G6 Cup car testing.

FenderBumper

FenderBumper

The "good old days" ??
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I'm already looking foward to the first race.

Speeds from Tuesdays testing.



SPEEDS, 1st SESSION
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 190.833 mph
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 190.215
Austin Dillon, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 189.934
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 189.853
Joey Logano, No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, 189.321
Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 189.175
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 189.122
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet, 189.016
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 188.580
Regan Smith, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 188.449
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Penske Racing Ford, 187.891
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, 187.435
Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Ford, 187.428
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota, 185.663
Aric Almirola, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, 185.516 mph
Trevor Bayne, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, 183.286 mph
 
CUP: New Cars Draw Rave Reviews
NASCAR expects the new G6 cars to provide closer competition at high-speed tracks…
Tom Jensen | Posted December 11, 2012 Concord, NC​


Sixteen of NASCAR’s 2013 race cars took to Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday for the first of two days of testing, testing that by all accounts got off to a positive start.

And while NASCAR officials said there still could be minor tweaks to the rules package, the so-called G6 race cars — short for sixth-generation — are in pretty close to final form for all non-restrictor-plate tracks.

The evolution of the G6 cars will continue into the early part of the 2013 schedule, when there will be a day of testing prior to the Las Vegas and Texas races and additional practice at Auto Club Speedway.

The 2013 G6 cars tested Tuesday are substantially different than the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars 2007-12. In addition to new bodies, the G6 cars are lighter, with carbon-fiber hoods, and the rear sway bars have been eliminated to remove some of the skew out of the chassis.

Tuesday at Charlotte, the cars drew strong praise from the drivers.

“I know everybody’s probably really curious about how we think that the racing’s going to go and this and that and the other, but it’s really early in the game,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “This is the first time I drove the cars at all, but I’m really impressed.

“I really liked the way — the balance of the car, the downforce seems to be relatively good, and the car drives well for us today. We’ll just move through the next couple of days here and keep tuning and trying things, and see what the car likes and doesn’t like.”

“The cars feel good,” added Matt Kenseth, who now drives the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. “They’ve got a ton of grip. I felt like they had a lot of rear grip, especially. … Overall, it seems like a lot more grip than when we raced here in the fall.”

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski said he reckoned the Toyota teams were the early leaders in the G6 cars.

“I think the Toyotas have shown that they’re gonna be really, really tough to beat with this new car,” said Keselowski. “I really like the way they finished last year, and, for them, I think they have the capability of starting out next year even stronger than the field, so that will be interesting to watch, but there’s still a lot of testing and a lot of development left to be done. However, if I was to venture a guess, I would definitely say that they’re at the top of the list.”

In the morning session at CMS, where cold temperatures made for high grip levels, Jeff Burton topped the speed charts at 190.833 miles per hour in his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Cars ran only single file in the morning practice, but were expected to do some pack racing in the afternoon.
 
Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Keselowski: "Potential To Be Just As Good" In 2013


​
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion, met with the media during a break in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series preseason testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway this afternoon, commenting on the new Sprint Cup Series cars for 2013, Penske Racing’s move to Ford Motor Company and having Joey Logano as his new teammate.

“It’s hard to get a great read on the whole manufacturer change because, obviously, it’s a different car,” he said. “But I think all the signs are there that we have the potential to be just as strong, if not stronger than we were last year, which is very encouraging.We still have to work for it and make it happen, but the signs are there.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with Joey,” said Keselowski of his new teammate. “I think (that) has been more of an adjusting process than the actual car itself. A good adjusting process.I’m curious to see over time how we can work together and push each other to be the best we can be, so I’ve had a lot of fun with that so far.We’ve got a lot of work to do.We’re only a half-a-day into two really important days, not only
for Penske Racing but for the sport itself and, hopefully, we can continue to show progress.”

Asked why he is so confident that Penske Racing will be stronger in Fords than they were a year ago in Dodges, he said, “Those are hard questions because you get into things that are somewhat proprietary. Bbut I think the level of engagement from the Ford camp is very, very high, which is extremely encouraging. That’s from the top on down.

“That makes me feel more confident than anything else, because at the end of the day this is a people sport.You look at the cars and you look at the aero or whatever it might take to be the best… and those things tend to work themselves out when you have the best people… people that are engaged and all are
sharing a common goal and work ethic.

“I look at that as it stands right now and I’m very happy with that desire and passion we share as
a team, and from the manufacturer perspective, as well.That commitment is across the board and it feels really good. It makes me feel like the potential is there to be just as good, if not better than ever.”

