N A S C A R's Brightest Star?

[MCS]

I thought of this listening to this debate over the various sports channels. 

 

Would everyone be saying the same thing if a good-looking african-american man had won the pole?   Would they say.... well he just got the pole, let's see what he does during the race.  Would they say......Well, he's only known for being a driver because he's the only black man in NASCAR. Would they say..... He's only known because of all the commercials he's done.  I think people would be singing a different tune if that had happened.  They would be talking about how he removed some of the stigma attached to racing and broke the race barrier etc.

 

I think Danica winning the pole is as much of a big deal as that would be.  She has broken a barrier in NASCAR that hasn't been broken until now.  She should get some accolades for that.  She is a good driver and with some more time in the car, I think she'll be successful.  Everyone says she'll never win or she's only won one race in IndyCar.  There are a lot of people that have raced in the Indy series that can't say they have won.  There have been a lot of Cup drivers that have never won a race as well.

 

As far as using her looks to get sponsors, take it all the way to the bank!!   Every driver out there uses what they have to get sponsors.  Jr. uses his name to get his.  Winning one race every two years isn't exactly the success sponsors are looking for.  However, that last name of his gets you a lot of support!  Carl Edwards is on the cover of workout magazines and other sports magazines because of his physique....same thing...isn't it!  I'm sure that doesn't hurt his chances of getting a sponsor he might not have otherwise!

 

That is the thing I don't quite understand what barrier? There was no ban on women, there was infact a women that raced in nascar previously. Women where racing before her and will be after her. She has gotten some exceptional breaks that normal male racers wouldn't have gotten. Talent wise she hasn't won a championship at any level. she finished second once in her british series she ran in and finished 3rd during one year of toyota atlantic then thrown into a champ car. C'mon most these guys run karts since birth and toil for years before they make it to the big time or consistently win championships to quickly climb the ladder. She has done neither.

 

Lewis Hamilton won the F1 world championship in 2008. Becoming the youngest and first black driver to win it. It was on a international stage. This guys is super talented look at his career and how much he had to do to make it to top flight. While I am not a fan of his, there are far more likeable racers, with better attitudes, Robert Kubica, I don't dispute his accomplishments, he can drive a car. Danica got major breaks that were more for PR and money than talent.

[J Francho]

People, try and form your opinions without resorting to profanity.  Yes, we have a profanity filter.  It doesn't excuse you from the rules.

[BrianinMD]

She is a media darling, hence why the results for any race she ran last year running in the scrolling updates showed the top 3 or 5 finishers and Danica. Those of us that enjoying racing, which Nascar is not the pinnacle of or even close but that is a whole different topic, would like to believe it is about the racing. However, like everything else its a business and Danica makes people money.

 

Just one thing, I saw a couple remarks about her being in Champ Car. When she left the Toyota Atlantic series she went to IRL before they merged back together. And I would not push off her accomplishments in her European racing days. She was the first American in a long time to finish second in that series. To much American racing talent is lost due to the money being in going around in circles.

[Bass Dude]

I see your point about the barrier---because there wasn't a ban on women racing.  But I also think it's splitting hairs---ok she didn't break a barrier, but she has broken a string of women trying to make it NASCAR and not being successful.

 

As far as your point regarding people "toiling" waiting for the big time.  First, I think she did start in go-karts when she was around 8---may not be "from birth", but close to it---anyway, back to people "toiling" in other series.  Everyone needs a break to move anywhere. If her being "sellable" helps her move ahead, I don't see anything wrong with that.  I equate it to music.  There are a million better musicians out there than what you see on TV or hear on the radio, but because Rihanna is better looking than Suzy next door, she got a record deal.  There are instances in all different fields of people moving ahead and not necessarily because they are the best in there field, but because they offer something more.  She's a good driver, that people like to look at, and can sell stuff.  There are other drivers that fit this mold too---it's just the game!

[MCS]

She is a media darling, hence why the results for any race she ran last year running in the scrolling updates showed the top 3 or 5 finishers and Danica. Those of us that enjoying racing, which Nascar is not the pinnacle of or even close but that is a whole different topic, would like to believe it is about the racing. However, like everything else its a business and Danica makes people money.

 

Just one thing, I saw a couple remarks about her being in Champ Car. When she left the Toyota Atlantic series she went to IRL before they merged back together. And I would not push off her accomplishments in her European racing days. She was the first American in a long time to finish second in that series. To much American racing talent is lost due to the money being in going around in circles.

 

She raced 3 yrs in Britian, she only finished 2 in the formula ford festival, highest for an american yes, but that is one race(no consistency and really how many other americans compete). And really her situation can be compared to Red Bull/Toro Roso and Scott Speed, money and the drive for an american F1 driver put Speed in the seat of an F1 car even though we was not the most talented guy on the grid. Did he finish above other F1 drivers well yes sometimes, because he drove a slightly better car than or he had an exceptional day for him, but was he capable or talented enough to be in F1.....Uhm no.

