If you flip a coin 4 times and you get heads each flip, it is just a matter of time before it comes up tails. Unfortunately, that seems to be the story of Robby's 2009 500. After putting up the best finishes at speedway races last year, a shock issue relegated him to also ran status. Getting hit in the Jr. fiasco probably did not help either. For sure a dissappointing way to start the year. It will
The 500 was a dissappointment from the 7 pit and it was a dissappointment from my perspective as well. You endure the first 180 laps just to watch the insanity of the last 20, and the rain made sure that was out of the cards. It's like being in high school and making out with a date in your parents basement, only to have your brother kick open the door before reaching your final destination. Then, Dale Jr. had to go and wipe out all of the competitive Toyota's and ruin any chance I had at a victory lunch. On a brighter note, my friend Chris used his free Honey Baked Ham coupon that he got from Roush to get an eight pound ham for the festivities. He made some bitchin potato salad, and I was among a bunch of friends so I cannot complain too much.
Of course there is alot of hullabaloo that goes along with Daytona, but I would look to California this week to get a better barometer of how the teams stack up in terms of pace and who will be in the hunt for race wins this season. California is the first of the fast speedways that actually requires braking and throttle control, so we will get to see who has made the most of thier offseason testing, simulation, and rig work to put a good setup under their driver.
Probably the biggest thing to look for, especially in qualifying, is the cars attitude. It will be interesting to see the toed out rear housings again that were the hot setup last year. The rule is that you can only toe the rear end 1/2", but we will see if anyone has figured out how to get away with a little more. Also, the cars that have the splitters on the ground all the way through the corner without bouncing around over the bumps too much will probably be the fastest.
With California being on the bigger side and everyone tip toeing around trying to maximize thier points and lock into the top 35, a fuel mileage race could be in the cards. There is none better than Carl at the fuel mileage game. With Carl's eye for mileage and the normally stout 2 mile Roush engine package, I will tip Carl for the win with atleast 2 other Roush cars in the top 10. Obviously Kyle will be a threat, and I will tip Vickers for a top 5 as my dark horse. I feel that RG will struggle this week. California has not been a happy hunting ground for him in the last bunch of years, despite it being in his back yard. He will have plenty of family and friends, but they may go home dissappointed. The Toyota power may help, but all of the bigger teams have spent more of their offseason refining their chassis package, and it could be a bleeder.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Just Shoot Me
The Shootout last night provided the baby steps of a very long season, like the first tulips that rise from the frozen earth in the spring. I know that I was saddled up to the TV last night with my other racing buddies and pounded some hotdogs and Ford Dave's famous macaroni and cheese. The season is truly upon us, and there is much to be excited about. Qualifying is on in the background as I write and Truex is still on the pole. You just get the sense that the DEI/Ganassi, whoeverthehelltheyare cars may have a good run in the 500, but will most likely fade into oblivion when the circus heads to circuits that require braking and cornering ability.
I think the savvy racefan and all of the Cup crew chiefs last night will have learned a good bit from the Shootout, even if they were not in it. One lesson was stay away from Logano and Stremme. However, the biggest lesson was that taking tires late in the race is death sentence. Vickers relinquished the lead and took 4 tires with 7 laps to go. He restarted in 13th or 14th and just did not have enough room or time to use the extra grip to his advantage. The 83 crew chief tripped on his dick for sure. The Daytona tire is total junk, and you can see how dicey it starts to get after about 15 or 20 laps, and that is only half of a fuel run. The car will field way better with new rubber, but if you are in the top 5 or 10 late in the race, I think you have to stay out and try to ride it out. Too many times, the end of the race gets three wide all the way through the field and there is no room to pass people. Obviously McMurray probably got too far out in front on that last lap to win, but if they wrecked behind him, the victory would have been his.
Alot of times with RG will want to take tires at the end of the race because he likes passing people. It's more comfortable to race on the front foot when you have the comfort of the added grip on new tires. One time at Atlanta he pitted from 16th for tires with 2 laps to go and ended up 12th. So it worked out. I hope they think twice about that move after last nights race.
I know the qualifying lap was nothing to write home about for the 7 car. The crew guys will extatic about getting an early draw and getting to leave the track early, so atleast they have that going for them. They are smart enough to know that Rob will most likely hang out at the end of pack in the 500 and that qualifying does not matter at all for this race.
It is still a long week. You need to have a clean drafting practice on Wednesday, and hopefully stay out of the wrecks in the 150's on Thursday. Being locked into the field gives Rob the luxury to protect his equipment, and expect him to stay out of the funny buisness until 30 to go nexy Sunday.
I think the savvy racefan and all of the Cup crew chiefs last night will have learned a good bit from the Shootout, even if they were not in it. One lesson was stay away from Logano and Stremme. However, the biggest lesson was that taking tires late in the race is death sentence. Vickers relinquished the lead and took 4 tires with 7 laps to go. He restarted in 13th or 14th and just did not have enough room or time to use the extra grip to his advantage. The 83 crew chief tripped on his dick for sure. The Daytona tire is total junk, and you can see how dicey it starts to get after about 15 or 20 laps, and that is only half of a fuel run. The car will field way better with new rubber, but if you are in the top 5 or 10 late in the race, I think you have to stay out and try to ride it out. Too many times, the end of the race gets three wide all the way through the field and there is no room to pass people. Obviously McMurray probably got too far out in front on that last lap to win, but if they wrecked behind him, the victory would have been his.
