[The Champ]

Originally Posted by David Holmberg

I don't think many of you here would continue to hold the pedal down, with smoke rolling out the back of the car, while going no where. Almost anyone with any racing experience knows when something isn't right, and to back off to asses the situation.

I wanted to say the same thing, but was afraid some of the Danica apologists would get their panties in a bundle...

[The Champ]

The Touring Princess hit the wall early (lap 16) in the race yesterday and wasn't smart enough to pit - even though she couldn't have missed seeing the tire smoke from the right front tire.

When you hit the wall at Pocono and have tire smoke, it's not a question of if, but when the tire will blow. It blew a little over 1 lap later.

She managed to only go one lap down as a result, and shortly after getting back on track she was the recipient of the Lucky Dog and was back on the lead lap. Of course, getting back on the lead lap didn't last very long...

Luckily for Wanica, there was a 13 car wreck later in the race, so that even though she was 4 laps down she finished in 30th place. Before the wreck, she was solidly in 38th place with only one car running behind her on the track.

The only driver not in the "big one" or that didn't have a mechanical failure to knock them out of the race to finish behind the Ice Princess was Alex Bowman.

Rookie Justin Allgaier was in the "big one" and still soldiered on to a 17th place finish. She is in 28th in the points.

Next week - Watkins Glen. Some have said that road courses are her strong suit. She finished 20th there last year - which is better than her average finish. Her average at Sonoma is 24th.

[David Holmberg]

The Jr haters are a little quiet.

[The Champ]

^

Well, the haters all claimed that he was an overhyped driver with no talent and tried to compare him to the Touring Princess... I'm not a fan of Jr's, but I've been around racing long enough to know that he has more talent than what the haters believe.

Funny thing, Jr. happens to be the driver with the most points this season that has 3 wins (wins being way overhyped by many, and by NASCAR this year). Which means he could start the Chase as the number one seed. And he has earned that status. No one has more top 5's or top 10's this season.

I'm not a big fan of the Chase, but those are the rules. But to me it kind of sucks that Denny Hamlin, Aric Amirola and Kurt Busch (21st, 22nd and 23rd in the points) are guaranteed to make the Chase, but Matt Kenseth (currently 4th) is not.

Hell, even the Touring Princess, with no chance in hell of making the top 25 before the Chase starts could be in the Chase if lightning strikes and she is the only finisher in one of the next 5 races.

That would be an embarrassment.

[The Champ]

For all the Danica apologists that think she's hot and cool and would like to meet her up close and personal...

Go to the second race in the Chase at New Hampshire and she will be the special guest at the New Hampshire Magic Mile Club before the Sylvania 300.

For the small fee of $249.00 per person, you can be there live and in person!

The package includes: Food and Beverage Service, Souvenir Race program, Limited Edition Souvenir, Pre-race Entertainment, Pre-race Pit Pass, and a Laconia Grandstand Ticket (a $49 value).

If you already have your race ticket, you can deduct $49.00.

Personally, I wouldn't give a plugged nickel to see her. And I wouldn't buy the cheapest ticket available to a race I really wanted to see.

Pre race hospitality is a nice thing. Been there, did that, done that many times. Never paid $200.00 though. If I were going to pay $200.00 to see her in person, I would at least spend another $100.00 on a quality ticket to see her race too.

But then, we're talking about Danica Patrick fans - not real race fans that actually want to see the race.

[zephyrracer]

Bologna sandwich 2 day old bread and no condiments for 249 if you walked by Richard Petty and they had steaks on the grill he would say come on over and join us, great hospitality no charge.

Gregg

[The Boss]

She was on Morning Joe on MSNBC yesterday morning but I'm not sure why. As soon as I saw her I hit the mute button - I don't mind looking at her, I just don't want to hear her.....she looked good.

[Sidponcho]

In China I can get a 90 minute massage for $8.00 from a nice girl with basically the same body.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

In China I can get a 90 minute massage for $8.00 from a nice girl with basically the same body.

