2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup Thread

[85Bears4life]

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule

Sure, there are a few dates changed here and there. The Daytona 500 will run on Feb. 26, the first time it hasn't run on Presidents Day weekend in four decades. Phoenix and Vegas will run a week later. Daytona's summer event and Kentucky will switch dates. And Texas will run a week later in the spring.

Kansas Speedway is the only real change; as it's undergoing a repaving next year, its spring date moves from June to April, and its fall date will be switched with that of Talladega. Here is the complete 2012 Cup schedule:


2/18 Daytona International Speedway (Shootout) FOX
2/19 Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying) FOX
2/23 Daytona International Speedway (Duel) SPEED
2/26 Daytona 500 FOX
3/4 Phoenix International Raceway FOX
3/11 Las Vegas Motor Speedway FOX
3/18 Bristol Motor Speedway FOX
3/25 Auto Club Speedway FOX
4/1 Martinsville Speedway FOX
4/14 Texas Motor Speedway FOX
4/22 Kansas Speedway FOX
4/28 Richmond International Raceway FOX
5/6 Talladega Superspeedway FOX
5/12 Darlington Raceway FOX
5/19 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (Charlotte Motor Speedway) SPEED
5/27 Charlotte Motor Speedway FOX
6/3 Dover International Speedway FOX
6/10 Pocono Raceway TNT
6/17 Michigan International Speedway TNT
6/24 Infineon Raceway TNT
6/30 Kentucky Speedway TNT
7/7 Daytona International Speedway TNT
7/15 New Hampshire Motor Speedway TNT
7/29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN
8/5 Pocono Raceway ESPN
8/12 Watkins Glen International ESPN
8/19 Michigan International Speedway ESPN
8/25 Bristol Motor Speedway ABC
9/2 Atlanta Motor Speedway ESPN
9/8 Richmond International Raceway ABC
9/16 Chicagoland Speedway ESPN
9/23 New Hampshire Motor Speedway ESPN
9/30 Dover International Speedway ESPN
10/7 Talladega Superspeedway ESPN
10/13 Charlotte Motor Speedway ABC
10/21 Kansas Speedway ESPN
10/28 Martinsville Speedway ESPN
11/4 Texas Motor Speedway ESPN
11/11 Phoenix International Raceway ESPN
11/18 Homestead-Miami Speedway ESPN

 

[Mr. Cub]

TV schedule sucks balls for us people without cable. At least I know of people who stream every NASCAR event so I am good.

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

TV schedule sucks balls for us people without cable. At least I know of people who stream every NASCAR event so I am good.

When the heck are they gonna take away those boring ass TNT races?

 

[Popinski Soda]

Starting Grid for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover


J

 

[Popinski Soda]

NASCAR - Tony Stewart the big Chase winner so far - ESPN

By David Newton
ESPN.com

DOVER, Del. -- Behind the back straightaway at Dover International Speedway, the "ding-ding-ding" of slot machines and shouts of "Blackjack!" constantly reverberate through the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino.

It's a fitting place for the third race of the Chase, because gambling has been the theme thus far.

Points leader Tony Stewart won at Chicagoland and New Hampshire because he was on the positive side of fuel-mileage gambles. Teammate Ryan Newman is in 11th place, 34 points out, because he was on the negative side at Chicagoland and blew a tire with five laps left at New Hampshire.

"He has had the fortunate side of luck; we have had the unfortunate side of luck," Newman said.

The Chase is turning the catchphrase of the day from "Boys, have at it" to "Better to be lucky than good." Fuel mileage and tire gambles have been as key on the track as "hit me" and "stand" are at the casino next door -- particularly fuel mileage, because half the 12 Chase drivers have gambled and lost in the first two races.

It's why only eight of 28 races have been won by the driver who led the most laps. It's why five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson didn't win the May race at Dover after leading a race-high 207 of 400 laps, and why Matt Kenseth won after leading only 33.

It's why Johnson -- who gambled and lost on fuel at Chicagoland -- is 10th in points, the worst he's been after two Chase races.

