Vegas baby, VEGAS! The Cup and Nationwide cars head to Sin City this week, but before we take off for a little gambling in the desert, we’ve got another round of readers questions for you. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ed:
Guys, me and my friends are looking to go to Richmond for our first ever NASCAR race!! And we want to make the most of it, except we don’t know anything. For first-timers, would it be better to go cup or Nationwide or Trucks, and where is the best place to sit at Richmond?! I saw your comments page from last March for first-timers, and it was great. We are looking to mingle with everyone and be in the center of it all. Where is the best place to tailgate? Thanks!
Alright readers, this question is for you! If you’ve been to Richmond, chime in below in the comments section and help Ed and his buddies out! – T.C.
2. From Ric:
Previously you have mentioned another company transports pit boxes from track to track. Do they load and unload them? Where do you stop handling them and they start, and vice versa?
Yes, a company called Champion Tire & Wheel actually hauls most of the pit boxes for the Cup Series to the tracks. Champion unloads the boxes, places them in the correct pit stall, and then loads them after the race. Basically, all the teams have to do is show up, set everything up, race, then tear it all down. – T.C.
3. From Stephen:
Has anything been said about the IRL’s feelings toward Danica testing the water in NASCAR? I’m sure the IRL isn’t thrilled since I’m assuming the goal for her is to one day switch and drive in NASCAR. How hard was it for her to convince Andretti-Green to let her try NASCAR or was it? I’m assuming that Michael understands since his dad did it in the past. Also I was watching the Nationwide race at Daytona and noticed Kasey Kahne drove a Toyota instead of a Ford in the race. It seems he did that last year as well. How does that work? Does Ford care that he drives a Toyota on Saturday and a Ford on Sunday?
As far as I know there really hasn’t been much said on the part of IRL. I would imagine they’re thrilled she didn’t leap head first and leave the sport all together. As far as AGR, or I guess Andretti Autosport now, goes I would be willing to bet when she re-signed with them this past year, this was one of the stipulations made.
With the Kasey Kahne situation, these deals generally have to get approved by management at these teams, whether it’s the same manufacturer or not. Obviously it could be a problem depending on who he drives for and what his contract stipulates. In this case, it obviously wasn’t a problem. – Journo
4. From Dan:
I know the 66 team is a “start and park” team, but why did Blaney go to the back of the pack before the drop of the green flag after such a good qualifying run? Was this just a get out of the way move knowing he would be dropping out early?
You are exactly right. Sometimes you will see these teams drop to the back so they are out of the way of the pack trying to race, and it reduces the risk of getting caught up in an early crash. In some cases though, I’ve heard of NASCAR not allowing some cars to do this. – T.C.
5. From Anonymous:
How can a driver pit on green, a yellow is thrown, and that driver comes out ahead of the leading driver who pits on yellow????? I thought a yellow puts everyone back at a ‘registered’ position prior to the yellow.
In the case of Jimmie Johnson he was able to beat Jeff Burton to the scoring loop which kept him on the lead lap. Jimmie assumed the lead because he was on the lead lap and everyone went into the pits but him. The other guys that were in the pits were scored a lap down because Burton passed them. They obviously got the wave around and ended up at the tail end. As they say, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. In this case, Jimmie is both.
As far as the rule change goes, it only applies if you don’t stop in your pit box. If you do pit you can still get caught a lap down. Remember in this case, all of these guys were on pit road while it was still open, before the caution came out. It was just a case of bad timing and really good timing. Here is another explanation of the situation. – Journo
6. From Woogeroo:
Howdy folks, I have two questions. 1) how do they measure the distance of the race tracks? At the top or the bottom of the track? I’m guessing it is at the bottom… 2) when the steam is coming out of the race cars when they get too hot, like I think it was Clint Bowyer? The steam was pouring out on pit road there. Is there a pressure release valve plumbed into the system there or what? Also, the cars have big water tank on them besides just what is in the engine block and the radiator, correct? Thanks!
To be honest with you, I’m not sure how tracks are measured. I’ve heard they measure the bottom, and I’ve also heard it’s a specified distance from the wall. Maybe someone else knows? And yes, cars have an overflow tube that usually either exits in front of the windshield on the right, or out the back of the car. Teams are only permitted to run a 1/2 to 1 gallon overflow container inline with the tube. No other tanks or containers are allowed. – T.C.
7. From AJ:
I have a question and and observation, first the observation. I thought it was intresting that Coors Light changed victory lane when Joey won the Nationwide pole to say 21 means 21 instead of the beer adverstising that was there for Jamie when he won the Cup pole. Now the question, there was a pit injury I think on Montoya’s team and they had a Red Bull team member fill in, was that person an extra person on the Red Bull team who at one point changed tires? How would you find a guy like that on such short notice?
Yeah, Coors Light has been doing that since they took over the sponsorship. They may even be required by law to do it for the under 21 drivers. For your other question, that Red Bull team member is actually at the track for the specific reason of being a backup tire changer. The changer you are referring to is Chuck Efaw. He is paid to back up the Red Bull teams, but apparently the Red Bull management approved him to go help out the #42. There was a story before the season started about how Stewart Haas would have a third pit crew at the tracks to pit Bobby Labonte’s car and back up their own teams. Many other teams have similar setups. – T.C.
