Circuit of the Americas Pre-Race Thread.

At first sight, I don’t like the idea of cutting out one of the best and most viable braking zones on the entire circuit and then neutering the run down to one of the others. Hopefully the softer tires will be enough to make up the difference.
 
StandOnIt said:
Who is paying a billion a year to Nascar? You will figure it out.
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I refuse to believe NASCAR would make competition decisions based on television money. Santa told me otherwise.

I'm not debating why stage breaks happen, just maintaining that they don't happen in the middle of races outside NASCAR national series.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I refuse to believe NASCAR would make competition decisions based on television money. Santa told me otherwise.

I'm not debating why stage breaks happen, just maintaining that they don't happen in the middle of races outside NASCAR national series.
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When some of the most greedy people on the planet are paying a billion a year for the races, I believe you will see any series doing something similar or worse.
 
Magnethead said:
I can somewhat agree on the track shortening. Going in person last year, it's a loooong wait for them to come back around - even though you can see 80% of the track from the Turn 1 grass. So it helps that. Caution laps took FOR-EV-ER. so it will help that. As much as I miss the hairpin and high speed left off the backstraight, I think it will give an equal racing product overall.

@RayinTX have fun! We watched all 3 races from the T1 grass. Trucks and xFinity was plenty of room, but cup race was sardined. The GF and I even made it on the race broadcast, right place/right time. But we roamed around for practice and qualifying. The "circus" is pretty fun, and the Stihl Outdoors outdoor sportsman event was fun to watch.
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Sounds like y"all had a great time! I've been to COTA 20+times...it is a long story but I kind of have a love/hate relationship LOL. T1 is my second favorite spot but T15 is my favorite and that's where I am this weekend.
 
Efisher131 said:
If Zilisch dog walks them like he has in every NASCAR road course race he’s been a part of, then the kid might be one of the best drivers ever. I’m so looking forward to seeing how he does.
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He may not win given everything else that goes into it but I'd be surprised if he doesn't have top 1-2 lap times and qualify same. Most NASCAR fans really don't understand how much of a world class road racer he is and most also over estimate how good cup drivers are at road racing. He was faster than most of the factory drivers in GTD Pro at the Rolex this year though he did make that late race mistake spinning in 1 that cost them a chance at a podium.
 
I wonder if this race goes away after California Speedway and Rockingham are revived. It makes more sense to start the West Coast swing immediately following Daytona and then go to the traditional Southeastern tracks in mid-March.
 
$peedcosts said:
He may not win given everything else that goes into it but I'd be surprised if he doesn't have top 1-2 lap times and qualify same. Most NASCAR fans really don't understand how much of a world class road racer he is and most also over estimate how good cup drivers are at road racing. He was faster than most of the factory drivers in GTD Pro at the Rolex this year though he did make that late race mistake spinning in 1 that cost them a chance at a podium.
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I'm the opposite. Zilisch has won one road race at Watkins Glenn, not COTA, and it was in an Xfinity car. I think Elliott, Larson, Byron, Reddick, SVG. Chastain et. all would like a word.
 
StandOnIt said:
I'm the opposite. Zilisch has won one road race at Watkins Glenn, not COTA, and it was in an Xfinity car. I think Elliott, Larson, Byron, Reddick, SVG. Chastain et. all would like a word.
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None of those guys have ever beat the entire Xfinity field by almost a second a lap. I’m looking forward to seeing how Zilisch does.
 
Connor Zilisch going to Cup means he's racing predominantly with guys being paid to race rather than the reverse for essentially the first time in his entire career, and the level of competition is going to dramatically shift upwards. If he manages a top 5 I'll be extremely impressed. People hyping him up to be pole winner or a potentially dominant winner at COTA are not doing him any favors from an "overhyping" perspective.
 
virtualbalboa said:
Connor Zilisch going to Cup means he's racing predominantly with guys being paid to race rather than the reverse for essentially the first time in his entire career, and the level of competition is going to dramatically shift upwards. If he manages a top 5 I'll be extremely impressed. People hyping him up to be pole winner or a potentially dominant winner at COTA are not doing him any favors from an "overhyping" perspective.
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There’s a weird tendency among some fans to think that Cup drivers aren’t among the best in the world.
 
Naitch said:
There’s a weird tendency among some fans to think that Cup drivers aren’t among the best in the world.
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I really don't see it like that. But I think I should explain why.

In the fight game, what you'll see happen all the time is you'll have a big time prospect who is bulldozing everyone and people get absolutely enamored with them. To give an example, back in 2009, Lyoto Machida became the UFC light heavyweight champion. Joe Rogan immediately declared that we'd entered the Machida era; websites ran with it. Machida's next fight was with the allegedly washed up Shogun Rua. Turned out Shogun had a lot left in the tank, because he was robbed when the cards were read. Rematch happens and Machida's era is over and we're turning towards the Jon Jones run instead.

Now, did anyone really learn anything from this experience of hyping up a prospect only for them to fall flat on their face? No. They did it before this too; Robbie Lawler was the first hype job of the Zuffa UFC era and it took him 15 years before he actually lived up to it while BJ Penn had replaced his internal drive for excellence with cake (leading to him blowing up to a heavyweight from a lightweight and fighting Lyoto Machida, amusingly enough). It's happened many times since: Sure, of course Paddy Pimblett is the truth, why would you think differently? Boxing of course has decades of experience doing this. The entire golden TV age of the sport was based on constructing white contenders via smart matchmaking only to have Sugar Ray Robinson wipe his ass with them after sufficient build; wash, repeat. For every Mike Tyson that makes it, there's 15 Duane Bobicks who couldn't cut the mustard when the heat got turned up.

