Chuck Checks In!, Stock Car Gazette
The Gen6 Cup Car… What’s YOUR Take?
The 2013 NASCAR season is very nearly upon us. There are a lot of questions going into the season and I would like to hear your take on these matters.
The Gen6 car: Lots and lots have been written about this new car. Drivers love it, it looks more like a showroom car, etc. The real facts are these: Daytona will be nothing but a test for how the car runs at a restrictor plate race. The real test will be when the cars get to Las Vegas and beyond. The majority of tracks are the 1.5 milers and that is where we’ll see just how well this car races. Secondly, Goodyear has not made tires for this car yet. Matching this car up to new tire compounds at the various tracks will be another huge factor in how the racing is. The cars are designed to be different. We haven’t heard any manufacturer complaining about aero advantages in several years. We’ll see how long that lasts with the new car.
Jeff Gordon vs. Clint Bowyer: After tangling last year and things culminating with a late season deliberate wreck at Phoenix followed by a pit-clearing brawl, can Jeff and Clint put their emotions aside and race clean this year? Personally, I hope not! While the big brawls are a bit WWE, I hope these two bring some animosity to the track. I don’t want to see wrecks that will cost someone a race or title like we saw at Phoenix, but if they get after each other here and there, I think that is good for the sport. We need some good rivalries. You can’t keep relying on Kurt Busch to stir things up.
Danica and Ricky: Brad Keselowski must be reading my mind – or the Stock Car Gazette! In a recent interview, even Special K agrees with me that the interest in how they race each other should not be while they are dating, but what happens if they break up? Not that I wish ill will on anyone’s relationship, but boy oh boy, that would be really interesting.
Johanna Long: The “other girl” in the sport moves up to the Nationwide series this year. Danica will dabble in Nationwide while she runs full time in Cup, but the focus will now be on Johanna. She has proven to be more than a novelty in the truck series and gets her shot at a stock car now. I expect her to do well and open some eyes for a Cup ride in a few years.
Brad Keselowski vs. Jimmie Johnson: Special K is out to prove that he is not a one year wonder and Jimmie Johnson is going out to nail down his 6th title. Something has to give. Johnson has not won a title in two years (gasp!) but he is still one of the top choices to win it all again. Brad has got moxie and lots of mojo right now. Who stands the better chance to repeat?
Chevy vs. Ford vs. Toyota: One of the main reasons given for the Gen6 car is that it gives some more showroom identity to the car. Back in the day, the motto was “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” My question is this, does that matter any more? In a recent show on RaceTalkRadio, it was postulated that there is not as much of an affinity towards a manufacturer as there used to be. That on the street, cars look so similar that most people would be hard pressed to identify a Ford from a Chevy or Toyota anyway. Now, most people on the street don’t watch NASCAR, especially these days. But among NASCAR fans, even casual fans, do you identify yourself as a Chevy guy or gal? Are you a die-hard Blue Oval owner? Do you still hate Toyota because of WW2, even though many are built right here in the US?
Until next week, thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts!!
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| Get Ready to Cheer for the Underdog | “The Fly” Flashback: Gordon and Bowyer “Have At It” At Phoenix |
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12 thoughts on “The Gen6 Cup Car… What’s YOUR Take?”|
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And thanks to the webmaster for catching moronic, small minded comments from certain people.
No problem!
So I think we can all agree that NASCAR has allowed, and is allowing, cars on the track that don’t 100% mesh with what is in the showroom. Is that really all that bad? I don’t think the SS is mythical. Chrysler did it back in the day with the Superbirds when they built just a few street legal cars so they could run it on the super speedways. NASCAR and the manufacturers have always been in bed with each other to some extent.
My larger question to you all is do regular fans care about Ford vs Chevy vs Toyota any more? Does car make really make a difference in who you root for? Or do you follow the driver more now? Petty was always associated with Dodge, Earnhradt with Chevy. Nowadays, drivers seem to swap manufacturers more and are not as loyal to a brand as to finding the best ride.
Thoughts?
