Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Sorry, but when you have "races" at Talladega and Daytona, and you rely on what line is moving forward on the last lap, or who your "drafting partner" is, or if there are enough Toyotas, Chevys, or Fords around you to get you to victory, and hope not to get caught up in a 20 car pile up that happened 30 cars in front of you.................that is luck, not racing.  (remember the 5 or 6 year debacle where all the cars raced in pairs?..................WTF?)

Fact:  Almost every 1-time Nascar winner has come from Talladega or Daytona

Fact:  Almost every 1-time Nascar winner has never sniffed the top ten in points or been in the top 5 anywhere else but those 2 tracks.  Coincidence?  No.  They lucked into wins.  

This is why many put no weight on winning the Daytona 500 anymore.  It's a joke.  Winning almost every other track in Nascar is a bigger accomplishment, so if Kyle never wins the Daytona 500, it means nothing when judging his career.  Same as King's Royal.  The King's Royal is no more difficult to win than the Knight Before or the Joker's Wild.  Why does the King's Royal hold so much more weight to everyone?  I know it's a bigger check, but nothing was done that wasn't done any other night. 

There are no racing "majors" in Nascar----maybe in theory, but not in reality.  Winning at Phoenix, Michigan, or Martinsville carries the same weight as winning at Charlotte.  And to me, is more of an accomplishment than winning Daytona in Feb. 

While we're at it, why does everyone carry the Daytona 500 in such high regard vs. winning Daytona in July?    

No joke!  Is it just me, or does there seem to be a renewed interest in Nascar for 2021?  Do you think the thick heads at Nascar are able to recognize the reason behind this?  There is a lot more chatter on social media.  There seems to be (even with some tracks still in attendance restrictions) better attendance than in years past.  When I go to the local bar, guys are talking about the races on Sunday again.  I predicted Larson and Bell would raise Nascar from the dead about 5-6 years ago.  My prediction may have been a little premature, and the verdict is still out on Bell, but Larson is becoming a must watch on Sundays and I feel like more of the old Nascar fans are tuning back in----at least the ones I know.

Is anyone else noticing this in their small world?  Don't get me wrong, Sundays are still nowhere near the level of methanol on Saturday night under the lights.  However, I have not missed many laps on Sunday now that Larson is back in the field and is making the waves we all knew he would make 10 years ago.  90% of the field would wreck when getting the car as out of shape as he does.  Not only does he not wreck, he manages to maintain speed and complete the pass with the car unhooked.  The time he spends in the seat sliding a car through the corners is giving him an advantage on Sunday.  Sure the equipment of Hendrick seems to be a step ahead right now, but the little extra Kyle is getting is coming from racing non-stop.  JMO

I have noticed it too and I am sure there are a number of reasons with Larson being one of them. I think it had been since about 2014 since I had sat and watched a race start to finish and the only reason I would tune in is to see how Larson was doing. Last year with not much to do I started watching some races with an open mind and the racing on the track itself had gotten better. Nothing like the 80's and 90's but still better. I remember the races at Kansas and New Hampshire were actually competitive in a sense that their were guys battling for position and those are two of the most boring tracks. A lot of my friends who had given up on Nascar started talking about the race on Sunday. Couple of us are going to make a trip to the Michigan race in August now.

I dont get caught up in best ever talks because I find that people are prejudice to the guy who was competing during "their" era or during their youth. It is a little bit easier to compare AJ Foyt to someone he competed against versus him and Larson. Events over time change too. Back in the day the Daytona 500 was a huge accomplishment for various reasons now its whoever misses the multiple wrecks which is just a matter of where you are on the track and if you get the right push at the right time. The record book for Larson is still being written and I am just going to watch it happen and enjoy. Let all the others do the comparing.

Agree.  I can't argue with anyone who thinks Foyt or Mario were better.  There's no way to compare.  I can have an opinion, but it is only that.  Is Kyle better than either of those 2?  It's possible.  If he continues to win at the clip he is winning at I think the argument that he is better will be very valid.  But it will be only an argument or opinion.  I, as you, am just enjoying what we are watching.  Right now, he's doing something that has not been done in my lifetime.  Sure, drivers like Gordon and Stewart competed, and succeeded in multiple divisions.  However, no one has run as many different races, in as many different cars, all at once, and been near as successful.  Clauson is as close as it gets, and even Bryan was not able to be as successful in EVERY type of car he ran as Kyle is right now.  Kyle has also distanced himself from Bell.  

