NASCAR IS BACK ~ DAYTONA Budweiser Shootout/Duels ~ (Begins) Saturday Feb 12, 2011 FOX 8PM

Various | 02/2/11 | Me, Jack, Jr and Rocky

[WestCoastGal]

WELCOME BACK RACE FANS ~ WE'RE BACK ~ DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS WHICH BEGINS THE 2011 NASCAR SEASON

The 33rd annual BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT
Saturday, February 12th - 8pm on Fox begins our race season with this non-points event.




The field will include:
• The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

• Past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
• Past Budweiser Shootout champions
• Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola champions
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year drivers from 2001-2010 (New this year)

The race distance will continue to be 75 laps (187.5 miles) on the 2.5-mile tri-oval. The race will have two segments, of 25 and 50 laps. Both green- and yellow-flag laps will count.

Between segments, there will be a 10-minute pit stop at which time teams will pit and may elect to change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments.

Starting positions will be determined by a draw at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Thursday night, Feb. 10, on the SPEED stage in the Midway, outside Turn 4. Televised on SPEED.
The Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for 8:00PM ET. Last years winner was Kevin Harvick.


***


Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday Feb. 13th on Fox 1PM ET which determines the front row starting positions for the 500. Last year front row ~ Martin #5 and Earnhardt Jr. #88






***


The Gatorade Duels (60 laps each) will be held on Thursday February 17, 2011 2PM ET on SPEED - lineup is based on qualifying speeds -- odd number qualifiers will race in Duel #1 for the inside line in the 500 and even # Duel #2 for the outside line in the 500. (confused yet?) Last years winners Johnson, Duel #1 and Kahne, Duel #2.
Those not in the top 35 are qualified in as follows:
This leaves eight spots open to other drivers which are assigned like this: The top two drivers in each Gatorade Duel that are not already guaranteed a starting spot get into the Daytona 500.

The next three spots go to the fastest three qualifiers based on the single-car time trials from Sunday.

The final spot is guaranteed for a previous Sprint Cup Champion who was unable to qualify any other way. If there is no unqualified past champion then the 43rd spot goes to the next fastest qualifier based on speed from the single-car session.

The Duels are two 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 from positions 5 through 43.

[WestCoastGal]

Nothing yet but, just saw this Port Arthur, TX PD has closed all bridges & overpasses in the city due 2 icing. Includes Intracoastal Waterway, Sabine Pass & Taylors Bayou.

[WestCoastGal]

Re: New fueling can

“It’s crazy, man,” Gibson said. “We blow it all up now because it’s new and it’s scary. But it’s like anything else: the gas guys will get used to it and we’ll figure out a way to make it work, and probably we’ll get [the pit-stop times] back to where they were. We’ll figure out a way to get it done faster. But right now, you want to be that guy who can figure out this scenario best — so you can take advantage of it.”

The difficulty lies in the new, bulkier configuration of the new gas cans and their longer necks — plus the fact that NASCAR has eliminated the catch-can man, reducing the number of team members who can go over the wall during a pit stop from seven to six.

“It doesn’t just change getting to the wall and getting to the car and back,” Gibson said. “Actually getting connected is such a different connecting deal, if you’re off just a little bit it slows down the flow of the fuel tremendously.”

The connectivity challenge was obvious during recent testing sessions at Daytona, where puddles of spilled fuel dotted garage stalls and pit stalls. Gibson and others admitted they were concerned some fires might erupt as a result.

When they announced the decision to go to the new system, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton explained the decision by saying, “We’ll run a fueling system that will eliminate the catch-can guy [because] it fuels and vents all in one process. It’s what the Truck Series teams have used successfully.”

Yet Gibson said the Cup cars are so much different than the Truck Series machines that they’ve been able to learn next to nothing from observing.

“Their fueling systems are different. Their cans are different, their nozzles are different,” Gibson said. “All that stuff is slower. All that mating stuff is different — because that’s what we were going to do. We were going to go back and look at the Truck Series and look at how they did their pit stops and all that. Well, they’re not even the same deal.”

http://www.nascar.com/news/110203/new-fueling-system-problems/index.html

[WestCoastGal]

# Per NWS: Numerous cars in ditch reported along US 44 near Corpus Christi Airport. Map Location: http://bit.ly/e0w70l 1 minute ago via TweetDeck

# TWC Breaking TWCBreaking

Police closing I-35 from MM 6 into Laredo, TX. Freezing drizzle/sleet icing over bridges. Multiple accidents. Map: http://wxch.nl/hsKlyS

[SouthTexas]

They were talking about closing the harbor bridge in Corpus before dark, don't know if they did or not. That one would be fun on ice, if it didn't kill you. LOL

For those that don't know .

[SouthTexas]

They’re stacking up in Corpus. Harbor bridge is closed, both causeways, and multiple overpasses.

We just have nice shiny streets, sidewalks, etc.

[Roccus]

We just have nice shiny streets, sidewalks, etc.

....and lots and lots of pretty(?) pinwheels.

[SouthTexas]

It’s not really that bad. Most everything is shutdown, many of us realize we can’t drive on ice and don’t bother trying.

Not enough moisture to have the pretty icicles.

[Libloather]

What next - women drivers?

Blind driver to debut new technologies at Daytona

[Roccus]

By “pinwheels” I meant wind “generators."

Took a drive East of me today to Elkins, first time in about a year. The skyline of Laurel Ridge has been despoiled with several dozens of these monstrosities in various stages of assemblage..... damn shame.

[happydogx2]

Pinwheels = wind generators. OK, now I get it. I was thinking of those little umbrella’s in adult beverages.

[WestCoastGal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bewgjoE_Nc&feature=player_embedded

New Camaro convertible rolled of the line in Oshawa, Canada.

[SouthTexas]

Some were turning, some were not. IF they actually worked, we wouldn’t have to be smuggling electricity in from Mexico.

New cartels?

[SouthTexas]

Is this the one they're only making 250 of?

Snow from your neck of the woods (at son's). Yeah, I know it's not much, but it's more than we got.:)

[tubebender]

So that’s what snow looks like? What is the car and is it for sale? I am at work as I couldn’t post to FR from home...

[SouthTexas]

That’s what it looks like, or so they say. LOL

Don’t know what the car is. Son’s fil has three of them in about the same shape, they’re not for sale though. Don’t really know what he’s going to do with them but grandsons, his and mine, busted out a couple of the windows in the ones that still had them. Prit near caused a disturbance in the force. LOL

[happydogx2]

Jr looks good.

A superbowl ad that will air tomorrow for the Camero:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RttT4jC7_10

[SouthTexas]

I want one just like that!

[tubebender]

Me want...

[WestCoastGal]

As far as I know this is full production model.

There will be a Dale Earnhardt version coming out in a few months, also a Kerry Earnhardt truck.

We got 0 snow. But, there is pipe breakage everywhere - so far I’ve been lucky **knock on wood**

[WestCoastGal]

Great commercial :)