 

And I was partly being sarcastic when I said champ car, I was making the point they threw her in a top level race car. Thank you for pointing out that it was indeed an Indy car which were much more tame, than the turbo charged traction control-less cars used in the superior CART series. Which brings up how funny it is that the IRL suceeded financially over CART when CART consistently had the better drivers and typically demostrated this in the Indy 500. Thus demostrating my point with Danica that talent doesn't trump money or breaks or a better executed plan.

[Sam]

Roadwarrior, the last two Richmond races were dull, dull, dull.

 

I hope NASCAR allows the drivers to bump a little more so we can see Earnhart take out either Bush brother.

 

I like Johnson and Edwards but will pull for other drivers to do well with the exception of the Bush boys.

 

As for the Nationwide series, I like Sadler. Hope he wins it this year and he does well in the Sprint races he runs.

 

 

___________________

 

Moderator Edit: You don't have to like the woman, but nasty is unacceptable.

 

-Kent 

[BrianinMD]

MCS, can't argue you with those points.

 

I much preferred the CART days were there were multiple cars/engines. But it got expensive, and when the split happened Tony George dumped a ton of family money into the IRL plus they had Indy. The CART group did not have someone to dump money into them so they went away. It is kind of funny after the merger they went back to the even split oval/street/road course schedule with turbo engines.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I will watch NASCAR for one reason and one reason only.....

 

Christmas Abbott in the pits (if it happens).

 

Look her up.

[00 mod]

I will watch NASCAR for one reason and one reason only.....

 

Christmas Abbott in the pits (if it happens).

 

Look her up.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar--female-in-the-pits--christmas-abbott-is-set-to-enter-where-few-women-have-before-170207111.html

 

Jeff

[roadwarrior]

Boys better be careful, she might kick your *** and throw you under the bus!

[dave]

I am not a NASCAR fan but,  I can appreciate her competing with the guys win or lose.  Bass fishing should have a regular female(s) competing side by side. It wouldn't hurt if they were pleasant on the eyes.

[retiredbosn]

I quit caring about NASCAR when it stopped being National Association for STOCK CAR Auto Racing. Everybody is driving the same machine, pure bunk now. Remember when the company actually had to produce the car they put on the track. I had a friend who owned an 88 Monte Carlo bubble back because Chevy had to produce so many of them to be able to field the car. Don't remember exact figures but less than a thousand were made.

[tomustang]

You might try to editing my posts before you delete them

 

 

There's nothing bright with danica.

[Fishing Rhino]

True and good point those numbers need to be looked at. But also the field alas not been 42 cars. some of the earlier races were much less probably half that. I would venture to guess the most wins come positions 6-9 maybe 3 or 4 through 7.

Here are the numbers from the Daytona Beach News-Journal:

 

54 Daytona 500s

 

9 have been won from the pole

7 have been won from outside front row

27 have been won from the top 5 starting positions (11 wins from 3rd, 4th, and 5th starting positions combined)

The remaining half (27) of the wins have come from the sixth position to the rear of the field.  39th is the deepest starting position to win the race.  (Matt Kenseth 2009)

 

The front row has won 16 races.

Positions 3 - 5 have accounted for 11 wins.

 

The better you qualify, the better are your chances of winning the race.

[tipptruck1]

I quit caring about NASCAR when it stopped being National Association for STOCK CAR Auto Racing. Everybody is driving the same machine, pure bunk now. Remember when the company actually had to produce the car they put on the track. I had a friend who owned an 88 Monte Carlo bubble back because Chevy had to produce so many of them to be able to field the car. Don't remember exact figures but less than a thousand were made.

They still have the said number of cars made a year. The only problem with that. Is since the 90's every car ran in NASCAR has been massed produced. There not just making 1,000 of these cars every year. There making over 20,000 of them. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I quit caring about NASCAR when it stopped being National Association for STOCK CAR Auto Racing. Everybody is driving the same machine, pure bunk now. Remember when the company actually had to produce the car they put on the track. I had a friend who owned an 88 Monte Carlo bubble back because Chevy had to produce so many of them to be able to field the car. Don't remember exact figures but less than a thousand were made.

 

 

They still mass produce the cars used in NASCAR today. If you think your buddy bought the "exact" same Monte Carlo that was running on the track in 88 then you are mistaken.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar--female-in-the-pits--christmas-abbott-is-set-to-enter-where-few-women-have-before-170207111.html

 

Jeff

 

LOL, you're welcome.

