Showing posts with label Nascar Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nascar Articles. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2015

2015-2016 NASCAR Offseason News

News, Links, Photos, and Tweets from the 2014-15 NASCAR Offseason


By Richard Tix

As the sun set on the 2015 NASCAR season the excitement of the new 2016 immediately started for NASCAR fans. The NASCAR offseason is one of the shortest offseason's in sports (90 days), yet to fans it feel's like it is the longest. @annoyingracefan even had to spotlight NOD last year (NASCAR Offseason Disorder), its a real problem people... So, NASCAR Behind the Wall is going to collect as much offseason news, photos, links, tweets, etc to give you the inside scoop on what's going on. Rather, this is to help you get through NOD during this long offseason. **All credit to @annoyingracefan for NOD. I in no way take credit, but I do want to help. Anyway to spread the word and help fans get through the offseason is worth it.


Quick News/Headlines:
  • Matt DiBenedetto will remain in the #83 for BK Racing
  • Regan Smith to drive the #7 for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2016. The #7 keeps Nikko RC and Road Rippers as majority sponsors.
  • Thrivent will Sponsor McDowell for 15 races in 2016
  • Tommy Baldwin Racing parts ways with Alex Bowman for 2016 season
  • Ty Dillon will run the Daytona 500 in the #95
  • Michael McDowell will be primary for the #95 Circle Sports/Leavine. Ty Dillon will run 5 races, McDowell the rest.
  • Circle Sports and RCR create technical alliance for 2016.
  • Smithfield will sponsor Aric Almirola for 31 races in 2016
  • David Ragan to drive the #23 for BK Racing in 2016.
  • Landon Cassill Joins Front Row Motorsports to drive the #38
  • Chris Buescher joins Front Row Motorsports to drive #34. Alliance with RFR.
  • Love’s Travel Shops moves from the #38 to the #34 with Buescher for 18 races.
  • Martin Truex Jr lands Bass Pro Shops as primary sponsor for 9 races in 2016.
  • Greg Biffle adds a multi-race KFC sponsorship in 2016 (loses Ortho).
  • Brian Wilson (Penske) promoted to CC of the #22 Xfinity car.
  • Brian Scott and RPM transition the #9 into the #44.
  • Leavine Family Racing becomes Circle Sport Racing.
  • Scott brings Shore Lodge sponsorship with him to RPM (Cup).
  • Ford and Ford Racing release a new Ford Fusion for 2016 (2017 for actual manufactured street car)
  • Clint Bowyer will drive the #15 for HScott Motorsports, not the #51

Links:



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Wednesday, May 6, 2015

2015 NASCAR Behind the Wall Hot Laps: Week 11

The World of Racing


By Richard Tix

Hot Laps will be a weekly article on news in the world of NASCAR. I will write these articles any weeks where I have a thought or opinion on NASCAR news that is worth sharing. So, this could be an every week thing, or just every few weeks. Its an opinion piece, so it is open to discussion and debate and would love to here your thoughts.

Previous Hot Lap Articles



GoDaddy Leaves Danica


A few days before Talladega news broke that GoDaddy would be ending it's sponsorship with SHR and Danica Patrick following the 2015 season. It was known that GoDaddy's contact was up after 2015 but no one knew what would come of it.

It is also known that Patrick's contract with SHR is up at the end of the season as well. Both sides (Danica and SHR) have stated that they would like to be back together for 2016. However, nothing real has come of it yet.

GoDaddy did say they were just done sponsoring her in NASCAR and she may still be a spokesman for the company going forward.

To me it just seems like GoDaddy believes they have hit there plateau as far as hitting a new market in NASCAR goes. At some point it is no longer beneficial to put so much money forth especially in NASCAR when you can not physically see the gains.

The move puts even more spotlight on Danica's 2016 situation. I have no doubt that Patrick can find other sponsor's moving forward. She is still a huge spotlight in the sport and a very marketable individual. The first question is, who will step up?

