side racing. That's also why I like Atlanta and Darlington. They wear the hell out of drivers.

[BigWhiskey1855]

Originally Posted by clayj41

That's my gripe with Nashville. I'm not overly excited about the prospect of them racing at that specific track, but I hope it's a stepping stone to them returning to the Fairgrounds eventually.

I agree about the need for more short track racing and converting boring ass Auto Club to a short track is a step in the right direction. I've resigned myself to the fact that a lot of the racing is going to suffer under the current package. I hope the Next Gen goes a long way in fixing that, but the reason I'm excited about road courses despite the product not being as exciting as it used to be is that there needs to be a better balance of different racing disciplines in the sport. Forcing drivers to leave their comfort zone is the next best thing if we're not going to have consistently competitive side-by-side racing. That's also why I like Atlanta and Darlington. They wear the hell out of drivers.

Fair. Darlington grew on me this year, more so the early post-Covid break races due to their length. I can't say much for Atlanta still.

On the flip side, pretty damn thankful to see Kentucky fuck off, not sure I ever watched a decent race there. Same goes for Indy and a second Michigan date.

AJ Allmendinger is probably foaming at the mouth to find a cup ride looking at this schedule. I've also seen some heavy rumors that Cindric is on his way up in place of Matty D. I know that man loves some road course racing too.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by BigWhiskey1855

Fair. Darlington grew on me this year, more so the early post-Covid break races due to their length. I can't say much for Atlanta still.

On the flip side, pretty damn thankful to see Kentucky fuck off, not sure I ever watched a decent race there. Same goes for Indy and a second Michigan date.

AJ Allmendinger is probably foaming at the mouth to find a cup ride looking at this schedule. I've also seen some heavy rumors that Cindric is on his way up in place of Matty D. I know that man loves some road course racing too.

I'm somewhat torn because Kentucky was the closest track to me, but I never planned to attend another race there after the inaugural one. I much prefer the addition of Nashville.

The 2001 Brickyard was the first race I ever attended, and I went every year for 9 years straight. Again, I never planned to go back for a race, and while I'm sure I'll enjoy watching them run the road course much more than the oval (this year's Xfinity race was awesome), it just feels less prestigious. They're still crossing the bricks, but I don't know that it even classifies as a Crown Jewel event anymore. If they really wanted to think outside the box, I would've scheduled it to be a doubleheader weekend with them racing the road course on Saturday and the oval on Sunday.

AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose probably would've made the playoffs every year under this schedule.

[clayj41]

There will also only be 8 races next year that include practice and qualifying. They'll be following that model for new tracks/configurations (Bristol Dirt, COTA, Road America, Nashville, Indy) and marquee events (Daytona 500, Coke 600, Phoenix finale). Every other track will host a one-day, race only event.

[cooke726]

I for one am intrigued by having a race on dirt...Im just not a fan of it being at the expense of one of Bristol's two race dates considering Bristol is by far my favorite track on the schedule.

If Larson is back youd have to assume he will be the favorite no matter where the dirt race is held...hes a dirt race assassin

[cooke726]

Also..a little late.. but I was thrilled to see Kurt get the win on sunday even though it meant that my 2 favorite drivers (the 11 and the 88) were kept from victory lane.

Kurt has come full circle...from young hot head, to total asshole...to a likable veteran. He went from full heel to babyface...a storyline normally saved for pro wrestling

[Roose13]

Give me them six road courses and dirt track. I love it.

[BigWhiskey1855]

Rumors are really starting to heat up of Cindric to the 21, Briscoe to the 14, and Larson to HMS (not sure what the number would be.) I believe that leaves the 32, 43, and 96 rides open with Bowyer, Jones, Lajoie, Suarez and Matty D all potentially outside looking in if true. The shakiest of those rumors is the 21, Pockrass started he has heard both reports of Matty D out and Matty D staying. Either way, a lot of good drivers just chilling on the sideline.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by cooke726

Also..a little late.. but I was thrilled to see Kurt get the win on sunday even though it meant that my 2 favorite drivers (the 11 and the 88) were kept from victory lane.

Kurt has come full circle...from young hot head, to total asshole...to a likable veteran. He went from full heel to babyface...a storyline normally saved for pro wrestling

Meh. He's graduated to being a pretentious douche to me. If I don't mind him as much that's solely a product of him not winning as much.

[cooke726]

Originally Posted by BigWhiskey1855

Rumors are really starting to heat up of Cindric to the 21, Briscoe to the 14, and Larson to HMS (not sure what the number would be.) I believe that leaves the 32, 43, and 96 rides open with Bowyer, Jones, Lajoie, Suarez and Matty D all potentially outside looking in if true. The shakiest of those rumors is the 21, Pockrass started he has heard both reports of Matty D out and Matty D staying. Either way, a lot of good drivers just chilling on the sideline.

Bowyer will go to broadcast booth if he loses the 14

I’d like to see Matty D hold onto the 21...but I could see Erik Jones getting that ride also

[cooke726]

Briscoe deserves a cup series ride

[BigWhiskey1855]

Headed to Talladega this weekend, hoping to finally get to see some racing. Weasled my way in to the June Covid race using a fake address only for it to be rained out due to some small pop up storms. Last October was a rain out as well after the DW vortex theory failed following stage 1. This time I have secured Monday for the make-up race as well, so I like to think I will see some cars on track. It's a shame the other 2 series playoff races aren't accessible to fans on this massive weekend of racing.