Show the Love...

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

For JIMMIE!! :medals::ernae: :medals:

The ThreePeat to tie Cale Yarborough is done! Now can he get 4?!?

Carl did all he could do in both the Nationwide and Cup series. As far as Cup goes though I think Carl can look back to one race in which he foolishly caused the big one that took himself out - Talledega a few weeks ago!

Nevertheless what Jimmie has done is amazing - only 7 years of Cup racing and he has never been outta the top 5 in points and has 3 Championships in a row. Can't hardly wait for next year!

-Ed-

[PRB]

That team sure is amazing. Chad Knaus deserves at least half the credit for this performance. I remember thinking during the race that I was almost to the point that I wouldn’t be annoyed, or perhaps bored, with yet another Jimmie Johnson win. That with three championships, his team’s performance was getting to the point that each win could, at the least, just earn him more of my respect. And then came the post race interview. He whined about how hard all those “also rans” (ok, my words, not his, specifically) were racing [him]. He even acknowledged that he knew why there were racing hard (sponsorship, 35th in points, etc.), but he still disapproved, I suppose because they were close to him. The implication being that he thought they would just let him by, or something. This reminded me of a race some time ago when JJ was racing Ricky Craven and complaining about how hard Craven was racing him. Knaus came on the radio and reminded him that Craven was on the lead lap, same as him.
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Anyway, well done, 48 crew! :d

[Cazzie]

Chad Knaus is the brain that a whole bunch of teams would like to get a hold of! :d

Yo man agin Ed! :banghead:

Cousin Carl put up a good row in both Cup and Nationwide series. If ever there was a want for Cup to go back to the old system, the Craftsman Truck and Nationwide series should attest.

Caz

[Panther_99FS]

What's nice about this is that Jimmie and Carl have been friends since before they were stars & they both respect each other....

I gotta give a congrats to Chad Knaus also

[Wiens]

Congrats to Jimmie in Cup, Clint in Nationwide and Johnny in Craftsman!!! :applause:

If Sprint Cup used the old points system Carl would the the Champion by 16 points. :isadizzy:

Kevin :d

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Chad is the only CC to ever win 3 in a row. He is in a class by himself.

As for the old points new points system comparisons. I don't think they are valid. The reason being you cannot assume the race results would have been the same irrespective of point systems. Different strategies would have come into play changing race results. The only valid comparison is when it is a runaway. I think there is just a sentiment out there saying I don't like change - be it Republican to Democrat or one points system to another. Well the only constant in the Universe is change. I don't have a problem with the chase format as it does do what it was intended - stop runaway points championships. Who would even bother to watch the last 10 races of the year if someone had an 800 point lead? Is it an artifical contrivance to create drama and competition while reducing the value of early in the years race wins? Yes ABSOLUTELY but that was the intent all the time to keep it interesting and the money rolling in. What is fundamentally wrong with that? - other than it being change.

Even if the points system were the same you can't compare eras except in a general way and look at the cars - all different. You can't have manufacturers race manufacturer cars and very easily keep things safe and under 200mph. There is simply too much risk from an insurance perspective and too much risk to a manufacturer that they will lose. American companies no longer have the spirit that says if we lose at all big this year we'll try harder next year - the money and fear (more than anything) of customer/stockholder consequences is just too big. It just isn't the American way any more.

Look at F1. I see a lot of the same problems that NASCAR has. They have chosen differently - chase money rather than control costs through standardization like the COT - abandon many of their traditional European roots an go where the money is - Middle East and India (probably Russia and China down the road - no city on earth has more billionaires per capita than Moscow - who woulda thunk it 20 years ago!) and you don't see F1 abandoning Brazil do you - so go where the money is and the demographics are young and on the rise. It is likely a smart strategy moneywise in the short term but who knows what the future will bring.

There are fundamental shifts in global power and wealth in progress and businesses are reacting to it. I think most average Americans and Europeans are just gonna get more and more unhappy about these changes as they realize how it affects their daily lives - but at least we'll have some sort of NASCAR to watch. So Welcome to change.

Meanwhile lets hope Jimmy and Chad get 4 in a row!

-Ed-

[Panther_99FS]

Look at F1....abandon many of their traditional European roots an go where the money is -
-Ed-

NASCAR did much the same when they abandoned their roots at such places like Rockingham & North Wilkesboro - and went to where the money is (i.e. the "Lowes" type tracks...)

And personally, I'd love to see "The Rock" & North Wilkesboro back on the schedule.... :)

[wombat666]

"Look at F1. I see a lot of the same problems that NASCAR has. They have chosen differently - chase money rather than control costs through standardization like the COT - abandon many of their traditional European roots an go where the money is - Middle East and India (probably Russia and China down the road - no city on earth has more billionaires per capita than Moscow - who woulda thunk it 20 years ago!) and you don't see F1 abandoning Brazil do you - so go where the money is and the demographics are young and on the rise. It is likely a smart strategy moneywise in the short term but who knows what the future will bring."

Effwun have been running a Chinese GP for several years, which it appears they are about to lose!
The Chinese are feeling the cold wind of recession and are objecting strongly to the outgoing costs v the lack of incoming finance for the dubious privelige of being part of Bernie's Pension Fund.

I have an idea of what the future might hold, a general tightening up on money for a 'Sport' that has long overpriced itself.

Considering the EU are admitting they are 'Officialy' in a recession, and GM, Chrysler and Ford are bleating for a 'Government Bailout', such frivolous expenditures as 'Motor Racing' may well be the first to go.
I can see Congress passing a bill to keep the US industry afloat (Chapter 11 would be smarter!) and agreeing to some of that money going into racing .......NOT!

While the number of people employed in the US Motor Industry makes Government assistance a no-brainer (GM, IIRC are losing roughly US$2M a week?) it would be a very tightly regulated issue.

Just as well we have MotoGP and the WRC doing well and addressing 'Green' issues.
:applause: