Danica - welcome to the high banks!

[Paul Pless]

[Bobby of Tulsa]

Go Tony.

[Donn]

I guess that car won't be in the race on Sunday.

[The Bigfella]

Good move letting go of the wheel. I scored some nasty hurts in a head-on when I didn't let go of the wheel.

Didn't slow down much across the flats though, did it?

[Paul Pless]

Didn't slow down much across the flats though, did it?

That used to be grass! And even worse the inside wall used to be hard not a safer barrier. What happens a lot there is that when the cars are sliding sideways at 200 mph the body creates a lot of lift and they lose adhesion, so you're right they tend not to slow down much. I'd like to see them angle that wall towards the infield a little to make the blow more glancing. But its a testament to NASCAR and safety that she walked away unscathed.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Now there's a misleading title - my first thought was - "That's surely a bit early in the season"....




But I see you meant a different kind of nymph.
http://www.first-nature.com/insects/...era_danica.php

[Tall Boy]

That was a big hit, she still has another 500 miles to go......after she races the Nationwide race on Saturday. That's a lot of pressure considering all the hype....it will be intersesting.

[Paul Pless]

That was a big hit, she still has another 500 miles to go......after she races the Nationwide race on Saturday. That's a lot of pressure considering all the hype....it will be intersesting.

She's awesome. She's a good driver with a solid technical understanding of racing on ovals, and she knows how the media and fan game works and she's good at that too. I think she's gonna be good for the sport, and I think she's gonna be successful. Maybe not right off the bat, maybe not this year even, but she'll be a championship contender soon.

All that and she's hot to boot!

[Tall Boy]

but she'll be a championship contender soon.

!

I'd be supprised if that ever happened, her stats don't bear that out. I think she's a product of exceptional marketing, she's fast, but I have yet to see her running with the leaders enough to think she's anymore than a mid pack driver, I'll predict that she'll get out of pit sequence in the Nationwide to lead laps and finish mid pack.

[Bobby of Tulsa]

I hope she makes it. Seems women drivers in NASCAR do about as well as women in WBF. Jus sayin.

[Paul Pless]

I'd be supprised if that ever happened, her stats don't bear that out. I think she's a product of exceptional marketing, she's fast, but I have yet to see her running with the leaders enough to think she's anymore than a mid pack driver, I'll predict that she'll get out of pit sequence in the Nationwide to lead laps and finish mid pack.

Nobody purposely gets out of pit sequence at a plate track. . .

[Tall Boy]

Nobody purposely gets out of pit sequence at a plate track. . .

There's a first time for everything. But you're right, we'll see if they (the marketing team) convince Toney Eury Jr that leading laps is more important than getting the best finish possible, we'll see......

[Paul Pless]

As with most open wheel converts I think the biggest challenge for her will be getting used to the fact that stock car racing is a contact sport. Daytona and Talladega are certainly exciting races and they are important, but they are sorta anomolies within the sport. If she doesn't do well this weekend I predict its because she's not enough experience drafting in large packs. The new rule package limiting rear downforce certainly ain't gonna help her out any.

[Tall Boy]

As with most open wheel converts I think the biggest challenge for her will be getting used to the fact that stock car racing is a contact sport. Daytona and Talladega are certainly exciting races and they are important, but they are sorta anomolies within the sport. If she doesn't do well this weekend I predict its because she's not enough experience drafting in large packs. The new rule package limiting rear downforce certainly ain't gonna help her out any.

She seems to have the fundamentals down pat and her practice speeds are up there. I think her big eye opener is going to be that mashing the gas pedal down fender to fender for 500 miles is pretty intense, blink at the wrong time and your out of shape........

[Paul Pless]

She seems to have the fundamentals down pat and her practice speeds are up there. I think her big eye opener is going to be that mashing the gas pedal down fender to fender for 500 miles is pretty intense, blink at the wrong time and your out of shape........

From an intensity standpoint not any different than running 220+ at Indy flat out for 500 miles with low banking and a low drag aero package. . .

[Tall Boy]

From an intensity standpoint not any different than running 220+ at Indy flat out for 500 miles with low banking and a low drag aero package. . .

Don't think so, bunch them up like we saw in Vegas last year and........well, we saw what happened.

[Paul Pless]

Yeah, that was ugly.

[bamamick]

Listening to the sports guys on the radio it seems that Danica is earning some respect in the NASCAR circuit. Their comments were that she may not ever win, but you shouldn't question whether or not she belongs.

Mickey Lake

[Tall Boy]

Their comments were that she may not ever win, but you shouldn't question whether or not she belongs.

Mickey Lake

She brings in big dollars to the teams she works for and that is a good thing, she's paying her way and creating a lot of interest in the sport. The deal is, now she's racing full time for points in the Nationwide series and those drivers will no longer will be looking at her as a curiousity, but as somone they need to beat to win a championship. I can hardly wait for Bristol.

[Jim Bow]

Sara Christian will be watching from Stock Car Heaven.

[Bob Adams]

I guess that car won't be in the race on Sunday.

I'd not bet my paycheck on that.

[The Bigfella]

She brings in big dollars to the teams she works for and that is a good thing, she's paying her way and creating a lot of interest in the sport. The deal is, now she's racing full time for points in the Nationwide series and those drivers will no longer will be looking at her as a curiousity, but as somone they need to beat to win a championship. I can hardly wait for Bristol.

Bristol Palin is going racing?

[Tall Boy]

Well, the gal's on a mission.....she's on the pole for the Nationwide..........on the pole? eh, eh...........

[Tall Boy]

Bristol Palin is going racing?

Don't you have any woodwork you can climb back into...........

[Ted Hoppe]

I think NASCAR fix is in again. she will win the race and her car will not be inspected. we have to witness another amazing Dale Earnhart Jr. styled "victory".

This is not racing this is soap opera for corporate sponsorship. No interesting engine design differentations, heavy track mafias and sunburned - red neck - toothless - swill drinking fox heads who miss the WWF Hulk Hogan's glory days.

[RichKrough]

Danica is a tough broad. She was ready to fight Mika Duno at Mid-Ohio and she was all up in Dan Wheldon's sheot at TMS. She aggressive enough to do well in Nascar . She certainly will be exciting to watch at a track like Bristol where rubbin-is-racing and tempers get hotter than the exhaust..

[John Meachen]

A question for the rules experts,do the driver's weights get included in the minimum legal weight of the car?I am curious because I doubt that any of the other drivers are giving away less than 45 pounds and in some cases nearer to 100 and it has to have an effect.

[RichKrough]

A question for the rules experts,do the driver's weights get included in the minimum legal weight of the car?I am curious because I doubt that any of the other drivers are giving away less than 45 pounds and in some cases nearer to 100 and it has to have an effect.

Total weight with driver is scaled , but there is also a minimum car weight without driver.

[Paul Pless]

A question for the rules experts,do the driver's weights get included in the minimum legal weight of the car?I am curious because I doubt that any of the other drivers are giving away less than 45 pounds and in some cases nearer to 100 and it has to have an effect.

Unlike her open wheel experience, Danica may actually be at a disadvantage in NASCAR, since the left right weight bias of the car is measured without the driver.