NASCAR 2009

[YmoBeThere]

I have a stupid question. They argued and argued on the radio the other day about the whole pit road penalty thing, saying they felt bad for Montoya basically losing the race a few weeks ago because of it. They said it's a safety thing, since pit crew members died back in the day when guys came down at full speed. They say that they can go by gear and RPM, but I just don't see how that can be 100% accurate since the tires are worn differently than when they determine it, and there might be damage to the car, or what if they lose a gear? Point is, they're supposed to guess based on RPM in a gear, which is kind of inaccurate, but they're measured using advanced lasers and tracking computers, and penalized based on those. How much weight would it REALLY add to throw a stupid speedometer into those cars? You could even make one with a little red needle at pit road speed each week, and then the driver could just glance down and see where it was without having to read the actual speed and take his attention away for too long (heck, he has to to look at the tachometer anyway). Anyway, if I was allowed to put one on, I think I would, cause the extra weight would be worth not having to worry about a HUGE penalty for breaking pit road street.

My question is how strictly do they really enforce it? They don't ever really say...I would presume there may be a couple MPH variance allowed?

[Lavabe]

I sense a change at the top of the fantasy league. I picked: 1st (Smoke), 2nd (Ambrose), 4th (Blech), and 6th (JPM).

Lots of fuel mileage issues at the end for the top 5. Biffle did a great job finishing 5th. So did Edwards in 3rd.

Kurt Busch 7th. Not bad.

Argh....behind by 2 pts.

Well, if you had only taken Smoke instead of Kurt Busch, you'd be in the lead. ;)

[bjornolf]

I have a stupid question. They argued and argued on the radio the other day about the whole pit road penalty thing, saying they felt bad for Montoya basically losing the race a few weeks ago because of it. They said it's a safety thing, since pit crew members died back in the day when guys came down at full speed. They say that they can go by gear and RPM, but I just don't see how that can be 100% accurate since the tires are worn differently than when they determine it, and there might be damage to the car, or what if they lose a gear? Point is, they're supposed to guess based on RPM in a gear, which is kind of inaccurate, but they're measured using advanced lasers and tracking computers, and penalized based on those. How much weight would it REALLY add to throw a stupid speedometer into those cars? You could even make one with a little red needle at pit road speed each week, and then the driver could just glance down and see where it was without having to read the actual speed and take his attention away for too long (heck, he has to to look at the tachometer anyway). Anyway, if I was allowed to put one on, I think I would, cause the extra weight would be worth not having to worry about a HUGE penalty for breaking pit road street.

My question is how strictly do they really enforce it? They don't ever really say...I would presume there may be a couple MPH variance allowed?

I don't know, but it just seems harsh to me that you have to come down from 200 mph to 55 mph (some places slower, some faster, so it's not even the same week to week) VERY quickly, then you have to GUESS how fast you're going, but NASCAR measures you EXACTLY using fancy equipment. With the adrenaline flowing and the race on the line and the whole thing going so fast, pit road speed must seem like a snail's pace. Unless you're in a BIG pack coming in to your pit, it's just too hard. And, like I said, it's cost some drivers the race (not just Montoya, and I'm NOT a Montoya fan AT ALL). You wouldn't even need a full speedometer. You could just have three LEDs programmed with that week's pit road speed. Green means you're under speed, yellow means you're right at it, red means you're over.

[YmoBeThere]

I have a stupid question. They argued and argued on the radio the other day about the whole pit road penalty thing, saying they felt bad for Montoya basically losing the race a few weeks ago because of it. They said it's a safety thing, since pit crew members died back in the day when guys came down at full speed. They say that they can go by gear and RPM, but I just don't see how that can be 100% accurate since the tires are worn differently than when they determine it, and there might be damage to the car, or what if they lose a gear? Point is, they're supposed to guess based on RPM in a gear, which is kind of inaccurate, but they're measured using advanced lasers and tracking computers, and penalized based on those. How much weight would it REALLY add to throw a stupid speedometer into those cars? You could even make one with a little red needle at pit road speed each week, and then the driver could just glance down and see where it was without having to read the actual speed and take his attention away for too long (heck, he has to to look at the tachometer anyway). Anyway, if I was allowed to put one on, I think I would, cause the extra weight would be worth not having to worry about a HUGE penalty for breaking pit road street.

My question is how strictly do they really enforce it? They don't ever really say...I would presume there may be a couple MPH variance allowed?

I don't know, but it just seems harsh to me that you have to come down from 200 mph to 55 mph (some places slower, some faster, so it's not even the same week to week) VERY quickly, then you have to GUESS how fast you're going, but NASCAR measures you EXACTLY using fancy equipment. With the adrenaline flowing and the race on the line and the whole thing going so fast, pit road speed must seem like a snail's pace. Unless you're in a BIG pack coming in to your pit, it's just too hard. And, like I said, it's cost some drivers the race (not just Montoya, and I'm NOT a Montoya fan AT ALL). You wouldn't even need a full speedometer. You could just have three LEDs programmed with that week's pit road speed. Green means you're under speed, yellow means you're right at it, red means you're over.

Perhaps the NASCAR traditionalist would label this as blasphemy?

[bjornolf]

Perhaps the NASCAR traditionalist would label this as blasphemy?

Oh, please. The cars HAD speedometers WAY back in the day when they really WERE stock cars. They got rid of them to lose a little weight in the modern era. They weren't considered necessary. However, I think they became necessary again the second they instituted exacting pit road speeds for safety. When you "impose" a speed limit, you need a speedometer.

Besides, the NASCAR traditionalists are ALWAYS crying about something. They didn't like the modern cars. They hated the Car of Tomorrow. They didn't want restrictor plates. They didn't want the HANS device. They didn't like the new fire suits. They didn't want SAFER barriers and fences that blocked their view. This change would blow over the second they made some other change for them to complain about. They'll get over it.

