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I'm not sure whether Danica is improving or whether SHR are just the class of the field this year. Look at how well Kurt and Harvick are running every week. 2 top 10s in the same equipment is still pretty poor.

I'm usually one of the first to criticise Danica's performances, and I think it's justified, but what's the opinion on Tony? I don't know if it's after effects from the leg injury, or the legal issues last season, or the fact he's getting old, getting fatter, or the stress of running a team at the same time, or all of the above. Either way, his performances have slumped to a Danica level, and he's looking like a waste of a top seat at times as well. Next year's lower downforce cars might be more to his style, but if it wasn't his team I could have seen him losing his ride.

Some say Tuny's just not adapting well. That makes some sense as I mean look at his wheel. Everyone's gone to those little MOMOs but he's got a big ol trucker wheel still last I checked.

I hate to see it but if it doesn't turn around, I wouldn't be shocked if 2016 is Tony's last year. Find an up and coming kid to run some NXS races for JR Motorsports then take over the 14. They have Cole Custer who is sponsored by Haas so he could be someone to look at.

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Cole Custer is definitely got his ticket punched for an eventual Cup ride and deservedly so.

Ernie Irvan's lenghty interview :

If she doesn't find another full time sponsor (which I highly doubt, I imagine the team were well aware of this and might even have a queue of sponsors lined up to take on "best female racer Danica Patrick") then Indycar would fall over themselves to have her back.

This is not the end of Danica by any stretch of the imagination.

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

I think he will retire too. He's had a great career. I could see him still running Speedweeks for years to come though.

Smoke will never stop racing the 500 until he wins it

Havick feels Sprint Cup schedule is Stagnant: #4-Kevin Harvick, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed his thoughts on the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule:
Q) THERE HAS BEEN A LOT MADE ABOUT DECLINING ATTENDANCE AND FAN SUPPORT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW NASCAR CAN GROW THE FAN BASE?
Harvick: "I mean the last three races that we went to last year were sold out. I don't know that is a 100 percent true statement. I think it just depends on where you go and what you do. Now, if you want to talk about growing the sport I believe that some venues need one race. I believe that the schedule needs to be mixed up. People like things that change they don't like stagnant things. In my opinion the most stagnant thing in our sport is our schedule and our venues that we go to. You can beat a dead horse as much as you want, but it doesn't come back to life. And sometimes you just have to change things up to keep the excitement and enthusiasm in the sport. I think our schedule is definitely the weak link along with some of the venues that we go to. That is my opinion."
Q) IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE WHAT THREE OR FOUR PLACES WOULD YOU ADD TO THE SCHEDULE?
Harvick: "I know the first place I would go is Iowa. I think that everybody wants to see more short tracks and more venues. I think road racing - we have a couple of road races on the schedule and most every team has two road race cars and spends a lot of money on their road race program. Adding a road race here or there would definitely be something that I would vote for just for the fact internationally road racing is very recognizable to race fans. Whether it be Formula 1 or any other form of racing there are not many ovals. You could take your pick on road courses, Montreal (Canada) does a great job, you could go to Laguna Seca (California), you could go anywhere in the world and race on a road course. There are lots of good venues. I would have to really think about the rest of the question. I have always been a fan of let's go to the banquet and roll the pills around of race tracks across the country and have a wild card race every year. Go to the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Mile and really you could go to test these venues and see how the markets react. And see the reaction you get from the market, even if you only have 30 or 40 thousand people in the grandstands if you put on a good event for TV and do the things that it takes to have a unique event that is really what people want. They want unique things."(Team Chevy)(5-2-2015)




Well Said HAPPY Harvick

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Sterling Marlin - " I got run over by a bug-eyed dummy.: After being wrecked by Greg Biffle

The problem would be what tracks get events taken off. Knowing NASCAR, they'd probably decide to take a date from a more unique but less major track like Dover before taking a date from a 1.5 mile cookie cutter.

Yeaa, which won't do much to help the stagnation.

They should have left Atlanta as it was.

Every track that's come to the Cup Series since 1997 has been either a 1.5 or 2 mile track

1997: Texas/Fontana
1998: Las Vegas
2001: Chicagoland/Kansas
2011: Kentucky

What have we lost in that time? Both Rockingham races, a Darlington race, an Atlanta race and both Wilkesboro races.

It'll never happen, the Judge is the Jury, Executioner, Defendant and Victim, they'll never go to a "independent" track unless either Brunton or the France's buy the track first.

I wish the Cup schedule had a major revamp but I doubt it would happen anytime soon, if ever.

Hell, NASCAR owns Iowa & Road Atlanta (was bought when the merger with IMSA/Grand-Am happened) but I doubt they will get a date anytime soon.

The worst race of the year aint going anywhere either. The Brickyard 400.

this has been discussed before but they should have at least 5 road races glad to see harvick agrees i remember they asked jimmy johnson in an interview why NASCAR doesnt go to more road courses because alot of the drivers would like too but NASCAR wont because of fan seating numbers being too low as far as the cookie cutters go i think brooten smith needs to die before we have any real variety of ovals i hate that they changed Kentucky when cup started racing there

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Sterling Marlin - " I got run over by a bug-eyed dummy.: After being wrecked by Greg Biffle

ISC and SMI have dug themselves into a hole constructing all these dull aero sensitive tracks that they are now yanking seats out of. Take a loss and start moving to some short tracks and road courses for the benefit of the sport as a whole as good racing is what makes people watch.

Tracks that need to go:
Indy, Chicago, 1 from Kansas and Texas.

That gives you room for an Iowa race, a couple more road courses and a miscellaneous.

You want to grow the sport? Take a fan vote of all the NASCAR short tracks in the country, winner gets a 400 lap Cup race. Can install removable seating like Mansfield, Ohio would for the truck series.

Also, your track can only win once every 10 years. That way you don't have big metropolitan area NASCAR sanctioned tracks hogging the spotlight.

Based on watching F1 for as long as I have I'm a firm believer than a track isn't the main thing that makes the series exciting/dull, the cars and the rules the series run are.

Witness how Hungary used to be dreaded by F1 fans as a processional dirge of a race and now its regularly near the top of "best race of the season" polls"

So, as much as the cookie cutters bore us, NASCAR could easily change one or two elements (Horsepower/downforce ratio, tyre wear, etc) and suddenly these races will be more entertaining than DEGA

However any venue with 2 races a season should be first on the firing line. Fontana, Texas, Pocono, et al should go to be able to bring us Road America, Rockingham (either's good with me ), Milwaukee or Road Atlanta.

Except Dover. I like Dover so lets keep 2 of Dover.

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

Spot on. I'd love Iowa and a couple more road courses, but ultimately the races need to be exciting. Not by adding double file restarts or faking cautions to bunch everyone up again. Just give us a package that races well and is tough to drive.