In typical Keselowski style, the newly crowned series champion said he has a plan to officially welcome Logano into the Penske camp.

​
“The best way I can break in Joey is to get him one of those championship glasses and take him out for a night,” he laughed. “I think he’d really enjoy that and I’d really enjoy it.I think it’s really important to keep (improving)… and I think there are things Joey does right out of the gate that are better than
what I do.”

“He has the ability to unload at a place like this and instantly be fast,” he explained. “That’s not my style.It’s something that I would like to add to my arsenal, because there are times where that’s really, really helpful, so those are some of the things I look at.I think Joey is an elite talent in this sport and if we can work together, we will both be better.I would rather finish second to him next year in every race -- and even the championship -- than rest on my laurels, not get any better and run fifth, 10th, 15th, 17th – whatever it might be – and beat him.

“I think it’s that spirit that is going to drive us to be the best we can.”

Keselowski said one of his main goals for the season is to maintain the same level of motivation and enthusiasm in his team as was displayed a year ago.

“It’s really toughfor any championship team to keep all of the people motivated, because you’ve achieved a goal,” he said. “I think everybody starts their career wanting to be a champion and wanting to be the best, and that keeps you motivated. But once you get that, it’s easy to lose motivation and we have to find ways to motivate ourselves.The best employees are always going to be self-motivated, but we have to find ways to make sure that there is no temptation to lose that. I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges we have.

“The switch to Ford is good,” he said, “because it lends itself to having something to prove. One of the best advantages of switching to Ford is it gives us something to prove all over again, that we can continue to be successful no matter what the manufacturer or no matter what the circumstance. I think that’s very healthy.I also feel like, as a team, we have that motivation right now.”

Keselowski said this week’s test at CMS is important, since the team that figures these new cars out first will have an advantage at the start of the 2013 season.

“It takes a lot more than speed to win,” he said. “You still have to have some of the other things; (like) execution and good fortune, but speed is the backbone of this sport and any team’s success.Anyone who comes out of the gate with the most speed has the potential, so it tends to be an area where we all go first.

“There are a few guys that are a little bit ahead of everyone else,” he said. “I think the Toyotas have shown that they’re going to be really tough to beat with this new car. I really like the way they finished last year, and I think they have the capability of starting out next year stronger than (the rest of) the field.

“That will be interesting to watch, but there’s still a lot of testing and a lot of development left to be done.(But) if I was to venture a guess, I would definitely say they’re at the top of the list.”

Photos: Getty Images,

Posted by Dave Moody at 2:04 PM
 
I like the way Brad speaks. I like his philosophy as well. I also expect Penske to be very strong in 2013.

RCR 1,2,3???! Maybe the Mayans were right!!!
 
Matthew2470 said:
I really hope aero push will become less of a factor.
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They did a 15 car mock race, and some reporters tweeted that the cars seemed to be more able to close the gap. Honestly, nascar is making some of the changes I've been touting for a long time. Lighter car, less aero, more mechanical grip. I hear they are even looking at reduced HP without using a plate. I'm a genius.
 
No worries Joey has time to get Brad up to speed or 189 mph.
 
Matthew2470 said:
I really hope aero push will become less of a factor.
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Really Matt ? At 200mph aero will always be a big factor . Even wild geese fly in a vee at what? Five mph. I think we should just learn to live with it.
 
ted@economy said:
Really Matt ? At 200mph aero will always be a big factor . Even wild geese fly in a vee at what? Five mph. I think we should just learn to live with it.
Click to expand...

True, but the cars have become to aero dependant the last decade or so. When you're talking aero push at tracks a mile or less, it's a big problem and we see way too much of it.
 
Thegroundpounder99 said:
True, but the cars have become to aero dependant the last decade or so. When you're talking aero push at tracks a mile or less, it's a big problem and we see way too much of it.
Click to expand...

I think that it has always been there . Something like Cancer . It just never had a name and we didn't know much about it . Dale Sr. always talked about it on speedways .Anything moving through air is effected by it.
 
I really don't care what Sr. said way back when. The aero problems today are different that years ago, when grip was less aero and more tire.
 
Thegroundpounder99 said:
True, but the cars have become to aero dependant the last decade or so. When you're talking aero push at tracks a mile or less, it's a big problem and we see way too much of it.
Click to expand...
ted@economy said:
I think that it has always been there . Something like Cancer . It just never had a name and we didn't know much about it . Dale Sr. always talked about it on speedways .Anything moving through air is effected by it.
Click to expand...

