2019 Indianapolis – Big Machine Vodka 400 -- Pre-Race Thread

How about that race name! The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard presented by Florida Georgia Line!?

As much as I want everything moved to IRP, the Xfinity package here last year was actually entertaining.
 
I'm just getting ready to head over to IMS to pick up tickets for tonight's midget race and Friday's Infinity practice. But I'm still on the fence trying to decide if I'm going to stay and watch the Cup race this weekend or head on over to Pennsylvania on Saturday. I booked my car and hotel reservation until Mon just in case I decide to stay.:)
 
Has the MBM #66 ran out of money? They've not entered any races for awhile and I would think the Brickyard would be one to do.

BC39 by the way has 90 entries.
 
AuzGrams said:
How about that race name! The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard presented by Florida Georgia Line!?
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Yep, I thought that was a little too long for the thread title or description. :D
 
Pre-race odds are up:
NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400
Sun 9/8 11:05AM
Kyle Busch +330
Denny Hamlin +550
Kevin Harvick +575
Martin Truex Jr +770
Erik Jones +800
Brad Keselowski +880
Joey Logano +1100
Kyle Larson +1250
Kurt Busch +1800
Ryan Blaney +2200
Chase Elliott +2200
William Byron +3800
Daniel Suarez +4000
Clint Bowyer +4200
Jimmie Johnson +5000
Aric Almirola +5250
Alex Bowman +5250
Matt DiBenedetto +7800
Ryan Newman +8000
Paul Menard +8000
Chris Buescher +8000
Austin Dillon +8800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +8800
Daniel Hemric +11000
Ryan Preece +22000
Darrell Wallace Jr +25000
Michael McDowell +33000
David Ragan +33000
Ty Dillon +33000
Matt Tifft +44000
Corey Lajoie +44000
Landon Cassill +44000
Reed Sorenson +44000
 
ahhculdee said:
I wonder why. My favorite Brickyard is recent memory was when Kyle and Truex wrecked each other. Even though I am Truex fan.
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It's a technical track which rewards talent. It is the greatest racing venue on the face of the planet. It is a crown jewel.
 
Revman said:
It is the greatest racing venue on the face of the planet. It is a crown jewel.
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Sure. But you could make the case for Daytona and Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans) there as well..
 
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AuzGrams said:
Sure. But you could make the case for Daytona and Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans) there as well..
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You could, and I generally do, BUT, remember that Indy had 50 years worth of history in the bank before Daytona was even built. In my home, names like Harroun, DePalma, Meyer, Shaw, Rose, Foyt, Jones, Rutherford, Andretti, Unser and Mears are revered every bit as much as Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, Johnson, Waltrip, Yarborough and Allison.
 
Revman said:
It's a technical track which rewards talent. It is the greatest racing venue on the face of the planet. It is a crown jewel.
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You can put a prize-winning hog in Buckingham Palace but it's still a hog. This race just isn't as entertaining as most of the others on the schedule. Maybe the package will make a difference, maybe it won't. I suspect come Sunday evening I'll still wish this date would be give to another track.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
You can put a prize-winning hog in Buckingham Palace but it's still a hog. This race just isn't as entertaining as most of the others on the schedule. Maybe the package will make a difference, maybe it won't. I suspect come Sunday evening I'll still wish this date would be give to another track.
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Maybe it's just me, but I ALWAYS find some interesting sub-plot that hooks me and keeps me interested. I don't know how much being there in person changes my perspective over watching on TV.
 
Formerjackman said:
Maybe it's just me, but I ALWAYS find some interesting sub-plot that hooks me and keeps me interested. I don't know how much being there in person changes my perspective over watching on TV.
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As little as I think of this race on TV, I thought even less of it on my two trips there. As a spectator, I just couldn't see anything except what was directly in front of me. I can't think of an oval in the US with worse sight lines. I'm not there for the history or the spectacle, I pay money to watch a race. I can't watch what I can't see.

I don't question this track as challenging or as a test of a driver's ability.
 
I think what might help me there is that I got so used to being in the pits for races and often being able to see even LESS than you see in a grandstand seat at Indy, so I occupy my time trying to figure race strategy for the guys I follow, watching all of the pit action, and just sort of immerse myself in the feel of the race. It also probably doesn't hurt that in 25 races, one of "my guys" has won it 10 times.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
This race just isn't as entertaining as most of the others on the schedule.
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Speak for yourself, please. I for one regard the Brickyard 400 as one of the most intriguing, most highly anticipated races of the year. Also, for sports that I care deeply about, I probably wouldn't consider "entertainment" as the key criteria, but that's just me.
 
I'm not jumping up and down in anticipation about the race, but there is a difference in the car from years previous. There could be a few more passes and less single file on the one groove track. Take all of the hooplah away and that is all it is, a large one groove track.
 