[MCS]

I quit caring about NASCAR when it stopped being National Association for STOCK CAR Auto Racing. Everybody is driving the same machine, pure bunk now. Remember when the company actually had to produce the car they put on the track. I had a friend who owned an 88 Monte Carlo bubble back because Chevy had to produce so many of them to be able to field the car. Don't remember exact figures but less than a thousand were made.

 

 

They still have the said number of cars made a year. The only problem with that. Is since the 90's every car ran in NASCAR has been massed produced. There not just making 1,000 of these cars every year. There making over 20,000 of them. 

 

 

They still mass produce the cars used in NASCAR today. If you think your buddy bought the "exact" same Monte Carlo that was running on the track in 88 then you are mistaken.

 

Yeah I see retireds point, up until this year the past several cars have been required by regs to have aero packages for all makes to be exactly the same. From what I hear and read, the Gen 6 cars are allowed to have the aero front bumper and some features the of cars they are manufacturered have. So instead of a ford grill painted on it will be a ford grill and ford slits in the bumper not a smooth bumper with a rectangle so to speak. Maybe this will lead to aero being a little more worth while in production in the future?

 

I hear picking up a draft is a little more difficult.

[retiredbosn]

They still have the said number of cars made a year. The only problem with that. Is since the 90's every car ran in NASCAR has been massed produced. There not just making 1,000 of these cars every year. There making over 20,000 of them. 

 

 

They still mass produce the cars used in NASCAR today. If you think your buddy bought the "exact" same Monte Carlo that was running on the track in 88 then you are mistaken.

 

 

No my point is/was that NASCAR used to be a type of R&D for their cars, engines, trannies, etc.  Now it isn't.  The example I used was to illustrate that what the manufactures raced had to be produced.  Ford races what the Fusion?  When was the last time you saw a two door V8 Fusion, 2 door Chevy Impala or Camry etc, I am fully aware that the production cars were not the same thing as the racing cars, but there had to be a correlation, that isn't the case anymore.   The racing used to mean something for the manufacturers and fans that has been lost as the sport has evolved. 

[MCS]

No my point is/was that NASCAR used to be a type of R&D for their cars, engines, trannies, etc.  Now it isn't.  The example I used was to illustrate that what the manufactures raced had to be produced.  Ford races what the Fusion?  When was the last time you saw a two door V8 Fusion, 2 door Chevy Impala or Camry etc, I am fully aware that the production cars were not the same thing as the racing cars, but there had to be a correlation, that isn't the case anymore.   The racing used to mean something for the manufacturers and fans that has been lost as the sport has evolved. 

 

It still does in Le Mans Series, ALMS or the Rolex/Grand Am series. They have maintain their homologation process which is very similar to what nascar used to be with regards to producing cars for racing. Granted while they actually produce the cars raced, no normal person can afford to purchase them. LOL That is why I enjoy the GT and GT1 classes, and Ford and Chevy are involved with the Grand Am series with both the contental sports car and the prototypes.

[Fishing Rhino]

They claim that the gen 6 cars have a brand identity, and they look like the cars you see in the showroom.  They have them on display, side by side at Daytona, at the Fox/Speed Channel fan/broadcast area.  The noses look different, but the side sheet metal all looks the same. 

 

On the track, going by at a buck ninety plus, you still cannot tell them apart.  The manufacturers stamp out the sheet metal for their brands, but I'll bet you a ten dollar bill that they all conform to the same template.  The "opera windows" in the quarter panels are shaped like those in the various makes.

 

The hoods are now composite, and the rear deck lids come with the spoiler affixed.

 

They are no more of a Chevy, Ford, or Toyota than is my Nitro bass boat.

 

The last I knew they all run Ford nine inch rear ends, but the components are heat treated, freeze blasted, cryogenically, and who knows what else to make them more durable.

[J Francho]

There will always be a trade off.  Brand identity, parity, or cutting edge R&D.  Is it about the brand, the driver, or the most advanced vehicle?  That's a lot to juggle.

[retiredbosn]

I guess to me it seems gratuitous to still call it NASCAR. There hasn't been a stock car on the track for 25+ years.

[Fishing Rhino]

Racin' ain't about the brand, though NASCAR would like you to believe otherwise.  It's about the team, driver, crew, engineers, fabricators, etc.

 

There will always be the same teams at the top of the heap, Roush, Hendrick, Gibbs, Childress, Penske, etc.  There are times when a team will find something that gives them an edge, but at some point, the other teams catch up.  It's a revolving door of a half dozen teams that are always knocking at the championship door.  The rest of the teams are perennial also rans. 

 

Yes, Tony won a championship for Stewart/Haas two years ago, and he is always a threat, but they are not in the same class as Hendrick.  In fact, Hendrick supplies S/H with engines and chassis.  Sans that affiliation, Tony would not have likely won that championship.  He beat out Edwards by a hair's breadth in a tiebreaker.

[preach4bass]

Danica had a great showning today in Daytona.