"This season has been different than previous seasons in that when you have a dominant car it is very easy to fall victim to someone else's strategy," Carl Edwards said. "I felt like it's interesting that the only race we've won this year we did not dominate.

"The races that we dominated we weren't able to win, and it all comes down to that last pit stop. Matt and I talked about it after he won the race here earlier this year. I called him and I was a little jealous because he won and our car was so fast and he said, 'Man, it was an easy situation for us. We were running 10th all day, so of course we'll take two tires and go see what we can get.' And it worked."

It's almost like drivers are sitting back and waiting for this opportunity, or for others to make a mistake.

"I do feel like we're at a time in this sport right now where the fastest car probably wins a lesser percentage of the races than they used to because it is harder to pass and it is more dependent on your strategy," Edwards said.

The gambles will continue as long as track position becomes more important than horsepower -- as long as drivers can hold off the competition for 35 laps on old tires, where in the past they'd be blown past.

It makes this Chase more of a crapshoot than any of the previous seven.

"If you watch guys in just the first two races, guys have put themselves behind through mistakes or miscalculations with fuel," said Edwards, who is 14 points out in fourth place.

Stewart has put himself ahead because he hasn't made a mistake. As Newman pointed out when asked about his owner's amazing turnaround, that has been more key than any "magic" people want to find.

"It is not like they are going out there and dominating the race," Newman said.

He's right. Stewart led only two laps at New Hampshire and 35 at Chicagoland. Newman led 62 laps at New Hampshire and finished 25th.

Maybe that's why Stewart is overly cautious when he is asked if he's come out of nowhere with this turnaround. He knows he easily could be back where Newman and others are if one thing had gone wrong.

Others know that, too, which is why nobody is completely out of championship contention yet, why this weekend has been strangely free from the drama and controversy that often accompany a Chase weekend.

"Obviously, they got a great jump-start on the Chase and they got themselves in good position," said Denny Hamlin of Stewart, whom he trails by 66 points. "But it's still a long ways to go, and I'm sure he'll tell you that."

Stewart did.

Over and over.

Like the "ding-ding-ding" of the slot machines.

J

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

Kurt Busch wins at the Monster Mile. Kenseth finished 5th. I'll take it.

 

[Popinski Soda]

Race Results for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover

NSCS Point Standings after Dover


J

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

Next up: Kansas

Kenseth has won there in the past. Hope he can do it again.

 

[85Bears4life]

Bowyer joins 3-car team at Michael Waltrip Racing - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

 

[daddies3angels]

I have to get this out of my system. Please dont be mad at me for it

IM TURNING LEFT!

 

[nwfisch]

I have to get this out of my system. Please dont be mad at me for it

IM TURNING LEFT!

Go ahead, I ain't mad at cha.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgmwisY5fkw]2Pac - I Ain't Mad At Cha (Official Music Video) *HD* - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Mr. Cub]

2Pac rode on his enemies. Maybe Kurt Busch will be 2Pac..

 

[Mr. Cub]

Yay... Another awesome dominating win for JGay..... Whooo. Fuck him!

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

Kenseth is starting on the outside of Row 1 Saturday night!

He has a teenage son Ross who runs late models for the family race team, Generation 3 Motorsports, primarily in the ASA Midwest Tour. Here is his response to a question that was asked on Twitter:

Yea I was thinking about driving instead though"@MattWeaverSBN: @Ross_Kenseth Running the Snowball Derby this year?"

He's got his dad's sense of humor :lmao:

 

[85Bears4life]

Johnson just crashed HARD

 

[inactiveuser1]

Kenseth is starting on the outside of Row 1 Saturday night!

He has a teenage son Ross who runs late models for the family race team, Generation 3 Motorsports, primarily in the ASA Midwest Tour. Here is his response to a question that was asked on Twitter:



He's got his dad's sense of humor :lmao:

:yep: always been a fan of his

 

[nwfisch]

Matt Kenseth wins tonight. Congrats GSF

 

[inactiveuser1]

Kenseth wins!! nobody deserves it more

 

[GaelicSoxFan]

:beerbang::beerbang::beerbang::beerbang::beerbang:

 

[Mr. Cub]

Jimmie crashing is as good as a win!