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Hot & Heavy ~ Rules, Rules, Rules08/14/2015 |
Speaking
of Hot…
NASCAR mandated some changes to the right side of the cars for this weekend’s races at Michigan. After running the races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few weeks ago with the new “high drag” package, many drivers got out of their cars complaining of the heat, and some were actually feeling ill. The problem was that the spoilers and splitters on the cars did not allow for the sufficient cooling of the drivers because the air got trapped under the car and instead of passing through, stayed there and got super-heated because of the exhaust and engine temperature, and raised the temps in the cockpit of the vehicle. With the same high drag rules package on the cars this week at Michigan, NASCAR has created a mandatory rule where the cars must have a dual duct system installed on the right side window to help with ventilation and assist with keeping the drivers cooler during the race. That said, with the new package which is supposed to create more pack racing where the cars run closer together and we could see four and five-wide action, we’re going to have to wait and see how cool those drivers are towards each other once the Checkered Flag falls.
Chase Rules Packages
NASCAR has announced that as soon as next week, they could announce which tracks in the Chase for the Championship could be affected with new rules packages, and which packages will be used. Yes, they made an announcement about an announcement. From what has been sampled from television, radio and print, the fans are heavily weighted towards using the Kentucky based package over the Indy package. NASCAR claims it is interested in the fans opinions about how the sport is run and the weekly events conducted. For the longest time we have heard that the fans are not great fans of the mile-and-a-half racing product. We heard differently after the race at Kentucky, and NASCAR would do well to listen to the fans on this one and change up the racing on the style of track that accounts for half of the events in the Championship run. And put road course in there while you’re at it.
Who Rules? The Staff and Fans at Watkins Glen!
There’s a word that we used to hear a lot of the time when we were talking about NASCAR, especially at tracks like Bristol where for years you couldn’t find an empty seat. That word, and when we heard it most of the time now refers to someone lacking conviction, is “sellout.” We heard it at Watkins Glen this past weekend when the track announced that it had sold out all seating and most of the camping areas as well. After years of either not understanding it or just craving the round and round action, NASCAR fans have really come to embrace the road course racing product. What was the change? Perhaps it was one small rule change, when NASCAR went from the old single file restart to the newer and more exciting double file restart. Think about it. A driver really has to stink up the show to get lapped on a road course, and the lapped cars used to start beside the leader when the green flag racing would resume after a caution. What would you rather see? Would you want the leader of the race immediately outrunning the guy who is having trouble getting around the course in less than six minutes, or the guy who was in second place and running comparable lap times?
The “Road To Recovery”
On June 17th, NASCAR announced that Ernest F. Pierce of the Joe Gibbs Racing Team was suspended indefinitely for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. As we know, any participant in NASCAR is subject to the policy and if it is violated the participant is immediately suspended, and in order to be reinstated, must endure NASCAR’s Road To Recovery Program. On August 11th, NASCAR announced that Mr. Pierce had completed the program and is now eligible to return to his duties. Less than two months away, and Mr. Pierce has paid his dues. How long has it been since Jeremy Mayfield has raced in NASCAR? Standing up for yourself is one thing, but taking the path of least resistance should also be a factor in the decision making process.
And now, the Heavy…
The heaviest weight lifted with the eye socket is 35.71 pounds and was achieved by Manjit Singh in Leicester, Leicestershire, UK, on September 12, 2013. He made the attempt to celebrate Guinness World Records Day 2014. The weight was composed of 12 editions of the Guinness World Records Book.
NASCAR mandated some changes to the right side of the cars for this weekend’s races at Michigan. After running the races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few weeks ago with the new “high drag” package, many drivers got out of their cars complaining of the heat, and some were actually feeling ill. The problem was that the spoilers and splitters on the cars did not allow for the sufficient cooling of the drivers because the air got trapped under the car and instead of passing through, stayed there and got super-heated because of the exhaust and engine temperature, and raised the temps in the cockpit of the vehicle. With the same high drag rules package on the cars this week at Michigan, NASCAR has created a mandatory rule where the cars must have a dual duct system installed on the right side window to help with ventilation and assist with keeping the drivers cooler during the race. That said, with the new package which is supposed to create more pack racing where the cars run closer together and we could see four and five-wide action, we’re going to have to wait and see how cool those drivers are towards each other once the Checkered Flag falls.
Chase Rules Packages
NASCAR has announced that as soon as next week, they could announce which tracks in the Chase for the Championship could be affected with new rules packages, and which packages will be used. Yes, they made an announcement about an announcement. From what has been sampled from television, radio and print, the fans are heavily weighted towards using the Kentucky based package over the Indy package. NASCAR claims it is interested in the fans opinions about how the sport is run and the weekly events conducted. For the longest time we have heard that the fans are not great fans of the mile-and-a-half racing product. We heard differently after the race at Kentucky, and NASCAR would do well to listen to the fans on this one and change up the racing on the style of track that accounts for half of the events in the Championship run. And put road course in there while you’re at it.
Who Rules? The Staff and Fans at Watkins Glen!
There’s a word that we used to hear a lot of the time when we were talking about NASCAR, especially at tracks like Bristol where for years you couldn’t find an empty seat. That word, and when we heard it most of the time now refers to someone lacking conviction, is “sellout.” We heard it at Watkins Glen this past weekend when the track announced that it had sold out all seating and most of the camping areas as well. After years of either not understanding it or just craving the round and round action, NASCAR fans have really come to embrace the road course racing product. What was the change? Perhaps it was one small rule change, when NASCAR went from the old single file restart to the newer and more exciting double file restart. Think about it. A driver really has to stink up the show to get lapped on a road course, and the lapped cars used to start beside the leader when the green flag racing would resume after a caution. What would you rather see? Would you want the leader of the race immediately outrunning the guy who is having trouble getting around the course in less than six minutes, or the guy who was in second place and running comparable lap times?
The “Road To Recovery”
On June 17th, NASCAR announced that Ernest F. Pierce of the Joe Gibbs Racing Team was suspended indefinitely for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. As we know, any participant in NASCAR is subject to the policy and if it is violated the participant is immediately suspended, and in order to be reinstated, must endure NASCAR’s Road To Recovery Program. On August 11th, NASCAR announced that Mr. Pierce had completed the program and is now eligible to return to his duties. Less than two months away, and Mr. Pierce has paid his dues. How long has it been since Jeremy Mayfield has raced in NASCAR? Standing up for yourself is one thing, but taking the path of least resistance should also be a factor in the decision making process.
And now, the Heavy…
The heaviest weight lifted with the eye socket is 35.71 pounds and was achieved by Manjit Singh in Leicester, Leicestershire, UK, on September 12, 2013. He made the attempt to celebrate Guinness World Records Day 2014. The weight was composed of 12 editions of the Guinness World Records Book.
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