My bigger question is, if they don't find a sponsor by the end of 2015 will SHR bring her back? Will Danica be in a different ride come 2016? I do believe if Danica want's to stay in NASCAR that someone will have a ride for her. Worst case scenario is a smaller team will profit from gaining her sponsors, but I feel someone else would open up.

At this point, I still lean towards SHR bringing Danica back, but it will be something to keep an eye on. The whole SHR contract may revolve around what kind to interest she gets from potential sponsors.


The Talladega Train


This past week NASCAR headed to Talladega for it's second stop at a superspeedway in 2015. Last year NASCAR had four stops between Daytona and Talladega and at each stop they ran the same car package. This year NASCAR changed the aero package for the cars, but they did not touch the superspeedway package.

I bring that up because it is a key point in the discussion of why it was't NASCAR's fault that the race ended in single file.

Let's start back at the statement that it doesn't look like tandem drafting will ever be brought back, so lets take that out the window. Last year NASCAR had some pretty good racing at Daytona and Dega and most fans wouldn't complain about the action they got. In fact, some fans even praised the new package (new in 2014).

Pack racing isn't the same thing we get week to week and it sure isn't tandem racing, but it is a racing style that takes time and strategy of knowing when to go. Some bad luck is involved and every race teams get involved in wrecks that they have no part in, but that is part of racing. It is four races in a year that don't play by the same rules.

It gives little teams a shot at being noticed and even from time to time a chance to win. A win from one of these teams could change a season or a whole career. These four stops are a unique stop on the season kind of like road courses are.

Yet, NASCAR can never win with fans.

This week it was because the end of the race was mostly just single file. So, fans made uneducated statements blaming it on the same car package that they once enjoyed last season with dramatic finishes (such as the Chase race Keselowski won).

I thing fans are starting to forget not every finish is a dramatic one with last lap passes and Green-White-Checkered finishes. Let's say NASCAR would have thrown a fantum caution with 5 laps to go for debris that would have created a G-W-C. The cars would have been bunched up and the single file finish would have changed. But, under that thought fans would have then been outraged that it was like the WWE and everything was fixed. See, a lose lose.

Back to blaming NASCAR. Obviously it can't be NASCAR's fault if they didn't throw a fantum caution and because they didn't change the aero package from something fans enjoyed in 2014, can it?

Of course not, but why would fans ever take it out on the drivers? The teams? The spotters? Or just the fact that no one had a shot at making a move?

NASCAR changed the rules to make winning a bigger draw for teams, I mean it locks you into the Chase, yet is can never guarantee an exciting finish. In the end, Sunday had to do with drivers not sticking themselves out there for the win. Guys like JJ, Hamlin, Harvick, and Busch all have a win and could have stepped out. Why not? I mean they are locked in so why not gamble? Add to that a part time driver like Blaney had nothing to lose.

But, no one went. Guys like BK and Smoke were hung out to dry earlier because they tried starting a line. So, NASCAR dropped the ball? No, NASCAR had everything in place for drivers to go for the win.

Teams and spotters could have been working together like you hear many times with 20 laps, 10 laps, 5 laps to go. Will you go with my guy is he drops down? Nothing.

So, don't put this on NASCAR. NASCAR can only hold the race event, give them a competitive package, and even go to the lengths of trying to make a win mean more to get these teams to go for it in the closing laps.

This time it's not on NASCAR, but might be on your favorite driver and there team.....



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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

This Week in NASCAR: 9/2

News and Notes from the World of NASCAR


By Richard Tix

Well, just one race is left in the 2014 regular season. After Richmond, NASCAR will start its annual playoff, this year with all new rules. Before this weekends race though, check out some links from around the web.


Articles

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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

This Week in NASCAR: 8/19

News and Notes from the World of NASCAR


By Richard Tix

This Week in NASCAR is a weekly article sharing quick links and other random notes from around the web and Twitter

This week I am a day late on the "This Week in NASCAR" because I was traveling back from Michigan for the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday. But, better late then never.


Articles
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