Nascar Rules

[rockit]

me neither.

that makes three of us

[the H team]

The top 10

Denny Hamlin
Matt Kenseth
Dale Jr
Martin Truex Jr
Clint Bowyer
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Busch
Joey Logano
Jimmie Johnson
Kevin Harvick

[rockit]

Enjoy the rest of the evening race fans!!!

See you in February

[the H team]

11th-Jeff Gordon
12th-Carl Edwards
13-Kasey Kahne
17th-Ryan Newman
21st-Kurt Busch
24th-Greg Biffle

[the H team]

The Top 13th Standings

Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kesnseth
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch
Dale Jr
Jeff Gordon
Clint Bowyer
Joey Logano
Greg Biffle
Kurt Busch
Ryan Newman
Kasey Kahne
Carl Edwards

[the H team]

Well that's it for the 2013 season, Jimmie got his 6th championship, Matt got 7 wins for the season. As Rockit says, there were some great races & some not so great races. See you back here February 15th for the Sprint Unlimited, Feb 20th for the Duals & the 23rd for the DAYTONA 500.

[the H team]

After Six-Time wraps up yet another title, the real fun begins

RELATED: Race results | Championship hub | Chase coverage
Now that Jimmie Johnson has secured his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title in a record eight years, the real challenge begins -- making it through his champion's tour of NYC amid a frenzy of media appearances running on next-to-no sleep. Just consider it a warm-up exercise for when he becomes the first athlete in history to host ESPN's SportsCenter Tuesday, joining regular anchors John Anderson and Lindsay Czarniak for the 6 p.m. ET show. He was also on LIVE with Kelly and Michael on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET.

As nervous as Johnson said he'd be to host SportsCenter on ESPN, he didn't let it show. His joking manner and cool and collected attitude made him as much fun to watch on television as it is on the track.
The popular six-time champ even had the world talking as #JimmieonSC was trending on Twitter throughout the show's airtime.
Johnson's appearance on the show not only made history, but it possibly opened doors for athletes to come.
3 p.m. ET: Things certainly look like they're going well so far in the production meeting.

[the H team]

New Sprint Cup Series rules package will debut at Phoenix
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams were given the 2014 rules package on Tuesday, less than a week after the final on-track test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The package was developed after extensive on-track testing with teams as well as in-house analysis at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. The changes are expected to enhance competition on the series' 1.5-mile and 2-mile venues.


The changes for 2014 include:

-- Statically set car at race ride height -- eliminate pre- and post-race front height rules and inspection.

-- The use of a front splitter with a square leading edge.

-- Skirts at 4-inch minimum ground clearance on both the left and right sides.

-- Rear fascia trimmed 1.375 inches higher in current scallop region.

-- The use of an 8-inch high rear spoiler.

-- The use of a 43-inch wide by 13-inch long radiator pan.

Gene Stefanyshyn, who joined NASCAR as vice president, innovation and racing development in April 2013, headed up the project, which comes approximately one year after the introduction of the series' Generation-6 car.

"The dials or the things we could do for the '14 race season were somewhat limited by timing," Stefanyshyn said. "So it shouldn’t be construed that this is the final solution. The amount of flexibility we had given timing was not as great as we have, say, working on the '15 season (when) we’ve got a whole year ahead of us.

"This is really the first installment in a journey towards a continual improvement process in regards to our race product."

Last week’s test, which included mini "races" of 40 laps or less, was the second such on-track effort, but the first with a majority of the teams (approximately 30) participating.

All cars featured the same base configurations prior to the start of the test, and that configuration will be implemented into the new rules package.

The use of a roof strip, as well as tapered spaces that decrease horsepower, were also tested, but are not a part of the rules package.

For now, increases in speed, some of which are part of the evolution of the Gen-6 car and some that are the result of the new package, will likely be dealt with through gear changes.

"The RPMs have been creeping up," Stefanyshyn said. "So we’ll take this opportunity given with the package we introduce here to bring the RPM ranges back down. That will attenuate some of the speed we’re dealing with."

The tapered spacer could be implemented later, possibly in time for the 2015 season.

"This is definitely something that we are entertaining for '15, but we want to take a more holistic approach to when we solve it," he said. "We’d like to be able to do perhaps three things at once, and … come up with a more robust solution that can serve us better in the longer run."

Drivers and crew chiefs debriefed with NASCAR officials after each "race" to provide input and feedback.

