Cool site shows 4 cameras from the garage area Thursday to Sunday[url”>http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/garagecam/index.html

Teams have to get very aggressive with setup. They will try to get the car on the ground like a hunting dog, with the nose down and tail up. Plus, there’s just no substitute for horsepower at that place as drivers stay in the throttle for most of the race.When we discuss setup, you’ll hear the term “coil-binding” as teams go as low as they can without dragging the track. They use very soft front springs that are precision wound with every coil spaced the same amount down to the thousandth of a millimeter. As the car travels down on the racetrack, all of the coils touch each other right before the car touches the racetrack. The car won’t travel anymore because the spring is solid, and it’s right against the track for maximum downforce. It’s very hard for teams to work on coil-binding at the racetrack. Most setups are worked out in the engineering departments of these race teams. It’s one reason teams won’t change their springs at the track because their engineering group has figured out the setup. With the Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR will allow teams to run the bump-stops like we used to race when I was a crew chief. It’s a lot like the rubber bumpers on top of a passenger car’s rear-end housing. If a car hits a big bump, the chassis won’t bottom out against the rear-end on the corner. News source: Crew Chief Club

MW and Toyota have gotten off to a bad start to say the least but I am disappointed in MW as he threw his crew chief on the sword and failed to take responsibility himself if he is going to take the accolades when winning he has to accept the other side of the coin . If he know about it or not really does not matter I have my doubts if he did but his back is to the wall to perform for the amount of money Toyota has put out Rumor has it that Toyota is sending out a letter that they have used 2 of there 3 strikes. Also he is wearing both owner and driver hats and I would think this is an almost an impossible task. A driver has to drive full time as Teresa said about Jr are you going to drive or be a personality of course that is a whole other keg of wormsJr is building a huge shop and I think he has designs on his own cup team as the shop is way to big for Busch only. Maybe he will put a Bud brewery in it.I wonder if the Busch series could become the Bud series next year? I do hope they can work things out but it would be great to see him go to RCR and drive the #3.I do think Ray Evernham did not feel his teams were cheating. He is a believer in maintaining the integrity of the sport and this was to obvious and some of the items were used last year. To fine all his teams also raises a question I just don’t think he would take the risk.Be curious to see how young Kasey will perform with a different crew chief. Ray Evernham is so organized if he felt in the least there would be a problem he would have a plan in place to replace crew chiefs.A hundred points is a big slap but then so is fifty the money is no big deal you get 80K plus just for starting the 500.All kinds of problems in Daytona practice today hard tires and 45% weather made for a slick track.

All NASCAR Races on ESPN to be in High-Def..including In-Car Cams: NASCAR fans are welcoming back an old friend this year with ESPN’s return to coverage of the sport, but the old friend is going to have a sophisticated new look when live NASCAR coverage resumes next month. ESPN and ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series will be the most technologically advanced programming in the history of televised motorsports, according to Jed Drake, senior vice president and executive producer for ESPN. “ESPN’s presentation of NASCAR will be state of the art at every level of production,” said Drake. ”We have built a production plan that will provide a truly exceptional presentation to our viewers.”All NASCAR on ESPN races and associated programming will be totally produced in High Definition, a first for televised motorsports. Of the approximately 60 to 75 cameras that will be used by ESPN in televising races, more than used in any other sport, all will be HD. ESPN, a pioneer in the development of in-car cameras during its 20 seasons of NASCAR coverage from 1981-2000, has been preparing for use of HD in-car cameras in advance of the Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 from Daytona on ESPN2 February 17. The camera systems had to be re-engineered for HD, as did the camera power and transmission systems within the race cars, all while maintaining a delicate balance to not add weight to the cars and possibly affect their performance. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage will also include HD cameras providing other interesting points of view, including grass cam, wall cam, crew cams, pit overhead cams, blimps and multiple robotic cameras at various points around the tracks. In addition to 100% use of HD cameras, ESPN will also produce NASCAR’s top two series with Sportvision technology, which Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer, said no TV network has ever used in Busch Series coverage. Sportvision utilizes satellite technology to create on-screen “pointers” to designate specific cars within a pack, helping viewers distinguish their favorite driver’s car, lead-lap cars and produces telemetry from the race cars to show speeds, braking and other compelling information to viewers. All cars in the races will carry Sportvision transmitters.ESPN’S NASCAR FUN FACTS:6 — Tractor-trailer rigs used each event (including pit studio, in-car camera trailer, custom office trailer)10 — Number of months ESPN’s NASCAR fleet will be on the road (February-November)26 — Tracks ESPN’s mobile fleet will visit in 200738 — NASCAR events ESPN’s mobile fleet will attend in 200752 — NASCAR races to be televised live by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC in 2007 (full 35-race Busch Series season, final 17 Nextel Cup events)60-75 — HD Cameras used by ESPN to televise a NASCAR race (including in-car cameras)200 — Credentialed ESPN personnel working on NASCAR each week78,000 — Weight in pounds of ESPN traveling studio for NASCAR Countdown showsESPN commissioned the creation of four of what Feinberg said are “the most sophisticated mobile production units ever built in the history of TV motorsports, designed just for our NASCAR coverage.” Among the innovations within the ESPN-branded units is a radio room in which radio transmissions of all 43 teams in NASCAR races will be recorded during races, allowing producers to be able to lift specific transmissions of any driver or team at any time. “I call it the ultimate TiVo,” said Feinberg.For its NASCAR Countdown studio shows that will precede all NASCAR race telecasts, ESPN will originate from the most technologically-advanced traveling studio ever used in sports television. The studio, which weighs nearly 78,000 pounds and will travel to 26 NASCAR tracks this season, will allow ESPN to bring the look and feel of its Bristol, Conn.,-based studio shows such as SportsCenter and Sunday NFL Countdown to the tracks.The mobile pit studio will be outfitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting, three robotic HD cameras and a dramatic, contoured, video display fronting the anchor desk. Situated near the pits at every track, the studio will be elevated 14 feet while in use and 30 foot glass windows will give viewers a look at the cars, grandstands and pageantry prior to the race start. “We want to show the scope and size of the sport,” Feinberg said. Feinberg also said ESPN will have an exciting new animation, graphic and musical package featuring Aerosmith.(ESPN PR)(1-24-2007) News source: Jayski.com

