NASCAR Nextel Cup - UAW Daimler-Chrysler 400 from Las Vegas - on FOX Sun 3/7 3 pm EST/noon PST

NASCAR.com ^

[steveegg]

After taking a week off to get their equipment over to sunny Las Vegas, NASCAR's top 2 divisions are getting ready to go around Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.5 mile tri-oval. For the NEXTEL teams, qualifying starts at 6 pm Eastern over on Speed, with the race at 3 pm Eastern Sunday on Fox.

[Luke FReeman]

Track facts
Banking/Turns: 12 degrees
Length: 1.5 miles
Shape: Tri-oval

And they all turn to the left!

[Afronaut]

Wow another killer NASCAR thread! Thanks to all! I got my cash on the most hated driver; Kurt Busch. This track is all "Smooth" and driver grove. Busch is like a fine clock behind the wheel. After seeing him spin around Bristol hitting his marks and getting off the corners so well that is like magic. I have him winning on this parking lot smooth track. It's his hometown also.

I am a bit confused with the rules and the enforcement. I am not as geared up anymore for NASCAR as I used to be. It's starting to wear thin for me. Too much time to invest only to have Helton use the series as an entertainment vechicle and meddle in the outcome of a race. I like RACING! .

[tubebender]

If you watched the Busch Race yesterday you saw that Helton and Crew have created a mess and need the CIA to determine the lineup for restarts. I wondered why FX ran so many commercials until Hellton had to admit it took him that long to do the lineup and he still got it wrong...

[GRRRRR]

OH NO!!! Say it ain't so...

May be safer in the back with the rooks up front.
Just got Kahne as my replacement driver for the Fantasy Team this week...with Vickers...not too bad eh?!

Let's Get Ready to RUMBLE!!!

Go 24!

G

[WestCoastGal]

Yesterday's race was a mess as far as trying to get the lineup corrected after cautions and pits. Kenny Wallace just said on Fox that Nascar admitted he should have been only 1 lap down instead of 2 but would not change it. I heard Helton explain what happened but there is no way I could ever repeat what he said so it would be understandable.

The weather looks great!! One thing about west coast racing is you can usually count on the weather being beautiful.

[tubebender]

My son and daughter took me to the inaugural and the second race at Vegas and the weather was great but the traffic was a drag. We left for the track at 6 each morning and barely made it in time. We also attended the Busch races.

Gotta go as my son is taking me to breakfast...

[AGreatPer]

I don't know why these wimps take that 3rd week-end off.

Someone said it was because of the great distance they have to get to Vegas. I don't buy that. By that logic they should take next week off too because they have to travel back to the east coast and Atlanta.

BTW, I have Stewart this week.

[NormsRevenge]

Don't tell anyone but I ditched 24 this year , for now.

I picked Junior and Smoke up this year,, I'm running Smoke today too.

I hear ya on the gap.

IT sure ain't the truck drivers. They can go from one place to another in 2 days, 3 days tops and that's from coast to coast.

[angelwings49]

It's RACING DAY; thus, my weekly ritual...

GO TONY GO!!!!

Enjoy the race, guys!

[steveegg]

No prob. Seeing we're in Vegas, we ought to have some action on who gets black-flagged when, when the "field-fillers" (Shelmerdine, Long and Shepard) get lapped, and how many laps down they finish.

[steveegg]

Quick summary of the Saturday practices -

Top 5 in the morning - Rusty, Jimmie, Marlin, Mayfield, Kahne

Top 5 in Happy Hour - Sadler, Kahne, Rocket Man, DJ and Rusty

Field-fillers - Shepard was 1.5 seconds behind in the morning session, 1.3 seconds behind in Happy Hour; Long was 2.3 seconds behind in the morning session and didn't bring the racingJUNK.com car out for Happy Hour; Shelmerdine was 2.4 seconds behind in the morning session and 2.3 seconds back in Happy Hour

Disappointments - Both Gordons (Flash blew an engine in the morning), Jr, Elliot

[steveegg]

To the back of the field with engine changes:

Jeff Gordon (qualified 20th)
Kevin Lepage (qualified 35th)
Derrike Cope (took a provisional and was to start his redneckJUNK.com machine 40th)

[WestCoastGal]

Drivers meeting today, Mike Helton stressed emphatically that anyone racing back to the caution WILL be black flagged and sent to pit road to sit until it is determined they can go back out on the track.

Sort of like a time out if you're bad. He should have taken the time to explain to the drivers where they stand after the caution flag comes out. Yesterday seemed like they made it up depending on the situation.

[steveegg]

Ah, nothing like punishing the peons for the mistakes of the scorers. Heck, we could do a better job (Hi, my name is Chip Gnassi :-)

[ChefKeith]

Suprise! I'm here

Let's go RACING!!!

[ChefKeith]

Because of new fedscum trucking rules limiting driver time while on the road

Most of the teams are based in Charolette, NC so they have all the equipment there at the shops and don't have to hurry back with the rigs to make the next race.

Pete can give better details than I on the new trucking rules.

[tubebender]

They should just revert to the last lap like most tracks...

[ChefKeith]

NASCAR trivia?

Where on the track does the measurement that deterimes the length of 1 lap get made?

[ChefKeith]

I missed the Busch race but it sounds to Me like the NASCAR officials may have stayed out to late the night before, from the news I saw they had NO CLUE as to what was going on during yesterdays race...

[ChefKeith]

Pre-Race cerimonies starting now