2014 NASCAR Thread

[89Hen]

Delaware International Speedway (Delmar).

Why do these places call themselves "international"? Are drivers flocking to Delmar from all over the world?

[Gil Dobie]

I had three friends in high school who were dirt track racers. All of us enjoyed the occasional dose of THC. Two of those guys still race. One is a frequent modified series champion at Delaware International Speedway (Delmar).

Not condoning anything, but I'd bet there are plenty of guys racing at local dirt tracks with so-called impairment levels of pot in their system who are not dangers to themselves or others on the track.

Pot rarely ever made me want to fight anyone or charge at a moving vehicle. The drug that killed Kevin Ward was testosterone laced with stupidity.

Depends on how much pot he smoked. Being high takes away from your focus.

[93henfan]

I'm not sure if it's the perfect weather, improving economy, or a new playoff format, but there are noticeably more people milling about Dover Downs today. It certainly won't be a sellout, but there are clearly more people here than I've seen in four or five years.

Here is the Dale Jr. trailer outside turn 4. It was a ghost town at the spring race:

[93henfan]

So today's race is the final race of round 1. Dale Jr needs something like a top 27 finish to clinch a spot in the next round. He qualified badly at 25th. Gotta hope he doesn't get caught up in an early wreck back there. His crew will get him in the top 15 after the first pit stop. Gotta hope he stays out of trouble the first 30 laps.

[DSUrocks07]

I'm not sure if it's the perfect weather, improving economy, or a new playoff format, but there are noticeably more people milling about Dover Downs today. It certainly won't be a sellout, but there are clearly more people here than I've seen in four or five years.

Here is the Dale Jr. trailer outside turn 4. It was a ghost town at the spring race:

How did it look in the stands today? Some of my former co-workers said that it does seem to be a few more people for this race.

[93henfan]

Nothing like ten years ago Rocks. I'd say 70k. But I think we've passed rock bottom.

[clenz]

From Twitter

[93henfan]

Conveniently not showing the front stretch stands which are where most people are. Like I said, likely half capacity today, or ~70k.

[clenz]

It's not like i control who ever took that photo.

I couldn't tell you what part of the track that's facing

[DSUrocks07]

From Twitter

Not bad, (from the angle) I see that they didn't tarp off the stands as much as they've done in previous years.

[93henfan]

It's not like i control who ever took that photo.

I couldn't tell you what part of the track that's facing

It's somebody in turn 3/4 shooting toward turn 1/2. The turns had very sparse turnout. The front straight seating, which you can see just a tad of at the right edge of the photo, runs the length of the speedway and was mostly full today.

[TheDancinMonarch]

It's not like i control who ever took that photo.

I couldn't tell you what part of the track that's facing

It's somebody in turn 3/4 shooting toward turn 1/2. The turns had very sparse turnout. The front straight seating, which you can see just a tad of at the right edge of the photo, runs the length of the speedway and was mostly full today.

Mostly? Please define mostly. And maybe you can use 2000, the year that is, as a baseline for your definition.

[DSUrocks07]

Looking forward to being back at the Dover races next year

[Ivytalk]

93, I posted about my Dover experience in the JMU-UD thread. Definitely more peeps than June.

[93henfan]

93, I posted about my Dover experience in the JMU-UD thread. Definitely more peeps than June.

It's a good sign for the track and for NASCAR.

[89Hen]

24!

[93henfan]

24!

Sure beats seeing Jimmie Johnson win again.

[93henfan]

So we're on to round 2 of the playoffs. Twelve drivers have advanced and four more will be eliminated in this next round. The races are Kansas, Charlotte, and Talladega in that order.

Kansas and Charlotte will be critical as Talladega sometimes has as few as 20 cars finishing the race. There will be large crashes. It is inevitable with the current cars.

[BDKJMU]

It's not like i control who ever took that photo.

I couldn't tell you what part of the track that's facing

It's somebody in turn 3/4 shooting toward turn 1/2. The turns had very sparse turnout. The front straight seating, which you can see just a tad of at the right edge of the photo, runs the length of the speedway and was mostly full today.

Yep. I was gonna guess 70s k also, with 60sk butts in seats for most of race. Frontstretch pretty full, beginning of turn 1 and coming out of turn 4 majority full, rest of turns 1 & 4 + turns 2 & 3 majority empty with ads covering up the usual locations cming out of turn 2 into the backstretch and going into turn 3.

Had to be 20k more there than during the Spring race, which was a joke.

[93henfan]

The beaches were insanely busy all summer, so I think that took away from the June race. This weekend's race was the latest Dover date in awhile, so I think people were out of beach mode, though it was a beautiful beach day if they had gone. But months in advance, you look at Sep 28 on the calendar and you assume the race is a better bet than the beach.

[89Hen]

So with the win, does that mean the 24 is already safe for the next cut as well? There can only be 6 unique winners and 8 advance.

[89Hen]

I think people were out of beach mode

I sure am. Folks around here are tied up with kids sports every weekend.

[DSUrocks07]

The beaches were insanely busy all summer, so I think that took away from the June race. This weekend's race was the latest Dover date in awhile, so I think people were out of beach mode, though it was a beautiful beach day if they had gone. But months in advance, you look at Sep 28 on the calendar and you assume the race is a better bet than the beach.

Which is going to suck if Dover gets bumped down to just the summer race in a couple years.

[93henfan]

So with the win, does that mean the 24 is already safe for the next cut as well? There can only be 6 unique winners and 8 advance.

No. Clean break between rounds. Top 12 have points reset. All winners of next three races move to the round of 8, along with obviously the highest in points to round out the eight slots. Same rules for the three races in the round of eight. Then, Chase race #10 at Homestead is a single race championship among the top four.

[Ivytalk]

Next year's "fall" Dover race will be the first weekend in October.