Silly Season 2020

StandOnIt said:
Kinda had me fooled. Kenseth showed up and ran similar to Stenhouse so I was thinking it was a car problem mostly. Newman's scrappy style put the spotlight back though. Why they kept Bayne as long as they did is another head scratcher.
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I thought the same thing Re: Newman setting the world on fire. Newman did ok at Homestead last year but otherwise was meh. Roush still has a long ways to go. I hate to see any Ford team down especially Roush. Here's my prediction though. Newman will go nowhere. When he was in that 39 car he did nothing that I can remember outside of an indy win. I love his driving style but he beat out Jimme Johnson for rookie of the year and basically just fizzled out. Crazy.
 
10-4 said:
I thought the same thing Re: Newman setting the world on fire. Newman did ok at Homestead last year but otherwise was meh. Roush still has a long ways to go. I hate to see any Ford team down especially Roush. Here's my prediction though. Newman will go nowhere. When he was in that 39 car he did nothing that I can remember outside of an indy win. I love his driving style but he beat out Jimme Johnson for rookie of the year and basically just fizzled out. Crazy.
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I remember his win at Phoenix in 2010 on Easter Weekend in the Tornadoes paint scheme
 
10-4 said:
I thought the same thing Re: Newman setting the world on fire. Newman did ok at Homestead last year but otherwise was meh. Roush still has a long ways to go. I hate to see any Ford team down especially Roush. Here's my prediction though. Newman will go nowhere. When he was in that 39 car he did nothing that I can remember outside of an indy win. I love his driving style but he beat out Jimme Johnson for rookie of the year and basically just fizzled out. Crazy.
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Ryan Newman is Kasey Kahne with slightly more success. I say that as a Kasey fan
 
ahhculdee said:
I remember his win at Phoenix in 2010 on Easter Weekend in the Tornadoes paint scheme
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Wow, now I remember getting free Tornadoes at the Rock at an ARCA race Logano won. Racing Reference says that was '08. Beautiful day, perfect weather, typical promotional girl handing out Tornadoes on toothpicks, decent race although Sliced Bread dominated it, ...

... and we all though the Rock was back to stay.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Wow, now I remember getting free Tornadoes at the Rock at an ARCA race Logano won. Racing Reference says that was '08. Beautiful day, perfect weather, typical promotional girl handing out Tornadoes on toothpicks, decent race although Sliced Bread dominated it, ...

... and we all though the Rock was back to stay.
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Back when ARCA was actually a fun series to follow as well. ARCA and K&N have a lot of issues that need fixed.
 
Giving Bell the better opportunities. Kind of a slap in the face to Matt so I’m sure he’s glad to move to a team that will give him the best opportunities instead of just mailing it in.

As for what will be done in the expanded relationship, Wilson said: “Enhanced hardware, enhanced communication, sharing of information, the tools that TRD provides will be further enhanced, time available on our sim (simulator) and everything that TRD brings to the table is going to be the same as what it has been with Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Wilson said the move to strengthen the alliance between the two teams is because of Bell.

https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2019/0...have-enhanced-alliance-with-joe-gibbs-racing/
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Kind of a slap in the face to Matt
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It's just not. I am certain that Matt knew what he was getting into, and where that ride was going to go. He has never come out to say that he was shocked when he wasn't renewed, and there is a reason for that--he wasn't. To his credit, he has mentioned how grateful he has been for the opportunity. All of the other drama stuff was about exposure for a ride....Who could blame him?
 
Revman said:
It's just not. I am certain that Matt knew what he was getting into, and where that ride was going to go. He has never come out to say that he was shocked when he wasn't renewed, and there is a reason for that--he wasn't. To his credit, he has mentioned how grateful he has been for the opportunity. All of the other drama stuff was about exposure for a ride....Who could blame him?
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He’s a humble dude.
 
Bob and Mike Wheeler handed Matt D a winning machine at Bristol -- and he couldn't get it done.

Bell is on an impressive upward trajectory -- Bob, Joe, Toyota are intelligently building their futures.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
He’s a humble dude.
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I won't argue that because that is what he gives us, and I am all about appreciating a driver for what he gives us. However, I would have liked him to be more up front about all of this instead of letting the idiot media run with the "shocked" narrative. He wasn't....and the crying wife stuff he talks about dances on the edge of being somewhat disingenuous. Additionally, the "fighting for his life" stuff was really over the top. I am glad he has a seat, and we don't have to listen too this anymore.
 
Ventisca said:
Bob and Mike Wheeler handed Matt D a winning machine at Bristol -- and he couldn't get it done.

Bell is on an impressive upward trajectory -- Bob, Joe, Toyota are intelligently building their futures.
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I agree, and I think most of this board understands this, but there are those who make it their mission on ripping into anything Bob, Joe, and Toyota do. In some parts, this is called trolling, but not when these three are the topic apparently.
 
