Delaying Daytona

[imjustagirl]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

 

[trifectarich]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

 

[Bubbler]

Is 90-year-old Morgan Shepherd in this year's race?

 

[imjustagirl]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

You don't use Daytona cars at Phoenix. They have to go back to the shop to get the Phoenix cars.

 

[Double J]

Is 90-year-old Morgan Shepherd in this year's race?

Nope. He hasn't raced in Cup since 2006. He also missed the Nationwide race at Daytona after running the full schedule last year.

Get this, though. He was in all 34 Nationwide events in 2011 but failed to finish 15 of them and wasn't on the lead lap in any of the 19 races he did finish. He led no laps, he won no races. His best finish was 18th, his average finish was 29th - and he still managed to earn more than $600,000. No wonder he won't quit.

http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2011/B

 

[JackReacher]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

You don't use Daytona cars at Phoenix. They have to go back to the shop to get the Phoenix cars.

So, these teams don't have second trailer that could have left for Phoenix last night (or this morning) with the track-specific car?

Also, why such a long distance between the first two races? There's got to be tracks closer than that with weather decent enough to run, right? Talladega maybe. Miami. Any other track in the South.

I know nothing about NASCAR.

 

[maumann]

Simple answer, Ryan, no.

Most teams have a test hauler, but all of their key equipment -- tools, spare parts, radios, crew uniforms, etc. -- are all on the primary hauler. And the test haulers are already going into service to bring the Las Vegas cars out west next week, since the primaries won't be able to make it back to Charlotte in between.

That's part and parcel of having a limited number of warm-weather tracks in February and March. And in this instance, NASCAR's decision to move its race off Washington's Birthday weekend -- and delete an early-season off-week -- is coming back to bite them.

If the weather even cooperates, they're running on a work day instead of a holiday. If not, they won't have an open date until Easter. And the 500 crowd is much more national, while the July race caters more to locals.

Side note: Was told a few years back that a race postponement costs NASCAR somewhere in the neighborhood of $750,000 a day. I don't remember exactly what it includes, but imagine that the majority of it is spent on additional hotel, food, travel arrangements for all of the Cup officials and support staff. It's a pretty big circus.

 

[JackReacher]

Interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Layman]

Wasn't moving the date, due to the possibility of an extended NFL lockout / possible "late" Super Bowl? Seems to ring a bell.

The early season schedule is always a bit of a crap shoot, more so as they've added and deleted certain tracks. We've been going to the spring Bristol race (annual boys trip) for about 15 years. In the early days, I distinctly remember watching Masters coverage at the hotel, the day (Saturday) before the race. A few years back, we got to experience Kurt Bush making "snow angels" as part of his victory celebration. This year, it's on St. Patty's weekend...which has an average high of 60 for that weekend. Ugh.

 

[playthrough]

If I'd had known last week that this would be a Tuesday race, I could have figured out a way to go. Without the crazy traffic. Darn.

 

[maumann]

It's a "damned if you, damned if you don't" situation. Once NASCAR got greedy with a 36-race schedule, they have to run somewhere. Plus, the ratings are much better in February/March because there isn't a lot of competition.

But there aren't a lot of good choices (since NASCAR wants to finish the season at Homestead). It snowed a foot in Atlanta one year. You literally had to scrape the ice off the seats at Rockingham and Richmond. And it poured rain at Fontana more than once. So what do you do? You go 2,500 miles to the desert. Heck, even Daytona can have lousy weather -- I've worn long underwear to the 500 twice, in 1979 and for the pothole fiasco.

And yeah, the date change for Daytona was a "preemptive strike" because if the NFL ever expands its schedule to 18 games, Washington's Birthday weekend is a logical landing place for the Super Bowl. But I find it humorous that after running the race for more than four decades with a Monday holiday, the first time NASCAR moves the date, they get the postponement.

I don't have any insight as to NASCAR's "drop dead" time tonight, but I'm guessing if they don't see the green flag by 8 p.m., this race will be run on the Saturday before Easter. There's just not enough turn around time to try again Tuesday and still make Phoenix.

 

[podunk press]

I'd think they try Tuesday, then simply cram everything they can for Phoenix into Saturday.

Tough, tough deal.

I am happy about the 7 p.m. start. Most folks who aren't at the track are. I feel bad for everyone who is.

 

[trifectarich]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

You don't use Daytona cars at Phoenix. They have to go back to the shop to get the Phoenix cars.

Hmmmm. OK, glad I asked; I learned something today. So, in an attempt to improve my NASCAR IQ another point or two, why is that? (I thought they kept on using the same car, week after week, until it got wrecked.) Why isn't the Daytona car useful at Phoenix? How many different cars does a team keep on hand?

 

[Versatile]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

You don't use Daytona cars at Phoenix. They have to go back to the shop to get the Phoenix cars.

Hmmmm. OK, glad I asked; I learned something today. So, in an attempt to improve my NASCAR IQ another point or two, why is that? (I thought they kept on using the same car, week after week, until it got wrecked.) Why isn't the Daytona car useful at Phoenix? How many different cars does a team keep on hand?

The Daytona and Talladega races require restrictor plates. Others can be more specific, but I think teams typically bring three cars.

 

[trifectarich]

Yes, but the next race is next Sunday in Phoenix. You'd like for everybody to be able to get there as quickly as possible.