The season is over and JJ won I really do not have a favorite driver( Mark Martin but just because of his years and no championship) but I was hoping JJ would not pull it out I was at Daytona when he cheated and won and that was a major and obvious change I am sure he will make a great champion and the Hendricks team deserved it Childress deserved the Busch win I wonder where Harvick would placed in the Cup if they would have not put so much effort into Busch Oh well 89 days to Daytona and it should be an interesting year Toyota on board and the new car premiere and many driver and sponsor changes Crew Cheif

Kasey Kahne on the pole and Waltrip fails to qualify he better hope those Toyotas are a big improvement cant remember the last time he had any TV time Should be a great race

10 crew member/Harvick scuffle: reported on Speed Channel’s SPEED Report by Bob Dillner, per FoxSports.com: Emotions definitely flowed over to the postrace activities as the guys walked to the garage area. After the Dickies 500, the #10 and the #29 teams were coming down the entrance way to the garage area where all of the teams bring their pit boxes. There was an altercation between the #10 team and Kevin and DeLana Harvick. Apparently, Kevin and DeLana both got knocked down. NASCAR’s Jim Hunter told me they are investigating the situation wholeheartedly and expects that there will be fined and penalties either Tuesday or Wednesday. “After the fact, right out of the moment, everybody’s pretty hot-headed (and) got to running their mouth a little bit,” Richard Childress Racing Director Mike Dillion said. “That’s about all it was. Somebody got shoved, and they’re sorting it out now. But they shoved Kevin and his wife down in front of the pit box is what was bad. Everybody out here has done it in their racing career at some point in time. It’s just unfortunate. The guys need to let the drivers handle it. One of the NASCAR officials got hurt trying to stop the box,” Dillion continued. “That’s pretty bad, too. Hurt his ankle so they took him to the infield care center.” A lot of people were called to the NASCAR trailer after this race, including Rodney Childers, the crew chief for Scott Riggs and the #10 team. He’s responsible for the actions of everybody. DeLana and Kevin Harvick were both brought in as well. Several eyewitnesses were brought in. In fact, Roger Penske was up there talking to NASCAR President Mike Helton and Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby and everybody that was looking at the incident.(11-5-2006) News source: Jayskis silly season site

NASCAR to me is still cars and carburetors, gears and grease, shocks and air wrenches. Loud engines, smoking tires and crashes down the backstretch. It’s burning rubber and checkered flags. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has his a line of Drakkar Noir products. Jeff Gordon a signature cologne with Halston Z-14. Gordon and Richard Childress also have their own collection of wine. Childress also has a vineyard in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley and produces Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and two varieties of Cabernet. Doesnt sound like moonshine to me. Brian Vickers has deal with Garnier Frutis Now wearing a hat kind looks like you are covering up the sponsor but then Harlequin novels has a line of NASCAR romance novels. Remember the bottled water given to drivers under the red flag at California earlier this year. I wonder if they had cup holders t then

NASCAR issues smaller Resitrctor Plates at Talladega MORE: NASCAR will issue restrictor plates with smaller holes for the rest of the UAW-Ford 500 weekend as teams scrambled Saturday morning to get their cars ready for qualifying. The new restrictor plates will have four holes of seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, one-64th of an inch smaller than the ones used in practice Friday when #24-Jeff Gordon reached a speed of 198.689 mph in the opening session at Talladega Superspeedway. The change should slow the speeds by 2-5 mph, according to crew chiefs,. Teams were informed of the change Saturday morning. There are no practice sessions left on the schedule and the cars will be impounded after qualifying. NASCAR officials are expected to address the media concerning the change later this morning. The speeds are higher than they have been at Talladega because of the repaved surface, which is much smoother than the old surface.(SceneDaily.com)(10-7-2006FYI 1/64 Of an inch is slightly more than a post card thickness but when you remove it from a circle 4 times it does add up but will the normal 20 car wreck now be 25 time will tell also with no time to test will this affect engine life and or fuel mileage where is the power curve going to be it was almost non existentAny math geniuses out there how much is the actual area decreasedPS Shame on you Mark Martin where is your loyality I may change my hope you will win the championship News source: Jayski Silly Season

The Kansas Race had a 150 minutes of broadcast time and 66 minutes of commercials that is more than the average soap or more than 1/3 of the broadcast somebody is showing a huge profit here News source: Jayski Silly season site