Hell, they have aeropush at BRISTOL now. If you as much as put a 1mm dent in the car somewhere, you lose a half-second a lap. It's a joke. There's more bumping and rubbing in IndyCar than in NASCAR. Think it's hyperbole, watch the Baltimore Indy race.
 
No conspiracy here folks , it's just an aero-fairy thing. Move along.:D
 
FenderBumper said:
They did a 15 car mock race, and some reporters tweeted that the cars seemed to be more able to close the gap. Honestly, nascar is making some of the changes I've been touting for a long time. Lighter car, less aero, more mechanical grip. I hear they are even looking at reduced HP without using a plate. I'm a genius.
Click to expand...
When they go as far as removing the rear window like you've suggested in the past I'll then give you the credit that you think you deserve. Until then. :rolleyes:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
He was probably running behind Keselowski ready to make the pass but he couldn't see beyond Brad's enlarged head thus causing him to lose sight of his braking point going into turn #3.
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Hamlin should feel honored that you took a break from making excuses for Jr just to help him out. :p

But like your Jr excuses, this one doesn't hold water. Denny crashed in turn #2. :D
 
FenderBumper said:
Hamlin should feel honored that you took a break from making excuses for Jr just to help him out. :p

But like your Jr excuses, this one doesn't hold water. Denny crashed in turn #2. :D
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Jr. excuses? Now your stretching things to make a point with a feeble attempt to change the topic. :rolleyes:

That's just a testament to Hamlin's driving abilities. He was able to maintain some semblance of control the whole way from turn #3 back around to turn #2 before before finally meeting his demise from the overly large obstruction know as Keselowski's head. It's a wonder they ever got a helmet specially made in time for testing this week. I'd bet that they're probably working overtime in China right now trying to produce all of the oversized hat sizes for his new fanbase. :eek:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Jr. excuses? Now your stretching things to make a point with a feeble attempt to change the topic. :rolleyes:
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Back on topic? Really? Jr. and excuses always go together. The dude has made a career of it, and his hangover induced headaches were just an excuse to back out of the chase because he couldn't handle the pressure Kez was applying to all the HMS boys.

dpkimmel2001 said:
That's just a testament to Hamlin's driving abilities. He was able to maintain some semblance of control the whole way from turn #3 back around to turn #2 before before finally meeting his demise from the overly large obstruction know as Keselowski's head. It's a wonder they ever got a helmet specially made in time for testing this week. I'd bet that they're probably working overtime in China right now trying to produce all of the oversized hat sizes for his new fanbase. :eek:
Click to expand...

lol OK, I stand corrected. I thought Denny was practicing his Homestead spin for next years championship collapse.
 
FenderBumper said:
Back on topic? Really? Jr. and excuses always go together. The dude has made a career of it, and his hangover induced headaches were just an excuse to back out of the chase because he couldn't handle the pressure Kez was applying to all the HMS boys.
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I'm starting to get a little concerned for you. I've heard that trumpet blowers suffer from dry/chapped lips. I figured you could use this during your time riding the Keselowski bandwagon.

Chapstick.jpg
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'm starting to get a little concerned for you. I've heard that trumpet blowers suffer from dry/chapped lips. I figured you could use this during your time riding the Keselowski bandwagon.

Chapstick.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey, I BUILT the Kez bandwagon. I want 2 of those, and NOT that used one. Handing out used Chapstick is gross.
 
The first half of the season will make for some interesting racing with all the unknowns with the new car. Daytona will be the usual crap shoot. The next several races, not including Bristol, will be interesting to see how these cars do on unrestricted tracks. A team may luck up and hit on something and make everyone else look bad. Or we could see one team look really good one week and look average the next week as other teams figure out some things.
 
FenderBumper said:
Hamlin should feel honored that you took a break from making excuses for Jr just to help him out. :p

But like your Jr excuses, this one doesn't hold water. Denny crashed in turn #2. :D
Click to expand...
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'm starting to get a little concerned for you. I've heard that trumpet blowers suffer from dry/chapped lips. I figured you could use this during your time riding the Keselowski bandwagon.

Chapstick.jpg
Click to expand...
You guys are too damn funny. :owned::dpepsi:
 
Fender's Dream Girl?

susie_chapstick_2.jpg


It's the one-and-only Suzie Chapstick, of course!
 
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