Nascar Cup Series at Watkins Glenn Pre - Race Thread

Charlie Spencer said:
During COVID, these drivers somehow survived running the Daytona road course for the first time with no practice. They'll get through a new line at the Glen.
Click to expand...
Everybody gets practice. I'd rather get back to the weather myself. Nascar got rid of snowball Bowman Grey clash or whatever it was. Will Watkins Glenn be a May mud hole?

1778188137807.png
 
FLRacingFan said:
These guys could carry so much speed through the corners without track limits that it shortened braking zones more than anything. This should actually make turn 1 (in particular) more of a challenge than it had been in a while.
Click to expand...
True, but limiting the run off area after the carousel hurts.
 
I don't see anything getting hurt except the cars that can't stay on the track.

At Turn 1, four tire-pack barriers will be placed progressively closer to the racing surface as drivers exit the corner. NASCAR officials outlined the setup as follows:

  • Tire pack No. 1 positioned 11 feet off the racing surface
  • Tire pack No. 2 positioned 9 feet off the racing surface
  • Tire packs No. 3 and No. 4 positioned 6 feet off the racing surface
  • Tire packs spaced approximately 180 feet apart
The goal is straightforward: eliminate the massive runoff advantage drivers previously had entering and exiting Turn 1.

In prior years, drivers could aggressively overshoot the corner during restarts or dive deep into the runoff area without major consequences. NASCAR now wants drivers forced to stay much closer to the actual racing groove.


One of the biggest incidents came during last year’s O’Reilly Series race at Watkins Glen, when a multi-car accident exiting the Carousel triggered a lengthy cleanup after several drivers used the runoff area while battling for position.
“There is going to be a tire barrier or a tire pack coming out of the carousel, and that is an area where we have seen some pretty hard hits,” Ellis said.
Officials are also adding a linear tire-pack barrier exiting the Carousel section of the track, another area that has produced major incidents in recent years.

Rather than allowing drivers to use the wide runoff pavement exiting the corner, the new setup will guide cars back toward the racing surface much earlier than before



Drivers who overshoot corners, lock up brakes, or get forced off line may no longer have the same escape routes they previously relied on at Watkins Glen.

And with playoff pressure continuing to build, every risk calculation this weekend could carry even more weight.
 
LewTheShoe said:
I strongly disagree. It's a sport, not an entertainment property. It's the highest form of racing in North America. Its purpose is for elite racers to compete for trophies and championships. They deserve an opportunity to set up their cars.

It may be hilarious if the Yankees and Red Sox show up at the stadium, only to be told just before first pitch that, tonight we'll use a softball and you only get two strikes. But it's not how the game should be played at the highest level. That's a silly analogy, but my point is, Nascar needs to be administered more as a sport, and less as casual entertainment. Just my opinion, but it's one I feel strongly about.
Click to expand...
And I think the best athlete adapts to the conditions they're presented with. If the car isn't setup right they should be able to work with their crew to make the necessary changes. It shows a lot more talent to get the car right than it does to show up with a perfect piece and win.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
During COVID, these drivers somehow survived running the Daytona road course for the first time with no practice. They'll get through a new line at the Glen.
Click to expand...
My comment was a response to @wi_racefan hoping that the new line at The Glen was not even available in simulation. The Daytona road course was available in sim for (virtual) practice and setup preparation. That's not much, but at least it is something.

During COVID we had numerous examples of chaos such as elite competitors who completely missed on suspension travels and ride heights, etc. That's not ideal for a serious sport, but of course during COVID you do what you have to do. But Nascar shouldn't normalize that just because the chaos is entertaining. Just my opinion.
 
LewTheShoe said:
My comment was a response to @wi_racefan hoping that the new line at The Glen was not even available in simulation. The Daytona road course was available in sim for (virtual) practice and setup preparation. That's not much, but at least it is something.

During COVID we had numerous examples of chaos such as elite competitors who completely missed on suspension travels and ride heights, etc. That's not ideal for a serious sport, but of course during COVID you do what you have to do. But Nascar shouldn't normalize that just because the chaos is entertaining. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Once again, they have practice. Most if not all have driven the course before, tires aren't changing the preferred lines at the race track. They're isn't a new line at the track. I posted where the tires will be in both turns. Simple to make corrections during simulation. This is a safety issue. It is meant to minimize chaos, not create it.
 
LewTheShoe said:
I strongly disagree. It's a sport, not an entertainment property. It's the highest form of racing in North America. Its purpose is for elite racers to compete for trophies and championships. They deserve an opportunity to set up their cars.

It may be hilarious if the Yankees and Red Sox show up at the stadium, only to be told just before first pitch that, tonight we'll use a softball and you only get two strikes. But it's not how the game should be played at the highest level. That's a silly analogy, but my point is, Nascar needs to be administered more as a sport, and less as casual entertainment. Just my opinion, but it's one I feel strongly about.
Click to expand...
I like this. Somewhat related, I bristle when I hear journalists/broadcasters talk about "telling the stories" from a race. Nobody needs to do that with sport. The stories tell themselves.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Ernest was bad wrong. The bull doesn't know it's competing, wouldn't if it had a choice, and has little chance of surviving the encounter.

Fortunately, the mountain doesn't give a crap.
Click to expand...
Yes, and cow tipping is definitely a sport also.
 
I live an hour and a half from the Glen and it’s currently sleeting here. Glad it’s moved back to September for next year. I’m 50/50 on attending Sunday right now. If I wake up Sunday morning and see a good deal on resale tickets I’ll probably head over.
 
The reader is encouraged to diligently embrace the following points and to take notes. Everything can be fixed with a scientific approach, common sense, and the courage to do the right thing.

NASCAR just needs to make some barriers that work like paintball to create soft, organic damage when violated.

If a driver crosses the allowed parameters, the car should get saturated with a day-glow color and an odor that is different from any of the competing cars.

The driver would then be black-flagged to take the car behind the wall for a cleaning that would take several minutes to complete. The car would have to be scanned to ensure all of the penalizing color(s) and odor had been removed prior to returning to the track.

That, along with landscaping the road courses with a styrofoam forest and bringing back some real F1 grid girls, would return us to the real damages, gerbal-free glory days.
 
Greg said:
If a driver crosses the allowed parameters, the car should get saturated with a day-glow color and an odor that is different from any of the competing cars.

The driver would then be black-flagged to take the car behind the wall for a cleaning that would take several minutes to complete. The car would have to be scanned to ensure all of the penalizing color(s) and odor had been removed prior to returning to the track.
Click to expand...
That's a very LeMons / ChumpCar approach to the problem. You overlooked requiring the cleaning be done with toothbrushes
 
kkfan91 said:
People do.this everytime tracks make small.chnages acting like these guys aren't professionals for a reason.
Click to expand...
tbh, arca really isnt the best tell because like, 5 people go fast enough to really replicate even the truck series, and the rest are going highway speeds most of the time
 
Charlie Spencer said:
ARCA has run 20 laps with no problems with the tire barriers in turns 1 or 5. If they can do it, maybe Ty Dillon and Cody Ware can get by too.
Click to expand...
Big improvement in the Trucks so far. The carnage in turn one, the speed wasn't as fast as it usually is and the numbers involved were smaller than usual. Turn 6 was a nothing burger so far. Two more to go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom