2018 Homestead -- Ford EcoBoost 400 -- Pre-Race Thread

Johali

Johali

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THE RACE: Ford EcoBoost 400 Monster Energy Cup Series Race

TRACK: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race #36 of 36 "The Season Finale"

Date: Sunday, November 18th, 2018, Homestead Florida

Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 2:45 pm/et

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All Times E/T

The culmination of this seasons finagling in all three series. :D

Friday, November 16
1:00 PM, MENCS Homestead practice, NBCSN
2:30 PM, NXS Homestead practice, NBCSN
3:30 PM, NCWTS Homestead qualifying, FS1
5:00 PM, NXS Homestead final practice, NBCSN
6:00 PM, MENCS Homestead qualifying, NBCSN
8:00 PM, NCWTS Homestead race, FS1
10:00 PM, NCWTS Post Race, FS1

Saturday, November 17
11:30 AM, MENCS Homestead practice, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NXS Homestead qualifying, NBCSN
2:00 PM, MENCS Homestead final practice, NBCSN
3:00 PM, NXS Countdown to Green, NBCSN
3:30 PM, NXS Homestead race, NBCSN
6:30 PM, NXS Post Race, NBCSN

Sunday, November 18
2:00 PM, MENCS Countdown to Green, NBC
3:00 PM, MENCS Hot Pass, NBCSN
3:00 PM, MENCS Homestead race, NBC
7:00 PM, MENCS Post Race, NBCSN
 
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Once again, I'm planning to boycott the finale of this disgusting playoff format.

Only 98 days until the 2019 Daytona 500. :(
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'd pull for Joey if I thought it would demonstrate to NASCAR the randomness of this lopsided process.
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Except that this is actually the most deserving final four since the introduction of this points system.

Top 4 in laps led, top 5s, top 10s, and average finish all season. Logano actually tops Truex in at least two of those categories.

#TeamJL
 
Points after Phoenix. Interesting to look at although quite meaningless heading into Homestead. This is probably one of the first times that the system used matched a season's work for the top 4 going into this final race.

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Got my tickets for the Truck race.

I take both my boys (13 & 19) to Homestead-Miami every year. Last year we did the Truck race and the Cup race. My oldest son is a Dale Jr. fan so we had to see his last race. This year we're only doing the Truck race on Friday but we go early in the day to see Xfinity practice and Cup practice. They get $50 each to buy whatever they want but as you know it doesn't go far.



Untitled by jpjr501, on Flickr
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Points after Phoenix. Interesting to look at although quite meaningless heading into Homestead. This is probably one of the first times that the system used matched a season's work for the top 4 going into this final race.

View attachment 36844
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So in a straight points system, Kyle Busch would have clinched the championship with one race remaining.


oh-the-humanity.jpg
 
Larsonfan1995 said:
At least the right guys are there
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I believe this is the first time since we’ve been doing this Championship 4 thing that all four of the drivers have been here before. It’s the 4th C4 for Harvick and Kyle, and the 3rd one for Truex and Logano.
 
Delana's wife's to lose. Hope he does. Go Kyle Busch!
 
Kyle scored the most points before the playoffs and deserves to be champ. What happens if he gets crashed by a lapped car when leading? Alot of fans will be mad to see the most deserving driver lose the championship when it comes down to 1 race when its not even his fault he gets crashed. Playoffs in racing seems foolish to me.
 
kyle busch 18 said:
Kyle scored the most points before the playoffs and deserves to be champ. What happens if he gets crashed by a lapped car when leading? Alot of fans will be mad to see the most deserving driver lose the championship when it comes down to 1 race when its not even his fault he gets crashed. Playoffs in racing seems foolish to me.
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Kyle is obviously the champ, the ridiculous playoff system won't change that fact.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Waiting on the obligatory statement that 'Everyone would have raced different'.
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Well they would, of course. Or do you just mean it gets old having that same conversation over and over?

I'll always be in favor of a true season-long points format, but the teams do make decisions that change outcomes based on the system as is.
 
gnomesayin said:
Well they would, of course. Or do you just mean it gets old having that same conversation over and over?

I'll always be in favor of a true season-long points format, but the teams do make decisions that change outcomes based on the system as is.
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Remind me again..... under which format don't these teams come out to do the best that they can do? I'm always so confused about that.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Remind me again..... under which format don't these teams come out to do the best that they can do? I'm always so confused about that.
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For instance, yesterday the #78 pitted late for tires and finished 14th. They were essentially playing it safe, because all they had to do at that point was avoid disaster. They would not have made the same decision if every position and point mattered for them. There are similar decisions made before and throughout the "playoffs" due to cut lines and such. Teams make decisions based on the incentives the system creates, just as they now race hard for stage points and structure strategy around them. That's all.
 
gnomesayin said:
For instance, yesterday the #78 pitted late for tires and finished 14th. They were essentially playing it safe, because all they had to do at that point was avoid disaster. They would not have made the same decision if every position and point mattered for them. There are similar decisions made before and throughout the "playoffs" due to cut lines and such. Teams make decisions based on the incentives the system creates, just as they now race hard for stage points and structure strategy around them. That's all.
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What's the difference years ago when Johnson had to like finish 14th in the final race to win the title. This year Sprinter Donnie Schatz had to make practice the last race to win the title.It was sold out anyway.
 
I'm for a season-long points format with a points scale weighted toward rewarding wins more. I don't mind if this results in a driver clinching a championship before the last race.

I'm just saying that yes, different systems do produce different strategies and decisions.
 
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This playoff allowed multiple cars that wouldn't normally have a chance at the final four valid contenders. I don't remember that many cars having a chance to go to the final race and a chance to win a title. Some will call it a gimmick, but they call everything a gimmick. As it is all of the cars going to the final four have the records with no outsiders. I just wish the gerbils would at least wait until the later parts of the race before trying to predict the outcome. I think it lost some of it's luster doing it that way. People got tired of hearing it, I know I did.
 
I guess there are people who don't watch a late-season sporting event if there's nothing on the line. The difference in auto racing is, with everyone still competing, there's still plenty on the line. The teams not eligible for the championship can still win the race. The 36 drivers not competing for the championship have more combined fans than the final four have, although you wouldn't know that from the way NBC will cover the race.
 
StandOnIt said:
I just wish the gerbils would at least wait until the later parts of the race before trying to predict the outcome.
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On this we certainly agree. I believe the whole thing is misguided because the races themselves become secondary, and many claim they are boring without the fixation on cutoff lines and scenarios.
 
gnomesayin said:
On this we certainly agree. I believe the whole thing is misguided because the races themselves become secondary, and many claim they are boring without the fixation on cutoff lines and scenarios.
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I thought it cheapened the format. It was like watching a KFC commercial 20 times during the race to me. Kinda insulting. Earnhardt called out some things the cars were doing, loose or tight etc. That is why I like the Fox guys so much more, they watch the cars and tell ya when so in so is fighting loose or tight. Gerbils don't care about that, they are too busy selling the playoffs
 
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