NASCAR

[WillWeaverRVA]

Closest three-way finish in NASCAR history at Atlanta tonight.

It may have been the greatest finish of all time. The margin from first to third place was 0.007 seconds.

[epzik8]

If only Joey had finished where he started the past two weeks...

[74/171FAN]

Sam Mayer beat Ryan Sieg by 0.002 seconds in the XFinity Race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this afternoon.

[NWI_Irish96]

Sam Mayer beat Ryan Sieg by 0.002 seconds in the XFinity Race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this afternoon.

Has to be absolutely gut-wrenching for a guy who's been in the series over a decade missing his first win by that much.

[epzik8]

Sam Mayer beat Ryan Sieg by 0.002 seconds in the XFinity Race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this afternoon.

Has to be absolutely gut-wrenching for a guy who's been in the series over a decade missing his first win by that much.

Surely he'll see his luck turn one of these days.

[epzik8]

LOL Steve O'Donnell is a complete clown. Says a new charter deal is close, then multiple insiders dispute his claim.

[epzik8]

In spite of the horsepower issue, NASCAR has been pretty fun to watch this year at times. Photo finishes, tempers, and now Brad and Ford have broken through today.

[Max Rockatansky]

Pretty boring All-Star race until Ricky Stenhouse tried to punch Kyle Busch.

[epzik8]

Pretty boring All-Star race until Ricky Stenhouse tried to punch Kyle Busch.

Agree with the boring part, even though my guy won.

[hbelkins]

I wonder if NASCAR will start giving the teams the option to use the softer/faster "red" tire at more tracks in the future?

[NWI_Irish96]

I wonder if NASCAR will start giving the teams the option to use the softer/faster "red" tire at more tracks in the future?

I hope so. The planned stage break cautions have taken a lot of the strategy out of races. Having multiple tire options puts some back in. Both IndyCar and F1 have multiple tire options.

[epzik8]

All-around disappointment yesterday with the rain, especially for Kyle Larson.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Indy 500 turned out be a pretty good watch when it got started. 

[NWI_Irish96]

All-around disappointment yesterday with the rain, especially for Kyle Larson.

Especially disappointed that one of the cheaters won.

[SP Cook]

Especially disappointed that one of the cheaters won.

This is what you should expect in Indy Car until Penske leaves the scene.  It is a total contradiction for a car own the sanctioning body, the tracks, and compete as an owner.  This is why CART was so unwatchable, and why it eventually went bankrupt.  It really wasn't a competition, it was a hybrid; a handful of owners who competed between themselves but kept everyone else out and who set the rules to suit themselves.  A controlled competition/exhibition.

I wish Mr. Penske a long life, a long retired life.  It is time to sell IMS and Indy Car to neutral ventures who do not enter cars.

[Max Rockatansky]

Ironic you guys are on about an Indy Car team cheating when it was just an expected thing in NASCAR until recent times.

[epzik8]

All-around disappointment yesterday with the rain, especially for Kyle Larson.

Especially disappointed that one of the cheaters won.

Newgarden?

[74/171FAN]

Ironic you guys are up about an Indy Car cheating when it was just an expected thing in NASCAR until recent times.

Don't worry.  I am sure plenty of people that hate Toyota are out saying that NASCAR rigged the calling of the race for Bell.

[Max Rockatansky]

Ironic you guys are up about an Indy Car cheating when it was just an expected thing in NASCAR until recent times.

Don't worry.  I am sure plenty of people that hate Toyota are out saying that NASCAR rigged the calling of the race for Bell.

I've seen that along with NASCAR was supposedly not wanting Kyle Larson in the race on social media already.

[SP Cook]

Ironic you guys are up about an Indy Car cheating when it was just an expected thing in NASCAR until recent times.

Of course, the saying in NASCAR, back before the idiot grandson ran it into the ground (first generation starts a business, second generation grows a business, third generation destroys a business) was if you are not cheating, you are not trying. 

Different sport.  In NASCAR, even today with idiots in charge, there is actual competition.  Car owners own cars.  Track owners own tracks.  Sanctioning bodies sanction. 

CART, which existed from 1979 - 1996 as the (de facto) sanctioning body for the Indy 500, when it was kicked out and limped along, unwatchable and unwatched, until finally going bankrupt in 2007, was repugnant.  It was a handful of owners who were at the same time the track owners (excepting Indy, which their power play to control IMS led to their needed downfall), sanctioning body, and team owners. 

They made up the rules to exclude everyone else, and they spent so much money they could only fund their unloved series by selling rides to rich foreigners who lacked the talent to make it in the Formula One series they aped.  It almost destroyed the Indy 500, until leadership was shown and they were kicked out.

Sadly, the IMS family fell on, by rich people standards, hard times after defeating CART.  Rumor is they invested with Madoff.  They sold off the family foods business to a big company and sold IMS to Penske, and now live the life of the idle rich somewhere.  Fine.

But Penske must be watched.  He was the ringleader of CART, and is trying to put this circus back on the road.  Controlled competition/exhibition with him winning 80 to 90% of the time.  Has beens, never weres, and wanna be drivers with no talent. 

Fortunately Penske is getting up there, as are his fellow CARTers.  The next era at Indy will, hopefully, see a return to what Indy was before and after CART. Merit based driver selection, equal access to technology, and fair racing.