"We all have different theories," Penske Racing driver Joey Logano said before the test. “Some of us want a smaller spoiler, some of us want a bigger spoiler, some want a tapered spacer, some want more horsepower. We all have our own arguments … and that’s fine. … "

"We've got to make sure we do this right -- NASCAR as a team, not Penske Racing or Joe Gibbs Racing or Roush Fenway or whatever. We've got to be NASCAR as a team … go out there and make sure we put on the best race for our fans, keep our sport growing and getting stronger. I'm glad to be a part of that."

Stefanyshyn said while NASCAR has plenty of data at its disposal, the reaction of the fans would be the determining factor used to gauge the success of the changes.

"We’ll view it as our customer or a fan will view it," he said. "We’ll view it as are the cars closer together, and are they getting in a position to challenge each other and pass more often?

"So we’ll view it through the eyes of the fan."

The new rules package will be used in competition for the first time when the series travels to Phoenix International Raceway for the second stop of the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season.The new rules package will not be utilized for restrictor-plate races, including the Daytona 500 on Feb. 23.

[the H team]

CONCORD, N.C. -- Team owner Richard Childress made it official Wednesday, announcing that grandson Austin Dillon will field the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for 2014.

Childress hasn’t fielded the No. 3 car on one of his Cup entries since the 2001 Daytona 500, the final race for seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.

Dillon, 23, is the defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and a former Camping World Truck Series champion.

"It’s a huge responsibility," Dillon said Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "Everybody knows who made this number famous. With my grandfather and his friendship, they were able to build something great that will never be touched.

"But we feel like bringing it back with my grandfather and RCR … it’s going to be special. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and effort at the shop and we’re prepared for everything that’s to come."

RCR officials unveiled two paint schemes featuring the iconic stylized 3 -- a black and white Chevrolet SS with sponsorship from Dow Chemicals as well as a black and yellow entry that carries the General Mills sponsorship of Cheerios. Childress added that Bass Pro Shops and Realtree would also return as Cup sponsors with the team.

Dillon’s move to Cup comes on the heels of the departure of Kevin Harvick, who has moved to Stewart-Haas Racing for 2014. Gil Martin will remain with the team to serve as crew chief for Dillon.

"We’ve contended for championships, we’ve had wins … and I’m looking forward to doing that with Austin," Martin said. "I know he’s going to be capable of it.

"With everything involved, the new sponsorship, bringing back the three, it’s a little bit of a rejuvenation for me."

Organizations do not "own" the numbers used by their teams in NASCAR, and numbers in the sport are not retired. When Earnhardt died from the impact of an accident on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Childress eventually requested another number for the team to use going forward. However, he said he continued to pay for the rights to the number in case he chose to one day bring it back to the track.

"I’ve been paying NASCAR for it throughout the years," Childress said. "(Former NASCAR chairman) Bill France Jr. told me one day, 'you know if we’re ever challenged, we’ll have to let someone have that 3.' But we weren’t.

"I knew that the right opportunity … it would have to be an Earnhardt or one of the Childress family that we would put in behind it."

Dillon ran the No. 3 in the Nationwide and Truck Series; younger brother Ty Dillon ran the No. 3 in the Truck Series in 2013.

"I felt like we were prepared to do it," Austin Dillon said. "It’s the only number in the NASCAR garage that I’ve ever walked into and sat in.

"My grandfather, he’s done a great job of teaching me the way to handle certain responses to things … every time I sit in an autograph session, I’ve had somebody wondering if this was going to happen. They’re excited and we are too."

Childress said it’s understandable that not every Earnhardt fan will agree with the decision, but the majority his group has heard from is supportive.

"We do get some calls from people that say 'we don’t want to see it back,' but for every five of those, we get 95 positive," he said.

"What we’re hoping to do is win them over with the class that we’re going to bring the three back with. I don’t think you’ll ever win them all over. After a race on Sunday, no matter how good a race is, somebody’s going to call NASCAR and complain.

His former driver and close friend, he said, "is smiling down."

"He would want to see this three,” Childress said of Earnhardt. "He didn’t want to ever see it go away. But I felt like it was the thing to do right after Daytona (in ’01). I know today that he’s accepting this highly."

[the H team]

65 days, 1 hour, 7 minutes, 19 seconds
till the Daytona 500.

[the H team]

dale jr's new colours for nationwide series.
Ragu jumps on for Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Nationwide Series ride


Ragú® ✔@

[BlazingDriver]

Having Ragu as your sponsor has got to be bit embarrassing. But I suppose money is money.

[the H team]

Change will be in effect for all three national series but does not include Daytona 500

RELATED: NASCAR official release | Changes FAQ

NASCAR's qualifying process will undergo a significant change for the 2014 season, as officials have announced a group qualifying format to replace the single-entry attempts previously used to determine the starting grid for each race.