While I have issues with the mythical Chevy SS, its not the first. Chevy did the same thing with the Lumina back in the day. At the start of the season only a four door version existed. The two door did not come out until the fall.
Ford did it with the Taurus. There never was a two door Taurus, and the roof, and most of the sheet metal had little in common with a street Taurus.
And there is no need to even talk about the Dodge Charger R/T (R/T meaning really a Taurus) or the Toyota Camry.
Typical nascar move with the SS, carries right on with the tradition.
Russ, Ford did the Taurus deal the summer before and it was approved by NASCAR and WAS AVAILABLE FOR SALE in the Showroom when the 97 season started. Same with the Lumina, you could buy it from a Chevorlet dealer prior to the start of the NASCAR season. But this is a car that doesn’t exist may never exist and not one so called journalist has the guts to call NASCAR out on it.
I beg to differ. Never was a 2 door Taurus.
The Lumina, which was not available as a 2 dr at the time it was approved set the precedent. Prior to the time it was approved Nascar only allowed 2 door cars. After that it no longer made any difference. Thus all the manufacturers gave up on pretending that their race cars had anything in common with the showroom cars..
Jim B — I expect Matt to bring some class to the Gibbs organization. Matt has not had to deal with mechanical failures at Roush and Gibbs has been fraught with gremlins the past couple of years. Let’s hope they have that figured out. If so, Matt could be a serious contender in 2013. If not, well, we’ll just have to see how well he deals with it if not.
MIkeyfan — I am not sure why NASCAR gave in, but yes, I am sure that it is political. If NASCAR wants to pander to the manufacturers more, as they used to big time, then allowing the SS to run in a simple thing — the car will be revealed in summer of 2013. Originally, the car was supposed to go on sale in 2013, while listed as a 2014 model. So this all makes sense in the world of…NASCAR. When looking to make the biggest splash with the manufacturers that they could, this only makes sense. And it potentially saves the Chevy teams money in the long run.
But Chuck NASCAR is lying to the fans when they taught “win on Sunday Sale on Monday” with this car. And the problem is NO ONE IS CHALLENGING THEM ON IT. I know Caps is like shouting but I’m not shouting at you, but to the NASCAR crowd. They need to let their voice heard. Let NASCAR explain, but don’t pander to us. We are not a bunch of dumb rednecks that don’t understand what is going on…Well, most of us anyway.
I used to think I was a blue oval kind of a guy. But I found out I am more of a Matt Kenseth fan and now I will be pulling for the Gibbs drivers on race day. I don’t know if Matt has another championship in him, but driving a Toyota for Joe Gibbs racing will make him a lot better on the short and flat tracks. If he can keep up his high standards on the 1.5 and plate tracks, Sonoma may be his only real weakness this year. I actually think Matt will likely help make champions out of Kyle and Denny rather than himself. This is a bunch of talent over in the Joe Gibbs shop this year. As to the cars, I like the looks of them better than the COT, but I am more interested in how they can race side by side and whether the clean air makes too much difference, like it did with the COT, for the lead car on the 1.5 ovals. Overall I am really looking forward to this season!
It’s too bad with the Gen 6 car that NASCAR is allowing a car on the track that doesn’t exist. For the first time in NASCAR’s History, when the Green Flag drops at Daytona, there will be a car on the track that one will not be able to go to a showroom on Monday and Purchase and drive off the lot. I’m talking about the Chevy SS, Chevy isn’t producing a 2013 Chevy SS and they never will. The first model to hit the showroom is supposed to be the 2014 Chevy SS in September. Why is NASCAR allowing a 2014 Model car to run in 2013? Better yet, why are the allowing a Chevy Concept Car run, Because the plant isn’t up and running and all we have seen is drawings and a concept of what this car is supposed to look like. So if you want to talk about my take. My Take is NASCAR sold out to Government Motors and Mike Helton and Brian France tells all of us who have followed this great sport longer than 10 years to stick it they don’t want to keep nor will they entertain tradtition if money is involved, especially money they put in their own pocket.
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