NSS got the MWR F1 test

[bubba]

Turns out they decided against testing at Lakeland....

Interesting blurb on Jayski about it. Wonder if we will have a surprise entry in the Gov Cup? Yea, right.

[oldyeller]

some pix from the tests here:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_nascar/

Both guys did very well... having Bootie Barker there as the crew chief sure didn't hurt any. Roush has already booked a few days at the track for right after Homestead.

[bubba]

Any idea what they turn around there in a cup car? - oops - read article and they said sub 19 seconds

[racnphotos68]

Were those Jim Jones photos?

[oldyeller]

No, I took the photos. Jim Jones knows how to focus.

[Osmosis Jones]

Urp...uuuurrrrrgggghhhhh.....

Sorry....I threw up in my mouth just a little bit.


This just makes me sick.
Raw racing talent out the ying-yang here in the states, racing at any number of tracks throughout the US, but here's some Finnish putz and Italian bobo turning laps for what looks like another kind of last ditch, straw-grabbing scheme by NASCRAP to drum up interest in their flagging premier series. Wonder what they will call it?
Cultural Diversity Outreach Program For Anyone With A Foreign Sounding Name Who Wants To Be Famous For 7 1/2 Minutes In NASCRAP?
It's kinda catchy but Dr. Dick will probably have as much trouble saying it as he did when he had to call Geoff Bodine Geoffrey.

What a sad joke NASCAR has become.

I especially liked the part where they put their names over the driver's door. Must have made em' feel really special. At least ol' Michael Waltrip can add a new title to go on his resume as a team owner.......Whore for Toyota.



Awww......don't mind me. I've been drinkin'........dinna meen nushin by id....

[Andy S]

Raw racing talent out the ying-yang here in the states, racing at any number of tracks throughout the US, but here's some Finnish putz and Italian bobo turning laps for what looks like another kind of last ditch, straw-grabbing scheme by NASCRAP to drum up interest in their flagging premier series.

I'm surprised at Trulli being involved as he's well established in F1 and although drives are becoming hard to find in that class he could still find a team or stay around the periphery of the sport. He's certainly got more pedigree as an F1 racer than Montoya, and is a steady hand that wouldn't let a team down, but is hardly an exciting choice, and being Italian it's not like the mad racing fans there are going to abandon the Scuderia Ferrari to cheer on Fords, Chevys and Toyotas racing in the US every weekend.

Salo just looks like he's hwking his services around the world trying to find something to race. I'm surprised he hasn't moved into rallying, but imagine that he knows the competition he'll find there would mean he was less competitive right from the off.

I scratch my head wondering why NASCAR bothers trying to bring F1 drivers into their series. It really isn't going to inspire Europe to get into the sport over here, and the one thing F1 drivers are good for - which is testing and helping develop new technology - is much less of an issue in stock car racing than it is in the ultra-high-tech world of F1. As OJ says, there are a bunch of hungry, talented drivers over here who know the sport, have a pedigree in the sport, and already have a fan base to bring with them. Sticking a European F1 driver in a NASCAR team will do nothing more than give a couple of weeks of quirky news reports, and then they'll be buried as the driver will be written off as not being good enough for F1 any more.

The one exception to this, who I think NASCAR should be courting already to get up on his post F1 list, is the Australian driver Mark Webber. He still has plenty of years in F1 left, but as an Aussie he comes from a country that loves touring cars (our nearest equivalent to the big league stock cars) and has the kind of culture and national attitude that would love NASCAR, especially one of their own countrymen taking on the Americans. Stick him in a Ford or a GM running as a Holden and I reckon the sport would really take off over there.

[bubba]

Yea, OJ, the injustice of this racing business aint likely to be righted any time soon. In that one scenario there is soo much that is wrong - from MW being an owner/driver(if you wanna call it that) in this sport to the F1 pixies coming for their complementary ride - which was in a car that was setup by one of the folks you were talking about deserving it.

At this point anything different in NASCAR is interesting as it has nearly fallen off the radar at my house.

[Jane]

Funny but I use to wait for NASCAR races and loved to watch them but I seldom ever watch one anymore not even Bristol. Just don't care anymore because you know who will win and they are no fun. It is all a money game and the one with the most money seems to win.

