Praying for Ryan Newman

Hope Newman is OK long term. Nascar is a shitshow. Just being able to slam your way through the field so that you can win is ridiculous. Not to mention the celebrating afterwards, classless. "Hey I just wrecked everybody in front of me.... but f--k it I'm a winner!"

 

Damn, still scored a top 10!

 

From my point of view, Blaney caused that wreck not the winner Hamlin. The "celebration" was significantly subdued relative to the usual. Denny didn't look like he wanted to celebrate, but it looked like he did some celebration for his team. NASCAR / Fox / Daytona / whoever decided to shoot of the confetti cannons on the other hand that was pretty bad. You could see the look on Denny's face - "Really - they are shooting off confetti?"

 

Non life threatening is the report this morning. Sure his wife and kids were mortified with fear and anxiety. Happy he’s going to pull through.

I remember my wife telling me how she felt after a crash I had a Big Willow years ago. Never want her to feel that way again.

 

Yeah, it was definitely Blaney's fault but you can almost give a bit of it to Newman too. He came down to block Blaney (which any racer would do at that moment) and helped initiate the incident. It was almost inevitable that something like this was going to happen.

 

I guess but when I watched the overhead shot it sure looked like Blaney was pushed (shoved) by Hamlin and had nowhere to go but hit Newman who had dropped to block.

 

That's been a talking point through these past two weeks. The runs from hooked up cars this year were fast and blocking them was both an extremely fine art and ill advised. Ultimately I believe they all did exactly what everyone around them expected, this was just the nature of the racing.

 

Plate races. Made-for-TV mayhem. As a racer, I hate it.

 

I am about as anti-union as people get, but maybe the drivers need to organize. This is a stupid way to go racing. I listened to the Dale Jr. interview with Joe Rogan. It doesn't paint a pretty picture.

 

I watched it about 3 times and I could swear Newman came down on Blaney because he had a nice run to the finish line. Bottom line is, they are all going to try this move on the last few corners...it's how they race at Daytona. Newman just happened to be the unlucky guy at the end. They were interviewing Hamlin while he sat in his car after the first wreck asking him if he showed his hand too soon...that the leader was going to get eaten up at the finish line due to the push tactics used at the track. He said that he might have. Being the leader on the last two corners never seems to work at Daytona.

 

I disagree that it was Blaney's fault. It was a racing incident. As you said, Newman came down low and Newman moved over to block him. But if you go back and watch the replay, I don't know that Blaney intended to go low. Blaney got a big push from Hamlin which got him a little squirly and in an effort to save it, went low and that's when Newman moved down to block him. Blaney had a big head of steam and Newman didn't get in front of him soon enough to be able to square up.
It's no one's fault.

 

I'll have to disagree. I just watched the last lap again and yes, Blaney had a head of steam but I don't see it as him trying to push Newman, more like he wanted to get around Newman and Newman wasn't going to have any part of it and blocked. I will totally agree that it is a racing incident caused by the way they have to race to win at Daytona.

 

I lay this kind of stuff at the feet of the France family. They have created an AERO package and car that does not allow the creativity of a crew chief to go faster than anyone else. Next year they are going to a spec car so things will only get worse. The way these guys are bunched up in racing creates these situations and make for shitty racing. The are so focused on 10 cars all ass to nose at the finish they even created stage racing. The worst part of those France fuckers down there is they believe in the let off philosophy. If you as a driver don't want to win let off and let him go... They only care about money and that's it they could give a fuck about the drivers and team owners. They are the most money grubbing dirty bastard in US racing....

 

Damn Critter...tell us how you really feel about them.

 

I agree with you; I don't think there is really any blame for the drivers to throw around here. If you watched the whole race, you would see that the strategy of locking onto the bumper of the car in front of you was being employed throughout and an accepted tactic (within the rules as well). It leave zero room for error as any lateral force at that speed is going to result in in a crash for the car in front. It caused several accidents earlier in the race. Blaney even admitted that at that point, he wasn't getting around Newman and he might as well try to push him to the victory instead of letting Hamlin win.

I would not be surprised if they go back to forbidding the practice as I believe it has been at times in the past.

I don't really have a strong opinion on the aero stuff and the rules, but you can't deny they have put a lot of resources into making the cars themselves safer.

 

Maybe it was mentioned, but did they confirm that it was fuel pouring out of the car when it was on its roof? I can't think it would have been anything else coming from the rear 3/4, but how it didn't ignite was some kind of miracle......

Was not going to go to bed last night until we got an update on his condition..........sick to my stomach after it happened. It was one of those "impossible scenario" wrecks that no amount of safety precaution can seem to prevent, and often end in heartbreak.

 

There was one shot of the car from the front when it was on its roof with fluids pouring out. Several that were watching it with me mentioned fuel, but I'm pretty sure that fluid was coolant. It was mentioned earlier in this thread that the fluid that was burning may have been differential fluid.

The actual fuel cell appeared to be intact.

 

Remove the plates and what speeds are these guys going to be generating? Didn’t they bring in plate racing due to Bill Elliot doing crazy speeds at talladega? What else can you do to slow them down, mess with the aero package. All of a sudden you have a f1 precession race on a oval.

 

What do they expect you have have guys poking each other in the ass at 200MPH. Stupid way to race. Zero room to fuck up.