NASCAR 2012 season

[stardust3]

I took the attached picture yesterday coming by the Bristol track. By this time in the week on a night race in past years the foreground in the picture would be completely packed with campers. Seems a lot of people have lost interest.

 

[Jimbo]

I took the attached picture yesterday coming by the Bristol track. By this time in the week on a night race in past years the foreground in the picture would be completely packed with campers. Seems a lot of people have lost interest.


View attachment 80418

and money ....

The owner is pushing the idea of how great the track will be now that he spent money to CHANGE it .... we'll see if the fans come back, he better hope so.

Many of the drivers are saying the track isn't much different than it was.

 

[stardust3]

A helicopter pilot for Food City crashed into Holston lake after dropping off the CEO & some other passengers following the end of the Food City 250 Friday night. A sad story & as of late Saturday evening they still haven't found his body.

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012...ching-survivors-helicopter-crash--ar-2152411/

A motorcyclist also died when it crashed into a shuttle bus near the track during the race last night. According to the description in the article it was near where I snapped a photo in my previous post.

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/aug/25/motorcyclist-dies-fatal-crash-ar-2152757/

 

[Jimbo]

I watched the night race, was in and out and never heard a word about this ....

Maybe I missed it as I was doing other things as well, but you would have thought they would have talked about this.

 

[stardust3]

I found out on the local news. The article says it was mentioned during Saturday nights race. I watched the entire pre race & good portion of the race and never heard anything about it. The Nascar website has no mention of it or condolences either. The pilot was a Vietnam vet with an extensive flying career. You would definitely think a helicopter that crashed just minutes after dropping off the ceo of food city a major & long time sponsor of BMS would garner a little more attention.

My condolences to the family & friends of this pilot.

Here is a c/p about the pilot:

According to a 2011 article in the online trade publication Aviation International News, Food City's pilot, Bill Starnes, had amassed at least 26,500 accident-free flying hours when he was recognized in November with a National Business Aviation Association Pilot Flying Safety Award, as K-VA-T's chief pilot.

Starnes' career included 39 years of flying military helicopters, among them an earlier military version of the Bell 407 that crashed Friday.

 

[stardust3]

The body of Bill Starnes, the pilot who crashed his helicopter into South Holston Lake Friday, was recovered today in about 80 feet of water, according to the Virginia State Police.

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/aug/27/helicopter-pilots-body-recovered-ar-2153575/

R.I.P.
I am so glad they found him. At least for the family they can have some closure to this terrible accident.

 

[Mr Tony]

long nite last night.....feel bad for the fans who stayed...1:30AM

It was nice to see Gordon get in the chase. He drove that car as if his wife said he was getting alot (not just some) if he won

Even better....crybaby Busch didnt get in....and like usual he pouted and ran off after the race.

 

[Jimbo]

long nite last night.....feel bad for the fans who stayed...1:30AM

It was nice to see Gordon get in the chase. He drove that car as if his wife said he was getting alot (not just some) if he won

Even better....crybaby Busch didnt get in....and like usual he pouted and ran off after the race.

Yes, I was quite happy to see this morning that Gordon had MADE it, really didn't think he had much of a chance going in.
And Kyle didn't.

Changes:
Now mind you with this being a Sponsor driven sport it will never happen, but ...

I would like to see the Chase teams be the ONLY cars running the last 10 races.

 

[Mr Tony]

when the 2nd rain delay came (156 laps in) he was I think a lap down and the car "Was junk" when they interviewed him

I would like to see the Chase teams be the ONLY cars running the last 10 races.

but if we do that what "Scrub" driver would JJ pay off to make it so a caution mysteriously flies when he is having a bad race to get him back in the race?

 

[Mr Tony]

chase starts today

 

[dfergie]

Man I haven't seen a race in over a month, saw parts of a replay the other night... (and won't see this one either)

 

[Mr Tony]

what a BORING race.....but some of those mile and a half ones do that

JJ leads most of the way but thank god the Blue Deuce passed him with 30 laps to go to win it

 

[Mr Tony]

Tony Jr out at JR Motorsports
http://www.nationwide.nascar.com/na...17/teuryjr-out-dpatrick-crew-chief/index.html

The painful evolution of JR Motorsports continued Monday when the Nationwide Series team parted ways with Tony Eury Jr., who in addition to being crew chief on Danica Patrick's No. 7 car was also a part-owner in the organization.

The move comes 10 days after JRM severed ties with Tony Eury Sr., the operation's competition director and a veteran crew chief within the organization. That change was made in an attempt to alter the direction of what was once among the top teams on the Nationwide tour but now hasn't won a race in two years.

"Unfortunately, Tony Jr. is no longer with the company," team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a statement. "I had hoped he would be here for a long time, but as we've discussed the direction of JR Motorsports moving forward, it was clear our differences in ideas were too vast to overcome. I love him like a brother, and you'll never hear me say a bad thing about him. I know he'll have much success in anything he does going forward. As for our No. 7 team, no decision has been made on who will crew chief that team this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. We will discuss our options and make a decision very soon."

 

[Jimbo]

Tony Jr out at JR Motorsports
http://www.nationwide.nascar.com/na...17/teuryjr-out-dpatrick-crew-chief/index.html

Wow ....

Is Patrick THAT hard to work with or was it other things entirely ?

 

[Mr Tony]

I assume other things.
Danica is going cup full time next year (and sounds like no nationwide.....at least not with JR)

 

[Mr Tony]

Also I heard the 51 team is closing up shop at end of year
no sponsor I guess was part of it

 

[Ramy]

Also I heard the 51 team is closing up shop at end of year
no sponsor I guess was part of it

Isn't that Kurt Busch's car?

 

[Mr Tony]

yup

rumor is Childress will take him but he has to find a sponsor

 

[Ramy]

Talladega this week. Just wait for the big one.

 

[Mr Tony]

Hopefully JJ is in it