2016 Sonoma - Toyota / Save Mart 350(k) - Pre Race Thread

dpkimmel2001

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I'm going to have to watch this one in the radio.

If someone could post the weekend schedule from nascar.com, that would be great. My Internet connection is spotty at best at my current location.
 
FRIDAY, JUNE 24:
ON TRACK: SONOMA

-- 3-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 6:30-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)


GARAGECAM (Watch live)
-- 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

SATURDAY, JUNE 25:
ON TRACK: GATEWAY

-- 9:30-10:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (Follow live)

-- 11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 5:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS2 (Follow live)

-- 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin For Linemen 200 Brought to you by Altec (160 laps, 200 miles), FS1 (Follow live)


ON TRACK: SONOMA

-- 2:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)




SUNDAY, JUNE 26:
ON TRACK: SONOMA
-- 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota - Save Mart 350 (110 laps, 218.9 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
 
Sonoma Last 10 Winners:

2006 - Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)
2007 - Juan Pablo Montoya (Dodge)
2008 - Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2009 - Kasey Kahne (Dodge)
2010 - Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
2011 - Kurt Busch (Dodge)
2012 - Clint Bowyer (Toyota)
2013 - Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
2014 - Carl Edwards (Ford)
2015 - Kyle Busch (Toyota)
 
Posting the list above, it dawned on me that this weekend will mark 2 years since Roush-Fenway's last Cup win. Hard to believe, considering where that team was at one time.
 
Posting the list above, it dawned on me that this weekend will mark 2 years since Roush-Fenway's last Cup win. Hard to believe, considering where that team was at one time.

Could you imagine if Hendrick went that long without a win? They don't win nearly as much as they used to, but they still have some of the best equipment.
 
I wasn't a fan back then so I have no idea, but were Roush really that good? Like Hendrick level?
 
I wasn't a fan back then so I have no idea, but were Roush really that good? Like Hendrick level?
For quite a while I went into the intermediate 1.5-mile/2-mile race weekends assuming Roush would win. Great cars, great crew chiefs, and great drivers.

I think they rank third all-time in wins behind the various Petty banners and HMS.
 
I wasn't a fan back then so I have no idea, but were Roush really that good? Like Hendrick level?
They were never quite Hendrick level, but they were pretty solid. They've only won two Cup titles, but have finished 2nd in points eight times (4 times with Mark Martin, twice with Edwards, and one time each with Biffle and Kenseth).
 
Who do you guys have taking the victory this weekend? I'm thinking it will be a toyota, but not sure which one. I'm leaning toward Truex or Kyle Busch. Truex has been hot all year and KB is a decent road racer.

Guess I'll go with Truex. What say you(s)???
 
Who do you guys have taking the victory this weekend? I'm thinking it will be a toyota, but not sure which one. I'm leaning toward Truex or Kyle Busch. Truex has been hot all year and KB is a decent road racer.

Guess I'll go with Truex. What say you(s)???

Right with you....Truex or Kyle.....so, I will go with the most talented driver in NASCAR, Your Champion and Mine, Mr. Kyle "Rowdy" Busch.
 
Who do you guys have taking the victory this weekend? I'm thinking it will be a toyota, but not sure which one. I'm leaning toward Truex or Kyle Busch. Truex has been hot all year and KB is a decent road racer.

Guess I'll go with Truex. What say you(s)???
Kurt Busch. Runner-up, Edwards.
 
I wasn't a fan back then so I have no idea, but were Roush really that good? Like Hendrick level?
Yeah, as recently as four or five years ago they could hold their head up with Hendrick, and were well ahead of Penske as Ford's 'go to' team. When the 'Car of Tomorrow' was introduced, I remember hearing something about Roush basing their cars on what turned out to be getting bad data from their 7-post shaker tests (one of these days I've got to find out exactly what that system does). They never got a solid grip on the COT and have been slowly sliding ever since.
 
^ What Charlie said (except the part about the Penske Dodges, LOL).
 
Roush had a pretty good grip on the Truck and Busch series too, even after Mark climbed out of the #60 Winn-Dixie car. Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle owned the Truck series for a couple of years. At one time it was reasonable to talk about Biff as the first driver to reach championship titles in all three national touring series. Jeff Burton was a hot shoe mixing it up in the top 10 every week.

