Talladega Fast Laps Were a Blast
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
April 29, 2008 8:43 am CDT 6 CommentsIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The NASCAR traveling carnival is heading next to Richmond International Raceway. The Richmond folks advertise “Racin’ perfection” and I can’t say I argue that. The racing at RIR is, year after year, some of the best action and - important to me, best looking racing - on the circuit.
But Richmond this time has one, tough act to follow. The Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Super Speedway was one exciting spectacle. Kyle Busch’s performance was breathtaking. Just ask Darrell Waltrip, who had to be reminded to “breathe Darrell” by broadcast partner Larry McReynolds during the race.
That was one wild race. It seems that Jimmy Johnson may be right - Talladega is indeed the ultimate New Car track. Second place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya was quoted saying restrictor plate racing is the best racing he’s ever done. Maybe NASCAR should plate-up a couple more venues - California for one - that need a bit of excitement.
Richmond’s Fast Laps will be of a different nature, for sure, but exciting none-the-less. While you wait for them, let us know what you think of these four flat lefties.
1. With 52 lead changes among 20 drivers, will fans finally embrace restrictor plate racing?
2. Was Joe Nemechek’s pole more surprising than Kyle Busch’s win?
3. Joe Gibbs says that Tony Stewart will be with Joe Gibbs Racing throughout his contract. What are the odds of that happening?
4. Has Joe Gibbs Racing taken over as the restrictor plate kings or are they just taking advantage of extra Toyota horsepower.
I have some pretty strong opinions on some of those questions, how about you? The Fast Lap is all about opinions. There are no right or wrong ones. Well, except for maybe Steve’s. Let us know what you think. We want to argue with you. We have plans for the best of the Fast Lap and want you to be part of it all.
Remember to check out the verbal version on the Fast Lap every week ON PIT ROW. You can listen to the live stream here at 5pm EDT or the re-broadcast at RaceTalkRadio on Thursdays at 7pm.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Comments
6 Responses to “Talladega Fast Laps Were a Blast”
Got something to say?
Did you know you can log in with your
Thunder Lounge account, and have your
personal avatar and site link available when you comment at On Pit Row?
Don't have an account yet? Sign-up for free.
About the Fast Lap blog
Fast Laps! Welcome to the On Pit Row Fast Lap blog. Every week On Pit Row we pose four Fast Lap questions. Four corners - four questions. On the radio show, Steve and I have 30 seconds each, to give our response to each of the four. If you are a listener, you already know that we rarely agree on any answer. The Fast Lap is NASCAR debate. Hannity and Colmes. Lincoln and Douglas. Wronkowicz and Turner. OK, maybe not Lincoln and Douglas. We have more fun than Lincoln and Douglas. Here's the challenge. We will post our Fast Lap questions some time each Monday. Four questions on topical NASCAR related subjects. Your mission is to comment with your answers and each answer is limited to 100 words. The questions, answers and comments will form the basis of this blog for that week. Comment on the Fast Lap questions. Comment on the comments. Insult the commenters. Witty ridicule is rated at least as highly as cogent commentary. Just remember that you have limited words and penalties are severe. Or not. Steve and I will select worthy blog entries to be featured on an edition of On Pit Row. That's the plan. I'm sure we will have some other things to post about each week but the intention is to pose most posts as questions. I want to argue with you! Bring it on.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Google Search
NASCAR Fantasy Racing
On Pit Row is glad to be a part of such a great NASCAR fantasy racing game like Champs, Chumps & Sleepers. Grand prize is a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. How cool is that?
1. Speaking for myself, there have been at least four races at Talladega I remember, including the one last Sunday, where I have thought “rp races aren’t all that bad after all.” As long as the cars are racey, I think people will have fewer misgivings about plate races.
2. No. We knew the car was set up aggressively for qualifying, and we knew that Front Row Joe is a good qualifier. Kyle Busch wasn’t optimistic about Talladega, and, based on his record there, neither were we.
3. 99.9 to one he stays at least through the end of ‘09, because he said so, his business manager said so, and Joe and JD Gibbs said so.
4. Toyota “Extra Horsepower” is horse manure from the stables of Jack Roush. Gibbs was close to lordship at the rp races even when they had Chevies.
Ok. I’ll bite.
1. With 52 lead changes among 20 drivers, will fans finally embrace restrictor plate racing?
What do you mean “finally embrace”?? According to TV and driver interviews, we fans already love restrictor plate racing. I always think exactly what TV tells me to think so I’ve loved it since even before there was restrictor plate racing. Oh, and I also love “tapered spacer” racing, which we all know is so drastically different from a restrictor plate, that a scolding will occur it one tries to make a point about the similarities.
2. Was Joe Nemechek’s pole more surprising than Kyle Busch’s win?
Considering that FRJ has numerous poles on restrictor plates in the past, it’s no surprise. What is surprising is that he did not win and was later found to be cheating, like his other plate pole races. But those were only Busch races so it was easier for him to win I suppose.
3. Joe Gibbs says that Tony Stewart will be with Joe Gibbs Racing throughout his contract. What are the odds of that happening?
Wishy washy words. “throughout his contract”. Kinda like saying I found something that I had lost in the last place I looked for it. When Stewart buys out his contract, it will technically be “throughout his contract”, so therefore the odds of it happening are excellent.
4. Has Joe Gibbs Racing taken over as the restrictor plate kings or are they just taking advantage of extra Toyota horsepower.
Apparently they have built a superior rice steamer than the consumer model in my kitchen. More long grains per mile.
I hope your questions were meant to be serious, cause that’s how I responded. I don’t want to look like a fool or cranky old race fan.
Smoke ‘em if ya’ got ‘em friends. There’s fresh meat in the dog house. Welcome Lou and welcome back Rev. Time to stir the pot!
1. See - to me - most fans - especially the more casual variety - have embraced plate racing all along. Whether they realized it or not is questionable, but that’s not the question. It has been the drivers who complained most about plate racing. They didn’t - and probably still don’t - like the jammed packs of cars and the innability to pass for the lead. The new aerodynamics - which are really old aerodynamics - of the New Car may change the opinions of the guys who can run up front. But mid-pack runners - most suseptible to the still ominous BIG ONE - likely are still un-sold. Have I run out of my 100 words y ***answer called on account of wordi-ness***
2. Ah hem. I will try to be succinct. Every win in the Cup Series is an upset these days. It’s just too tough to win in Cup for anyone to be counted as a real favorite to win. Therefore, Kyle’s win was more surprising to me than Joe’s pole. Nemechek has Hendrick power and that team was in full qualifying mode while others - due to the fact this was an “impound” race - were not. Edge to Joe over Kyle in the head to head proposition bets.
3. I won’t pick Steve’s question apart based on semantics and legaleeze (sp?) but I’m happy that Lou did. Tony’s best bet to win more Cup championships is in staying at JGR. He will not go race for his own Cup team in the next contract. Later maybe, but not this next one. His most viable options to JGR are RCR and Hendrick. Can’t see Hendrick. RCR, maybe but the odds still favor re-upping with the Coach for highly leveraged, big bucks.
4. Check the February archives for Steve’s questions. I seem to recall him wondering if Penske - or maybe it was Dodge - was now the king of the plate races. Gibbs is good. Hendricks and RCR are too. I don’t see a clear-cut king of the hill anymore. The DEI-like domination days are gone.
I’ll be back later to shred evrybody here who’s wrong. I’m just waiting for Steve to post so I can do it all at once.
1. Plate racing has ebbs and flows, I think it had more to do with the aero package and when Dale Jr. was winning 4 in a row at Talladega. Moreso the action, however. When guys can pull out and make runs on the lead cars instead of staying single file and drop-kicking a poor soul who jumps outside, I think the racing improves, and the fans want to see guys be able to pass. The way 2 cars could make a run on the front bodes well, and as much as I still hate to say it, the new car did make a difference. This race was 100 times better than October.
2. Nemechek’s pole was more of a surprise, but not a huge one. Kyle ran competitively at Daytona and has always been a factor in plate races, but had a habit of being around at the end. The 78 team has made a few races this year, and seems to make most of the ones at Daytona and Talladega. Going back again to the October race, the cars outside the top 35 were expected to run at the front.
3. I’m going to say about 25% at best. Didn’t we go through this in 2006 with Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch? It’s an impossible situation to have a guy around for a full year knowing he’ll be gone, and it would be beneficial on both ends to move at the end of this year and not next year.
4. No, Gibbs has not taken over. They’re part of the same group that’s won these races and ran up front for the last 5, 6, 7 years. It’s been Gibbs, Hendrick, Roush, DEI, RCR, Penske, Ganassi… I’m probably leaving a few out. It goes through cycles based on who has hit on something to push them over the edge and win. DEI had it, then Hendrick had it. We’ll have to wait and see if this is part of a larger trend or a flash of brilliance.
Here you go Charlie–step up to the plate and take your best swings.
1– Yes the drivers have not been happy running with plates. Fans have been equally vocal in voicing their displeasure with the plate races. Most criticism came from the loss of the slingshot and the ability of drivers to make the passes that fans loved. That seems to be fixed with the new car–therefore fans will embrace this form of racing.
2–Kyle is the right guy, in the right place at the right time. Nemecheck winning the pole ANYWHERE is a shocker–especially with a 4th rate team, regardless of what engines are in the car.
3–Okay; i should have said “stay through 2009″, but the answer is yes-yes-yes. He ain’t going nowhere. He may be playing poker with JGR, but he will stay put with enough money to be able to afford whatever race team he wishes to buy when the new contract is up and he retires.
4–Its all about horsepower baby–and Toyota has the power right now. Aero is out, horsepower is in; so without NASCAR intervention Toyota, in general and JGR in particular will dominate wherever plates are involved.
1. I know exactly what you mean about “finally embracing” restrictor plate racing, cause I’m usually a negative nancy when it comes to Daytona & ‘Dega. I don’t think it’s the 52 lead changes necessarily, but it was just good, constant all-around racing that made me a fan of last week’s race.
2. Not at all … “Front Row Joe” is what they call him …
3. If they want Stewart there through ‘09, then he’ll be there through ‘09. What could they possibly gain by letting him walk? And, if you tell me it’s Joey Logano, you can forget it … the kid’s gonna need a couple years before making an impact on the Cup Series.
4. They’re not there yet, but they’re working on it. They keep flexing that muscle, and eventually we’ll probably see about 2 or 3 year period where they’re virtually untouchable at these tracks.