SILLY SEASON 2019

Ya know, I'll bet a certain Texan with a wasp problem would be overjoyed to put him in a third car for the weekend. :D
Good lord that’d be awesome. I’m hoping he runs a Ganassi car again if it’s not with Big Tex
 
Ya know, I'll bet a certain Texan with a wasp problem would be overjoyed to put him in a third car for the weekend. :D
I also enjoyed in true Tony fashion him taking a cheap shot at someone. That someone being Danica
 
Can’t see Kurt leaving SHR for Chip. That would be a downgrade. Obviously he’d be an upgrade from McMurray in the 1.

Either way it seems like a stop gap. JHN should be the future there but he needs more time.
 
Can’t see Kurt leaving SHR for Chip. That would be a downgrade. Obviously he’d be an upgrade from McMurray in the 1.

Either way it seems like a stop gap. JHN should be the future there but he needs more time.

My thoughts exactly.
 
I'd really like to see John Hunter Nemechek at Ganassi or Hendrick here in the next couple years. Obviously next year is too quick.

I really wouldn't mind seeing JHN show up in a Hendrick car at some point. I was somewhat disappointed that JRM couldn't find a spot for him in Xfinity. I still feel like Rick Hendrick owes Joe Nemechek one. Joe got shunted aside from the best ride of his career to make room for the unready for prime time Brian Vickers. Hiring Joe's son would be a good way to make up for it.
 
Should kurt go to the 1 who takes the 41? Custer is good but not ready yet IMO. C Bell maybe? He said he feels ready

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Bell will be in a Toyota. I promise. He will not go anywhere else.
 
I really wouldn't mind seeing JHN show up in a Hendrick car at some point. I was somewhat disappointed that JRM couldn't find a spot for him in Xfinity. I still feel like Rick Hendrick owes Joe Nemechek one. Joe got shunted aside from the best ride of his career to make room for the unready for prime time Brian Vickers. Hiring Joe's son would be a good way to make up for it.

Is JHN that good? This is not rhetorical. I am asking for your perspective.
 
Bell will be in a Toyota. I promise. He will not go anywhere else.
Does Bell have the patience to run in the back for an underfunded Toyota team for a few years? Cause that's likely what he'll be doing.
 
Bell will be in a Toyota. I promise. He will not go anywhere else.
How can you be so sure? He said hes ready to go to cup, coach doesn't think so. If a quality ride opens up and I was him I'd be gone.

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Does Bell have the patience to run in the back for an underfunded Toyota team for a few years? Cause that's likely what he'll be doing.

He will not have to wait past next year. There is no such thing as a TRD powered underfunded team. He will be in one in 2020.
 
How can you be so sure? He said hes ready to go to cup, coach doesn't think so. If a quality ride opens up and I was him I'd be gone.

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There is no way. David Wilson has said emphatically that he will not go anywhere. Toyota has a huge investment in him. Bell knows what the blueprint is. Betcha it is similar to what Jones had--which is an option to leave if a Cup ride is not found before a specific date IMO. Bell has also spoken about the temptation to leave, and was glad he didn't. I have never been so sure about anything. I think that you might see Toyota sign Levine, keep Kasey in the 95 for a year, and then replace him with Bell in '20. I am getting the feeling that Barney doesn't want a second car anytime soon.
 
Can’t see Kurt leaving SHR for Chip. That would be a downgrade. Obviously he’d be an upgrade from McMurray in the 1.

Either way it seems like a stop gap. JHN should be the future there but he needs more time.
All I think about when I see Kurt to Ganassi is....Kurt in the Indy 500! And Rolex 24! Maybe he can also run some other races in other series for Ganassi. I’d be a big fan of Kurt to CGR
 
Bell will be in a Toyota. I promise. He will not go anywhere else.
I’m sorry you probably said this already and I probably missed it but do you work for TRD in any capacity? Or are you a fan, I look forward to your posts but you seem to have much inside information.
 
I’m sorry you probably said this already and I probably missed it but do you work for TRD in any capacity? Or are you a fan, I look forward to your posts but you seem to have much inside information.

No, I don't work for TRD, but I have been a huge fan forever of Toyota in general, and TRD specifically. I don't have inside information, but because I study this company, I feel like I understand their movements, goals, and culture. Thank you for your kind words. I have never intended to lead anyone on that I have some inside connection to the company, but there are several around here who would assert the opposite. I just happen to be one of those rare fans these days that have found a connection to this sport with staying power. I will be a fan as long as TRD is involved--teams, drivers, owners, etc. come and go, but I still be here.
 
What Toyota team that would take Bell is underfunded?
I have no earthly idea. You guys, or at least @Revman think there is room for him in a Toyota, but all of the top tier rides are full and none of them are getting replaced with Bell. So I look to the Toyotas in the back - BK Racing...Gaunt Bros...LFR if they switch...your guess is as good as mine.
 
How can you be so sure? He said hes ready to go to cup, coach doesn't think so. If a quality ride opens up and I was him I'd be gone.

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yep, gone in 60 seconds as they say. The only thing not being reported is if Bell is under contract or not. If he isn't, he is really snatchable. Bell saying he is ready for cup leads me to believe he isn't under contract for next year. He is IMO the leading silly season character until something is reported where he is going in 2019. Just because the preacher says so doesn't mean much. The strings are being pulled from higher sources it seems and they don't have a spot in cup as it stands right now unless they want to pony up a cup team.
 
Only way it’d make sense to replace Jamie is if they can get somebody of Kurt’s caliber. Their aren’t any young guys that are transcendent talents or ready for Cup. From Kurt’s perspective the move wouldn’t make sense though unless he’s partially doing it for the open wheel aspect, or Stewart Haas is passing the pipe around and wants to move Cole “1 win in great equipment” Custer up to Cup to ride around and be a fixture in the middle of the pack.
 