I think it is funny how the person leading the chase never seems to win the chase in the end either. I quit watching when they started all that anyway, took alot of the fun out of it for me. I much rather go to a local race and have fun and see real racing but then again, that is only my choice.

[fred23]

THe worst part about it is they put over 500 laps in 3200lb cars and are wearing out NSS. You watch the cup tonite...the outside is the fastest way around NSS now. The bottom is worn out. ANd the bump is coming back going into turn 3.

[Andy S]

You watch the cup tonite...the outside is the fastest way around NSS now.

I think I saw more overtaking around the outside last night than I've seen the rest of the season put together. Absolutely no-one wanted to be on the inside for restarts last night, and the mid- to high line was definitely the place to get speed. Should make for some interesting racing tonight as that's the line they were all playing with in the final practice last night.

[andre]

Not to defend Nascar at all, but a Cup team and F1 drivers were involved in that deal, not the the Na$car sanction. Same with JP Montoya, Na$car did not write any checks $$$ on that. Cashing in on it, probably, but did not go out to hire him.

Secundo, we hear often there is a lot of talent laying around in US that would do a better job at driving.... 100%%% agree. But the problem these days is not the driving ability as much as the ''MEDIA ATTENTION, which in turn brings in the $$$$. Because it always boils down to that sign($$$) at the end.

Last summer here at Autodrome ST Eustache(Québec) they hosted 2 Nascar Canadian Tire Series races. At one of them, they provided a car for Jacques Villeneuve, the X-F1 driver. You should have seen the media attention, everywhere, from special radio programs to TV talk shows to newspapers, internet and so on. I don't know in $ how much it could have been worth but no short track can buy that. And they had easy 3 time as many fans as the first race, they were talking around 10,000.

That is why they go after or invite theses guys... media attention.... they already are stars in their own kingdom, you do not have to pay to do that. Because it cost a bunch to take Josh Smith from Nebraska and turn him into the next JJ. It cost so much today to run a Cup team, they have to take the necessary steps to bring in the cash flow. And international media attention does just that.

Every week, some short tracker go practice at XYZ track in Fla, or somewhere else, when do you read about it in Orlando Sentinel, Jayski, Speed51, and so on?????....

Is it OK like this,??? I don't know, but it's the price to pay so racing can keep going.

[Gary J]

I'm surprised at Trulli being involved as he's well established in F1 and although drives are becoming hard to find in that class he could still find a team or stay around the periphery of the sport. He's certainly got more pedigree as an F1 racer than Montoya, and is a steady hand that wouldn't let a team down, but is hardly an exciting choice, and being Italian it's not like the mad racing fans there are going to abandon the Scuderia Ferrari to cheer on Fords, Chevys and Toyotas racing in the US every weekend.

Salo just looks like he's hwking his services around the world trying to find something to race. I'm surprised he hasn't moved into rallying, but imagine that he knows the competition he'll find there would mean he was less competitive right from the off.

I scratch my head wondering why NASCAR bothers trying to bring F1 drivers into their series. It really isn't going to inspire Europe to get into the sport over here, and the one thing F1 drivers are good for - which is testing and helping develop new technology - is much less of an issue in stock car racing than it is in the ultra-high-tech world of F1. As OJ says, there are a bunch of hungry, talented drivers over here who know the sport, have a pedigree in the sport, and already have a fan base to bring with them. Sticking a European F1 driver in a NASCAR team will do nothing more than give a couple of weeks of quirky news reports, and then they'll be buried as the driver will be written off as not being good enough for F1 any more.

The one exception to this, who I think NASCAR should be courting already to get up on his post F1 list, is the Australian driver Mark Webber. He still has plenty of years in F1 left, but as an Aussie he comes from a country that loves touring cars (our nearest equivalent to the big league stock cars) and has the kind of culture and national attitude that would love NASCAR, especially one of their own countrymen taking on the Americans. Stick him in a Ford or a GM running as a Holden and I reckon the sport would really take off over there.

Are you saying Ambrose isn't popular down under?
Come to St Pete next year to see Wheldon and
Justin Wilson race.Free practice tickets are available.

[Todd McCreary]

who I think NASCAR should be courting already to get up on his post F1 list, is the Australian driver Mark Webber.


i've got to agree with Gary.

Webber probably wouldn't want to come over because Ambrose is already here and would make him look bad.