And a better personality...

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

In China I can get a 90 minute massage for $8.00 from a nice girl with basically the same body.

...and she won't talk!

[GpFreak]

Ouch.

[tekheavy]

Originally Posted by GpFreak

Ouch.

That should buff out.

[zephyrracer]

Originally Posted by tekheavy

That should buff out.

And her sponsors clearly marked under hood

Gregg

[The Champ]

Matt Kenseth had radioed in that there was smoke coming from her car and recommended that she pit to investigate before she wrecked. But just like last week, she kept driving . The result is what you see above.

(kind of like when she broke her rearend leaving the pits the week before that and was doing a one wheel smoke job and couldn't figure out what was wrong)



The wreck at The Glen happened after her crew changed an engine between practice sessions.

Regardless of how "well" she quailifies - she will start in the rear. Where she belongs.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by The Champ

The wreck at The Glen happened after her crew changed an engine between practice sessions.

Regardless of how "well" she quailifies - she will start in the rear. Where she belongs.

All that being said I do think that she does best on the road courses.

Silly season is approaching fast and I say that Danica's and Kacey Kahne's ride's are in peril.

I'll start another silly season thread.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by arbys

All that being said I do think that she does best on the road courses.

You are not the first person to say this.

But the results just don't show it. Her results on road courses pretty much mirror her overall results - 18th and 29th at Sonoma and 20th at the Glen.

Daytona has been her best track - 8th, 14th, 40th and 8th. Amazing what just driving around the track can do, if you manage to avoid the big one, and don't try and win the race...

Silly season is approaching fast and I say that Danica's and Kacey Kahne's ride's are in peril.

I've been sayin' all season that she may not have a ride next year.

[The Champ]

Well.... Since the Glen the Touring Princess has continued her Sunday driver techniques - and is even more solidly entrenched in 28th place in the standings....

At Bristol on Saturday night she benefitted greatly by being so far to the rear of the pack that she missed the bigger wrecks. She started in 24th but quickly dropped about 10 spots. She was already several laps down and running in 39th when some of the bigger wrecks occurred - knocking some much better drivers out of the race.

She finished 27th - and that sounds pretty decent. At least until you realize that there were only 35 cars running at the end of the race and she was over 2 laps behind the car that finished 26th and over 7 laps behind the winner.

[The Boss]

Next year expect NASCAR to implement the "Danica Rule" that will allow her to be in the Chase no matter what place she finishes the regular season in......just because the fan's want it.

[cuz68]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Next year expect NASCAR to implement the "Danica Rule" that will allow her to be in the Chase no matter what place she finishes the regular season in......just because the fan's want it.

Why wait, If she wins before the chase she will be in it, What about that.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by cuz68

Why wait, If she wins before the chase she will be in it, What about that.

All I can say is...



But that is one of the problems I have with the new Chase format. I'm not a fan of the Chase in the first place, the new format makes it even worse.

Originally Posted by 63Banshee

Most notable thing I saw at Bristol was her cockblock of teammate #4, who was racing for the lead, by not keeping her line. She is very unpredictable in an actual racing situation. Follow the leader is something she does fairly well.

She's lucky Kevin didn't punt her in the a$$. She deserved it.

Danica's comments about Alex Bowman who did punt her a$$:

"He's just got to know that when you do that and you don't leave room for error and you hit me and take me out, I'm right there. As soon as I find you again I'm going to let you know I'm not happy. We're fine. If he does it again, worse things will happen. That's all.''

To his credit, Bowman went up to Danica and apologized after the race.

While watching the race, I saw the incident and thought that Danica overreacted to a minor situation in a few cars in front of her and slowed up so much that Bowman couldn't avoid hitting her. It's not like these cars have brake lights on them.... As you said - she is very unpredictable on the race track.

Bowman's worried that "Danica Nation" is pissed at him. But Bowman might be surprised at how many real race fans understand that it was as much her fault as his.