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Embarrassing Blowout for NASCAR
Washington Post ^ | October 17, 2005 | By Liz Clarke

Posted on 10/17/2005 5:40:57 AM PDT by Nasty McPhilthy

NASCAR had the opportunity to build on its fan base Saturday night when the UAW-GM 500 roared to life seconds after Southern California's 34-31, come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame.

NBC viewers who were curious about stock-car racing simply needed to stay put following college football's thriller in South Bend, Ind., where the Trojans charged past the Fighting Irish with three seconds remaining. But as the prime-time TV cameras cut to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., NASCAR failed to seize the moment.

A rash of tire failures sent a succession of cars slamming into the track's concrete retaining wall and scared drivers so witless they barely raced at all. Instead of dicing for position as NASCAR's best do so expertly, racers kept safe distances between one another and didn't push their cars to their limit, many said afterward, for fear of blowing a tire. Despite the precautions, the 500-mile race was halted for a crash roughly every 20 laps. Nearly all of the crashes were caused by blown tires; not necessarily the fault of the tire supplier, Goodyear, most drivers argued, but the result of speeds generating more heat and abuse than the tires could withstand.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: france; nascar
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To: Nasty McPhilthy
I know the money will continue to flow but I don't know about the excitement.

Report: ABC/ESPN to pay $280 million for NASCAR TV rights

21 posted on 10/17/2005 6:03:50 AM PDT by truthandlife ("Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7))
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To: RightCanuck

You would think that these high dollar crew chiefs would know that the manufacturer's recommended tire pressures are posted on the inside drivers door frame near the door latch. Jeez!


22 posted on 10/17/2005 6:06:04 AM PDT by Nasty McPhilthy (Those who beat their swords into plow shears….will plow for those who don’t.)
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To: RightCanuck

Many moons ago, I would fine tune adjustments on the wedge of a stock car by manipulating tire inflation.


23 posted on 10/17/2005 6:07:57 AM PDT by Quilla
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To: glock rocks; NormsRevenge; WestCoastGal; SouthTexas; NYTexan; steveegg

Nascar ping...


24 posted on 10/17/2005 6:08:55 AM PDT by tubebender (There you go, stealing my Tag Line again...)
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To: RightCanuck

Goodyear came out between seasons earlier this year and stated they were changing the tires so that they (Goodyear) could control (I think influence was the term) the outcome of the race.

It no longer depends on driving skill, pit strategy for fuel or mechanics skill. Goodyear has taken drivers lives into their own hands.

Makes one ask; why doesn't Goodyear build an all season, all terrain commercial passenger tire that will last for 50,000 miles? Job security...

They have the ability to. The fact most commercial aircraft fly with goodyears is one point. If they "controlled the outcome of a flight" as they have decided to do with NASCAR" think of the lawsuits.

Heck, how much will they lose in a court with the death of one driver? Not much.

Goodyear has decided to play God with this. It is one reason I have lost interest in the sport for the most part. Bill France would be smart to go to Bridgestone.


25 posted on 10/17/2005 6:10:35 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican (in Daytona Beach)
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To: Nasty McPhilthy
Had NBC done a better job of scheduling their sports programs we wouldn't have tuned in after the race had started. They should have shifted the show to TNT until after the game.

There would have been riots in the streets had the game gone into OT...

26 posted on 10/17/2005 6:13:17 AM PDT by tubebender (There you go, stealing my Tag Line again...)
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To: RightCanuck

woops, that "all terrain" should read "any terrain"


27 posted on 10/17/2005 6:13:33 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: tubebender

My two favorite teams are Miami Hurricances and whoever is playing Notre Dame.


28 posted on 10/17/2005 6:16:10 AM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: harpu
Liz Clarke is one ignorant fool. NASCAR doesn't now, nor will it ever need TV to be what it is - NASCAR.

I'll go one more and say for years the elites opinion of stock car racing was as a laughable event for uneducated, beer drinking, Confederate flag waving rednecks....until of course their greedy eyes noticed the increasing popularity of the sport....and the $$$$$....now they're all "fans".

The more the MSM trys to cash in on NASCARS recent success the worse it's going to be for the true race fan. It's already waaaaaay too commercial as it is. The "hollywood" influence is showing.

Then again, maybe that's the idea. To wreck the sport and replace it with more "chick TV".

