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Daytona 500 Signals The Start Of A New Season

January 21, 2011 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

Well it’s that time of the year again. Time to dust of the old goggles and fire-up the remote and go racing. The Daytona 500 signals the start of a new season for the Nascar faithful.

Know as “The Great American Race”, the Daytona 500 will feature 43 of the sports finest on February 20, 2011. The event serves as the final event of Speedweeks and is sometimes referred to as “The Great American Race” or the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing.” It is held the second or third Sunday in February, and since 1971, has been loosely associated with Presidents Day weekend.

The winner of the Daytona 500 is presented with the “Harley J. Earl Trophy” in Victory Lane, and the winning car is displayed, in race-winning condition, for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, a museum and gallery adjacent to Daytona International Speedway.

Now known as the “NASCAR Sprint Cup Series” (aka: Winston Cup Series, aka: NEXTEL Cup Series) the drivers’ champion is determined by a point system where points are given according to finishing placement and laps led. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, the 12 highest ranked drivers are seeded based on their total number of wins and compete in the last 10 races with the difference in points greatly equalized. This is called the Chase for the Championship.

Since 1949 the series features 49 drivers from 22 teams. For those under rocks, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports driving a Chevrolet was last years winner ……… let the games begin !!!

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This One’s For Posterity

January 21, 2011 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

I thought I would write-up a quick post before retiring for the night. It has been nearly two years since I have had the time to re-build this site. While I wished I had gotten to the project sooner, I’m glad I waited …… it was a lot more challenging to re-build than I thought.

When I looked into re-building this site about 18 or so months ago, I was confounded by the lack of images that were available to me. I was a little confounded by this as Nascar is obviously a very visual sport. Now, it seems that there is no lack of images to be had. Images for Nascar are a little more individually specific. I was just not use to this. I have never been out of options with a good keyword and Mr. Google.

As I started the re-build I was a little miffed at the quality of images that were used in the construction of the site. I had a Kalifornia designer do the work. I had worked with this designer before and was quite please with his work, but this time around the images were a total wreck ….. maybe he was dealing with the same problem I was. Anywho I had to start completely from scratch. This was not fun. No site I have ever been involved with took some much of my time to come close and I not really sure that I am totally satisfied with the results. This is sure to change as I go forward with this site..

Another area of contention was the “Featured Video”. It was some random of the wall race in Rhode Island back in 71. Off I went is search of the perfect video. I think I have found it. It was the 1988 Richard Petty Mishap at Daytona. Never have I seen such a dramatic accident. I know this is all part of the picture, but mostly you get just a bunch of pile-ups that look really cool, but lack depth of drama. I was sure this incident was going to result in the death of Petty. He was no worse for the wear. Yet Dale Earnhardt Sr. ……………

As I move forward with this project, I hope you will find the very best of what Nascar has to offer here. And I am afraid that you will be disappointed if you are looking for the details of the numerous mishaps that visit this exciting sport every year.

It is my sincere hope that you will find a spot or at least a bookmark for this site. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you back here for the opening of 2011 at Daytona. :)

Filed Under: Featured Nascar Content Tagged With: , , , , ,

Your Intro to Auto Racing

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

So what is all the hype about auto racing these days? Indeed, there are millions of people who get excited and an adrenaline rush from watching auto races on television and from the seats in the bleachers, but why is there all the excitement? Of course the individuals who are not thrilled about auto racing one bit won’t understand the joy that many people feel when they’ve just seen their favorite auto racer win the race or sadness that others feel when their drivers crash spontaneously into the wall. There are many different facets, though, about auto racing that are just exciting to many people around the world. Whether you want to believe it or not, auto racing definitely is a sport that millions love, and here are a few reasons why you should even be interested:

National Events

Whether you like it or not, there are plenty of national events that include auto racing events and NASCAR endorsements. Even though NASCAR’s auto racing events are the largest racing events throughout the United States, there are literally hundreds of smaller groups that have the same kind of fierce competition that NASCAR does. Some of the national auto racing events that take place include the Daytona 500, Indy 500, as well as other smaller NASCAR competitions throughout various states that all have huge rewards attached to them. For instance, the winner of the Daytona 500 wins the Harley J. Earl trophy, and auto racers have been winning this trophy since 1959.

