"ncasolowork2" (ncasolowork2)
03/10/2014 at 08:41 • Filed to: None
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"ncasolowork2" (ncasolowork2)
03/10/2014 at 08:41 • Filed to: None | 0
| 3 |
So at the beginning of the year after the Daytona 500 Dale Jr. made a comment in an interview that instantly made me not hate the new chase format as much as I did. With just 26 (or 29 I forget) races to qualify for the chase 1 win will essentially lock you in. After you have that win you can gamble because 2nd place finishes are meaningless when you reach the chase. Wins give you bonus points second place finishes give you nothing.
So that's exactly what Dale Jr did Sunday. He gambled on fuel mileage. Clean air at the 1.5mile tracks still rules the day. Jr. was competitive most of the day, but getting in clean air for a restart with 47 laps to go put him in a strong position. The pit window for most teams was around lap 50. Jr. made it 55 laps on the previous fuel run and including caution laps would need approximately 58 laps on this run.
Keslowski pushed Jr. as hard as he could, but couldn't get by him despite being the faster car. (needed DRS) On the last lap Jr. ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 2. Keslowski cruised by on the back straight and Jr. sputtered to the line 1.5 seconds back but still enough to keep 2nd place. There is no way if Jr. was points racing that he gambles on fuel like that. It made for an interesting finish to an otherwise relatively boring race. It is a shame Harvick had a mechanical failure. He seemed to have the strongest car in the field again this week. With that said Jr has an average finish of 1.66 and Keslowski an average finish of 2.33. That's a pretty good start to the season for those two drivers.
quarterlifecrisis
> ncasolowork2
03/10/2014 at 08:59 |
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It's interesting how something that will happen 6-7 months from now plays into strategy at this point in the game. I'm not a big NASCAR fan by any measure, but the strategy that goes into their racing, and at this point their season is definitely impressive.
puddler
> ncasolowork2
03/10/2014 at 09:06 |
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i can't wait until micheal buffer is the announcer...
"are you ready to nascar (spoken in trademarked singsong voice)"
Nothing
> ncasolowork2
03/10/2014 at 11:29 |
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I really, really dislike the 1.5 mile tracks. I do like NASCAR and have since, well, I can remember. Growing up in the 70s/80s, I was a huge DW fan. I also thought the '85 Tbird was just the coolest car EVER in Nascar (I don't know if I knew of the Superbird/Charger Daytona at that time). But the proliferation of the 1.5 mile cookie cutter tracks is what has cooled my interest in Nascar more than anything.
However, since my father in law has worked in Nascar shops for years, I tend to follow whichever team he is currently on. This year, he's in Nationwide for JRM, which is having a good start. Kinda neat that his "boss" is Dale JR.
Now, onto Bristol!