Only way it’d make sense to replace Jamie is if they can get somebody of Kurt’s caliber. Their aren’t any young guys that are transcendent talents or ready for Cup. From Kurt’s perspective the move wouldn’t make sense though unless he’s partially doing it for the open wheel aspect, or Stewart Haas is passing the pipe around and wants to move Cole “1 win in great equipment” Custer up to Cup to ride around and be a fixture in the middle of the pack.

I sometimes wonder what Kurts "caliber" is at this point? Harvick has been one of the most dominant forces in cup since going to SHR but Kurt has never really got it going. Clint and even Aric have been outrunning him as well. Maybe Kurt has already peaked and is now on a downward slide? Maybe he needs to take a moratorium on his better controlled behavior to get his mojo back... lol
 
I really don't care much either way with Kurt or Jamie. I like race car drivers that are always racing. I don't think I have ever read anything about Jamie racing something or driving something cool in the off season. Kurt either. I think they are wheel holders in the top 10 realm of things IMO. In the cup series that is still pretty darn good, but do the ends justify the means with those two? For me I would rather have a guy like Bell or Hemric or Preece, a guy that is hungry, willing to work their ass off to get there.
 
Is JHN that good? This is not rhetorical. I am asking for your perspective.

I personally think he has a TON of upside potential. He's already done pretty well in family equipment that we know is not top tier, and he won right off the bat in a Ganassi Xfinity car. I think if he were in a JRM car, he would be a serious championship contender. I like that's he's fast and aggressive. He's over driven the car a few times, but I can live with that. That's something you can work with. Much like Alex Bowman, I just want to see him get a fair shot, so we can determine just what he can do. To be honest, my talent spotting skills are hit and miss. I underestimated Gordon and Johnson, overestimated Johnny Benson and Ricky Craven, but I got Kyle Busch right, and I think I'm right about Chase Elliott. I'm betting on Byron being a star, and Bowman to be really solid. We shall see.
 
I sometimes wonder what Kurts "caliber" is at this point? Harvick has been one of the most dominant forces in cup since going to SHR but Kurt has never really got it going. Clint and even Aric have been outrunning him as well. Maybe Kurt has already peaked and is now on a downward slide? Maybe he needs to take a moratorium on his better controlled behavior to get his mojo back... lol



Kurt is such a confusing case when it comes to his performance. He’s as talented as anyone but you’re right he’s been a token win or two a year driver now for about a decade. I don’t think he has a very good crew chief which probably plays into inability to close out races but you’d think with his talent alone he’d have a win by now. To be fair though, when we say SHR has been dominant, we really mean Harvick and Childers. Aside from Bowyer dominating Martinsville, he has a fluke rain win at Michigan where Harvick had the field covered, and Almirola and Kurt haven’t won yet. Kurt does have 3 poles so the speed is there
 
Kurt is such a confusing case when it comes to his performance. He’s as talented as anyone but you’re right he’s been a token win or two a year driver now for about a decade. I don’t think he has a very good crew chief which probably plays into inability to close out races but you’d think with his talent alone he’d have a win by now. To be fair though, when we say SHR has been dominant, we really mean Harvick and Childers. Aside from Bowyer dominating Martinsville, he has a fluke rain win at Michigan where Harvick had the field covered, and Almirola and Kurt haven’t won yet. Kurt does have 3 poles so the speed is there

3 poles is telling to me. I watched him in a half a lap from the pole fall back to 4th and continue to fall back with a pole sitting car. Personally I think it was to a more "comfortable" position in the top ten. Fall back in line and follow the leader.
 
3 poles is telling to me. I watched him in a half a lap from the pole fall back to 4th and continue to fall back with a pole sitting car. Personally I think it was to a more "comfortable" position in the top ten. Fall back in line and follow the leader.

You must be talking about the slip he had on the first lap at Texas because he actually held the lead for quite a while in the first Michigan race, and then again at New Hampshire. Varying strategies shuffled him out of the lead in those two races, and while the rain hindered his chances at getting back to the front in the first Michigan race, he got back there at New Hampshire before the pit mistake by his crew chief cost him. In my opinion, bad luck combined with hiccups by the crew chief is to blame for him not having a win so far this year. He's had the speed.
 
You must be talking about the slip he had on the first lap at Texas because he actually held the lead for quite a while in the first Michigan race, and then again at New Hampshire. Varying strategies shuffled him out of the lead in those two races, and while the rain hindered his chances at getting back to the front in the first Michigan race, he got back there at New Hampshire before the pit mistake by his crew chief cost him. In my opinion, bad luck combined with hiccups by the crew chief is to blame for him not having a win so far this year. He's had the speed.

Probably so at Texas, you watch him a lot closer that I do. In all of those pole races he finished in the top 5 the first stage I believe. Overall 3 top fives and 13 top 10's in 22 races.
 
overestimated Johnny Benson and Ricky Craven

Same. I thought Benson would win a dozen races in Cup. I was really disappointed when Ken Schrader left HMS after '96, but I really liked Craven too which helped me get over it. I thought Craven would be a good one, but it never really worked out. When he got hurt and Wally Dallenbach took over the 25, I was pissed. I never liked Dallenbach and I wanted to see Jack Sprague get the 25 car.
 
As a longtime Jamie fan kinda sad to see, but he is 42 and Kurt is obviously an upgrade. My guess is Custer is going to the 41 seeing as his dad is a higher up on the team. Otherwise Haas funding his truck and Xfinity rides the past few seasons seems pointless
 
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