Oh, and there was the 'Gong Show'! For several years, when Jack had an open seat he'd hold try-outs for selected drivers from regional series. He'd take them to someplace like Greenville or South Boston, stick them in identical Cup cars, and have them run laps for several days. He'd also check their personal presentation and other off-track, PR skills. Think of it as the American Idol meets IROC and the NFL combines. The point is, the Roush team was so competitive that drivers were honored to be selected for try-outs.
 
Oh, and there was the 'Gong Show'! For several years, when Jack had an open seat he'd hold try-outs for selected drivers from regional series. He'd take them to someplace like Greenville or South Boston, stick them in identical Cup cars, and have them run laps for several days. He'd also check their personal presentation and other off-track, PR skills. Think of it as the American Idol meets IROC and the NFL combines. The point is, the Roush team was so competitive that drivers were honored to be selected for try-outs.

Did any notable drivers ever come out of this? Just curious
 
Can someone with more knowledge explain to me why they have all the cup practices on Friday and only qualifying on Saturday, with no final practice between qualifying and the race? Is it just a road course thing where they try to be like F1?
 
Can someone with more knowledge explain to me why they have all the cup practices on Friday and only qualifying on Saturday, with no final practice between qualifying and the race? Is it just a road course thing where they try to be like F1?
It's not just a road course thing. There are a few ovals where there is no practice after qualifying. I don't like it when the schedule is set up that way.
 
So did the charter system prevent romain grosjean from competing this weekend?
 
It's not just a road course thing. There are a few ovals where there is no practice after qualifying. I don't like it when the schedule is set up that way.
Is that the definition of an "impound race?" I thought the idea behind impound races was to force the teams to qualify what they will race, except a few very minor tweaks for qualifying such as tape and air pressures and wedge. The rationale is cost efficiency, IIRC.

For example, might a team desire to qualify at a road course with a light brake package for one lap speed, and then change to a more durable brake setup for the race? Or perhaps change gearing after qualifying to help the motor live? I can understand wanting to prevent those kinds of things, for cost and parity reasons. Impound also happens at plate tracks, I believe.
 
Las Vegas installs Kurt Busch as the favorite (5:1), while B Kez is 50:1 longshot.

Article here.
 
Kurt is a really good road course driver. That's what I really like about him, he's a damn good driver no matter what series he's in. I am proud to be a fan of Kurt's, I just enjoy watching him race. I actually enjoy watching all the drivers race but Kurt's the man.

I hope someday, before he retires, he drives an Indy car again.
 
Is that the definition of an "impound race?" I thought the idea behind impound races was to force the teams to qualify what they will race, except a few very minor tweaks for qualifying such as tape and air pressures and wedge. The rationale is cost efficiency, IIRC.

For example, might a team desire to qualify at a road course with a light brake package for one lap speed, and then change to a more durable brake setup for the race? Or perhaps change gearing after qualifying to help the motor live? I can understand wanting to prevent those kinds of things, for cost and parity reasons. Impound also happens at plate tracks, I believe.
We agree on what 'impound' means, but I don't know that having the P-P-Q schedule automatically means the race is an impound. I'm not really sure what determines which races run P-Q-P-P vs. P-P-Q, or which P-P-Qs are impounds (if any still are).
 
I cant wait this is gonna be a exciting race and the truck series at Gateway !
 
love the road courses and the late start, will get home early this weekend. go bowtie.
 
I've got the Dinger this weekend. He's due for a solid run in Sonoma.
 
We agree on what 'impound' means, but I don't know that having the P-P-Q schedule automatically means the race is an impound. I'm not really sure what determines which races run P-Q-P-P vs. P-P-Q, or which P-P-Qs are impounds (if any still are).
All plate races minus the Daytona 500 are "impound" races, meaning, after qualifying, the teams can not touch the cars outside warming up the oil and topping of the fluid levels, now for this weekend, after qualifying, the teams can make any changes they want( minus engine and I think tranny's) without having to go to rear of the field(or whatever the penalty is), it works the same way as weekends where they have a final practice after qualifying, just no time track time.
 
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