NASCAR is officially in town now...as I was leaving the Dallara Indy car factory today I saw the first cup hauler arrive #34 Love's Travel Plaza. Now I'm starting to get excited about the hauler parade tomorrow. :whoopee::)
 
Formerjackman said:
I think what might help me there is that I got so used to being in the pits for races and often being able to see even LESS than you see in a grandstand seat at Indy,
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I understand but if I recall correctly, you were there as part of a participating team with responsibilities. That's a different perspective from paying for tickets, and by 'perspective' I don't mean just sight lines.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I understand but if I recall correctly, you were there as part of a participating team with responsibilities. That's a different perspective from paying for tickets, and by 'perspective' I don't mean just sight lines.
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Yes, but at first it really drove me nuts and it took quite awhile for me to get used to often not being able to see the whole track, and we didn't have fancy war wagons with TV monitors. The short tracks really weren't any better than the speedways, because even if you could see all around, you'd get sick of turning around in circles. Even when I helped with late models as a kid, the pits were outside the track, and you could stand there and watch the whole race. Once I got used to not seeing the whole race, I think it made Indy less frustrating to me as a spectator. Indy is also an anomaly in that if you sit high in turn four, you can actually see more of the road course track then if you were sitting there for an oval race. We went to all of the sportscar races there, and while it is not a very good layout, you could see 2/3rds of the track from the right vantage point. Try that at any road course other than the rovals.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
You can put a prize-winning hog in Buckingham Palace but it's still a hog. This race just isn't as entertaining as most of the others on the schedule. Maybe the package will make a difference, maybe it won't. I suspect come Sunday evening I'll still wish this date would be give to another track.
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Yeah, I feel IRP would be a hit on the schedule if it were up to date and seating capacity was 40-50K.
 
Formerjackman said:
I'd just be happy if IRP would get the Xfinity and truck races back. Some of the most fun I ever had was at those races.
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Personally even if the Xfinity package at IMS recently has been decent, I absolutely hated the move from IRP to IMS. It's watered things down for NASCAR at IMS. Was always a cool weekend when they had Trucks and NXS at the little track.
 
AuzGrams said:
Personally even if the Xfinity package at IMS recently has been decent, I absolutely hated the move from IRP to IMS. It's watered things down for NASCAR at IMS. Was always a cool weekend when they had Trucks and NXS at the little track.
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I was so angry over the change I have steadfastly refused to got to the Xfnity race at the big track, even turning down free tickets. Of course with the rain-out double header last year, I saw that one.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
That's an interesting statement. If entertainment isn't a criteria for why you watch sports, what are your criteria? What causes you to care deeply?
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I enjoy watching elite racers competing head-to-head, with cars (or bikes) that are hard to drive fast, on tracks that are very challenging. A fair race that is a stern contest of skill is what entertains me, and the greater the degree of difficulty, the better I like it. A deep field of competitive teams is a plus, but not essential. A big stage like a crown jewel event is a plus, but not essential. I like aggressive competition, but I'm not into gratuitous contact or dirty driving. Passing should be difficult but possible for a faster car/driver. Creating false or gratuitous passing is anti-competitive and is a serious detraction.

As for your trollish second question... why I care about racing... I'm gonna cut you a break and ignore it.
 
Team Penske said:
That's why Menard won it?
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In 25 years, that has been the ONLY fluke winner, and if the caution comes out two laps sooner or later, he doesn't win it. Gordon had the field covered that day. Only five non-champion Cup drivers have won the race, and the other four are Ricky Rudd, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, and Jamie McMurray, drivers with a combined average of 14 wins, and two of them did finish 2nd in the championship. I'll put those stats up against any other Cup race.
 
Team Penske said:
That's why Menard won it?
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It’s a giant technical one groove track that rewards the fastest teams/cars. It’s not even made for stock cars lol. Now some of the all timers have won this race but I don’t think driving skill was the deciding factor like at a Bristol or Watkins Glen. This is coming from a Kyle Busch fan, but unlike certain posters on here I base the races off of quality not if guys I like win
 
AuzGrams said:
I'm sorry, Menards win wasn't a fluke, he drove a helluva race that day and fended off Gordon for 2 laps when it didn't look like he had anything to do so.
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He was running around at half throttle while Gordon was trying to run him down from 1/2 a lap behind. It was brilliant pit strategy, but without it, I don't think Menard would have finished in the top 15.
 
Formerjackman said:
He was running around at half throttle while Gordon was trying to run him down from 1/2 a lap behind. It was brilliant pit strategy, but without it, I don't think Menard would have finished in the top 15.
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I get that. But Gordon pretty much caught him with 2 laps to go or so and still couldn't get by Menard.
 
AuzGrams said:
I get that. But Gordon pretty much caught him with 2 laps to go or so and still couldn't get by Menard.
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Well I imagine his tires were gone by then, plus the dreaded aero push. Basically, Gordon made a green flag stop Menard didn't make and he STILL almost caught him.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Speak for yourself, please. I for one regard the Brickyard 400 as one of the most intriguing, most highly anticipated races of the year. Also, for sports that I care deeply about, I probably wouldn't consider "entertainment" as the key criteria, but that's just me.
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Ditto. The Brickyard 400 is my second favorite race on the schedule. Actually the last 3 weeks have seen my 3 favorite races back to back to back, so I’m as happy as can be. Indianapolis is a magical place for Motorsports, a holy grail. I hope it never leaves the NASCAR Schedule.
 
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