Haulers are due in at 5 p.m. Thursday. As a smart man wrote today:

Right now, the haulers are scheduled to park at PIR Thursday evening at 5 p.m. local time. If the race ends tomorrow evening about this time (8:30 p.m. ET) -- that's 71 hours away.

For example: It's 523 miles from DIS to Welcome, N.C., and 2,143 miles from there to PIR. Averaging 60 mph, that's about 45 hours just in travel alone -- if there aren't any issues. And that doesn't count unloading and loading the hauler once it gets to the shop.

So, no, running a prime time race was not ideal.

Someone will have to explain to me why you'd have to go from Florida to Arizona via North Carolina.

You don't use Daytona cars at Phoenix. They have to go back to the shop to get the Phoenix cars.

Hmmmm. OK, glad I asked; I learned something today. So, in an attempt to improve my NASCAR IQ another point or two, why is that? (I thought they kept on using the same car, week after week, until it got wrecked.) Why isn't the Daytona car useful at Phoenix? How many different cars does a team keep on hand?

The Daytona and Talladega races require restrictor plates. Others can be more specific, but I think teams typically bring three cars.

I'm not even going to ask what a restrictor plate does for fear I might crawl under my car in the garage tonight and start tinkering with various parts. "Hmmm, I wonder if this part is important?"

 

[waterytart]

Think of it as something designed to rate a car. ;)

 

[imjustagirl]

You have cars for each kind of track (mile and a half, short track, restrictor plate, two-miles) because each type has different needs. Within each of those groups, you focus the car more specifically to 2-3 tracks. So the Daytona cars aren't used at Phoenix, Phoenix isn't used at Vegas, etc.

 

[User 11148]

I'm not even going to ask what a restrictor plate does for fear I might crawl under my car in the garage tonight and start tinkering with various parts. "Hmmm, I wonder if this part is important?"

Before the switch to electronic fuel injection (this year), at Talladega and at Daytona cars were required to have a plate between the carburetor and the "throat" leading down into the intake manifold. This restricted the flow of air/fuel mixture and acted as a cap on top speeds. Restrictor plates at those two tracks were mandated after the 1987 Winston 500 (at Talladega) when Bobby Allison went airborne (and into the fence) at around 210 mph -- Bill Elliott had set the all-time qualifying record at something like 214 mph earlier that week. At that 1987 race, lots of debris went into the crowd, and they had to black flag it for a good while as they repaired the fence. They tried smaller carburetors for a race or two, then shifted to the restrictor players at those two tracks ever since.

Now that electronic fuel injection is in use, the restrictor plate simply restricts the amount of air that can enter the throttle body.

 

[joe king]

I'm not even going to ask what a restrictor plate does for fear I might crawl under my car in the garage tonight and start tinkering with various parts. "Hmmm, I wonder if this part is important?"

Before the switch to electronic fuel injection (this year), at Talladega and at Daytona cars were required to have a plate between the carburetor and the "throat" leading down into the intake manifold. This restricted the flow of air/fuel mixture and acted as a cap on top speeds. Restrictor plates at those two tracks were mandated after the 1987 Winston 500 (at Talladega) when Bobby Allison went airborne (and into the fence) at around 210 mph -- Bill Elliott had set the all-time qualifying record at something like 214 mph earlier that week. At that 1987 race, lots of debris went into the crowd, and they had to black flag it for a good while as they repaired the fence. They tried smaller carburetors for a race or two, then shifted to the restrictor players at those two tracks ever since.

Now that electronic fuel injection is in use, the restrictor plate simply restricts the amount of air that can enter the throttle body.

Translation for all us non-gearheads: A restrictor plate slows the damn car down.

 

[User 11148]

I'm not even going to ask what a restrictor plate does for fear I might crawl under my car in the garage tonight and start tinkering with various parts. "Hmmm, I wonder if this part is important?"

Before the switch to electronic fuel injection (this year), at Talladega and at Daytona cars were required to have a plate between the carburetor and the "throat" leading down into the intake manifold. This restricted the flow of air/fuel mixture and acted as a cap on top speeds. Restrictor plates at those two tracks were mandated after the 1987 Winston 500 (at Talladega) when Bobby Allison went airborne (and into the fence) at around 210 mph -- Bill Elliott had set the all-time qualifying record at something like 214 mph earlier that week. At that 1987 race, lots of debris went into the crowd, and they had to black flag it for a good while as they repaired the fence. They tried smaller carburetors for a race or two, then shifted to the restrictor players at those two tracks ever since.

Now that electronic fuel injection is in use, the restrictor plate simply restricts the amount of air that can enter the throttle body.

Translation for all us non-gearheads: A restrictor plate slows the damn car down.

It does at top speed which, at Talladega and Daytona, you run all the way around the track. At other tracks you have to ease out of the throttle (and maybe get into the brakes) to get around the turns. But at those two, with their size and steep banking, you go flat out all the way around.

My first-ever NASCAR race was that one at Talladega in 1987, when I was the only guy there for our paper. I remember thinking, chit, now I gotta do a mass disaster story. But dayum those cars were powerful. They'd get the green flag (at Talladega they get it around the middle of the tri-oval, at Daytona they get it coming out of turn 4) and they'd already be at near full speed by the time they got out of turn 2. Now, they have to go nearly a lap to build up enough momentum to get up to full speed.