The NASCAR Thread

[Ghoste]

X2

[nvrbdn]

   i was so sick of dw.  glad he is done for the year.

[TruckDriver]

I think TNT has the best crew out there. I love Kyle and Wally 

[wingcar]

  i was so sick of dw.  glad he is done for the year.

Oh, come on now....we know you are going to miss hearing:

"Boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racing boys and girls!"

[A383Wing]

no....no I'm not

[JB400]

Junie Dunlavey is no longer with us   

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/6/10/nascar-sprint-cup-series-junie-donlavey-obituary.html

[odcics2]

Junie Dunlavey is no longer with us   

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/6/10/nascar-sprint-cup-series-junie-donlavey-obituary.html

And we all took a step forward.... 

[odcics2]

Petty to Toyota? 

During an appearance at a function for Dollar General on Monday, seven-time Sprint Cup champion Richard Petty addressed reports that his Richard Petty Motorsports team was considering a move from Ford to Toyota.

A Motorsport.com story from earlier this month reported that Petty met with Toyota representatives during the Toyota Owners 400 weekend at Richmond International Raceway back in April.

Additionally, the site reported over the weekend that Petty visited Ford headquarters in Michigan last week.

In that same story, Ford Racing director Jamie Allison stated that the team's contract with the Blue Oval was not set to expire at the end of this season.

"Obviously, these manufacturer/team contracts are not for public negotiations," Allison said to writer Lee Spencer.

"We're at a good place with the King...We are going through and understanding could be available and what their interests are."

Meanwhile, during his appearance yesterday at DG headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Petty took a big-picture approach to the subject.

"We've got to look at our team and look at our circumstances," Petty said according to Mike Organ of The Tennessean. "We've got to look and say, 'Okay, what's going to be the best for us right now, what's going to the best for us two years down the road, what's going to be the best for us five years down the road?'"

Petty added: "We're out looking and seeing what all the factories have got laid out for their future to see if we can fit into any of that."

RPM currently fields two Fords for drivers Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola in the Sprint Cup series, and each of them have had some solid performances in the opening quarter of the season.

The team has been in the Ford camp since the 2009 season.

[TruckDriver]

 

[nvrbdn]

nascar truck race tonight in madison il. (st. louis)  at gateway and i will be there.

   getting ready to head out for the track in a couple minutes.   race starts at 7:30 central time.

[nvrbdn]

just wow, what a race, had a blast. went with 41husk (allen). awesome seats. and an exciting finish.

[JB400]

Glad to hear it   Who won?

[nvrbdn]

bubba wallace jr.  #54.

[A383Wing]

Cup race just started..2 laps, and 2 wrecks....

[A383Wing]

well, shit....I can tell this season has gone into the toilet now

[nvrbdn]

sucked

[wingcar]

That sucking sound you heard was Jimmie Johnson passing the field on his way to another win....and, it looked as if it was going to be such a good race...oh well. 
(I wonder if "I love Lucy" is aired on Sunday...... )

[thedodgeboys]

Looks like Edwards will flip for M&M's...

M&M's to move to Edwards if he goes to Gibbs? Rumors persist that Carl Edwards' sponsor at Joe Gibbs Racing will be none other than the M&Ms/Mars brand. While even the Edwards to JGR piece of the puzzle has yet to be confirmed, the most recent speculation has the current Roush Fenway Racing driver with America's most popular confection as his livery for 2015. Over the last few weeks, representatives from Gibbs have been actively recruiting throughout the garage for a fourth team but both Edwards and Gibbs remain mum on the driver's status. Where would that leave Kyle Busch? Sources say Monster, a long-time supporter of Busch, would step up to the primary sponsorship level. Still, it's hard to fathom an athlete as health-conscious as Edwards could embrace a brand with so little nutritional value. When Motorsport.com asked the driver two weeks ago about representing a company that he would not personally support off the track, the response was similar to Edwards' previous "no comment" replies regarding next year.(Motorsport)
UPDATE: hearing that the deal between Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing is done, no word when it will be announced.(6-19-2014)

[wingcar]

I seem to remember a story years ago when Richard Petty stated that he would never drive a car with a beer sponsorship on the side.  He stated that his father would have objected to it and mother wouldn't have accepted it as being a good thing either.  If I remember correctly, the whole subject came up when Kyle was offered a ride that was sponsored by a beer company and the King was asked what he thought about it.....
As for Carl and M&Ms......if it means he will get a ride in which he can actually win once more.....he'll go.  He'll just spend more time in the gym to make up for any M&M's he might have to eat for the sponsor.  And, who knows, perhaps the people from M&Ms will make a "low-cal" version for him....

[JB400]

If that article is correct, which will be the most likely scenario: Edwards gets the new team with Kyle's sponsors and a new number, or will Kyle get the new number and keep his old team and Edwards takes over the 18 with new crew?

[JB400]

Carl isn't getting Kyle's M&M's

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/22/nascar-kyle-busch-keeping-mms-sponsorship-for-2015/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

[thedodgeboys]

looks like we wont know ant thing officially until September

UPDATE 3: A clause in his [Edwards] contract prohibits him from discussing his plans until September, just as Matt Kenseth did not announce where he was going in 2013 until long after the team said he was not returning. If Roush handles Edwards' departure the same way it did Kenseth's, an announcement about his future with the team could be imminent. As speculation mounted Kenseth had signed with JGR during the Sonoma race weekend, Roush officially confirmed his departure two days after the race.(Associated Press)(6-21-2014)
UPDATE 4: from FoxSport's Tom Jensen's Twitter about some recent Joe Gibbs Racing rumors:
1) JD Gibbs just told me it will be at least September before Joe Gibbs Racing announces if it will run a fourth car.
2) JD Gibbs also confirmed that M&Ms will be back with Kyle Busch on the #18 next year (2015).(6-22-2014)

[JB400]

Say goodbye to Home Depot at the end of the year

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/23/report-home-depot-leaving-nascar-joe-gibbs-racing-at-seasons-end/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

[Aero426]

Say goodbye to Home Depot at the end of the year

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/23/report-home-depot-leaving-nascar-joe-gibbs-racing-at-seasons-end/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

You could see this coming with their reduced involvement in recent years. 

ESPN has also announced the cancellation of their NASCAR Now daily show.

[Aero426]

As little buzz has been going on on the Cup side, the Saturday Nationwide race from Road America was excellent.     It rained so the cars all went on wet weather tires.     The track began to dry as the race came towards the end.   Alex Tagliani, the leader in the Penske car ran out of gas a few laps from the end, but got pushed into the pits, took fuel and slicks and came from the back to finish 2nd.     The rest up front were still on wets looking for water.   Brendan Gaughn and Chase Elliott slugged it out with Gaughn getting his first Nationwide win.     Another straightaway, and Tagliani would have caught him.  Very entertaining race.