We're seeing a greatness that is a different type of greatness.  How many drivers make it as big as he has, win a million dollars on Sunday night, and then bust ass to Ohio to run 3 straight $6000 to win races?  He loves to race.  He loves the fans.  He is nothing but good for the sport of racing.  

I also find Blaney, Elliott and Bell getting my attention. In all candor I find myself annoyed by the extraordinary attention paid to the 23 car. 

You know that kid ain't too bad. Kinda bad to say but getting canned last year might have been the best thing to happen for his career.

Larson leaving Ganassi and going to Hendricks was happening no matter what. Stewart-Hass might have had a shot. Larson probably just had to take a smaller contract due to not having the sponsorship pull. 

WAAAYYY too much attention on that 23 car.....i used to pull for the guy, but not so much anymore.  honestly, i cheer against him

there hasn't been too much attention given to the 23.  he hasn't been a factor in most races.  

the problem is a lot of people don't want any attention given to the 23...unless he crashes so they can run to twitter and post about how happy they are.

i would propose a challenge for kyle larson assuming he could get truck and xfinity rides.  race the grove friday, trucks and cup saturday at pocono, lincoln saturday night, xfinity and cup on sunday, and baps on sunday night.  i'm sure he could get a helicopter to move him around.  he probably looks at pa as the state that saved his career.  he'll own it forever if he does something like that.

Can we all agree he's the best driver of this millenium?

It's hard to compare the old greats against the new. Just like 500 through 700 horsepower up against 900 plus horsepower. I am fortunate enough to have enjoyed them most. But Kyle is one bad mother fucker�

I guess I am oblivious to all of the extra attention given to the 23 as well.  I haven't heard him mentioned for weeks unless he was the cause of a caution.  Can someone explain to me where he is getting all of this undeserved attention?  When I turn on the TV on Sundays, the camera seems to be focused on the leader of the race or where the side by side battles are happening.  Not too much opportunity for the 23 to be showcased.  Am i not watching on the same channel?

I also saw on social media today that the reason Denny Hamlin is leading the points is because they don't want Kyle Larson to lead them.     ??????     I hate Nascar's points system as much as everyone else, but we have some real rocket scientists in our midst.  

Also, I like your idea about Larson in PA------just not sure how much Mr. Hendrick would like it. 

Make it 3 of us that is oblivious to all of the extra attention given to the 23. Only attention I really heard about him was at the beginning of the year and I think it more centered around Michael Jordan & Denny Hamlin owning a race team, and how that team would perform given those owner's reputation. Bubba just happened to be the driver. I think some of the people that get upset about any type of attention it gets whether its a spin or just a regular pre race interview are again, just looking for ways to complain and be miserable with their lives. I have not really seen Bubba do anything wrong as far as character or something that no other driver hasn't done prior to him, he just unfortunately got pulled into the Larson discussion because the Nascar media asked him about it. He didn't chastise Larson last year or say anything demeaning about him during the whole incident but listening to how some people comment about him you would think that Wallace said we should all burn Larson at the stake which is not anything he inferred. Not to mention, it seems that a majority of people have moved on past the incident including Larson and Wallace so makes me wonder (not really) what type of motiviation one has to keep bringing it up.

Nascar would do itself some good to get a better point system. I think they would most likely get a lot more fan support if they would go back to something similar to the old way where the champion is based on the full season. Not 26 races, then 3, another, 3 more, then 4 driver determine the champion in 1 race.

Make it 3 of us that is oblivious to all of the extra attention given to the 23. Only attention I really heard about him was at the beginning of the year and I think it more centered around Michael Jordan & Denny Hamlin owning a race team, and how that team would perform given those owner's reputation. Bubba just happened to be the driver. I think some of the people that get upset about any type of attention it gets whether its a spin or just a regular pre race interview are again, just looking for ways to complain and be miserable with their lives. I have not really seen Bubba do anything wrong as far as character or something that no other driver hasn't done prior to him, he just unfortunately got pulled into the Larson discussion because the Nascar media asked him about it. He didn't chastise Larson last year or say anything demeaning about him during the whole incident but listening to how some people comment about him you would think that Wallace said we should all burn Larson at the stake which is not anything he inferred. Not to mention, it seems that a majority of people have moved on past the incident including Larson and Wallace so makes me wonder (not really) what type of motiviation one has to keep bringing it up.

Nascar would do itself some good to get a better point system. I think they would most likely get a lot more fan support if they would go back to something similar to the old way where the champion is based on the full season. Not 26 races, then 3, another, 3 more, then 4 driver determine the champion in 1 race.