Official 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Thread

NASCAR has no problem throwing debris cautions at every other track, why not this one so the fast cars finish up front? The 48, 5, and 17 were the class of the field and all ran out of gas.

You make a good point... guess all of those conspiracy nuts were wrong :D

I knew the 48 was going to run out. He NEVER wins on a fuel gamble. Even read an interesting article about it:

Fryer's Five: Vickers, Busch are old rivals - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

2. Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas, again: When Johnson’s tank ran dry with two laps to go on Sunday, it marked the third time this season the No. 48 team has miscalculated on fuel.

Or did it?

After Johnson ran out of gas at Michigan in June, I made the mistake of accusing crew chief Chad Knaus of making an uncharacteristic error that cost the three-time defending champions a victory. He argued that it wasn’t a mistake at all. They knew all along what their fuel situation was, and gambling by going for it would have no long-term effects on their season.

His argument is valid and holds true to Sunday’s race, as well.

Johnson was not going to win that race no matter what call was made. Because he’s third in the standings and has 30 Chase bonus points from his three wins this season, Knaus had the luxury of pushing the envelope and chasing the victory. If there was one more caution in the race, or one more opportunity for Johnson to conserve, they win Sunday and grab 10 additional bonus points.

If they had stopped for gas, they have no opportunity to win the race, settle for probably a top-five finish and concede those 10 extra points. It’s the same exact result as running out of gas.

At this stage of the season, when Johnson’s spot in the Chase is already established, there is no difference between a fifth-place finish and the 33rd-place finish. It’s all about risk versus reward, and the No. 48 team has the luxury of weighing the two right now with little consequence.

Once the Chase begins, Knaus won’t gamble that same way. But for now, who really cares?
 
I hate Kyle Busch

I saw an article somewhere (can't seem to find it) that said something to like "you better pray Rowdy doesn't make the chase" talking about how much more exciting it will be if he isn't running for a title and just for wins.

I thought to myself, "isn't that what happened last year, and he was a non-factor then?"



hey, you flying in for AMS?
 
it was crowded. First time I've sat in Winners and it be full!

I have a feeling that the next March race will be the last. I see that date go to one of the tracks w/o a Cup race and AMS turning it's attention to the Labor Day race only (like Darlington.) I'm also afraid it's going to lead to higher prices since we won't have a choice anymore :(
 
{NASCAR LINK}

2. Tony Stewart says Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR, possibly starting with a Nationwide ride on IndyCar off-weekends. Will this plan work?

Joe Menzer: I defer to Raygs, our resident IndyCar expert. But I did like some of what Tony was saying as far as how she intended to do it. She seems to have a realistic approach where she would dip her toes in and see how she likes it, go slow, and get some experience.​


It's been years since I've done toes ....
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{AutoWeek LINK}

Danica Patrick deserves a chance in NASCAR, says Brett Bodine

An informal survey of the NASCAR garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway indicates that approximately one-third of series participants thinks IndyCar Series darling Danica Patrick might eventually do well in stock cars. Another third thinks she would be in over her head. The other third is just fed up... Published 09/08/09, 9:08 am et​
 
So Petty/Evernham/Gillette is now Yates/Petty/Evernham/Gillette.

When I read this I thought WTF, so I went looking.

This is what I found, {LINK}


Petty to merge with Yates, will switch from Dodge to Ford for 2010 NASCAR season

Team owner Richard Petty will switch from Dodge to Ford for the 2010 NASCAR season, joining longtime Ford loyalist Yates Racing to form a four-car team. The announcement came Thursday afternoon, shortly before both teams left for this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. (More ....)​

No mention of Evrham.