habu

what ? you're taking pics of your rear getting mounted

GPOTY
:gay:

LEO_06GT

I just started watching NASCAR for the first time ever this season. So in order to try and get myself into it. I chose a favorite team/driver. I chose Hendrick Motorsports for my team and Jimmie Johnson for a driver. Only problem is I feel wrong rooting for a team of Chevy's. I've debated switching to the Roush Fenway team but can't pick a driver. So anyways here's my few rookie questions.

What the heck is the purpose of "owners points"? Why are they relevant?

What the heck does boogity, boogity, boogity mean? Is some traditional saying?

Is the success of a season measured only by being in the top 12 in points?

What's so special about the last 10 "chase for the cup" races. How do they differ from the rest other than obviously being the last 10 of the season? I guess what I'm saying is how did they crown the champion before and what makes this way more exciting?

Do the Friday and Saturday races effect the Sunday races? Or do the points in accumlated in those races only matter to the specific series?

Do all the cars use the same parts? Meaning are the only variables driver ability, quickness of pitstops, tweaking the suspension during the race, and deciding when and what to pit for?

OK that's all for now.

LEO_06GT

LEO_06GT

Brian-http://www.brenspeed.com/mustang_2005/wheels.html

2k7gtcs

Hope that helps.

2k7gtcs

Leo,
I've watched all my life. Was originally a Bill Elliot fan. Budweiser Ford ThunderBird can't go wrong. Have always watched but now try to catch every race the last 2 or 3 years. My wife's youngest sister's finacee is racing in the Hooters north series. He had to raise $400k just to get the ride for this year that will run about 8 races. Ig Sprint s major leagues and Nationwide is AAA. Craftsman is AA and then theres Hooters at A. Any more questions I'll give it a try at answering. I'm in to it, but I don't have a 3, 8, or 88 on the back of my car or a flag flying in the front yard on Sunday.

habu

OK I'll see if I can answer your questions... But man... Jimmie Johnson I.am.not.a.fan. I can understand though, he is a "local" for you.

1) Owners Points, yes and no. There isn't an constructors championship like F1. But you have to be in the top 35 to be guaranteed a spot, somewhat, in the show. Cars/owners lower than 35th place have to get in on speed alone. The guarantee is a sore spot for alot of people. Just because you're ... say 19th and you aren't fast enough to qualify on speed you shouldn't be allowed to get in the show, IMO

2)Stupid saying Darrell Waltrip came up with when Fox got the broadcasting rights in 2000

3) in 2004 or 05 they introduced the "championship playoff" type thing. only the top 12, recently changed from 10, get to race for the championship. Starting the first of the last ten races all of the top 10 are separated by 5 points, per position.... kinda like leveling the playing field. Again a great source of frustration for alot of people.

4) no. Friday and Saturday are a different series. Friday is, however, qualifying for the Main race. Yes each series has it's own points and rules for the cars.

5) No (except to some extent engines) each team has an extensive shop that will build the car to the specific track. The new COT was supposed to lessen the need to have 20+ cars built each season. A superspeedway car is different from a 1.5 mile car (as in Texas) versus a short track car. The COT also introduced a ton of safety enhancements. Are the parts the same, yea to some extent, a hendrick engine is built and sold to several teams outside RHR. RCR(29,31,07) cars do the same thing as do many teams. Many of the parts are standardized but many, many are not. So again, it's a yes/no deal. Example... NASCAR mandates a specific shock for the superspeedways, so there isn't too much tinkering with them. All the MFGs help a ton with engine data improvements or new engines. But each team tweaks the heck out of them.

How does that help.

LEO_06GT

Thanks for all the replys. I've learned alot in the past 5 minutes.

One more question how do you "watch" or stay in to the race? What I've been doing is watching the first 50-100 and the last 150 or 100. In between I just fast foward and stop to see the wrecks.

habu

Same here. Huge Bill Elliot fan. I loved the Elliot & Earnhardt & Bodine duels, they were great. I kinda became a Earnhardt fan when Gordon showed up. There are several I like but I will always pull for Dale Jr/Stewart (less now that he's in a 'yota) and a couple others. Gordon & Johnson are the two I love to see fail.