The change will be in effect for all three national series -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series.

The Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying will now consist of three rounds at tracks measuring 1.25 miles or longer, and two rounds at those tracks measuring less than 1.25 miles.





Under the three-round qualifying format:
• Round 1 -- All entries will have 25 minutes to post a qualifying time, after which the 24 registering the fastest laps will advance to the second round.

Those failing to advance will be sorted based on first-round times in descending order (from fastest to slowest).

• Round 2 -- The 24 fastest from the first round will have 10 minutes to post a second-round qualifying time, with the 12 fastest advancing to a third round.

Those not advancing will earn starting positions 13 through 24 based on time, again in descending order.

• Round 3 -- The final round will be five minutes in length. The fastest times from this session will determine the first (Coors Light Pole Award) through 12th starting positions.

There will be a five-minute break between each round; teams may make adjustments to their entries only during the individual breaks.

They will not be allowed to jack the vehicle or raise the hood, and once the car or truck enters the garage, it will no longer be permitted to return to the track for additional qualifying attempts.

This format will be used at the following tracks: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54 miles); Auto Club Speedway (2 miles); Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.46 miles); Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5 miles); Chicagoland Speedway (1.5 miles); Darlington Raceway (1.37 miles); Daytona International Speedway (2.5 miles) (except for the Daytona 500); Gateway Motorsports Park (1.25 miles); Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5 miles); Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5 miles); Kansas Speedway (1.5 miles); Kentucky Speedway (1.5 miles); Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5 miles); Michigan International Speedway (2 miles); Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.4 miles); Pocono Raceway (2.5 miles); Road America (4.05 miles); Sonoma Raceway (1.99 miles); Talladega Superspeedway (2.66 miles); Texas Motor Speedway (1.5 miles); Watkins Glen International (2.45 miles)

For the two-round qualifying format, the following changes will be made:

• Round 1 -- All entries will have 30 minutes to post an official qualifying time, with the fastest 12 advancing to the second and final round. Those not advancing will be sorted based on qualifying times.

• Round 2 -- Ten minutes of track time for the fastest 12 remaining cars or trucks, with positions 1 (pole) through 10 determined based on qualifying times.

There will be a 10-minute break between each round.
This format will be used at the following tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.53 miles); Dover International Speedway (1 mile); Iowa Speedway (0.88 miles); Martinsville Speedway (0.526 miles); New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.06 miles); Phoenix International Raceway (1 mile); Richmond International Raceway (0.75 miles)

"We believe the timing is right for a new Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying format across our three national series," Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president for competition and racing development, said. "This style of group qualifying has all the making of being highly competitive and more engaging to our fans in the stands and those watching on television and online.

"For the drivers and teams, we believe this new qualifying will fuel even greater competition leading into the events."

Before the start of qualifying, cars or trucks will be lined up on pit road based on a random draw and may exit pit road at any time while the green is displayed. Each driver may complete as few or as many laps as he or she chooses during the allotted time period for each segment. Pit road speeds will be enforced during each session.
Pemberton said conversations with drivers and crew chiefs helped determine what types of changes teams would be allowed to complete during the breaks in between the sessions.
“And what we surmised from that,” he said, “is you should be able to adjust wedge and track bar, tire pressures and tape strategies.
“The consensus was to not go under the hood and make other extreme adjustments. And the adjustments … can only be made during the breaks.”
If all rounds are not completed due to weather or other circumstances, starting positions will be set based on the last official completed round. If no rounds are completed, starting positions will be determined per the NASCAR rule book.

According to officials, NASCAR's provisional system will remain in place with those positions being awarded following the first round of each qualifying session.

The qualifying format does not apply to the Daytona 500, which features single-car runs and two qualifying races to set the lineup for the season-opening race. Heat races to determine the lineup will still be used at Eldora Speedway as well.

NASCAR went to a one-round qualifying format in 2001. Before that, two rounds of qualifying were used to determine the starting lineup with positions 1-25 locked in during the first round. Teams outside the top 25 could participate in a second round or stand on their first-round time.

[the H team]

Chase field will begin at 16 drivers; eliminations take place after every three races


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format has been tweaked and adjusted in the 10 seasons it has been used to determine the sanctioning body's Sprint Cup champion.

Thursday, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced a major overhaul for the 10-race format, one that will see the field expand from 12 to 16 teams, with three shootout-style rounds culminating in a single championship-determining event among the final four remaining competitors.

"We have arrived at a format that makes every race matter even more, diminishes points racing, plus puts a premium on winning races, and concludes with a best-of-the-best, first-to-the-finish-line showdown race -- all of which is exactly what fans want," France said.

