Seriously, what was different about this Talladega race?

I am breaking it down to 669 fps and compositing it all up, before commencing my report summaries. Being able to see the air at 669 fps is something incredibe.

Disclosure: I can see the wimmins in the stands at 669 fps too.
OMG this is gonna take a while.
:blink:
 
No, I didn't.

No, I didn't notice, but I acknowledge I wasn't looking for it. My mistaken expectations had me watching to see if the trailing car could pass without help. I was looking for something that wasn't supposed to be there, and so missing what I didn't know to look for.

To bad Charlie, I don't like crash fests so I am not a fan of Dega or Daytona. However this was a very good race, drivers had to actually check up a bit and with the extra 100 HP they didn't lose much. The big difference for me was watching cars get right out of shape and yet got control so no accident. Some drivers just have fast hands. The first big accident was Bubba
and he doesn't have very good car control on any track.
 
They drive with their mirrors. The big tracks used to be my favorites but now the leader just blocks. And this race had manufacturer orders.
 
I noticed a little bit more passing compared to the last couple Dega races, but other than that I’ll agree it wasn’t a massive difference. But I’ve always loved Talladega so I’m not complaining.
 
So the difference as I saw it was that this was a mini version of the CART Hanford device they used for a brief time. The put a big ass draggy thing on the back of the car so cars can get run and pass. The CART boys were kind of able to figure out have two cars use it to gain speed on everyone else by working together and getting runs on each other playing a weird game of leap frog between the two cars.

In the end the cars go fast, they get runs on each other, there is some forward and back movement through the field. It's better than the past where there was 2x2, 3x3, or even 4x4 rows and none of the lanes move and a driver 4th in line can do nothing.

It' still not what I consider racing, they're not braking for turns and in the end it's about using the draft to position yourself against the rest of the mayhem. Luck of the draw wins when the choice by any particular driver lines up with the choices that every other driver makes. It's almost like sci fi alternate realities where if anyone one guy changes a small thing he does one the last lap we get a different winner.
 
It looked to me like the drivers had a bit more throttle response than during the plate years. If somebody had to briefly backed out of the throttle, he didn't get trained as in years past.
 
By Talladega standards, it didn't devolve into a crashfest, so that's a positive. The manufacturer-based tactics I can do without. I think it's a negative on modern-day Daytona/Talladega racing because with less guys out there racing for themselves and even the teams are subjected to the whims of the manufacturer, there's less room for alternative strategies or even a guy choosing to move out of line. Late in the race you can tell the Chevys were riding on the bottom lane and no one dared move.

There are some non-wrecks I'm not sure how something big didn't happen. Stenhouse continues to drive like an idiot in these races, and Blaney especially was constantly getting sent loose and having to save by whoever was behind him.

I guess though I'd give the race a thumbs up.
 
This package was great for the racing, I really hope they keep it. But sadly, I have a bad feeling that someone is going to get hurt and that will be the end of it. Just like the 2000-01 roof-wicker package... Great racing, but it killed Dale Sr.

For real though, look at Larson's flip at the end. I don't think people realize how close we came to seeing infield fans injured or killed yesterday. The roof flaps couldn't do enough to keep him planted as he slid sideways. Had the car lifted off just a little sooner, that car would have flown full-speed into the infield catch fence which doesn't look nearly as strong as the outer fence. Instead he hit halfway up the Safer barrier and that stopped him dead.

 
This package was great for the racing, I really hope they keep it. But sadly, I have a bad feeling that someone is going to get hurt and that will be the end of it. Just like the 2000-01 roof-wicker package... Great racing, but it killed Dale Sr.

For real though, look at Larson's flip at the end. I don't think people realize how close we came to seeing infield fans injured or killed yesterday. The roof flaps couldn't do enough to keep him planted as he slid sideways. Had the car lifted off just a little sooner, that car would have flown full-speed into the infield catch fence which doesn't look nearly as strong as the outer fence. Instead he hit halfway up the Safer barrier and that stopped him dead.

I recall somebody saying they raised the ride height by an inch or something? That's a bad thing to do sliding like that. It's just asking to pick the car up. The roof flaps do very little at that angle. The hood flaps do nothing. The air gets trapped between the floor pan and the ground it becomes a giant wedge-shaped air bubble.
 
Kyle does amazing things all the time, that is part of his appeal.
As a driver he is what I like. Then he opens his mouth and it all goes away.
I like to watch above average skills in people but it doesn't give them a free ride on being ignorant.
 
As a driver he is what I like. Then he opens his mouth and it all goes away.
I like to watch above average skills in people but it doesn't give them a free ride on being ignorant.


I am going to actually prevent a further derail here, before @ stepinit comes along and complains


a.jpg


no further comments
 
As a driver he is what I like. Then he opens his mouth and it all goes away.
I like to watch above average skills in people but it doesn't give them a free ride on being ignorant.
I avoid that by not listening to most of what they say. Mostly I just turn the TV on the race starts, and turn it off when the checkers drop.
 
I avoid that by not listening to most of what they say. Mostly I just turn the TV on the race starts, and turn it off when the checkers drop.
I DVD the race and like to start about 1 hour into it. Skip all the BS and get right to the green flag.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sdj
If you complaining about plate racing and have never been to a plate race
You need to go to a plate race, preferably Talladega
Tv does no justice
I love sitting all the way at the bottom at the start finish line (practice)
the cars come out of the trioval and head right to you
They come at you nice and slow, then bam they’re in turn two

My first Talladega race was the 93 Diehard 500
Been there 3 times, every time was awesome
 
If you complaining about plate racing and have never been to a plate race
You need to go to a plate race, preferably Talladega
Tv does no justice
I love sitting all the way at the bottom at the start finish line (practice)
the cars come out of the trioval and head right to you
They come at you nice and slow, then bam they’re in turn two

My first Talladega race was the 93 Diehard 500
Been there 3 times, every time was awesome


While it maybe a good spectacle and entertainment, it is not what I call racing. see my above post about luck of the draw at the end of the race

It's more like WWE putting on a good show and calling it wrestling. WWE admits they are entertainment and not competition though
 
Back
Top Bottom