Don't have any flags or stickers, but I watch every weekend I can. As well as F1 and NHRA if I can get 'em in too.

kh765

Gary did a pretty good job of explaining everything, Glad he did so I didn't have to.

As for the favorite drivers, since Roush sold out to Fenway, I don't really have a favorite driver. I have always liked Gordon and I still like Biffle with Roush. I'll keep rooting for the only other real Ford team left in Yates Racing.

Like Gary said about the parts, they are fabricated by the teams but have to follow VERY strict guidelines. With the new COT, the scrutiny of inspection has become even greater. They have taken away much of the ingenuity of the teams and put more into the hands of the driver. Still, the teams' research and development are kept very secret. Just read about Roush getting mad lately because of Toyota getting ahold of one of their sway bars.

habu

That's hard. Alot of the races, recently, have become processions and can get pretty boring. A short track, Richmond, Bristol, Martinsville, is never boring. There are PLENTY times I catch the beginning, do stuff around the house, and then watch the end. If the race shows itself to be interesting enough and it's not just a parade then I'll be in for the whole thing.

It's hard to see that Roush is the only competitive Ford team left. Yates used to be great and so did the Woods Brothers and some more. But as much of a Ford man I am I really don't like any of the Roush drivers.
Big Rumor is that if RCR doesn't get Bobby Labonte, then they may try for Biffle in RCR's new 33......

LEO_06GT

OK one more question....

Why do alot of people hate Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson?

Feel like going out and buying NASCAR 08 for 360.

LEO_06GT

What rules did they institute that make it less exciting? Is there less bumping or something?

mikes rx

See, you Cali guys don't get all the fun. We get NASCAR here in the southeast .

But to answer your question, I tend to just fall asleep for a little while during it, then wake back up for the last few laps. Or, just watch something else and flip back and forth.

Honestly, though, watching nascar on TV is pretty boring. In person it's a COMPLETELY different experience

kh765

I'm with Brian about JJ. Don't like him at all, don't really know why.

As for the boogity thing, I absolutely hate that saying. I like to mute the race at the beginning because of it. I wish Kyle Petty could take his place. Great announcer. Of course, I could be a tad biased, being named after him.

I've been watching NASCAR my entire life and have been to Daytona many times. I used to skip school every year to go to the Daytona 500 qualifying races. I went to the Pepsi 400 (Firecracker 400 for old schoolers) every year for at least 10 years. Haven't been in a long time, but I still keep up with it pretty closely.

LEO_06GT

Hey we've got a couple races a year at the California Speedway. I keep hearing about how in person it's so much better because it becomes a full day event with all the tailgating and drinking before hand and the sound of the cars when your actually there.

Maybe the Socal crew should go when they came back later this year.

kh765

Because they aren't good ole boys from the south. They are a new age of driver. They came up very quickly and never really "paid their dues." They are also widely successful which makes a lot of people hate you. People hated Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt too, it just comes with success.


It was more the car than any rule. The new car handles like a truck according to some of the drivers. Many of them like Tony Stewart absolutely hate the thing. I don't like it, but the real reason for it is safety. It has made racing a lot less exciting.

LEO_06GT

Wow you ask about NASCAR and all the non-socal guys become posting maniacs.

2k7gtcs

I look at it like this. As a kid I was a Ford guy and Elliot fan. ALthoug I did like Gant in that Skoal car. I dislked Waltrip just like I dislike Gordon. But in retirement I like DW, I like the respect he showed Earnhardt in death that publicly he didn't show in life. I will root for Jr. period. For those who didn;t see his father compete you have no idea what Nascar is about. He was the Intimidator, he was a black car with a win or else attitude, he was what an American and a Southerner should be in a race car. I miss him I must say as sappy as that sounds. But anyway in my older age I'm more about the driver and who I like or respect. I respect Tony though I might not always like him. I dislike the Busch boys, indifferent about Jimmie Johnson, and lothe Gordon. Does anybody like Gordon? I mean really I guess Californians might like him I don't know. Anyway I think its truly an american racing sport and though they are not as stock as they used to be, they are safer. I mean just look at that kid who walked away from basically the same kind of wreck into the wall that killed Dale Sr.

kh765

Seeing it live is a COMPLETELY different beast. You just can't grasp how loud and impressive those cars are on tv. You really have to hear, smell, and see them in person.