Alot of times with RG will want to take tires at the end of the race because he likes passing people. It's more comfortable to race on the front foot when you have the comfort of the added grip on new tires. One time at Atlanta he pitted from 16th for tires with 2 laps to go and ended up 12th. So it worked out. I hope they think twice about that move after last nights race.
I know the qualifying lap was nothing to write home about for the 7 car. The crew guys will extatic about getting an early draw and getting to leave the track early, so atleast they have that going for them. They are smart enough to know that Rob will most likely hang out at the end of pack in the 500 and that qualifying does not matter at all for this race.
It is still a long week. You need to have a clean drafting practice on Wednesday, and hopefully stay out of the wrecks in the 150's on Thursday. Being locked into the field gives Rob the luxury to protect his equipment, and expect him to stay out of the funny buisness until 30 to go nexy Sunday.
Monday, February 2, 2009
RG is a Genious
After the Homestead race, Carl got out of his car and said he wished that Daytona started the next day. Well, Daytona is upon us my friends. Qualifying is on Sunday (boooooring), and the shootout (definitively not boring) is on Saturday. The trucks are leaving in the next couple of days and we will be off and running.
Speaking of the shootout, Robby Gordon might just be a genious. Unless you have totally tuned out to all of the comings and goings in the Cup world in the last bunch of months, you will know that RG is running a Dodge in the shootout, before switching noses and motors for the 4th time in 4 years to Toyota for the 500. With the new shootout rules and all of the teams that have folded in the offseason, RG was the 6th best Dodge in 2008 and thus qualifies for a spot in the shootout as a Dodge. Not since the old school days when the King used to win 30 races a year has a team run different makes in the same year. It is for sure a bold move, and with $1 million on the line who wouldn't take the chance.
As far as the team is concerned, running 2 makes won't really cause too many problems. RG was brilliant at superspeedways last year, and I know they had two really good Dodge bodied cars that were in perfect shape and ready to go since the Talladega race last October. They should have needed just a little bit of fluffing and buffing and maybe a few small fixes. All they would have had to do is to prep 2 new Toyota nosed superspeedway cars. Historically, you would prep 3 cars for Daytona. A primary and a backup that would go to the track, and a third car that would stay home unless you got wrecked in one of the drafting practice session or in the 150 the Thursday before the race. I would expect RG to take it easy in the drafting practice with the Toyota, as I doubt they would prep 3 Toyota's and 2 Dodges for one race, but who knows.
No matter how you slice it, it is a bit weird, but perhaps with the recession, and the new look of NASCAR, being manufacturer independent may put you a little ahead of the curve. Especially with the American car makers in dire straights. With no points on the line I am excited to see how RG runs the shootout. When we used to go to the points races, he would take a very conservative approach until the end. Now it doesn't matter, so it could be quite interesting.
My predictions for qualifying are that I don't care, because it is completely meaningless. My predictions for the 7 spots left for the out of the top 35 cars are Boris, Keselowski, Bowyer, Riggs, Regan Smith, Scott Riggs, and Terry Labonte...For the shootout I will go for Jeff Gordon...He will have a breakout year I think, and it will start this weekend.
Speaking of the shootout, Robby Gordon might just be a genious. Unless you have totally tuned out to all of the comings and goings in the Cup world in the last bunch of months, you will know that RG is running a Dodge in the shootout, before switching noses and motors for the 4th time in 4 years to Toyota for the 500. With the new shootout rules and all of the teams that have folded in the offseason, RG was the 6th best Dodge in 2008 and thus qualifies for a spot in the shootout as a Dodge. Not since the old school days when the King used to win 30 races a year has a team run different makes in the same year. It is for sure a bold move, and with $1 million on the line who wouldn't take the chance.
As far as the team is concerned, running 2 makes won't really cause too many problems. RG was brilliant at superspeedways last year, and I know they had two really good Dodge bodied cars that were in perfect shape and ready to go since the Talladega race last October. They should have needed just a little bit of fluffing and buffing and maybe a few small fixes. All they would have had to do is to prep 2 new Toyota nosed superspeedway cars. Historically, you would prep 3 cars for Daytona. A primary and a backup that would go to the track, and a third car that would stay home unless you got wrecked in one of the drafting practice session or in the 150 the Thursday before the race. I would expect RG to take it easy in the drafting practice with the Toyota, as I doubt they would prep 3 Toyota's and 2 Dodges for one race, but who knows.
No matter how you slice it, it is a bit weird, but perhaps with the recession, and the new look of NASCAR, being manufacturer independent may put you a little ahead of the curve. Especially with the American car makers in dire straights. With no points on the line I am excited to see how RG runs the shootout. When we used to go to the points races, he would take a very conservative approach until the end. Now it doesn't matter, so it could be quite interesting.
My predictions for qualifying are that I don't care, because it is completely meaningless. My predictions for the 7 spots left for the out of the top 35 cars are Boris, Keselowski, Bowyer, Riggs, Regan Smith, Scott Riggs, and Terry Labonte...For the shootout I will go for Jeff Gordon...He will have a breakout year I think, and it will start this weekend.
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