Auto Racing Memorabilia

There are also plenty of auto racing memorabilia that goes around attracting huge crowds of auto racing fans. For example, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, and Dale Earnhardt Junior are just three of the more popular auto racing individuals who have had their names plastered all over auto racing memorabilia, such as books, t-shirts, pens, autographs, as well as plenty of other smaller items that have their name on them. People all over the world, in fact, get excited that they may be able to get their hands on a piece of Jeff Gordon’s auto racing items.

How Auto Racing Got Started

You may just be wondering how all the events of auto racing got started. Even though there is no exact date when auto racing began, though, the events of NASCAR started to take an upswing during the 1970s decade in the United States. Ever since the first NASCAR event was televised, there have been numerous occasions where other auto racing events have also been televised. Nevertheless, though, the NASCAR events are the ones to gather the most attention from the media. There is almost always dozens, if not hundreds, of camera crew at many of the four major restrictor NASCAR events, such as at the Daytona 500.

If you ever want get started with auto racing then you must take part in one of the largest events of the United States that take place each and every year. Furthermore, attending an auto racing event has become more like a rite of passage than anything else with fathers taking their sons to NASCAR events throughout the year and families camping out to watch auto racing events! All in all, auto racing is popular and will continue to grow in popularity as auto racing continues to live on!

Filed Under: Nascar Talent

The Best Playstation 2 Auto Racing Game

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

Sony’s Playstation 2 definitely has garnered a lot of attention throughout the media, but they have also done a great job with those who love to play video games. Whether you are interested in the sport of auto racing or not, the fact remains that there is plenty of auto racing game for the Playstation and Playstation 2 that are awesome games just waiting for enthusiastic video-gamers to play them. The most popular video game for the Playstation 2, though, which is also an auto racing game, is called Gran Turismo 4. Gran Turismo 4 literally brings the whole auto racing sport to you and it allows you to do so much that many people have decided that this should be the number one game on top of Playstation Two’s list. Here are some features of the auto racing Gran Turismo 4 that you should look out for if you have yet to play the game:

Photo Mode

One of the best things that many people love about this auto racing game is the fact that you are allowed to take virtual snapshots of your automobile on the racetrack throughout the game. Whether you have crashed your car or you are just about to cross the finish line, there are all sorts of possible screenshots that you can take a virtual picture of. Because of this feature in this auto racing video game, racers are also able to make a slideshow of the pictures that they took as well. This cool feature will allow you to “remember” the experience as long as you have the game in your possession, but it also allows other auto racing video gamers to try to beat out the competition’s slideshow with even better photographs.

Cars, Unlimited

Even though there is a limit to the many cars that can be used throughout the auto racing Gran Turismo 4, there are literally hundreds of automobiles that can be chosen once they’re unlocked. In fact, there are over 700 cars that one is able to choose for him or herself when playing the game. All of these cars contribute to the auto racing adrenaline that many people feel when they’ve eluded a policeman or have just been beaten by their opponent. In addition to the hundreds of cars that are available throughout this popular auto racing game, the video game itself also keeps track of your progress. For example, there are dozens of racing tracks that can be played; with the combination of the track and the cars that are able to be unlocked there is always a percentage in your corner that tells you just how much of the game that you’ve won and accomplished!

Graphics

As with virtually all the rest of the games that can be played on Playstation 2, the graphics within this auto racing video game are literally phenomenal. For starters, in the last lap of most of the auto races you are not able to “recover” your car if you somehow crash into the wall. Even though this seems like it would be a good feeling for most auto racing enthusiasts, the game and creators of Gran Turismo knew better!

All things considered, Gran Turismo 4 definitely is the best auto racing video game to be put on the Playstation 2 market. With the graphics, automobiles, and photo mode, just to name a few of the exciting features, Gran Turismo 4 rocks the whole video game world!

Filed Under: Featured Nascar Content

Street Racing: Why This Type of Auto Racing is the Best

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

There are many forms of auto racing: professional auto races, like NASCAR, the Daytona 500, Indy 500, as well as others like Formula One, as well as plenty of other auto races that haven’t been named. Street racing is also a form of auto racing and there are actually many reasons why street racing is better than any of the other auto racing sports that have been listed. Consider the fact that many people die from professional auto racing, as well as street racing each year. Also consider the fact that many young adults who have just entered junior high and high school are simply overtaken with the fact that they dream about doing well in auto racing events for the rest of their life. Street racing, although not always done purely on the street, has become more popular in recent years with high school teenagers because of the many things that go along with it. There are several reasons, though, that parents should be more excited to have their kids fill up their time with street racing than any other type of auto racing out there.

