NASCAR Thread

[BroncosFanInPA]

Congrats to Jimmie,i respect what he has done in his career & clearly he is an amazing racer & has accomplished so much but with that being said...i have a hard time respecting the #48 as a whole due in large part to Knaus.

There has just been to much cheating he has done over the years to have much respect for him, i guess it is kinda like how not many people have much respect for the patriots because of spygate.

Not trying to take anything away from jimmie, as i said he can race but i can't stand Knaus & the two will forever be tied to each other.

P.S. Smoke rises in 2014 & speaking of Tony, looks like he has a new crew chief...

[BroncosFanInPA]

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/sto...ew-crew-chiefs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart got a new crew chief Tuesday as both Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Fenway Racing reorganized their competition departments.

SHR named Chad Johnston the crew chief for Stewart, who is making his second change since Darian Grubb led him to the Sprint Cup title in 2011. Grubb was replaced shortly after the season for Steve Addington, who lasted just two seasons.

Johnston was crew chief for Martin Truex Jr., but was given permission to look for a new job when sponsor Napa Auto Parts told Michael Waltrip Racing it was leaving at the end of the season because of MWR's attempt to manipulate the race at Richmond to get Truex into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Johnston and Stewart are both Indiana natives and previously worked together in 2004 and 2005 when Johnston was a race engineer at Morgan-Dollar Motorsports and Stewart drove three Truck Series races for the team.

SHR also announced that Greg Zipadelli will be vice president of competition responsible for managing all four Sprint Cup teams. Matt Borland was named vice president of engineering, responsible for overseeing all of the team's technical initiatives and research and development projects.

Borland will also work closely with new SHR driver Kurt Busch.

Daniel Knost was promoted from race engineer on the No. 39 team to crew chief for the new No. 41 team for Busch. Knost joined SHR in 2008 when it was Haas-CNC Racing after earning master of science and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech.

"Our greatest asset at Stewart-Haas Racing is our people," said team co-owner Stewart. "Obviously, there is a lot of change happening for 2014 as we grow to four teams and bring in Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. But with our new management structure and the crew chiefs we have in place, we're well positioned to handle whatever challenges come our way. Collectively, we have the experience and wherewithal necessary for each of our teams to perform at the highest level possible."

The team had previously announced that Rodney Childers will be crew chief for Harvick. Tony Gibson will return as Danica Patrick's crew chief

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[roushmartin6]

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/sto...ew-crew-chiefs

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Should be an upgrade, Steve Addington is not very good. I feel bad for Justin Algier who gets stuck with him now

[roushmartin6]

I saw Nascar has purchased Iowa Speedway. I expect cup racing here within the next 5 years

[BroncosFanInPA]

I saw Nascar has purchased Iowa Speedway. I expect cup racing here within the next 5 years

That would be cool, they need more short tracks & less of all the 1.5 mile tracks.

I think they need to have a major overhaul of the schedule, too much same old & not enough change & it may just come in 2015 When NBC takes over from ESPN.

[roushmartin6]

That would be cool, they need more short tracks & less of all the 1.5 mile tracks.

I think they need to have a major overhaul of the schedule, too much same old & not enough change & it may just come in 2015 When NBC takes over from ESPN.

I agree. I've been to a few races at the Iowa Speedway and its great every time. Its state of the art. With Speedway Motorsports Corporation (Nascar's Tracks Division), selling off tracks like Memphis, Pikes Peak, etc because they have no plans to bring cup there, I can't see them buying Iowa without the intention of bringing cup here. They really do need to revamp the schedule. No track should have two dates except a select few (Daytona, Dega, and MAYBE Bristol). That way, tracks go back to selling out because there is greater demand, and we get a better variety of tracks in new markets where people who can't afford to travel may be able to go see a race. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple road courses and hopefully a dirt track added. Nascar seems to have become complacent since Brian France took over. They need to shake things up, bring some excitement back to Nascar.

[Southstander]

How I wish they would have a Cup Series race in Colorado.

[roushmartin6]

#3 car returns to cup next year. What do you guys think. Honestly I don't care, enough time has passed in my book but using that number brings a lot of pressure. From what i've seen people are really split on this one.

[Peanut]

#3 car returns to cup next year. What do you guys think. Honestly I don't care, enough time has passed in my book but using that number brings a lot of pressure. From what i've seen people are really split on this one.

I have no problem with it. It's an RCR number, it's being treated with respect, JR has no problem with it. He never wanted the number and I don't blame him.

I did have a problem when the fans protested Skinner using the #3 in the Truck series. It was never Earnhardt's number, it was Skinner's.

[Peanut]

Great article. I love these guys.

