tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post116084788064591738..comments2024-01-11T19:29:38.859-05:00Comments on Life in the Turn Lane: Let's stop talking about what's wrong with racing and look at ... well, the racingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161111892693532572006-10-17T15:04:00.000-04:002006-10-17T15:04:00.000-04:00I totally agree with David regarding Blaney. Aside...I totally agree with David regarding Blaney. Aside from Jarrett's provisional, Blaney is the only Toyota driver inside the top 35. That alone gives BDR a huge head start. They also have Mayfield essentially an R&D driver for the rest of the year working on the new Camry. BDR is definitely in the best shape of the Toyota teams. I can see Blaney's team making a run at top 15 in the points.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01048399127791742799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161060084640098752006-10-17T00:41:00.000-04:002006-10-17T00:41:00.000-04:00anonymous, you're partly right, though the racing ...anonymous, you're partly right, though the racing in the 1970s and a good portion of the 1980s was great with racecars that had long since evolved to pure racing machines. Thast the racecars evolved into pure racecars per se isn't the problem as much as having too much - too much horsepower, too little tire, and a weakened draft.<BR/><BR/>As for driver desire, the points-racing mentality of the last 20-plus years is part of the issue; the reward for racing regardless of finish has also dulled desire by drivers to go for the win; the incentive to fight harder to win just isn't there.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161019085872340122006-10-16T13:18:00.000-04:002006-10-16T13:18:00.000-04:00i dont think the discrepancy between the racing of...i dont think the discrepancy between the racing of yesteryear and today has to do with the drivers and their desire as much as it has to do with the cars. <BR/><BR/>In years past, the cars were "Stock" cars that were ratcheted up a notch or 2 for racing. I beg you to find a legitimate part on the Chevy, Ford, or Dodge that you can get on your monte carlo, fusion, or charger...<BR/><BR/>And in that time, the uniqueness of the cars has gone away. Because the cars were stock, you bought a Chevy or Ford on Monday if you were a Chevy or Ford fan. Now, nobody cares. Its not a Ford engine, its a Rousch engine. Its a fabricated body, not a Dodge body. <BR/><BR/>Stick em all in Hudsons and Fords and see what happens!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161017178044605242006-10-16T12:46:00.000-04:002006-10-16T12:46:00.000-04:00With the Winston Cup cars idle Sunday, other areas...With the Winston Cup cars idle Sunday, other areas offered racing for fans to sample, and NASCAR's oldest touring division <A HREF="http://monkeesfan.blogspot.com/2006/10/stefaniks-seventh-off-terrible-teds.html" REL="nofollow">saw the deciding blow of its championship season</A> in stunning fashion.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161010832078450122006-10-16T11:00:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:00:00.000-04:00ezrider714 said..."Wins mean so little now in the ...ezrider714 said...<BR/><I>"Wins mean so little now in the overall scheme of things that the basic concept of having a race has been turned upside down."</I><BR/><BR/>Just looking at the driver with the most wins this season. Khane is in 8th in Chase points and 160 back with 6 season wins. Under the old system he would be 10th in the points and 595 points back. So to say the any 'old' system rewarded wins doesnt hold much water either.okla21fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13510135260252333633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1161002331918479932006-10-16T08:38:00.000-04:002006-10-16T08:38:00.000-04:00"good ole days" syndrome lives!(and ESPN broadcast..."good ole days" syndrome lives!<BR/><BR/>(and ESPN broadcasts were 'better' back in the day as well. riiiiiiight. ESPN had just as many comercials, missed just as many restarts, had announcers that 'spoke' by never really added to the race coverage, and so on)<BR/><BR/>the product on the track today is just as competative as is was 30 years ago. (maybe more, since now 25 cars have a legitimate chances to win each week, instead of 10 or so from 30 years ago)okla21fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13510135260252333633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1160999000367786362006-10-16T07:43:00.000-04:002006-10-16T07:43:00.000-04:00Well, when you look at the racing it is pretty pla...Well, when you look at the racing it is pretty plain to see why all the talk is about what's wrong with it.The races you refer to use to be the norm,now there the rare exception.Wins mean so little now in the overall scheme of things that the basic concept of having a race has been turned upside down. That is just not GOOD Racing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1160862621920621582006-10-14T17:50:00.000-04:002006-10-14T17:50:00.000-04:00DP...Thank you! I'm so tired of so many people hol...DP...<BR/><BR/>Thank you! I'm so tired of so many people holding on to yesterday, not just in racing but in general.<BR/><BR/>Nascar is great...just enjoy it fans!TalkGeorgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03662515147728398699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1160852787440406302006-10-14T15:06:00.000-04:002006-10-14T15:06:00.000-04:00I've been watching racing for over two decades and...I've been watching racing for over two decades and the complaints about drivers not racing hard have a lot of validity even with Dover's surprising finish and the always-superior competition we see at Talladega. <BR/><BR/>While we've seen some surprising finishes lately - from Jeff Burton's rally at Dover to Cale & Donnie Redux at Talladega to Dave Blaney's Charlotte BGN win - for the most part the racing over the last 25 years has not lived up to its potential. Talladega has averaged over 40 lead changes a race this decade, and this is supposed to be the norm for all the tracks. <BR/><BR/>Certainly ten wrecks and three red flags - one for a scoring screwup that sounds like yet another reason to drop freezing the field and go back to racing to the stripe - at Charlotte's Busch bash isn't a lot of people's idea of a great race. <BR/><BR/>As for drivers making mistakes while going for wins, we need to stop pretending that this was the case with Brian Vickers at Talladega. Matt Kenseth losing it off Four at Charlotte is a mistake; Ernie Irvan plowing through the quad-oval grass going for the win in the 1994 All-Star Race was a mistake. What Vickers did was a cheapshot. <BR/><BR/>Yes there has been some surprisingly good racing the last several weeks, but it remains the case that what we see at Talladega is supposed to be the sport's norm, not the exception.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1160850317406862602006-10-14T14:25:00.000-04:002006-10-14T14:25:00.000-04:00The last two races have been great! More like in t...The last two races have been great! More like in the 80's when things happened and not just yawn-fests we have endured the last few years. Drivers take other drivers out, that happens, but standing up the last laps of to watch a race on TV is racing! Let's hope for a good one tonight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1160849279647335722006-10-14T14:07:00.000-04:002006-10-14T14:07:00.000-04:00I believe that people see what they want to see, a...I believe that people see what they want to see, and after the 3 red flags last night I saw one amazing run for a win!<BR/><BR/>All drivers should want it as bad as Blaney and Vickers (last week) wanted it - and I think we'd be watching different races. Did you see the happiness in Blaney's eyes in victory lane? I haven't seen that kind of raw emotion in a long time.<BR/><BR/>If that was Kenseth in victory lane (again) he would have mumbled a little bit about crew and said it was a great race - but I would have gone to bed saying "Ho hum." <BR/><BR/>Not last night!SPKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10391994613025044972noreply@blogger.com