Revman said:
I won't argue that because that is what he gives us, and I am all about appreciating a driver for what he gives us. However, I would have liked him to be more up front about all of this instead of letting the idiot media run with the "shocked" narrative. He wasn't....and the crying wife stuff he talks about dances on the edge of being somewhat disingenuous. Additionally, the "fighting for his life" stuff was really over the top. I am glad he has a seat, and we don't have to listen too this anymore.
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That's the thing, nothing is guaranteed. He could have easily been out of NASCAR on many occasions. He could have been ousted after BK Racing and GoFas, then to risk it with the 95 has worked out in his favor. He could have easily been placed back into another backmarkers and out of sight, again.

A lot of these guys are fighting for their livelihoods, lets just be honest. The best way to do so is to do the best you can given any situation. Matt D for the millionth time has earned his keep and that has earned him an opprotunity with the Wood Brothers. See Ricky Stenhouse, he has no clue what's next for himself after 11 years with Roush.

To be in the premier series is no small task, but staying in it long-term and staying relevant is even harder. I don't think it was over the top because its true, he's fought his way into Cup and he doesn't want to go backwards. Can you blame him? I sure as hell can't.
 
Kiante said:
That's the thing, nothing is guaranteed. He could have easily been out of NASCAR on many occasions. He could have been ousted after BK Racing and GoFas, then to risk it with the 95 has worked out in his favor. He could have easily been placed back into another backmarkers and out of sight, again.

A lot of these guys are fighting for their livelihoods, lets just be honest. The best way to do so is to do the best you can given any situation. Matt D for the millionth time has earned his keep and that has earned him an opprotunity with the Wood Brothers. See Ricky Stenhouse, he has no clue what's next for himself after 11 years with Roush.

To be in the premier series is no small task, but staying in it long-term and staying relevant is even harder. I don't think it was over the top because its true, he's fought his way into Cup and he doesn't want to go backwards. Can you blame him? I sure as hell can't.
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Fighting for his life, and fighting for his livelihood are two different things. One is more dramatic than the other, and Matt did a great job of figuring that out. Matt makes a living in sport. Good for him. If it came to an end tomorrow, he has still had an opportunity to pay the rent playing a game--an experience most of us will never have. If he was axed, he would do what any of us would do...pick himself up, and find another job. We get romanced into thinking that these guys are just making it, and that if they lose their jobs, they will be living under a bridge.
 
Revman said:
Fighting for his life, and fighting for his livelihood are two different things. One is more dramatic than the other, and Matt did a great job of figuring that out. Matt makes a living in sport. Good for him. If it came to an end tomorrow, he has still had an opportunity to pay the rent playing a game--an experience most of us will never have. If he was axed, he would do what any of us would do...pick himself up, and find another job. We get romanced into thinking that these guys are just making it, and that if they lose their jobs, they will be living under a bridge.
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maybe you think that way. I believe what Matt said in context was about staying at the cup level when he said I am fighting for my life.
 
Revman said:
Fighting for his life, and fighting for his livelihood are two different things. One is more dramatic than the other, and Matt did a great job of figuring that out. Matt makes a living in sport. Good for him. If it came to an end tomorrow, he has still had an opportunity to pay the rent playing a game--an experience most of us will never have. If he was axed, he would do what any of us would do...pick himself up, and find another job. We get romanced into thinking that these guys are just making it, and that if they lose their jobs, they will be living under a bridge.
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Money is money, the drivers do extremely well for themselves. That's easy to understand, but I'm talking from an aspect of competition and staying in the eye of the NASCAR public.

No one wants to stay in equipment that is subpar for their entire career, he wants to compete for wins. This is why the 95 was a big deal for him. He's never had a car this good to compete with on a weekly basis and Bristol was winnable, but a lack of experience of leading in such situations made it difficult. That was a great opprotunity and it showed the level of talent he has to compete with a good piece.

Matt D wants a consistent opprotunity to show he can get it done, he has another one year deal with the Wood Brothers to get it done. "Fighting for his life" means to compete for wins, not money. He wants to win and show he can do it often because Matt D came from nothing and has marketed himself well. I remember he was with a sponsorless Xfinity team doing well for himself in a ****box.

No driver wants to go back to that.
 