People are reacting to what they are seeing, which is domination at a lower level. Maybe Zilich is like William Byron and in short order he will acquaint himself with the car, tracks, and distance and be uber successful. Could also be Casey Atwood. We aren't gonna find out until we see the real acid test, and that's true of just about everyone now.
 
COTA is still being promoted by SMI last I checked. Unless NASCAR is planning to piss them off too, I'm guessing it goes back to the Brutons to assign to whatever.
 
StandOnIt said:
If they don't do manage the tires they run the risk of a flat and are either getting towed or pushed back to the pits for not managing their tires.
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And if they don't and run out of gas and stop on the backstretch?
 
virtualbalboa said:
I really don't see it like that. But I think I should explain why.

In the fight game, what you'll see happen all the time is you'll have a big time prospect who is bulldozing everyone and people get absolutely enamored with them. To give an example, back in 2009, Lyoto Machida became the UFC light heavyweight champion. Joe Rogan immediately declared that we'd entered the Machida era; websites ran with it. Machida's next fight was with the allegedly washed up Shogun Rua. Turned out Shogun had a lot left in the tank, because he was robbed when the cards were read. Rematch happens and Machida's era is over and we're turning towards the Jon Jones run instead.

Now, did anyone really learn anything from this experience of hyping up a prospect only for them to fall flat on their face? No. They did it before this too; Robbie Lawler was the first hype job of the Zuffa UFC era and it took him 15 years before he actually lived up to it while BJ Penn had replaced his internal drive for excellence with cake (leading to him blowing up to a heavyweight from a lightweight and fighting Lyoto Machida, amusingly enough). It's happened many times since: Sure, of course Paddy Pimblett is the truth, why would you think differently? Boxing of course has decades of experience doing this. The entire golden TV age of the sport was based on constructing white contenders via smart matchmaking only to have Sugar Ray Robinson wipe his ass with them after sufficient build; wash, repeat. For every Mike Tyson that makes it, there's 15 Duane Bobicks who couldn't cut the mustard when the heat got turned up.

People are reacting to what they are seeing, which is domination at a lower level. Maybe Zilich is like William Byron and in short order he will acquaint himself with the car, tracks, and distance and be uber successful. Could also be Casey Atwood. We aren't gonna find out until we see the real acid test, and that's true of just about everyone now.
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I haven't really followed him, but the Rolex etc gives me hope that he can adjust to different conditions, given the amount of road courses in cup these days as well.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Yeah, but doesn't SMI own NW too?
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It does, yeah. Do they see the value in NW for this? I dunno, I guess it depends on the seating/suites situation come 2026. I could see some revamping where TMS goes back into March and North Wilkesboro takes the first TMS date in May.
 
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Ernie_Irvan#4 said:
Back then they used to say Rockingham is when the season really starts, but now it’s COTA. Really looking forward to see how the new layout is going to change the race and of course to see Connor Zilisch do work out there.
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That is interesting as I’ve not started my season yet either. I don’t care for the low hp tracks so I passed on the first 2 races. My plan is to watch tomorrow as I have think it’s going to be a good one.
 
Jimbo Slice said:
I wonder if this race goes away after California Speedway and Rockingham are revived. It makes more sense to start the West Coast swing immediately following Daytona and then go to the traditional Southeastern tracks in mid-March.
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Things may have changed but the last I heard Cali wasn’t a done deal.
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Didn't they go soft at Watkins Glen a little while back? I'm interested to see how they run on the new course as well, it is more "flowing" which is a positive. Watkins Glen & Mid Ohio put on great shows because you flow through the corners. I'm not sure why we try to keep slowing them down with places like old COTA and the Roval

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I must be mathematically challenged. They've eliminated what I, in my ignorance, would call at least five corners, and yet they still have 20.

20 - 5 = 20?

Must be quantum or something.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I must be mathematically challenged. They've eliminated what I, in my ignorance, would call at least five corners, and yet they still have 20.

20 - 5 = 20?

Must be quantum or something.
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They do the same thing at Watkins Glen. There are 7 corners because they don’t run the boot but the last corner is called turn 11.
 
Holy freaking 💩 on a biscuit!!!!
<———-this guy is firing off P2!!!
Somebody pinch me so I know I’m not dreaming!
 
Jimbo Slice said:
I wonder if this race goes away after California Speedway and Rockingham are revived. It makes more sense to start the West Coast swing immediately following Daytona and then go to the traditional Southeastern tracks in mid-March.
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Things may have changed but the last I heard Cali wasn’t a done deal
Revman said:
Cali is never coming back. My therapist says that I am on the road to full recovery as I have passed through acceptance. Dealing with the anger issues currently.
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I’m here for you brother!
 
AlTerego said:
Things may have changed but the last I heard Cali wasn’t a done deal


I’m here for you brother!
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Thanks brother. It would be mid March typically when I would be getting ready to go. I will be asking for a moment of silence for my fallen track.
 
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