[Lavabe]

Perhaps the NASCAR traditionalist would label this as blasphemy?

Oh, please. The cars HAD speedometers WAY back in the day when they really WERE stock cars. They got rid of them to lose a little weight in the modern era. They weren't considered necessary. However, I think they became necessary again the second they instituted exacting pit road speeds for safety. When you "impose" a speed limit, you need a speedometer.

Besides, the NASCAR traditionalists are ALWAYS crying about something. They didn't like the modern cars. They hated the Car of Tomorrow. They didn't want restrictor plates. They didn't want the HANS device. They didn't like the new fire suits. They didn't want SAFER barriers and fences that blocked their view. This change would blow over the second they made some other change for them to complain about. They'll get over it.

They still have a tachometer, onboard telemetry, radio/cell communication, and other devices. They can judge things. I'm thinking that the problem is that they have TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

FWIW, I'm still p.o'd about the race earlier in the year when Ambrose's pit man went out to stop a stray tire.

This whole discussion is interesting, but it won't change an important fact...

Smoke is one TOUGH driver at Watkins Glen.

[Lavabe]

On to Ford country... Michigan.

My A list is VERY Ford-biased. It's either Biff or the AFLAC dude. I was REALLY toying with the idea of selecting Jamie Mac too...

Of course, Ymo would have wanted me to select Jamie Mac... and JFL and Dave Blaney. ;)

[bjornolf]

Perhaps the NASCAR traditionalist would label this as blasphemy?

Oh, please. The cars HAD speedometers WAY back in the day when they really WERE stock cars. They got rid of them to lose a little weight in the modern era. They weren't considered necessary. However, I think they became necessary again the second they instituted exacting pit road speeds for safety. When you "impose" a speed limit, you need a speedometer.

Besides, the NASCAR traditionalists are ALWAYS crying about something. They didn't like the modern cars. They hated the Car of Tomorrow. They didn't want restrictor plates. They didn't want the HANS device. They didn't like the new fire suits. They didn't want SAFER barriers and fences that blocked their view. This change would blow over the second they made some other change for them to complain about. They'll get over it.

They still have a tachometer, onboard telemetry, radio/cell communication, and other devices. They can judge things. I'm thinking that the problem is that they have TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

And yet they STILL get busted for speeding. A simple speedometer would solve all that. The radio communication doesn't help much unless they have a spotter close enough to hit them with a radar gun. ;)

[Lavabe]

I have David Ragan in my B list this week.

Guess it's time for Ymo to vault into the lead.

[Lavabe]

I half expect that Jeff Gordon's back problems may knock him out of the Chase this year. The guy was aching after the two hits he suffered at the Glen.

[wilson]

I half expect that Jeff Gordon's back problems may knock him out of the Chase this year. The guy was aching after the two hits he suffered at the Glen.

Jeff Gordon is a putz, and I'd like to punch him in the junk. That'll keep him out of the Chase.

[Lavabe]

I half expect that Jeff Gordon's back problems may knock him out of the Chase this year. The guy was aching after the two hits he suffered at the Glen.

Jeff Gordon is a putz, and I'd like to punch him in the junk. That'll keep him out of the Chase.

If you haven't seen his SECOND crash from the Glen last week, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEVyRQgvOQQ
I don't think punching him in the junk comes close to what he went through when slamming into Sam Hornish Jr.

[TillyGalore]

My life is too busy. I'm forgetting to put in my drivers each week.

I like busy, so I'm not complaining.

[wilson]

If you haven't seen his SECOND crash from the Glen last week, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEVyRQgvOQQ
I don't think punching him in the junk comes close to what he went through when slamming into Sam Hornish Jr.

Well I'd really enjoy adding insult to injury.

[Lavabe]

My life is too busy. I'm forgetting to put in my drivers each week.

I like busy, so I'm not complaining.

Umm... you still have time... I believe until 5AM Eastern Time Zone.

[TillyGalore]

My life is too busy. I'm forgetting to put in my drivers each week.

I like busy, so I'm not complaining.

Umm... you still have time... I believe until 5AM Eastern Time Zone.

Thanks for the heads up. I just selected my drivers.

[knights68]

My life is too busy. I'm forgetting to put in my drivers each week.

I like busy, so I'm not complaining.

Umm... you still have time... I believe until 5AM Eastern Time Zone.

Thanks for the heads up. I just selected my drivers.

I just made my picks for Michigan. Tilly Tilly, I am only 50 points behind ya! ;)

[YmoBeThere]

Ugh, I forgot to even look...

[Lavabe]

Ugh, I forgot to even look...

You MUST be kidding. I brought this thread back to page 1 so that we wouldn't have that issue.

If you didn't change from last week, you still probably have a good lineup. The only trouble is that not only did you run out of Smoke picks, but you have now also used up your allotment for Marcos Ambrose AND Kurt Busch. And you DON'T want to pick JJ this week, as that would be your final JJ pick. And you have just 2 more JPM picks.

But HERE's a question: Supposing you don't want to use up JJ, but you have in on your bench. Let's say he brings you points in qualifying. Does that mean that JJ is being picked this week, regardless of whether you have him on the bench?

I'd still take Edwards over JJ in this race. And I could think of worse picks than Kahne and Newman this week. The only issue is how Sam Hornish is doing after last week's crash.

You should be okay this week.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Lavabe]

And for the record, colchar has used up his allotment of Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte picks. And IIRC, he's in trouble with Smoke as well.

Ooh... we are almost there at the final 1/3 of races, in which spreading out your selections during the year becomes REALLY important.