Revman said:
I won't argue that because that is what he gives us, and I am all about appreciating a driver for what he gives us. However, I would have liked him to be more up front about all of this instead of letting the idiot media run with the "shocked" narrative. He wasn't....and the crying wife stuff he talks about dances on the edge of being somewhat disingenuous. Additionally, the "fighting for his life" stuff was really over the top. I am glad he has a seat, and we don't have to listen too this anymore.
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Regardless of what Matt knew or what you THINK he knew going into the season, I imagine that he thought if he did well enough, (and he did) that they would FIND a way to keep him in the fold, and probably genuinely WAS shocked when no effort was made towards that. It would be crazy to assume Bell wouldn't be part of the equation, but not as crazy to think that he had proven his worth and earned a chance to stay in the TRD family. That's the way the eternal optimist thinks, and if we have learned anything about Matt and the career path he has gone down, he IS one of those people. Any driver worth a damn thinks the only difference between themselves and say Jimmie Johnson is the right opportunity, so they tend to get fired up when they see the path to the right opportunity get blocked. As much as I hate to admit, it, at least at this point in time, being in the TRD family with a potential pathway to JGR is the closest thing to that golden opportunity as there is.
 
Ventisca said:
Bob and Mike Wheeler handed Matt D a winning machine at Bristol -- and he couldn't get it done.

Bell is on an impressive upward trajectory -- Bob, Joe, Toyota are intelligently building their futures.
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Bell hasn't won or even run a cup race yet. Very smart driver but it is a whole new ballgame in cup. Just ask Jones who has JGR equipment.
 
Team Penske said:
Bell hasn't won or even run a cup race yet. Very smart driver but it is a whole new ballgame in cup. Just ask Jones who has JGR equipment.
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Absolutely INTELLIGENT process of driver development in bringing Bell up to Cup from the lower Series.
 
Ventisca said:
Absolutely INTELLIGENT process of driver development in bringing Bell up to Cup from the lower Series.
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I can agree if what you are saying is in regards to financial support. Looks like a real winner except he hasn't won anything in the big boy series. Next season will answer that question.
He could end up being another Jones type driver.
 
Formerjackman said:
Regardless of what Matt knew or what you THINK he knew going into the season, I imagine that he thought if he did well enough, (and he did) that they would FIND a way to keep him in the fold, and probably genuinely WAS shocked when no effort was made towards that. It would be crazy to assume Bell wouldn't be part of the equation, but not as crazy to think that he had proven his worth and earned a chance to stay in the TRD family. That's the way the eternal optimist thinks, and if we have learned anything about Matt and the career path he has gone down, he IS one of those people. Any driver worth a damn thinks the only difference between themselves and say Jimmie Johnson is the right opportunity, so they tend to get fired up when they see the path to the right opportunity get blocked. As much as I hate to admit, it, at least at this point in time, being in the TRD family with a potential pathway to JGR is the closest thing to that golden opportunity as there is.
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Eternal optimism probably gets your feelings hurt a lot. IF you are right, he needs to surround himself with those who are more objective. In this instance, they would have explained that: 1) LFR has no sponsorship for a second car, and 2) <This is a big one>....Neither do you. Add 1 + 2, and even that eternal optimism thing starts to get shaken into reality. We could also add a #3 which is that David Wilson has stated (much to MY surprise) that a lower car count is desirable for Toyota until the arrival of the Gen 7. Matt would have had to work very, very hard to convince himself that what happened wouldn't happen. There are other words that I could use to describe that thought process, but I like Matt, and I wouldn't want my comments to be perceived as inflammatory. Regardless, at the end of the day, Matt was given an opportunity which is a reality for him that seems to have supplanted teary stories about crying wives, and racing for his life.
 
StandOnIt said:
maybe you think that way. I believe what Matt said in context was about staying at the cup level when he said I am fighting for my life.
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Words are important, and Matt knows that. He selected them for a desired dramatic effect. Given the growth of Matt Nation, I would say he has been successful.
 
Revman said:
We could also add a #3 which is that David Wilson has stated (much to MY surprise) that a lower car count is desirable for Toyota until the arrival of the Gen 7.
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I don't know about "we" part here. I thought you said the mythical David Wilson said they were going to have more cars for next year. :Do_O
 
StandOnIt said:
I don't know about "we" part here. I thought you said the mythical David Wilson said they were going to have more cars for next year. :Do_O
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Thus the parentheses ( ) stating....."much to MY surprise."
 