Kahne and Stewart to honor Leffler at Chili Bowl

[BroncosFanInPA]

Putting the #3 back on the track is an interesting topic & i can understand both sides of the fence, how some say it's fine & enough time has passed & also it's not any disrespect but more of an honor of the # in a way.

But i can also see how the diehard fans may not be as receptive to the idea because they see that #3 as being symbolic of Dale & they feel that because of how things ended for him that the # should just be left alone & perhaps even retired.

Which brings me to the question of why aren't car numbers retired in nascar? I understand you can't do it like other sports because there are so many teams in other sports that they each retire there own numbers but in nascar it would need to be limited to just a select few because it's not like a number can be retired multiple times(same number different teams) like other sports because nascar is one big group.

But why not honor the best of the best like the #43 & the #3 because of what they accompished & perhaps one day the #48. These are the only numbers that those guys had & are obviously symbolic of who they were & everybody knows who you would be talking about when you mention those numbers.

I just think it should be considerd for the sport's best of all time that they retire those select few that have dominated the sport.

[roushmartin6]

Putting the #3 back on the track is an interesting topic & i can understand both sides of the fence, how some say it's fine & enough time has passed & also it's not any disrespect but more of an honor of the # in a way.

But i can also see how the diehard fans may not be as receptive to the idea because they see that #3 as being symbolic of Dale & they feel that because of how things ended for him that the # should just be left alone & perhaps even retired.

Which brings me to the question of why aren't car numbers retired in nascar? I understand you can't do it like other sports because there are so many teams in other sports that they each retire there own numbers but in nascar it would need to be limited to just a select few because it's not like a number can be retired multiple times(same number different teams) like other sports because nascar is one big group.

But why not honor the best of the best like the #43 & the #3 because of what they accompished & perhaps one day the #48. These are the only numbers that those guys had & are obviously symbolic of who they were & everybody knows who you would be talking about when you mention those numbers.

I just think it should be considerd for the sport's best of all time that they retire those select few that have dominated the sport.

The reason I think they don't retire numbers is because there just aren't a whole lot of them to go around unless they want to dip into triple digit numbers. I don't really see the point in retiring numbers in Nascar because so few drivers use the same number their entire career anyways. Also if a driver becomes a car owner, they can continue the legacy of the number like Richard Petty does with the 43. Since we are talking about retiring numbers, I think some NFL teams have gone too far with it, the Bears just retired another one a couple weeks ago! I like how we do it, you have to be amazing to have your number retired here.

[NFL_fanatic]

Hi everyone. Big Nascar and Broncos fan here. It's great to see some talk in this particular forum during the off season.

[Southstander]

The #3 should have been back on the track years maybe even a decade ago. Though I did not know Dale Earnhardt I think he would not want it retired. The man got back in a completely wrecked car because it fired up agian, the race always goes on. Reguardless on how Austin Dillon drives it won't take away or tarnish what Dale did in the 3.

I think these NASCAR fans that are upset need to take a break and relise that Petty's 43 is still on the track, the 3 was not retired after "Fireball" Roberts also died in it. Storied NFL teams like the Raiders and Cowboys (one would think NASCAR fans and Cowboys fans are almost on and the same) do not retire numbers. As rm6 pointed out rBroncos Vs 49ers SuperBowl XXIVtiring numbers has gotten out of hand look at the Celtics or even the Yankees. After Derrick Jeter's 2 and Joe Torre's '6 the Yanks will not have ANY single digits left to issue.

I do not blame Dale Earnhardt Jr for not wanting to drive the #3 on a regular bases. It is already hard enough to have a legendary father in sports and (ie Brian Greise) but to have the same name and legendary number. Those shoes are to big for anyone to fill as is. Why step deeper into that shadow?

On a side note NASCAR owns the #3 and all the numbers for that matter, how ever Richard Childress was first line and had the rights of first refusal on it.

[Peanut]

I have been wondering what the results would have been without the Chase. The results below is with the changes from 2011. From Jayski:

◦UNOFFICIAL 2013 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
[after Homestead, race 36 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [6 wins], 1248
2) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [4 wins], 1207, -41
3) #20-Matt Kenseth(X) [7 wins], 1192, -56
4) #18-Kyle Busch(X) [4 wins], 1163, -85
5) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X), 1144, -104
6) #99-Carl Edwards(X) [2 wins], 1118, -130
7) #15-Clint Bowyer(X), 1115, -133
8) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 1087, -161
9) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [1 win], 1077, -171
10) #22-Joey Logano(X) [1 win], 1071, -177
11) #78-Kurt Busch(X), 1071, -177
12) #2-Brad Keselowski [1 win], 1041, -207
13) #39-Ryan Newman(X)[1 win], 1027, -221
14) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1022, -226
15) #1-Jamie McMurray [1 win], 1007, -241
(X) = a Chase driver.
(11-17-2013)