Official 2018 NASCAR Thread

[JEBar]

what a way to start next year's thread .. .. nice looking rig .... its good to see the Camaro on the top circuit :

Chevrolet dipped into its rich motorsports history in assembling the race car that will tackle the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, announcing Thursday that it will bring the Camaro ZL1 name to the sport

History, in this case, doesn’t mean a relic, not with seven-time series champ Jimmie Johnson’s grand introduction of the freshly race-ready car — a snarling, fast-revving Thursday afternoon rip on Detroit’s East Jefferson Avenue echoing off the towers of General Motors’ Renaissance Center headquarters. The deep-blue car, which will replace the outgoing Chevy SS next year, was adorned with the No. 8, the favored car number of pioneering racer and company founder Louis Chevrolet.

It was enough to make longtime Chevy driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. consider his garage-space options back home in North Carolina.

“Certainly, yeah!” said Earnhardt, who arrived at Thursday’s ceremony in the Camaro pace car used this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. “I’ll build some space, whatever we’ve got to do.”

[b]https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/ ... =click[/b]

[JEBar]

for 2018, the 77 car has been rumored to be the prime open seat for drivers like Kahne and Kenseth ... it appears that there is a good deal of truth in the last sentence in the article

Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser said the team is searching for sponsorship to continue running the #77 car next season but hasn't found any.

We've got no sponsorship right now for the 77, Visser told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday. So we've got to find something. We don't want to give up that car, but if we don't get sponsorship, we'll have to. We're doing everything we can to get that to come together.

The team added the #77 this year for rookie Erik Jones, who signed a one-year contract. Jones will go to Joe Gibbs Racing next season, replacing Matt Kenseth. That leaves an opening with the #77 car.

Asked on The Morning Drive about the health of the business side of the sport going into 2018, Visser said: I'd certainly like to see it better. I'm sure if you can run up front you can deliver to the sponsors what you're promising them. I don't even know how to answer that question. It's a pretty tough business right now.

http://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2017/sto ... ponsorship

[JEBar]

with his youth movement, Hendrick is positioning his team for the long term .... I can't help but wonder which (if any) will under perform in the mode of Kasey Kahne .... also will be interesting to see if he moves the current 24 team to the 9 car

[JEBar]

2018 engine rules changes :

NASCAR Cup teams will be required to run engines multiple races next year, according to a rules bulletin officials released Thursday.

Cup teams will have to use 13 short block engines (engine block, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods and pistons) for two full race weekends each next season.

Teams that are not considered full-time will not be permitted to compete in more than two consecutive points races without using a sealed short block engine that has been run in a preceding event.

NASCAR also announced that it will go to a single-engine rule for all Cup events. Previously, teams had been allowed to change engines between their qualifying race and the Daytona 500. That won't be permitted.

If a backup engine must be installed in either a primary vehicle or a backup vehicle during an event weekend, that vehicle will be required to start at the rear of the field.

Also, NASCAR's rules bulletin stated that if a backup vehicle must be used at any time during an event weekend, the vehicle will be required to start at the rear of the field.

per NBC Sports

[JEBar]

sorry to hear is but it comes as no surprise that Danica Patrick, the only female driver to win the Daytona 500 pole and one of the most popular figures in NASCAR, will not return to compete for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018. .... Patrick did not address whether she will attempt to continue to compete in NASCAR going forward. Earlier this year she told NASCAR.com she did not know how much longer she wanted to race in the series.

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/ ... as-racing/

[Jdl447]

“I wish SHR the best of luck with their new sponsorship and driver. "
Any ideas who it may be?

[JEBar]

with the exception of Danica, SHR has a history of going with veterans .... my pick would be Matt Kenseth

[JEBar]

Leavine Family Racing announced Tuesday that 18-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner Kasey Kahne is coming aboard as the organization’s new driver beginning next season.

It will be the fifth organization for Kahne, the 2004 Rookie of the Year. His current team, Hendrick Motorsports, revealed last month that Kahne would not return in 2018.

“I feel like (Leavine has) really made a lot of gains in the past couple years,” Kahne told NASCAR.com of his new team. “It’s pretty cool to watch, any time you see a small team do what they’ve done in our sport.

“The opportunity will be a challenge, but also a lot of fun. I enjoy a challenge and I enjoy working with people. The best part about it is us all being a team and trying to improve every single weekend and learning from what we do one week and improving the next. I think that’s something we’ll be able to do. And I’m really excited about it.”

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/ ... o-95-2018/

[JEBar]

this could be interesting .... it looks like Monster wants some time to think about their renewal option to sponsor Nascar.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-monster ... 09115.html

[BigAl52]

I dunno. Its boring maybe Im not enough of a fan but I just cant seem to watch a race to the end anymore. There losing fans right and left. Im not sure the sport has much of a future if they dont do something to change it for me. Restrictor plate racing is just boring. No Elliot Earnhardt rivalrys. Al

[JEBar]

I'm a member of NASCAR's Fan Council .... as such I get an emailed survey after every race .... following the last race I told them that their determination to make all cars equal has been realized .... no passing .... no excitement .... together the 18 & 78 lead all but 1 lap .... that's not the NASCAR racing that made me a fan

[Cowboy Gun Fan]

I agree, but right now the Toyota's have the advantage. They must be doing something different or have something different that the others don't have, yet legal to boot.

And I'm not a fan of the Brand, lol, but I do like a lot of the drivers that so happen to drive for them.

[BigAl52]

I agree, but right now the Toyota's have the advantage. They must be doing something different or have something different that the others don't have, yet legal to boot.

And I'm not a fan of the Brand, lol, but I do like a lot of the drivers that so happen to drive for them.

Im not a fan of Toyota either. I think Nascar should be an American race. I wish Dodge was back in it but maybe they don't see the need to be there with the fan base shrinking. Al

[mlrifleNY]

I try to watch all the races if I can, I grew up with my father racing small dirt tracks and still love watching. I see the stands having fewer and fewer fans and can't help but wonder why NASCAR felt they had to fix what wasn't broken.

Jim

[JEBar]

link to the 2018 paint schemes for Hendrick Motor Sports .... I do like the adaptation of the Camaro body style .... my least favorite is the one for the 48


https://galleries.nascar.com/gallery/15 ... schemes#/0

[Henry88]

I am horrible with names and faces, but I can't tell one NASCAR driver from the other.

They all just seem like different shades of vanilla, save Chase and Dale jr.

And not one of them used to run shine...................

[Vaquero]

Speakin of Toyota, I told everybody when they came in.
It's gonna take some time, not sure how much. But,
they will be on top, and will be tough to beat.

If you look back through the other big series, F1, Indy and CART.
It took a little time in each one, but,
they dominate.
So to me it was inevitable.

Oh, and Rowdy is my driver, now he's not the most poetic, he's a whiner if he ain't winnin.
But man can he wheel a machine,and that's what I want in a driver.

Now all that said I haven't watched a race all year.
It's just not what I used to love.

RP

[JEBar]

this is one we did see coming :

NASCAR veteran and 2003 Monster Energy Series champion Matt Kenseth revealed Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway that he does not expect to race full-time in 2018 after 18 accomplished seasons in NASCAR’s premier ranks.

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/ ... -2018-nbc/

[JEBar]

NASCAR announces start times for 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/ ... art-times/

[JEBar]

sharp looking rig .... I like the look of the Camaro

Chase Elliott’s 2018 No. 9 Hooters paint scheme ===> https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/ ... nt-scheme/