Dangerous, but Fun

One reason that street racing is performed by many teenagers all across the country is because they love the sport of it. It definitely is a form of auto racing, but there is a thrill that goes along with street racing that they can’t feel in any other way. This type of auto racing truly makes one feel proud of their accomplishments in no other way.

It Can Be Safe

In recent years many changes have come to the auto racing playing field. One significant change over the years that has been seen is that street racing has been safer than before. There are many independent groups all across the country that engage in the street type of auto racing, however, there are usually rules set forth by the groups as to where the races take place, how many people can enter, along with what types of cars are used in the street races. Sometimes these groups are even endorsed by professional organizations that sponsor the drivers of the auto racing cars. Street racing doesn’t have to be made out to be as dangerous as having a real automobile race on a real road; changes have been made across the country which has changed that phenomenon!

Better than Other Activities

Street racing is also very time-consuming for the high school teenagers that choose to engage in it. For starters, the street-type of auto racing events usually require that changes and modifications be made to their vehicle. However, these modifications and changes are not all that significant, which is why many young adults choose to do the work themselves. Instead of partying late nights and doing illegal drugs, though, some teenagers are choosing to work on their cars in order to perform well at the auto racing events they take place in. For these teenagers everything that they fill up their time with is usually something to do with street racing events.

All in all, street racing is definitely not as dangerous as many people make it out to be. Even though this form of auto racing can be dangerous if done purely on the streets and done by irresponsible teenagers, there are many groups that advocate against this! Street and auto racing definitely has become more popular in recent years, though, with a whole lot more young adults.

Filed Under: Featured Nascar Content

The Best Racing Weekend

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

Whether you love auto racing or you hate the sport, there is no doubt in the mind of millions of people that NASCAR definitely is one of the most popular organizations and auto races of all time. In fact, many people make a weekend out of NASCAR races every year when the auto racing season comes upon us. There definitely have been some exciting times in the NASCAR auto racing industry and there are just too many incidents to name here. However, there have been very important people in the life of NASCAR and if you are worth your salt then you probably already know many of the names that are about to be listed. Here is that list of people, though, that brought NASCAR to the forefront of every person in the United States who was excited about auto racing.

Dale Earnhardt

Dale was nicknamed “The Intimidator” by all the rest of the auto racing drivers on the track, and he definitely lived up to his name. Dale Earnhardt was perfect for auto racing, but unfortunately his career had to come to a screeching halt when his life ended just a few years ago. Many people remember the seven great championships that he won in the auto racing industry and many of his accomplishments and records remain to this day. But now his son, Dale Earnhardt Junior, has taken over the playing field. Even though his son cannot take the place, by any means, of the original Dale Earnhardt, he still is doing a great job in the auto racing industry!

Jeff Gordon

He is the NASCAR famous individual who has appeared on plenty of cereal boxes, commercials, books that have been published, documentaries, as well as plenty of other Jeff Gordon auto racing memorabilia. There are all sorts of things to love about this auto racing champ, though. He has actually won over eighty auto races during his career and his accomplishments continue to grow each day that he’s alive!

Richard Petty

Even though this auto racing champ has won over 200 races in his lifetime, he cannot be compared to the first two NASCAR champions simply because he raced in a different time than Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt. Nevertheless, Richard Petty has still been very popular among auto racing fans and many fans continue to look up to Richard Petty for the goals that he accomplished!

These are only some of the famous individuals in the auto racing industry, however. For example, besides these three famous NASCAR championships, there has also been David Pearson and Darrell Waltrip, just to name a couple of the more famous people in auto racing. Furthermore, all of the excitement with all of these men indicates that NASCAR definitely has an influence over those excited about auto racing. Indeed, NASCAR has long been an auto racing tradition and there are many ways to commemorate those who not only have won and lost their lives, but those who continue to race today!