8. From Eric:
I guess you guys were at the track this year. I havent been to ACS in a couple years my self. From what I remember in the past, the entire race was side by side racing, but when I watch TV its as boring as watching gold fish…. Am I missing something? Is it really that boring?
Well I’ll say I really enjoy racing, but when it comes to California, I could do without it. So yes, it was was pretty boring. – Journo
9. From Kenny:
What kind of preparation does a team do to clean the pit stall and prepare the surface to add grip? When I was younger, I remember reading an interview with a roadie who worked for Rolling Stones who said they poured Coke on the stage/platforms so that Mick wouldn’t slip.
Usually the stalls are just swept up. Many teams had been using the chemical VHT, which is usually used in drag racing to add traction to the starting line area, to add grip to the pit stall. But just recently, NASCAR decided they wouldn’t permit teams to do that anymore. Coke or another sugary soda has also been used in the past. – T.C.
10. From Simmy:
You’ve probably mentioned it already, but why wasn’t there a truck race in California this year?
NASCAR made the move to save teams money. A move that actually does make sense (it’s expensive to travel that far). They gave the extra date to Pocono at the end of July. – Journo
11. From Lost In Texas:
As I looked at the empty stands in CA this weekend, I wondered how hard is it for the teams to make the CA race and turn around and return to LV. It would make sense if the haulers and teams stayed on the West side for the two races, but I have been told that all return home after the CA race. How tough is this on the teams and hauler crews? Would it be better to have the CA race then maybe a race or two on the East side and then return to the West. I think this hurts attendance at CA. Any thoughts?
Actually, most of the haulers and even some teams are staying out on the West coast between the races. The teams will send extra haulers out to the West coast to bring in fresh cars and supplies, but the actual race haulers will stay. Many teams will either find a parking lot to do work in, use the garage at the race track or a spare shop. One example is Brendan Gaughan. He allows some teams to use his old Truck Series shop to do prep work before Vegas. - T.C.
12. From Scott:
Hey Guys, After watching the California races this weekend I get really confused about all the hatred and dislike for that race course. Personally, I love to see that type of racing and passing. Four and five wide through the corners is awesome. Why do you think California gets such a bad rap? Maybe because it follows Daytona and doesn’t have the same amount of crashes? Thanks!
I think this is a personal decision and one I can’t provide an explanation for. I’ll say this year was a little better than previous years, but what you generally get here is follow-the-leader racing. It’s boring. And twice a year is just way too much. I don’t really think it has to do with the placement on the schedule, I think it’s just the lackluster racing. But to each his own. – Journo
13. From Bob:
I’m confused. I know that the driver points and the owner points are not the same. But how is that Dave Blaney/#66 is behind Casey Mears/#90 in owner points? Both teams have attempted two races and Blaney actually qualified for the Fontana race. Must be weird NASCAR math!
Those teams that don’t make the race are still awarded owners points. If you look at the standings, teams are actually given points almost as if they would have run the race. For Daytona, the Keyed Up team was given 31 points because they were the first team to not make the race, while the 66 was only given 13 points because they were much further down the order. And the amount of points gained by the 66 team at California for their 41st place finish wasn’t enough to overcome the difference at Daytona. – T.C.
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
It’s the last day of September, and fall is in the air. The Cup and Nationwide teams take the fight to Kansas Speedway this week, but before they do, it’s question and answer time. If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Steve:
Re: RPM – Yates merger and the loss of Petty engine jobs. Isn’t it likely that Yates is going to need to hire at least some more people – perhaps from the RPM engine shop – to handle the increased workload?
It’s possible. At the end of the day they’re only adding two teams though. That may or may not mean more positions at Roush-Yates. I would say even if there are new jobs it’s far from guaranteed someone from RPM would be hired for them, and even if they are I’m sure they would take a pay cut of some kind (which means they may not even be interested). – Journo
2. From Walt:
At the first of the year alot of the teams were having problems with the lug bolts because they were longer. How have the teams adjusted to this issue?
The tire changers have just gotten used to the new stud length. It forces guys to slow down a bit, and it was just going to take some time for it to happen. You’ve got to remember, some of these changers have been doing it this same way for five or ten years. Changing the rhythm overnight was just not going to happen. Plus, I believe NASCAR has relaxed the rule just a bit. - T.C.
3. From Larry:
Is their anything brewing, in the garage area, pertaining to Johnny Benson landing a ride and sponsorship, for 2010?
Yeah, as we reported a while ago the buzz is JB is heading to Kyle Busch’s potential new team next season. Ray Dunlap reported a couple weeks ago that he’s hearing Conway is a potential sponsor for the team. – Journo
Any idea how much a guy like Dave Blaney gets for qualifying and starting a “start and park” car? How are they looked upon from the rest of the teams? Is there an understanding they will stay out of the way as long as they’re on the track after the green flag waves?
