News for April 23rd 2010

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Rule

The Aaron’s 312 and Aaron’s 499 will mark the first Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at NASCAR’s most treacherous track since a rule mandating three tries at a green-white checkered was instituted this season.

 The maximum number of attempts hasn’t been reached yet in either circuit, but the mammoth 2.66-mile oval might represent the best opportunity for testing its limits.

 Though Carl Edwards’ airborne crash on the last lap has become the track’s signature highlight, Talladega normally delivers mayhem in much larger packages. Because restrictor plates are placed on the carburetors (choking down airflow to the engine and thus reducing horsepower) here, underpowered cars often races inches apart in large packs at Talladega, whose glass-smooth surface makes handling a breeze.

 One bobble can cause a chain-reaction pileup of two dozen cars. With double-file restarts and an edict nullifying passes on the apron (Edwards’ Ford went skyward because he tried to block the race-winning move of Brad Keselowski, who held his ground and bumped the leader rather than dip below the (more…)

Edited: April 23rd, 2010

McMurray OK with restrictor-plate chaos at Talladega

For three weeks in February, Jamie McMurray was the most popular driver in NASCAR.

Every time you saw him, he had a huge smile on his face as he basked in the glow of his surprising Daytona 500 victory.

Through appearances on such high-profile shows as “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” McMurray quickly — if only briefly — became the new face of NASCAR.

His emotional Victory Lane celebration and engaging personality suddenly made him a fan favorite, one whose popularity quickly soared.
(more…)

Edited: April 23rd, 2010