Filed Under: Nascar Talent

Professional Auto Racing Safety

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

If you have ever wanted to know how the auto racing professionals are able to withstand such high speeds in their vehicles then there is plenty of information that will tell you how the seat belts and restraint systems are set up. On the other hand, if you have never even thought about how auto racing individuals are able to sustain speeds of well over 200 miles per hour then the best thing to do would be to attend one of the national auto racing events just to see how they take place! In the end, though, professional auto racers are partly responsible for their own safety in the way that they handle the cars that they’re driving. On the flip side, though, there must be some great restraint system in the car with them. Here is how part of the system works to keep the driver safe during an auto racing event:

Seat Belts

The first thing that one should realize about the safety belts that are used during an auto racing event is that they are extremely safe to deal with and there is nothing else like them! The main point of the safety belt during an auto racing event is the protect the driver, as is obvious, but the safety belt is a little different than any other normal passenger car on the market. For example, in a normal passenger car the seat belt is designed to have little impact on the driver during a crash, but instead restrain the driver so that he or she will not be injured. On the flip side, auto racing seat belts are the exact opposite. In conjunction with the automobile’s seat, the seat belt of an auto racing car is designed to actually hold the driver down in the event of the crash and slow the driver down as well. This is most beneficial for an automobile designed for the auto racing industry considering the fact that there are many crashes that take place throughout the year.

The Five-Point Harness

Another part of the restraint system lies in the successful use of the five-point restraint harness. This is also perhaps the most important feature that has to be including with auto racing cars. In previous years, three-point harnesses were used in a lot of common restraint systems, but the NASCAR events that take place typically have the five-point harness so that the drive is secure, snug, and has no chance of flying through the windshield in the case of an auto racing accident.

Window Nets and Roof Nets

The window nets that are used in auto racing automobiles are designed to control the driver of the car during a crash. The window nets are just like they sound because they are made from nylon and they are designed literally to be like webs and nets that go over the windows. In the event of an auto racing crash there is little control by the driver, which is the main reason for this type of safety measure.

All of these things are designed to help the drivers of auto racing events protect themselves during a crash. As we all know, crashes during an auto racing event are all too common, especially at the high speeds that the drivers are allowed to go. But to say that the safety measures are ineffective is just plain wrong because they do end up saving many lives in the end!

Filed Under: Featured Nascar Content

The Types of Auto Racing

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

Auto racing is very popular with millions of people all over the world. Some people use it as their favorite pastimes, while other people use it as an excuse to get in their favorite cars and speed. Whatever the case, though, there’s no doubt that auto racing has attracted some of the most popular people within the industry. As racing speeds and times are set new each and every day, there is always room for improvement within the whole auto racing industry. Nevertheless, though, there are several types of automobile racing within the industry, and this article will outline and detail several of the major ones for you.

Drag Racing

If you have never heard of drag auto racing then you are in for a big surprise. There are many people who take place in drag racing throughout the world, and many people consider this auto racing to be one of the shortest in the industry. So what’s the whole point of drag racing? The main point of this type of race is to see which automobile can go the fastest at a set distance. For example, the set distance is usually a quarter-of-a-mile, but also is sometimes an eighth-of-a-mile. One of the major characteristics of this type of auto racing is that there is usually more than one type of class of cars that’s involved. Depending on the class that’s involved the auto racing may involve the two vehicles starting at two different times. This form of auto racing is actually practices all over the world, and not just in the United States is it popular.

Sports Car Racing

This is also a very different type of auto racing, and this form of automobile racing is also very popular all over the world. The basic module of the sports car races involves production-type models and prototypes of sports cars that are made strictly for auto racing. Many people also loves the sports car racing activity because it involves usually two or three people to a car team during the race so that they can switch off during the race.

Off-Road Racing

An auto racing activity that looks as dangerous as it can be, off-road racing involves off-road scenarios and situations that are competed by automobiles that are made strictly for the off-road auto racing industry. One great example of a famous off-road race that took place in North America was the Baja 1000. One other popular name that is traditionally given to this type of auto racing is also rallying, as well as a rallycross. Nevertheless, this type of auto racing has long been popular with the hundreds of thousands of people that take part every year.

No matter what kind of auto racing that you like, there is always the chance that the auto racing activity will please everyone who watches or participates in it. Even though there is a lot to learn in the auto racing industry, such as the jargon and rules of the road, auto racing has always been and always will be very popular!

Filed Under: Nascar 101

Understanding The Rush

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

There are literally millions of auto racing fans all across the United States; many of these people only like a certain kind of auto racing, however, a good proportion of these individuals love NASCAR to the bottom of their heart. For many people, NASCAR truly has been the auto racing events of a lifetime. Many of these people could remember how the races got their start and how so many people chose to commercialize the event. Nevertheless, though, NASCAR has withstood the test of time. Ever since the races have been televised, which began in the early 1970s, NASCAR events have always been very popular with many people watching!