29 posted on 10/17/2005 6:20:13 AM PDT by RckyRaCoCo ("When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk!")
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To: RebelBanker

Sounds like NASCAR needs to set some standards for track quality and road surface conditions. If the State DOT can do it, surely NASCAR can do it...........


30 posted on 10/17/2005 6:20:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (In life, you don't get what you deserve. You get what you settle for...........)
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To: leadpenny
What's not to like?

Uhhhhh, go fast and turn left a couple hundred times perhaps? Zzzzzzzzzz......

Might as well watch soccer.

31 posted on 10/17/2005 6:22:13 AM PDT by SengirV
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To: Quilla

You mean shavin' a few ozs off the wagon wheel spokes?.......


32 posted on 10/17/2005 6:22:27 AM PDT by Red Badger (In life, you don't get what you deserve. You get what you settle for...........)
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To: RckyRaCoCo
Good post.

NASCAR is well on its way to following the NFL into television-induced mediocrity. How ironic is it that the National Hockey League -- despite (or as a result of) canceling an entire season in a labor dispute -- has maintained the strongest loyalty among its serious fans by resigning itself to its position as a "cult sport" with limited appeal to broad audiences?

33 posted on 10/17/2005 6:30:43 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free.)
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To: Red Badger
LOL! Well, maybe not that many moons ago. More like twenty years ago at the East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL.


34 posted on 10/17/2005 6:33:04 AM PDT by Quilla
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To: Quilla

Oh, a Roundy-Rounder!..........


35 posted on 10/17/2005 6:34:11 AM PDT by Red Badger (In life, you don't get what you deserve. You get what you settle for...........)
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To: Red Badger

Well, everybody had complained about how rough the track was so the owner had it smoothed out some. Now they are complaining that it is too smooth...


36 posted on 10/17/2005 6:37:19 AM PDT by RebelBanker (Captain's Log...stardate unknown because I'm too hung over to read the frecking chronometer.)
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To: RebelBanker; Red Badger
Almost all solo wrecks, one guy blows a tire and either spins or slides into the outside wall or (rarely) manages to get it shut down to get into the pits.

Yeah, they weren't very exciting... but my man Mark Martin did good, again! Go Viagara Ford!

(speaking of which, wasn't the interview with Michael Waltrip funny. During an interview during a red flag stop, hee named every sponsor, with a decal on his car, then said, "now what can I do for you?" I just spewed...


37 posted on 10/17/2005 6:40:15 AM PDT by pageonetoo (You'll spot their posts soon enough!)
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To: Nasty McPhilthy

There are some people, like myself, who watch racing (in my case, motorcycle racing) for the skill and mastery, the sheer beauty of the sport, not for the wrecks.

Tire technology simply can't keep up with with the power being put down by the engine builders. Don't foget the Indy 500 this last year, where the Michellin drivers weren't allowed to race. This was also seen last year at the tire testing for the (motorcycle) Daytona 200 race. The Superbike class is simply too powerful for the tires available on the superspeedway portions of the track. Last year there were two "catastrophic tire failures" (separations or blowouts), one at over 185MPG, the other at over 190MPH. Needless to say, both riders wound up in the hospital.

Because of the danger, the Daytona 200 "banner" race was switched from Superbike to a different, less powerful class of bikes, and the Superbike race was shortened in order to make it safer.

Mark


38 posted on 10/17/2005 6:41:51 AM PDT by MarkL (I didn't get to where I am today by worrying about what I'd feel like tomorrow!)
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To: Condor51
Maybe I'm crazy but this was surely hasn't been the only race with "tire issues". It might have been the worst but not the first.

Tire failures have influenced the outcome of several races recently. I'm not sure what the problem is but races should be won by the fastest car/driver and not by the luck of the tire draw. With that many caution flags, a 400/500 mile race comes down to a five mile sprint after the majority of contending drivers have been eliminated from competition.

39 posted on 10/17/2005 6:43:28 AM PDT by Ben Hecks
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To: pageonetoo

The drivers are expected to drop a laundry list of sponsors every time they get on camera (or microphone) so Mikey decided to have a little fun with it! I got a good chuckle out of that myself.

I still remember the interview with Richard Petty when someone asked him about his cowboy hat. He said he got tired of getting chewed out for wearing the wrong sponsor's baseball caps at the wrong times.


40 posted on 10/17/2005 6:46:46 AM PDT by RebelBanker (Captain's Log: Star date's getting paid by the hour and she runs on batteries...)
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