2018 Cup Schedule

[aunty dive]

Every single one of these guys and every one of their team members have run dozens of events at places they've never seen before.

The cream will rise to the top. Again.

 

[Simple Fan]

What are the chances they go ahead and make this years Charlotte playoff race the roval?

 

[racingfan7]

Trucks: Do like Mosport being in the playoffs. Don't like another intermediate track (Las Vegas spring) and don't like Las Vegas now becoming two companion weekends.

Yeah, the Truck and NXS schedules still kinda suck. Wish they would run a Truck race on the Bullring at LVMS.

 

[Simple Fan]

Wish they would run a Truck race on the Bullring at LVMS.

Kyle Busch would totally dominate that race. Needs to happen now that you mention it.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Just rearranging the deck chairs is all this was, the only thing interesting might be the roval , happy that a RC race is in the Chase, but I would of much rather seen Watkins Glen had its date moved into the Chase, or swap with Sonoma and put Sonoma in the Chase.

Oh goodness, yes. Sonoma hosts the IndyCar finale on the same day of the playoffs opener at Chicagoland. Could've swapped the Cup Sonoma and Chicagoland dates and gotten rid of the stupidass IndyCar race in one fell swoop.

 

[racingfan7]

Kyle Busch would totally dominate that race. Needs to happen now that you mention it.

I'd rather Kyle dominate and stink up shows at short tracks where big money teams like KBM are less of an advantage.

 

[PhillyAndroids]

The NFL..... Who the heck cares? Opening week of the NFL or not, don't you people know how to multitask yet?

BREAKING NEWS.....

The NFL and NASCAR have coexisted for a long, long time now.

Does everyone on this board work for NBC & FOX?

Sit back and enjoy the race and/or the NFL matchup of your choice on race day. There's not a reason that both can't be accomplished. Relax fellow face fans. We'll all be okay.

to add to it don't forget DVR is great watch football then the race or vice versa

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Since the Daytona 500 is on President's Day Weekend, can we make it a Sunday night race?

Unlike Memorial Day or Labor Day, Presidents' Day isn't a holiday for most people. Government employees, financial services employees, unionized employees; that's about it.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Chicago in July and Vegas in Sept. Sounds very very hot. Even if Vegas is a night race, it could still be over 100F at the start of the race. Also, that is at the end of monsoon season so that will be fun to deal with. I like changing up the schedule but who thought this out? There has to be more to this than was released. What happened to the mid week races?

Were mid-week races ever more than rumor and theory?

 

[Charlie Spencer]

What are the chances they go ahead and make this years Charlotte playoff race the roval?

Slim and none. Slim is holed up in west Texas, and the nuns won't leave their convent while the race is on.

 

[Nitro Dude]

With nascar moving their Indy race to the weekend after the nhra US Nationals in Indy will make for a pretty crowded Indy if there is a rainout for the drag race.

 

[LouieLouie]

Slim and none. Slim is holed up in west Texas, and the nuns won't leave their convent while the race is on.

I would usually agree with this, but why are they making the changes to the road course now when the race isn't until November of next year? Maybe they were trying to get it completed for this year's all star race and couldn't get it done in time? Just thinking out loud I guess.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

I dunno if any other series will be using this circuit, or if any sports car clubs could afford to rent the place out. Maybe they use it during their summer series and run school buses on it.

But NASCAR isn't changing anything about the 2017 schedule with it already under way, unless the weather forces their hand.

 

[aunty dive]

I would usually agree with this, but why are they making the changes to the road course now when the race isn't until November of next year? Maybe they were trying to get it completed for this year's all star race and couldn't get it done in time? Just thinking out loud I guess.

There might be a tire test in the planning stage.

The wheel load data traces for multiple laps by each manufacturer at these tests is available to competitors who weren't invited to the sessions. That would be more than useful information and would help the event itself. Just a thought.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Or maybe they want the asphalt to age over the NC winter.

 

[aunty dive]

Or maybe they want the asphalt to age over the NC winter.

Maybe, but there's no real need. The high-tech asphalt mixes in use these days cure in about 50 hours.

Source for that? We're in that business.

 

[Naitch]

There might be a tire test in the planning stage.

The wheel load data traces for multiple laps by each manufacturer at these tests is available to competitors who weren't invited to the sessions. That would be more than useful information and would help the event itself. Just a thought.

This sounds most likely to me. NASCAR would be foolish to race anywhere without doing a test to collect data. People forget that you can't just hop on a track and race. Teams need some kind of data to figure out how to set up the cars and Goodyear need to know what kind of tire to bring.

I assume that we'll get tests in October before the fall race so we can get a test under conditions as close as possible to the actual race.

 

[kkfan91]

Haters can hate but I think this track looks so cool. That dive off the front stretch into the infield is going to be insane. Still not sure how pit road works though.

 

[Stacy]

The problem isn't the track -- it's NASCAR trying to set the stage for big drama because nobody knows what the issues are with this track for Cup cars under race conditions. Add to that the experiment of this track in a Playoff Race and you have what can only be described as an UnProfessional approach --

all so their Marketing Department can elevate the circus spectacle atmosphere by promoting Chaos and Gimmicks to attract the mob...

