The 2021 Running NASCAR/IMSA/other racing things thread

[wicked]

I heard DW on Junior’s podcast a couple months ago, and he said that in 1980 he was making $100k (~$315k in 2021) and 40 percent of the purse. He was a star but not the best guy in the sport. If that’s true, I’m surprised. Apparently there was more money in the sport then than I thought there was.

 

[wicked]

Not U.S. stock cars, but I found this pretty fascinating. I thought the U.S. was the only place with an oval racing scene. Rockingham UK has already come and gone. Of course things are a bit different on ovals across the pond. These cars seem more like amusement park go-karts.

Old NI Oval Racing Photos

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I heard DW on Junior’s podcast a couple months ago, and he said that in 1980 he was making $100k (~$315k in 2021) and 40 percent of the purse. He was a star but not the best guy in the sport. If that’s true, I’m surprised. Apparently there was more money in the sport then than I thought there was.

DiGard and Junior Johnson were not exactly hurting back in the day.

 

[Driftwood]

For every DW, Petty, and Cale, there were many more Slick Johnsons, DK Ulrichs, and Connie Saylors.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

DiGard and Junior Johnson were not exactly hurting back in the day.

Expenses were a lot less back in the day — not everyone had the fancy hauler and nobody had an over-the-wall gang that only worked on Sunday. Forty percent of the purse for DW in 1980 came out to $162,284.40. As I recall, that 40 percent was a pretty handsome deal for a driver.

Things started changing after Days of Thunder.

And yeah, compressing the schedule down to Tuesday-Sunday is so much better for everybody.

The teams in the Clash used to send their haulers down for the first weekend and flew the crews down on Friday, then flew back Sunday and wouldn’t come back until Wednesday morning. I’m not sure this week’s schedule is any less relatively expensive.

 

[Driftwood]

Expenses were a lot less back in the day — not everyone had the fancy hauler and nobody had an over-the-wall gang that only worked on Sunday. Forty percent of the purse for DW in 1980 came out to $162,284.40. As I recall, that 40 percent was a pretty handsome deal for a driver.

Things started changing after Days of Thunder.



The teams in the Clash used to send their haulers down for the first weekend and flew the crews down on Friday, then flew back Sunday and wouldn’t come back until Wednesday morning. I’m not sure this week’s schedule is any less relatively expensive.

Whhhhhhhaat?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

 

[Sam Mills 51]

For every DW, Petty, and Cale, there were many more Slick Johnsons, DK Ulrichs, and Connie Saylors.

No Lennie Pond, Buddy Arrington or J.D. McDuffie?

 

[playthrough]

The road course idea is silly, IMO. If it's a race for pole sitters, it should be in a discipline where the majority of poles are awarded — on ovals.

Let's see if all these people who were clamoring for more road courses actually watch and buy tickets (if they're allowed this year). Looking at you, Brickyard 400.

 

[Driftwood]

No Lennie Pond, Buddy Arrington or J.D. McDuffie?

Those guys were the next tier up!
My wife actually played softball with McDuffie's daughter at Louisburg.... said she always had a nice Monte Carlo.

 

[DanOregon]

What happened to Roush Racing? They used to be one of the "superteams" and now they're just a mid-pack group. Figured with the Fenway money they'd be better, but they've been on a long decline.

 

[Driftwood]

There have always been the haves and have nots in NASCAR.
In 2020, 5 drivers won 28 races; 8 won 1 each.
In 2019, it was 7x30; 5x1
In 2018, 7x31; 5x1
In 1990, 6x21; 8x1
In 1985, 6x25, 3x1
In 1980, 8x29; 2x1

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

What happened to Roush Racing? They used to be one of the "superteams" and now they're just a mid-pack group. Figured with the Fenway money they'd be better, but they've been on a long decline.

That period in the twenty-oughts when the PTB at Roush Racing were more interested in drivers who could master sponsor engagement than in drivers who could master race cars has left a long shadow.

 

[wicked]

Roush could have signed Chase Briscoe or Ross Chastain (did have him for a couple races, I suppose) or Allmendinger or any of those younger guys.

What’s happened at Childress is worse IMO. Dillon got into the playoffs but otherwise, I feel like they’re a non-entity, particularly since Harvick left. I don’t recall them blowing up a lot, so I doubt the Chevy common engine is gonna help much.

 

[wicked]

Figured with the Fenway money they'd be better, but they've been on a long decline.

Liverpool is John Henry’s current obsession. I guess he’s still involved with iRacing, too. He could not care less about NASCAR or the Red Sox (or The Boston Globe, for that matter).

 

[Driftwood]

Not a fan. This should be something to get people fired up about the season, and I was literally asleep by the third lap.

 

[Driftwood]

I guess I don't begrudge NASCAR for trying something new, but to channel my inner Lou Brown: "Nice race. Don't ever ****in' do it again."

Part of enjoying watching Daytona events in February is seeing the sunshine and palm trees as a reality break from it being nasty winter, not watching a night race.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Not a fan. This should be something to get people fired up about the season, and I was literally asleep by the third lap.

Then you misse a fantastic finish.

Too long, though. Should’ve been 20 laps, with no fuel stop.

 

[Driftwood]

Then you misse a fantastic finish.

Too long, though. Should’ve been 20 laps, with no fuel stop.

No, I stuck with it until the end. The finish was fun.

 

[wicked]

Six of the top 10 in qualifying were Chevys.

DAYTONA 500 | Official Site Of NASCAR

Bubba has done well on the big tracks, so the time isn’t a total surprise.