Posted on 06/27/2012 6:03:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
It's the second year of Cup racing at Kentucky Speedway and time for many to saddle the horses, cinch 'em up and get their wagons rolling or kiss the Chase buh-bye.
Yeah. He can't even do back flips </sarc>. I do wish him well. Funny how they all drive so well in contract negotiation years.
Twas a strange trip weather wise. Coldest day was at the race on Sunday. Cloudy and cool inland and sunny and warm on the coast. The sunny & warm wind-free weather was the talk of the (locals) in town when we stayed in Bodega Bay and Ft. Bragg. Bend weather is conflicted.
I see Kyle Busch currently has the top practice speed. We need to start a pool as to what lap his engine will let go this race. If it weren’t for bad luck he’d have no luck at all.
Ky found a great location for constructing the track without massive excavation. The spectator stands are on a concrete covered hillside.
They face south and all that concrete acts like a heat battery to soak up all the sun during the day.
It’s close to Indy, Louisville, Cincy. Unfortunately there’s only one major road (I-71) adjacent.
You can escape to Indiana across the Ohio River via one 2-lane road that runs north, but it’s not easy to get to it from the parking lots, everybody else wants to go the opposite way.
Watched the last 50 laps of the Nationwide race tonight and the Gibbs cars were having valve-spring issues again.
100 degrees for race day tomorrow?? Oh-boy. Slick, slick track.
Race meal will be left over ribs from the Steelhead Lodge. Nummie. Trinidad fudge is all gone though.
Dillon had an epic night, he had everybody covered.
I realize he’s got every advantage possible for career development, but he’s still got to drive the car.
Dusting off Kurt Busch on that last restart was impressive.
(Does Kyle Busch Racing get engines from Gibbs or Toyota?)
Dillon and that #3 car dominated; I thought he was over-driving the car toward the end (just a slick track, I guess) and was afraid he was going to wreck.
I believe K.B. racing gets their engines from Gibbs. I also believe that their Sprint Cup cars switched from Gibbs to Toyota last year. Yup, here’s a link to a week old article for the Toyota TRD engines and the concerns that Waltrip & Gibbs have:
I was going to take a chance and run Michael Waltrip this week as my “C” driver but with the engine issues and Michael+slick track=disaster I think I’ll be safe then sorry. Looks like the hottest temp race of the year is in store for today’s race.
I hope the high temps don’t ruin the Whiskey... It was even hot and muggy here on the Vast Bender estate with the thermometer reaching a high of 72 and relative humidity of 88%
Thanks for the link.
I’ve attended a number of Indycar races @ Ky.
It’s bloody hot on a sunny day even if the air temp is 80.
The stands are built into a south facing hillside covered with concrete that acts like a heat sink.
Today in Indy (not too far away) is hot, humid, unstable air so we may see big thunderstorms this afternoon.
A fortune could be made selling cans of beer for $5.00 apiece along the route..
A “tweet” says that the #3 car in the Nationwide race failed the post-race inspection - to low in the rear - and to expect a penalty next week.
Heat wreaks havoc at Kentucky Speedway
http://www.nascar.com/news/120629/kentucky-heat-issues/index.html
SPARTA, Ky. — As a heat wave grips a large portion of the United States — with possibilities of record highs in the Ohio Valley and South — Kentucky Speedway is feeling the effects. More to the point, those in attendance for the Quaker State 400 race weekend are feeling the effects, and the drivers are no exception.
The high temperature for Sparta on Saturday is expected to be 100 degrees, and it won’t be much cooler at the race’s scheduled 7:45 p.m. ET start time. During Happy Hour on Friday, an excessive heat warning was in effect. It was 95 degrees when the session began, with an on-track temperature of 139 degrees. It is believed to be the highest temperature for an on-track event at Kentucky, topping the old mark of 130 degrees set in an IRL event in 2005.
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Hot Hot HoT!!
Yeah, and it’s not a “dry” heat either. I don’t mind dry heat but humidity makes my tail droop.
Spent the day outside w/occasional thunder & sprinkles & 70 degree temps. Mrs. Happydog has the festive banners and flags up and buckets of weeds have been pulled + another 3 dozen red/white/violet petunias planted. Trk washed and waxed, lawn mowed and I’m ready for another vacation.
Bout ready to wrap it up and get cleaned up for the race. If you’re running Michael Waltrip you are a better man than I am.
Countdown to Green is on TnT and skies are clear.. and the track Hot! Ping
We may hit 90 for the 4th ..
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meanwhile..
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Lap by Lap kentucky.. June 30, 2012
http://www.nascar.com/lap-by-lap/120630/kentcuplbl/index.html
6:17p.m.ET
Driver introductions are slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
12:30p.m.ET
Jimmie Johnson’s lap of 181.818 mph during qualifying Friday was good enough to put him on the pole for the Quaker State 400. Starting second will be Kyle Busch, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman in third through fifth. Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. round out the top 10.
Temperature 97 and likely to drop down a smidgen
Is it me or has Nascar.com become a mess or what?
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btw , there is a 30% chance of wet and /or T’storms. fingers crossed..
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=zmw:41086.1.99999
Very hot and dry here in Colorado. Nine forest fires burning. One is 4 miles north of me. I know someone who had to evacuate in Colorado Springs. They got the fre stopped one mile from his house in the Garden of the Gods area where so many homes burned. I have been on chainsaw duty todaay and will be taking chainsaw breaks during yellows.
Good luck to you and all the mountain folk.. knocking on wood (not too hard tho) here in California. the fuel is there.. here’s hoping campers etc respect their fires and tend them properly.. it only takes a cigarette or a sparkler..
It has been so dry that the afternoon thunderstorms do not produce much rain and it often evaporates before reaching the ground. But, the lightning reaches the ground!
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