 

[kkfan91]

The problem isn't the track -- it's NASCAR trying to set the stage for big drama because nobody knows what the issues are with this track for Cup cars under race conditions. Add to that the experiment of this track in a Playoff Race and you have what can only be described as an UnProfessional approach --

all so their Marketing Department can elevate the circus spectacle atmosphere by promoting Chaos and Gimmicks to attract the mob...

Then don't watch it. I like to see them overcome new challenges and the fact that it's a playoff race means nothing different to me. You could say the same thing when any track is added. I fully believe it will go off without a hitch and people will love it.

 

[kkfan91]

Oh since I posted I saw a track map pits make more sense now.

 

[kyle18fan]

Love it !!!

 

[HoneyBadger]

Haters can hate but I think this track looks so cool. That dive off the front stretch into the infield is going to be insane. Still not sure how pit road works though.

NASCAR fans bitching about something? Color me shocked.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Maybe, but there's no real need. The high-tech asphalt mixes in use these days cure in about 50 hours.

Source for that? We're in that business.

I'm just tossing stuff at LouieLouie's wall to see what sticks.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Oh since I posted I saw a track map pits make more sense now.

Yeah, I made the same mistake.

 

[ChexOrWrex]

Peaked my interest. Kudos to NASCAR.

NASCAR fans bitching about something? Color me shocked.

Bitching about bitching

 

[kkfan91]

NASCAR fans bitching about something? Color me shocked.

It's a day that ends in y isn't it?

 

[TexasRaceLady]

That is one tight course. Watching 40 big old cars trying to negotiate those turns is going to be a hoot.

 

[sdj]

Haters can hate but I think this track looks so cool. That dive off the front stretch into the infield is going to be insane. Still not sure how pit road works though.

Oh Hell Yeah, I'm in. Best of both worlds. Give it a try, can only help. Now, If I can figure out how to rent one of the condo's for that race,,,hhmmmm.

 

[R Clarence]

As they motor nose to tail, follow the leader from overtaking opportunity to overtaking opportunity!

Exhilarating!

 

[LouieLouie]

I'm just tossing stuff at LouieLouie's wall to see what sticks.

It's all good! And it's all speculation so there is no wrong answer! I hope they run the Roval for next year's all-star race just to give everyone a taste of what's to come.

 

[StandOnIt]

As they motor nose to tail, follow the leader from overtaking opportunity to overtaking opportunity!

Exhilarating!

plenty of them are going to get busted going into turn 1 ya heard it here first. lol.

 

[kkfan91]

plenty of them are going to get busted going into turn 1 ya heard it here first. lol.

Like turn 1 at the Glen only they will have a lot of built up speed.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

More like turn 1 at Road America or 2 at Sonoma.

 

[Mispeedway15]

Wow that's truly a terrific course

 

[Conover]

Really glad to see this change for the fall race and included in the Chase group.

 

[Speedbowl14]

They're braking well before the start/finish line in that video... how will that work on restarts And if the two leaders are side-by-side coming to the finish, do they brake to make the turn or say "screw it" and continue down the old frontstretch. I also have questions about pit road exit. And the entrance to the road course does not look safe at all as you can see for a split second in the video. Overshoot the exit of turn one by ~20 feet and you're headed straight into a concrete wall with sand barrels. That's not a slow turn either.

With lap times at a tick over the 1:30 mark this will be a very long race...more like an endurance battle. Watkins Glen lap time is 1:10 and the race is 90 laps. A good Sonoma lap time is 1:15 and that race is 110 laps. So with 1:30 lap times and a 130 lap race... it's a loooong one. The Charlotte oval is a 28 second lap. Let's say 30 seconds for easy math. 1.5 minute laps on the Roval multiplied by 130= 390 laps on the Charlotte oval (3:1) ratio. It's the Coke 600 of NASCAR road courses, the 4 Hours of Charlotte.

But this is incredibly cool. A modern day Monza/Fiji circuit. I will definitely consider going if the logistics make sense.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

I'll start checking the Charlotte web site for tickets after this October's race.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Nate Ryan is suggesting one way to avoid the Charlotte Night Race Blues... run the World 600 on Saturday afternoon. It seems clear that Charlotte produces better racing in the daytime, but I heard there was a great crowd on hand last Sunday night. Would live attendance be as good on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend?

Nate's piece... "How married are Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR to running the Coca-Cola 600 under the lights on Sunday night?

How about during the day on Saturday afternoon?

Here’s why: The racing – as evidenced by the first quarter of Sunday’s race at Charlotte – is better in the day. There isn’t much happening Saturday anyway (and the Xfinity race could move to Friday when the track currently is dark). And while being the kicker of the “biggest day in motorsports” narrative is nice, Charlotte currently has no hope of matching the competitive appeal of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is enjoying a golden age of passing.

There has been an average of 43 lead changes over the last six editions of the Indianapolis 500. That would be a tough act to follow in and of itself, never mind the luster of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing at the world’s most famous racetrack.

Instead of going after Indy, why not try to upstage it by holding the 600 first on Saturday afternoon while the Brickyard is dark?" (link)

 

[Charlie Spencer]

That would make it much easier to do the double.