"We have looked at a number of concepts for the last three years through fan research, models and simulations, and also maintained extensive dialogue with our drivers, teams and partners. The new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be thrilling, easy to understand and help drive our sport's competition to a whole new level."
Under the new format, the 16 available qualifying positions for the Chase will be awarded to those drivers that have at least one victory through the first 26 races, as long as he or she is in the top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each of the season's previous points races. On Thursday, NASCAR officials said that a medical exemption could be given if a driver missed a race during the season for a valid medical reason but still had won a race at some point during the season.

If more than 16 drivers earn at least one win, only those highest in the standings (with at least one win) following the 26th race would advance. However, should the points leader after 26 races be winless, he or she would be awarded the 16th and final Chase position.

Only twice in the history of NASCAR have there been more than 15 winners in the first 26 Cup races (1961 and 2003).

If fewer than 16 drivers have at least one win, all remaining positions to fill the grid would be determined based on points standings.

The 16 drivers qualifying for the Chase will have their points reset to 2,000 points, and will be seeded based on bonus points (three per win) earned prior to the start of the Chase.

The nine races leading up to the season-ending event are divided into three individual rounds consisting of three races each.

Chase eligible drivers posting at least one win in each of the rounds will continue to advance. Remaining available positions will be determined and seeded based points earned during each round.

Points for those in the Chase will be reset prior to the start of each round with all drivers starting the round with the same amount of points.

Drivers not in the Chase will continue to earn points under the current non-Chase points format.

The Challenger Round -- Opens the Chase and consists of races at Chicagoland, New Hampshire and Dover. Twelve of the 16 drivers will advance from this round.

A win in any of the three races automatically advances the driver to the next round, with remaining positions to be determined based on points earned during the round.

The 12 Chase drivers advancing will be seeded based on points earned through the three previous races and will have his or her points total reset to 3,000 points prior to the start of the next round.

The Contender Round -- Consists of races at Kansas, Charlotte and Talladega. Eight of the 12 drivers will advance from this round.

As in the previous round, a win in any of the three Contender Round races automatically advances the driver to the next round, with remaining positions to be determined based on points earned during the round.

Points totals will be reset at 4,000 points for those advancing.

The Eliminator Round -- Consists of races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. Four of the eight drivers will advance from this round to earn a berth in the season-ending Sprint Cup Championship (final) round.

Eliminator Round winners automatically advance, with the remaining position or positions determined by points earned in the three races.

The four drivers that advance into the final round will have their points total reset to 5,000 following the Phoenix race.

Sprint Cup Championship -- The highest finishing driver at Homestead among the four eligible drivers will win the Sprint Cup championship.

While bonus points for laps led will be awarded through previous rounds, no bonus points for laps led will be awarded in the final race for the Chase contenders. Finishing position in the final race will determine the champion.

For those Chase drivers that fail to advance out of an individual round, their points total will be reset at 2,000 points at the conclusion of that particular segment. They will continue to earn points based on finishes in the remaining races, with no further adjustments. Thus, a driver that fails to advance out of the initial Challenger Round could earn enough points to finish as high as fifth in the final points standings. He or she would finish no worse than 16th based on the initial points reset.

Winning takes on much more importance under the new format, something France said was "the key."



While officials had an elimination format on the drawing board for several years, France said it wasn't until this format, which "was developed to emphasize the entire season" came together that officials felt the time was right to make the change.
And, he said, "… we didn't eliminate points racing by doing this. It will still be playing a role."

While it would be difficult to consider all of the potential scenarios, France said he believes officials covered as many bases as possible.
"The probability is that the best teams down the stretch in the fall … are going to be the best teams (in general)," he said. "Anything is possible, (anything) could happen today, but I think this (format) makes it more probable that teams are going to have to win and be at their best over a longer period of time."
NASCAR President Mike Helton said while it may be a lot to digest in terms of how the champion is determined, the format change will make "every race special."

"I'm an avid fan of this sport, I've loved it for 50 years," said Helton. "I grew up in Bristol and you can't grow up in Bristol and not know NASCAR, and more often than not, you're going to become a fan of NASCAR. There's not much more traditional in this sport than Bristol. I'm a fan of Bristol, a fan of Talladega, of Daytona; I like the uniqueness of each one of the facilities. Now each race is going to be more exciting I think.
"I just ask the fans if they will give this a chance and let it sink in. And that's why today is such a big day, because now we can tell the world what it is instead of people speculating, and start answering the questions around it."

[the H team]

Nascar season is finally beginning with The Sprint Unlimited or better known as the Bud Shootout.