daytonas not to far away,any nascar fans out there?what are your thoughts on the rule changes? GO RUSTY #2!

 

Can't wait.I love NASCAR racing! . I like the Roush racers.I'm not familiar with the rule changes though.I also like a few of the other racers.Hope Rusty has a better year than the last couple of years.maybe i'll catch a few rule changes in this thread.Good luck with your racer .

 

two of the big ones are softer tires and a smaller spoiler.the fords get a new nose and cylinder heads,not sure about the other makes.no more pontiac this year.

 

Hopefully Roush/Yates can get the engine mods done sooner than what they are saying. They are talking like they won't be ready until august. By the way Roush and Yates combined engine shops getting the best engineers and techs from both together.
Rule changes suck!!! Go Matt!!!
Nascar changes the rules when one of their glory boys don't win a championship. Sickening.
I have been a fan of Matt's since 2000, but follow all the Fords. Would love to see a Ford win again this year. Wonder if this happens if nascar will change the rules again. They only changed them because Matt didn't have the most wins. Let me see, Matt HAD the most wins in 2002 but the rules didn't change then. Maybe if he was a hot head and was constantly in trouble on and off the track they would have left it alone.
Kevin

 

heh..."NASCAR Nextel Cup" will take some getting used to...

 

why the rule change?

 

RUUUUUSTY!!!! Woo hoo!
(take note, I was a fan when he drove a Ford, just can't break the habit!)
4 weeks till Daytona...
They'll change the rules again, when someone gripes enough. They always do. Soon enough, everyone will be required to drive identical cars, just with a Ford or Chevy sticker on the side.

 

They're pretty well identical now as far as drag and downforce #'s

I think they went to softer tires so they'll wear out sooner and you won't see teams skipping caution stops and trying to make long fuel runs.

 

The way I see it along with most everyone I know is: The Champion this year won only one race but was very consistant. (In other words he and his team did what they were supposed to do). They won it like it's been won many times before, but: Who is this guy? Where is he from? How did he get to drive here? He is so consistant he's BORING. Other drivers had more wins (newman had 8). They also want to try and sway NFL veiwers over to watch nascar. They have developed this stupid playoff system that lumps the top ten drivers (possibly more if points are close) after the first 26 races and has them run for the championship over the last 10 races. Now from what I can see this is how it could work or kill you:
1) what if you are one of the top ten drivers and I'm not? Who's to say I couldn't unintentionally run you into the wall and end your run to the championship, all along helping my teammate win it? All 43 drivers run all 36 races, not just the top 10 or so.
2) If I am paying a team millions of dollars for sponsorship then I damn well better be shown on the tv like all the top drivers running for they championship. What if I'm not in the top ten the final ten races, am I really going to get exposure for my sponsers? I doubt it. I see alot of companies pulling out this year (citgo for one). How many more will pull out? Winston helped get racing to the level it is, Nextel is trying to continue this, but nascar is driving it into the pre-Winston days. I can't help but think what if Gordon or E. Jr. would have won just one race but won the championship, would there be a point system change? I doubt it.
3) Nascar has ALWAYS been partial to GM, now they are also babying Dodge. They constantly change things to help these teams.

Quote by this years Champ on the point change says it all:

Matt Kenseth: "I don't like that idea at all because in the last 10 races there are no Daytonas, there are no Bristols, there are no Poconos and there are no road courses. I don't think a champion should be rewarded off of how good they are at a mile-and-a-half racetrack. I think it should have to be rewarded on how good you are at all the tracks like it always has been. I understand we're after the TV and stuff, but I just hope that we find out what the fans want, too, because without those 180,000 people sitting up in the stands we wouldn't have much to do. I hope we do what the core base of the fans who got us here want to do."

 

Info on the Roush/Yates heads from the Tampa Tribune:

The new cylinder head that's supposed to help Ford catch up to its NASCAR counterparts in power may not be ready until midsummer. NASCAR approved the new design last summer, but development of the improved engine has come slowly, even with Ford rivals Jack Roush and Robert Yates combining their resources. ``Jack doesn't expect to see the new cylinder head until maybe Indy [Aug. 8] or the second Michigan race [Aug. 22],'' driver Greg Biffle said. ``I thought it was going to be a lot sooner than that. I figured it would be Vegas [March 7] or something like that, so I was a little disappointed.'' Ford does have a new nose and tail for its Taurus, and that should provide a boost for Daytona. But it remains to be seen whether Ford will be able to match Chevrolet and Dodge in horsepower early in the year.(Tampa Tribune)(1-14-2004)

 

I was glad to see Kensetth get it this year.He's a good,clean driver,who was consistant.He always seemed cool and calm.very impressive driver.And of cource he drove a ford.

 

There was no need for a rule change. But nothing is static in NASCAR.

As stated by keporter "Nascar changes the rules when one of their glory boys don't win a championship."

I agree with that one. Having Jack Roush win I think was the main reason they changed the rules. They better get used to it but Matt K is now (as well as Jack) a glory boy to the public.

Nothing against Jr but any bets as to how soon he wins one (championship that is)?

 

The bad thing about multi-car teams I think is that it might drive the little guys out bacause the Roush team and Dale E teams have the advantage with the larger research and development.For example,the restrictor plate tracks.How many single car teans have won one of of those lately? just a thought.

 

hey 2bowers i wasnt happy when rusty switched to dodge,but in my opinion you pick a driver and stay with him thru thick and thin,car changes whatever comes along.i like the rousch racers to. i didnt start this thread to have driver bashing take place,but i figured it would happen anyway.just wanted thoughts on nascar and its changes.

 

Did they make any changes this year as far changing some of the races to different tracks?