What Goes On

For many people, the NASCAR auto racing events symbolize an early era when the Winston Cup series came alive. There were several drivers during those competitions, but over the years the events have taken on a life of their own. During the NASCAR auto racing events, there are four major events, six smaller ones, along with other mini-events scattered about the weekend. The four major events are restrictor-plate events that are obviously only open to the competitors within the NASCAR competition. On the other hand, there are also six short-track events, which also garner a lot of attention. As mentioned, in between all of these auto racing events there are plenty of other activities that go on. Many amateurs and intermediate levels of auto racers take on each other while the rest of the crowd watches.

Even though NASCAR certainly is not as popular as other professional sports events like the NFL, there are certainly individuals within the industry who are trying to make it so. Auto racing has long been a popular sport with everyone who enjoys the thrill of racing their cars in a special attempt to beat out the other competitors. For the watchers, though, the NASCAR events is more like the NFL Super Bowl, except for the fact that it takes place in cars on racetracks instead of in a football field. It certainly is true, though, that the NASCAR auto racing events attract millions of viewers from around the United States and the world, and those that are watching at home usually wish they could be at the actual events!

History of NASCAR

If you have ever thought to yourself that the auto racing NASCAR events are truly something that “hicks” enjoy, you may just be right. Even though the current era of auto racing and NASCAR events attract a whole different genre and group of people, such as business men who love the event, when it started the auto racing events were nothing like they were today. In fact, NASCAR events were inspired during the 1930s and earlier in the United States during the Prohibition period. Those who were delivering alcohol illegally across the country would literally race each other to see who was able to get to their destination the fastest. Needless to say, auto racing and NASCAR events literally took form by leagues of auto racing events throughout the country.

All in all, though, if you are one of those people who simply can’t understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to NASCAR, you are not alone. However, plenty of other people take pride and joy in the fact that they are able to watch NASCAR and the other auto racing events right from the comfort of their own home!

Filed Under: Nascar Talent

Importance of Soft Walls During Auto Racing

April 13, 2009 By The Cowboy Leave a Comment

When it comes to auto racing events, there are plenty of activities that go on throughout the major NASCAR and professional auto racing events that many people lose sight of. One such activity is the safety issue involved with auto racing. Even though there are five point harnesses included with the cars and even though there are heavy-duty safety belts included with the cars that automobile drivers are strapped in, it seems as though there still needs to be an important safety measure that has to be added. Because auto racers are able to speed well over 200 miles per hour should shed light on the fact that the current measures of auto racing safety are just not cutting it. For starters, what happens when a driver crashes into the wall of a NASCAR track? The driver has no choice but to smack into the wall of the auto racing track, which is the reason that more widespread use of Soft Walls needs to be implemented at race tracks all around the country.

What are Soft Walls?

In order to decide whether or not you agree with the fact that soft walls need to be implemented at all the auto racing events of the major season, it’s first important to know what these contraptions exactly are. As the name states, Soft Walls are designed to be literally a soft wall for the driver of the auto racing car to crash right into. Let’s face it: auto racing crashes and accidents are all too common anymore, and there needs to be something done about it in order to save more lives of the drivers at auto racing events.

What are Soft Walls Composed Of?

The design of the Soft Wall material is quite simple: it is made to be easily crumbled so that the drivers of the auto racing vehicle will be able to collapse the wall by him or herself when the vehicle smashes into the side of the wall. For this reason, some collapsible material is placed within the Soft Wall. For example, Cellofoam is one type of the Soft Wall that can be implemented easily on a race track. In fact, one of NASCAR’s own race tracks currently has part of the Soft Wall implemented. This is mainly because the NASCAR organization has realized that more intense safety precautions need to be taken, but the whole of the NASCAR tracks need to be accounted for as well!

There are also several other materials that can be used for Soft Walls at auto racing tracks across the country besides Cellofoam. Polyethylene Energy Dissipation System, or simply PEDS, is a system that is designed to increase the withstanding pressure of the current walls around auto racing racetracks. In Europe there is an Impact Protection System that is in place on most auto racing walls. This system involves layered PVC materials so that the structure of the wall is enhanced greatly. Finally, compression barriers are another option for materials of Soft Walls.

Altogether, though, Soft Walls are probably the best possible safety measure that could be taken in order to increase the lives of many auto racing drivers throughout the world. Even though some measures have just begun to be implemented in the United States, there definitely has to be more Soft Walls involved!

Filed Under: Featured Nascar Content
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