Revman said:
Eternal optimism probably gets your feelings hurt a lot. IF you are right, he needs to surround himself with those who are more objective. In this instance, they would have explained that: 1) LFR has no sponsorship for a second car, and 2) <This is a big one>....Neither do you. Add 1 + 2, and even that eternal optimism thing starts to get shaken into reality. We could also add a #3 which is that David Wilson has stated (much to MY surprise) that a lower car count is desirable for Toyota until the arrival of the Gen 7. Matt would have had to work very, very hard to convince himself that what happened wouldn't happen. There are other words that I could use to describe that thought process, but I like Matt, and I wouldn't want my comments to be perceived as inflammatory. Regardless, at the end of the day, Matt was given an opportunity which is a reality for him that seems to have supplanted teary stories about crying wives, and racing for his life.
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One of the questions I have is did LFR or Toyota ever even TRY to put a deal together, or were they fully committed to only one course of action from day one? You can call me naïve, but I don't think Matt's shock and surprise was just some act. Unless he says otherwise, I have to believe that he was given at least SOME possibility that he had a future there, no matter how small. If not, there would have been no reason for all parties not to say so right up front. It seems like a no-brainer now, but my guess is that the Bell to the 95 deal for 2020 wasn't nearly as certain as we like to think, and there was also the possibility that Jones doesn't return to the 20, most likely meaning Bell goes directly there. Either way, I am of the opinion that Matt was not delusional for thinking he had a shot to stay in the fold. Like I said, if you don't have the utmost in confidence in yourself, who else WILL?
 
Formerjackman said:
One of the questions I have is did LFR or Toyota ever even TRY to put a deal together, or were they fully committed to only one course of action from day one? You can call me naïve, but I don't think Matt's shock and surprise was just some act. Unless he says otherwise, I have to believe that he was given at least SOME possibility that he had a future there, no matter how small. If not, there would have been no reason for all parties not to say so right up front. It seems like a no-brainer now, but my guess is that the Bell to the 95 deal for 2020 wasn't nearly as certain as we like to think, and there was also the possibility that Jones doesn't return to the 20, most likely meaning Bell goes directly there. Either way, I am of the opinion that Matt was not delusional for thinking he had a shot to stay in the fold. Like I said, if you don't have the utmost in confidence in yourself, who else WILL?
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I guarantee nobody told Matt it was a one year deal when he was making a decision to move to Leavine.
 
Formerjackman said:
It seems like a no-brainer now, but my guess is that the Bell to the 95 deal for 2020 wasn't nearly as certain as we like to think, and there was also the possibility that Jones doesn't return to the 20, most likely meaning Bell goes directly there. Either way, I am of the opinion that Matt was not delusional for thinking he had a shot to stay in the fold. Like I said, if you don't have the utmost in confidence in yourself, who else WILL?
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Exactly. Last October, Leavine Family Racing announced a two-year contract for DiBenedetto to drive the #95. The team's escape clause was not disclosed publicly, but such options are common in Nascar and most other sports. If this 2020 Christopher Bell situation were known in advance to all parties, there would be no rationale for a second year in the contract... it would have been a one-year deal (like the Wood Brothers/DiBenedetto contract).

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2...ng-adds-dibenedetto-moves-toyota-2019-season/

Leavine Family Racing adds DiBenedetto, moves to Toyota

October 10, 2018 — The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season will be filled with changes for Leavine Family Racing — with a new driver on board, new manufacturer and a new technical alliance.

Matt DiBenedetto will join the team with a two-year contract to drive the No. 95 car, the team announced Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. LFR will also enter into a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and move to Toyota...

Leavine said that his agreement with DiBenedetto was a two-year deal, and that the TRD/JGR partnership was also for two years with an option for a third. A crew chief and other team personnel will be named later, he said....
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has the 88 found a full time sponsor yet, anyone hear any rumors? Nationwide as we know is leaving I just havent heard anything about a replacement for Bowman and team.
 
Snappy D said:
has the 88 found a full time sponsor yet, anyone hear any rumors? Nationwide as we know is leaving I just havent heard anything about a replacement for Bowman and team.
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All I know about is Hendrick said that no matter what Bowman will be in the car and I think he either said or the implication was even if it's sponsored by Hendrick Auto
 
not trying to start any kind of well anything really, but isnt this the rumor folder? and not the he said she said stuff?

i get all that but couldnt it be started in its own lil folder itself?
 
The other two that come to mind for me for the 37 that would bring some veteran presence, but still be coming from a lower series would be Brett Moffitt or Justin Allgair. Sounds like Justin is supposed to return to JRM again next year and not sure of Moffitt's contact status. But if the past has shown us anything is that a contact doesn't really mean a lot at the end of the day.
 
wi_racefan said:
The other two that come to mind for me for the 37 that would bring some veteran presence, but still be coming from a lower series would be Brett Moffitt or Justin Allgair. Sounds like Justin is supposed to return to JRM again next year and not sure of Moffitt's contact status. But if the past has shown us anything is that a contact doesn't really mean a lot at the end of the day.
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I think Allgaier had his fill of running middling Cup equipment in the 51. He seems content to run the Xfinity 7 car with a realistic chance of winning every week. I think it would take a more elite ride offer for him to make the jump again imo. Those 2 driver's that you mention are 2 of the best in the lower series that are semi-underrated.
 
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