NASCAR questions

Any NASCAR fans in here?

Recently Ive been watching a lot of NASCAR. My son likes watching the cars on TV and now Im finding myself getting sucked into the sport and looking forward to race day as well.

I have a couple questions for anyone who is informed in the ways of NASCAR. Answer the ones you want:


1. Whats the difference between the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series? It looks like two different 'leagues' but a lot of the same drivers are in both.

2. They mention drivers being on the same team. The cars look pretty individual out there - are they marked? Whats the advantage of teammates? Do they let you pass them? Block for you? The broadcast said #8 (Army car) just joined the team with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, and that should really help him out. How?

3. Whats a 'free pass'? Apparently Kurt Busch had 5 of them.

4. Why does everyone hate Kyle Busch? Why does everyone love Dale Jr?

5. Whats a restricter plate?

6. Im not sure how fans get attached to one car over the other. Are fans rooting for the driver? The sponsor? Or just like the cars colors?

Anyways, I have other questions, but those are the ones that had me most confused.

Any answers are appreciated.

Thanks!

1. Whats the difference between the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series? It looks like two different 'leagues' but a lot of the same drivers are in both.

Sprint Cup is the big leagues. More money, Bigger sponsors, Higher stakes, Better cars, etc. Nationwide is essentially the AAA-Minors.

2. They mention drivers being on the same team. The cars look pretty individual out there - are they marked? Whats the advantage of teammates? Do they let you pass them? Block for you? The broadcast said #8 (Army car) just joined the team with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, and that should really help him out. How?

Teams are a group of cars under one owner. You might see a similar paint scheme but different main sponsors. Unlike Cart or F1 where the cars all look the same if they're on the same team. Again, in F1, you have points that a team can acrue. Teams can win Constructors championships that way, as well. However, in Nascar, the only advantage is that you have someone who is essentially under the same ownership. That's all. Also, teams use similar cars (Toyota, Dodge, Monte Carlo, etc...) You do what you can to help your teammates out but not at the expense of your own welfare. So, in other words, if you have to block for them, you block but if you're driving #1/#2 with 1 lap to go, try and beat them without sending them into the wall. Drivers often have alliances out on the track so if you're alone and other cars are teaming together to draft by you, you're going to the back of the pack. Essentially, that's it.

3. Whats a 'free pass'? Apparently Kurt Busch had 5 of them.

Free Pass is the last driver of the next lapped car behind the leader. He's allowed to gain a lap back during a caution. You move to the end of the longest line of cars at the end of the caution. It prevents drivers from racing back to the start when a caution comes out.

4. Why does everyone hate Kyle Busch? Why does everyone love Dale Jr?

Dale's father is a legend. Beloved by everyone. He was everything Nascar was. He made Nascar cool. He was the Johnny Cash of racing. I don't know of that many people that hate Kyle. He's a good driver but a bit of a child sometimes. Tony Stewart is pretty hated because he's a bitch and a crybaby and nothing is ever his fault.

5. Whats a restricter plate?

It's a plate that controls and limits a car's speed in the high bank ovals thus minimizing the threat of cars being sent violently through the air in a wreck and controlling the speed of cars that lose control and hit the wall.

6. Im not sure how fans get attached to one car over the other. Are fans rooting for the driver? The sponsor? Or just like the cars colors?

All of the above.



Let me know if you have any more.

Hubby and I are NASCAR fans!
It is VERY addiciting!! Just wait to you see it live there is soooooooo much to watch on the track, that you cant always see everything and miss something

The Natural answered all of your questions..

"Fast cars for slow minds"

--George Carlin (R.I.P)

Thanks Natural! Im still a little unclear about the free pass, but youve cleared everything else up.

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Originally Posted by wngr2552

Just wait to you see it live there is soooooooo much to watch on the track, that you cant always see everything and miss something

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Yeah I totally want to see it live. It looks like a great time. Does one don the earplugs for these events?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MR.BUNGLE

Thanks Natural! Im still a little unclear about the free pass, but youve cleared everything else up.



Yeah I totally want to see it live. It looks like a great time. Does one don the earplugs for these events?

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it is best to wear some kind of ear plugs as the cars on the track are loud.

Hubby and I wear our scanner headsets, where we can hear different drivers talk on the radio and eliminates the loud sounds from the track

Edit: The Free pass.. Let me see if I can explain this with out messing it up..
When a caution comes out and there is a car that is a lap down (or there is more then one car a lap down) the first car that is first lap down they get to pass the caution car and get its lap back.
This is so that he can be competitve and still have a chance to win the race...
I have believe it or not see a car from a lap down come back and win the race or finish in the top 10.

I am sure that Hockeyaholic will come in and say something more..

Expounding on questions 3 & 6 a little more...

#3) Usually there's a car that's 1 lap down. The first car that is 1 lap down gets to rejoin the cars on the lead lap. That is so there's no "racing to the line". The field & the crowd will be alerted who the "lucky dog" is that benefits from the free pass.

#6) Think of sports. Kids often like teams or players because of how good they are. They want to cheer a winner. You can group Bandwagon fans here, too. Racing works the same. Some fans will often like a team because of their "cool colors" or "cool name". Racing works the same. Some fans like certain teams or players because they like their personality, or they met them once, or they come from a certain area or have a certain hobby or whatever. Racing works the same.

There are drivers who are good, drivers who aren't stars but their workman-like approach gets them gigs year after year, drivers who look good, drivers who have unique character traits, drivers who drive somewhat reckless and they all have fans. It's no different than any other sport.


I prefer driving style than anything else. In Nascar, one's driving style is subtle but true fans can pick up on one's style after they've seen a number of races. My favorite driver of all-time is Alex Zanardi of CART fame. He was an amazing driver. A gutsy driver. And a passionate driver. And that's why I was a huge fan of his when he drove for CART.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MR.BUNGLE

6. Im not sure how fans get attached to one car over the other. Are fans rooting for the driver? The sponsor? Or just like the cars colors?

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I personally have never picked a favorite by the sponsor or color/design of the car. The more you watch Nascar, the more interviews w/ drivers you will see and I kind of picked my favorites based on personality and driving style. Alot of people pick their favorites based on where the driver is from also, such as Jimmie Johnson & Kevin Harvick both being from California. Ive been a Kevin Harvick fan for many years now, and I started liking him after watching many interviews he was in.

Once you attend you first race you will be hooked! Ive gone to at least one Phoenix race every year since 2001, and I hope to maybe catch a race in California or Vegas in the near future.

4. Why does everyone hate Kyle Busch?

Probably 'cause he's winning and driving a Toyota

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IceDogsFan

and driving a Toyota

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Let me guess. Those good ole' southern folk don't like them Jap-er-nese contraptions racin' against our Amerkin' cars?