A guy like Blaney probably gets a flat fee plus a percentage of the winnings, usually in the 20-40% range depending on the driver. I can’t speak for everyone, but as long as a S&P doesn’t interfere with my team, I really don’t care. I know NASCAR isn’t fond of them, and neither are teams that want to race but can’t out-qualify them. Most of the S&P’ers do a decent job of staying out of the way. But not always. – T.C.
5. From Martha:
Can you please tell when the 2009 Nascar Chase cup winner banquet will be held and shown on TV? Date, time, and channel. We missed it last year and we want to get it on the calendar for this year. Thanks.
Unfortunately NASCAR hasn’t released a lot of information pertaining to the banquet. We know it’ll be on December 4th a the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, but other than that nothing. When it gets closer and we hear more about it, I’ll be sure to update you. – Journo
6. From Jeanette:
I noticed some time ago that Red Bull Racing has been very clever with the numbers on the car. Brian Vickers in the 83: Inside of the 3 is a sideways “V”! On the 99 Nationwide car of Scott Speed, the numbers look like “SS”. Any idea who was behind this hint of creativity? Team? Driver? Sponsors?
You know I’ve honestly never noticed that before. I don’t know if there is anything to that or if it’s just the script they use (it’s the same on all the cars) and it’s just a coincidence. Usually the designs for the cars come from the teams and are approved by the sponsors. In this case they’re one in the same. Sorry I can’t give you a more conclusive answer. – Journo
7. From Denny:
I have noticed most of the pit boxes have around three monitor screens on them. One looks to be the ABC TV-feed and where does the feed come from on the other couple of screens? One looks like the running order on the track, maybe?
Teams will usually have the live TV feed, timing and scoring, their various engineering programs, and views from the pit stop cameras available to view on the monitors on the pit box. – T.C.
8. From Lee:
I thought Hendrick always prides itself on their open book policy. So why then is Johnson bragging about some small adjustment they made, when it seems the other Hendrick teams don’t know what that adjustment was. It’s from this articlehttp://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=newton_david&idE09691and the phrase below: Those are pretty strong words from a driver considered to be one of the hardest workers in the garage. But Martin is right. While most were watching college football, gambling at the Dover Downs casino or sleeping Saturday night, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were looking for an edge. Finally, as Johnson said, they “just hit something in my stomach.” It was a small adjustment, one that made Johnson better in the corners. It turned into a huge advantage, one Johnson knew he had two laps into the race. Not even a new rear tire changer slowed the team.
Those are pretty strong words from a driver considered to be one of the hardest workers in the garage. But Martin is right. While most were watching college football, gambling at the Dover Downs casino or sleeping Saturday night, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were looking for an edge.
Finally, as Johnson said, they “just hit something in my stomach.”
It was a small adjustment, one that made Johnson better in the corners. It turned into a huge advantage, one Johnson knew he had two laps into the race. Not even a new rear tire changer slowed the team.
A couple of things. Even if they did share whatever this minor adjustment was, there is no guarantee it would have done anything for the other teams. They’re all likely working with different setups, which means adjustments affect the cars in different ways. Remember too, all of these teams are running for a championship at this point, so you might not necessarily want to give away all your secrets. – Journo
9. From Phil:
Thanks for the opportunity to ask questions and get replies. You guys are great!!!This weekend, the rain washed off the rubber at Dover before the race and had to be built back up. Can you explain how rubber on the track affects the cars. Does it increase or decrease grip? Increase or decrease tire wear? Does it make the car tight or loose? Does it make passing easier or harder? Sometimes it seems if it?s hot, the announcers say it makes the track greasy and slippery. Other times, if the track has no rubber, it seems like the announcers and drivers look forward to getting rubber build up. I?m totally confused!!!!!Incidentally, as a side story, my only experience with rubber on the track is walking on the track at Bristol before a race. I told my wife to climb to the top of the banking in turn 4 while I stood at the bottom to take her picture. She got up there but was afraid to walk back down for fear of falling so I had to walk up and hold her to walk back down. The rubber on the track was like walking in glue and I almost walked out of my shoe. We looked like total idots in front of 100,000 people!!!!
As a weekend rolls along, a track will get “rubbered in.” The more laps that are run, the more rubber gets laid down. How exactly the cars are affected by the rubber really depends on the track, the surface, the weather, and what tire compound the teams are using. For maximum grip, there needs to be some level of rubber laid down. Without it, you end up with situations like last year at the Brickyard. A green race track will usually wear tires faster. For a more detailed (and scientific) explanation of track surfaces and grip, check out this post. - T.C.
10. From windowlicker:
When the cars or trucks come in for a fuel only pit stop, they are told not to slide into the pits so as not to flat spot the tires. But when they’re leaving the pit it seems they’re always spinning the tires & sometimes smoking them. Does this affect the grip in the rear tires at all, especially if the tires are past due to have been changed?
I’m sure that some rubber is lost, but compared to what the tire goes through during a normal lap, I would imagine the amount isn’t significant. If it was, you’d see crew chiefs instructing drivers to not spin their tires leaving the stall. – T.C.