I love it when people complain about how hard it is to pass. Take a look at the 18 and 31 just about every race. They don't seem to have much of a problem passing.

FiascoNamedLupe - 18 May 2008 04:39 PM

I love it when people complain about how hard it is to pass. Take a look at the 18 and 31 just about every race. They don't seem to have much of a problem passing.

Well meither did Matt last night but I was just saying the problem they were trying to fix in the old cars they only made worse. Even the drivers of the 18 and 31 talk about how much harder it is to pass in these cars than the old ones.

It was Actually a "Good Race". Not a CrashFest.
It was an overall Good Race with various leaders and lead changes.
I don't know what you guys are complaining about unless you NEED "Drama" to keep breathing.

Michael_Xi - 18 May 2008 04:52 PM

It was Actually a "Good Race". Not a CrashFest.
It was an overall Good Race with various leaders and lead changes.
I don't know what you guys are complaining about unless you NEED "Drama" to keep breathing.

That is your opinion not a fact. I don't need a crash fest to mkae it a good race but some passing would be nice. The only lead changes I saw were on restarts, pit stops, or when the leader had trouble. I guess NASCAR is getting more and more like F1 all the time.

BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wake me when SPEED is finally done with all the post-race hype from this snoozefest for the weekend.

Next year surprise the teams before the final segment by running it next door on the Dirt Track @ Lowes. THAT might help.

xlindax - 18 May 2008 07:14 AM

R-cubed - 18 May 2008 01:51 AM

yeah, i have to agree, it was rather boring. i was HOPING for wrecks, this was supposed to be the race where just about every car left in pieces, and that didnt happen. and kyle busch is a great driver, im not a fan, but there is no doubting he has talent.

I, for one, thought it was great racing all night, with a tremendous amount of passing. Where, exactly, did Kasey Kahn start, and how many cars did he pass? That 77 car got 3 laps down, and where did he finish? He was passing guys like Tony Stewart right up to the end.

It seems that only "fans" who wanted to see a wreckfest demolition derby were disappointed. They were rewarded with a demonstration of great driving ability instead, and, sadly, many seem to have been let down.

As for me, my disappointment was in some of the strategy calls such as the four tire stop that left Earnhardt hopelessly far behind after running well at the front, and the surprising engine failures of Busch and Hamlin.

I have to disagree. Kahne started last, yes. However it was a two tire pit stop after segment one and not stopping after segment 3 that got him toward the front. Unfortunately I can't find results segment by segment, but I'm guessing it was about 10 green flag passes in 100 laps, not counting motor blowups and Hornish's crash. His pass for the win was due to motor failure on the leader.

The 77 was 3 laps down but got 3 lucky dogs to get on the lead lap.

I think what stood out most to me was the top 10 was separated by 9.46 seconds, close to 1/3 of a lap. Only 2nd and 3rd were separated by less than half a second. And this was in a race manufactured for close racing, being a 25 lap shootout at the end. Not to knock other forms of racing but this was as close to an F1 race I've seen. Line up and the race is decided after a couple laps- breakdowns excluded.

I do agree with the fans watching for wrecks. I just wanted some close racing with a good finish like the days of old Charlotte and Atlanta.

onethumbks - 18 May 2008 09:45 PM

xlindax - 18 May 2008 07:14 AM

R-cubed - 18 May 2008 01:51 AM

yeah, i have to agree, it was rather boring. i was HOPING for wrecks, this was supposed to be the race where just about every car left in pieces, and that didnt happen. and kyle busch is a great driver, im not a fan, but there is no doubting he has talent.

I, for one, thought it was great racing all night, with a tremendous amount of passing. Where, exactly, did Kasey Kahn start, and how many cars did he pass? That 77 car got 3 laps down, and where did he finish? He was passing guys like Tony Stewart right up to the end.

It seems that only "fans" who wanted to see a wreckfest demolition derby were disappointed. They were rewarded with a demonstration of great driving ability instead, and, sadly, many seem to have been let down.

As for me, my disappointment was in some of the strategy calls such as the four tire stop that left Earnhardt hopelessly far behind after running well at the front, and the surprising engine failures of Busch and Hamlin.

I have to disagree. Kahne started last, yes. However it was a two tire pit stop after segment one and not stopping after segment 3 that got him toward the front. Unfortunately I can't find results segment by segment, but I'm guessing it was about 10 green flag passes in 100 laps, not counting motor blowups and Hornish's crash. His pass for the win was due to motor failure on the leader.

The 77 was 3 laps down but got 3 lucky dogs to get on the lead lap.

I think what stood out most to me was the top 10 was separated by 9.46 seconds, close to 1/3 of a lap. Only 2nd and 3rd were separated by less than half a second. And this was in a race manufactured for close racing, being a 25 lap shootout at the end. Not to knock other forms of racing but this was as close to an F1 race I've seen. Line up and the race is decided after a couple laps- breakdowns excluded.

I do agree with the fans watching for wrecks. I just wanted some close racing with a good finish like the days of old Charlotte and Atlanta.

True, the 77 car, Sam Hornish, got lucky dogs, but he still had to pass the other cars to get back to sixth. He passed Tony Stewart on about the next to last lap, and pulled away. It looked like a lot of the veteran drivers more or less lost interest when they saw it was unlikely they had a chance to win.

Anybody who watched VL last night saw how loose Jimmie was in the final segment(s). Before that his car was better, and he crawled up to 10th. That's where he stayed. It wasn't that he wasn't trying to pass, it wasn't that his car wasn't a little better {at that time} than the cars in 9th, 8th, and possibly even 7th... it's just that they didn't want him to pass. And he didn't.

So they take gas only on the last pit and come out first - no time for adjustments. His car wasn't good, but they calculated that track position was more important than the car. One other person did the same, and two took two tires. They all were better than him, and he didn't try to hold them up. He slipped to fourth. That's where he stayed, against the cars that made adjustments and had better tires... like Carl Edwards, supposedly the best car in the field. So the 48's fuel only call netted him 6 positions - positions they rightly figured they wouldn't be able to get on the track with a better handling car and fresher tires.

When the best car in the field can't even get up to challenge mediocre to poor handling cars with older tires... there's a problem.

The biggest passes were made in the pits.

J. - 19 May 2008 05:55 AM

Anybody who watched VL last night saw how loose Jimmie was in the final segment(s). Before that his car was better, and he crawled up to 10th. That's where he stayed. It wasn't that he wasn't trying to pass, it wasn't that his car wasn't a little better {at that time} than the cars in 9th, 8th, and possibly even 7th... it's just that they didn't want him to pass. And he didn't.

So they take gas only on the last pit and come out first - no time for adjustments. His car wasn't good, but they calculated that track position was more important than the car. One other person did the same, and two took two tires. They all were better than him, and he didn't try to hold them up. He slipped to fourth. That's where he stayed, against the cars that made adjustments and had better tires... like Carl Edwards, supposedly the best car in the field. So the 48's fuel only call netted him 6 positions - positions they rightly figured they wouldn't be able to get on the track with a better handling car and fresher tires.

When the best car in the field can't even get up to challenge mediocre to poor handling cars with older tires... there's a problem.

The biggest passes were made in the pits.

Totally agree.

Although, some people are talking about the 77 car and it's ability to pass on long runs.