Sim Racing Design

Cup and Nationwide at California this week.

Here are the entry lists:

Cup: NASCAR.COM
Nationwide: NASCAR.COM

I might go check out the souvenir trailers this weekend since all it'll cost me is a tank of gas. They don't require one red cent, race ticket or not, to park and shop at now-Auto Club Speedway.

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"I think Davey had a way about him that made people feel special when he spoke with them. When he was around them he had just a rare quality that was truly a star quality. I think people were drawn to him because of that. It has really lasted all of these years. He was a great guy." -- Liz Allison

"What kind of man would live in a world where there is no daring? I don't believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all." -- Charles Lindberg

Thats cool that you can do that. I hope for another Kyle vs Carl race, only with Kyle being the victor, and not rubbing it in Carl's nose would be nice. But I think its definitely Carl to beat this weekend, both Nationwide and Cup.

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I'm taking a break for the time being. I won't be posting in the forums that much or painting at all. I'll be back in 09!

I second that. He has shown he is the man at these big, semi-flat tracks.

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The backstretch, what a stupid place to wreck!

What about Jimmie Johnson? I think he's a big contender at the Auto Club. Gordon also had a good run there earlier this year.

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Snake: That guy with the mustache...
Colonel: Ha. You mean the "King of Second Bananas"?
Snake: Hey, that's Luigi! Show him a little respect!
Colonel: Look at that pale skin. He's been living in his brother's shadow for too long...

Actually DaveyFan..you do have to buy a ticket to get into the souvenier area at the track...they screwed that plan up at the Feb race in 2007. That's another thing that Gillian Zucker screwed up when she took over, along with adding an extra seat to each row and putting more emphasis on hispanic people than NASCAR fans....they've got some mariachi band performing before the race on sunday (WTF?!) along with Chris Cornell (whoever that is)...I've got pit passes, so i'll be looking at the cars. I also just got a new camera, so plenty of reference pics will be taken for painters if you want them.

Well, admittedly the last time I was actually there was the truck race that Steve Park won in a #62 Jasper Dodge truck. But even so, I haven't heard anything about that. It would be like they suddenly started charging for parking, or ceased the Metrolink service to the track. It's sorta hard to believe that would have flown completely under my radar, but I don't discount the possibility that it may have.

If that is indeed true, then the Speedway just put another nail in its coffin, especially for the Fri/Sat before the Sunday race. The souvy's weren't really crowded anyway on those days, ticket or not, and the space was mostly filled with sponsors touting their wares in various demonstrations and interactive exhibits like at a convention. If only 30,000 people or so max are admitted into that area now, it's going to be a bloody ghost town. Bad, bad move if this is indeed true.

Not sure if you noticed, but live music has always been present at CA-now-Auto Club Speedway since it opened. I've seen rock bands, country bands, alternative bands, mariachi bands, heck I've seen steel drum bands near the ticket entrances. Never seemed like a favoritive position towards one group of people or another, but just who they managed to agree to the gig. I don't know Zucker's personal taste in music or people, but I would hesitate to slap a label like that without more solid information in that direction.

Southern California has a latino population that is pretty significant. It's a fact of life here. Ergo, there's going to be stuff pointed in their direction going on here. It's inevitable. But like anything else, it has its place and its parameters. There's nothing wrong with having a marachi band, as long as the band's not promoting something detrimental to society, or replacing the National Anthem, or something like that. I don't see anything wrong with any pre-race fesitivities reflecting the area in which the race is taking place at. Just like if Elvis performed before a Memphis race. Wouldn't have a problem with that either...

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"I think Davey had a way about him that made people feel special when he spoke with them. When he was around them he had just a rare quality that was truly a star quality. I think people were drawn to him because of that. It has really lasted all of these years. He was a great guy." -- Liz Allison

"What kind of man would live in a world where there is no daring? I don't believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all." -- Charles Lindberg

I know there's always been music, but not on this scale. It seems to me that they're touting the off track stuff more than the race itself, that kinda makes me want to stay away, but living 10 minutes from the speedway it means I'll just show up an hour before the race and head straight to my seat. Normally it's been one band either saturday night or sunday morning..but now they've got 3 bands saturday and 4 sunday....I've been going to the track since it opened in '97.
I know the hispanic population is huge here, that's a big duh, but the only advertisements I've seen have all been in spanish at the local supermarkets, and they're touting this mariachi band as one of the huge headliners for the race. Do you remember before the fall race in 2006 when Zucker went down to the CA-Mexico border with a CO2 cannon and a ton of tickets to shoot over the border to Mexicans for free? There was a huge uproaring about that. I'll try to find the article online.
I think that Gillian Zucker is the main reason the track is slowly slipping downhill. Ever since she took over in 2004 things have gotten worse.

Sounds like the food is improving at Auto Club Speedway (good thing)...

So while this good-sounding food will likely be sold for something like $10 for a beef kabob & rice, it still sounds like good food. But this track has always been notorious for having races in bazillion-degree heat, and having no qualms about selling bottled water for a price that would make your wallet prefer to commit suicide.

Just about everything at that track is grossly overpriced, except for the parking, so if the crowds aren't coming in droves, that's why. Would YOU want to spend an extra $300/seat on races you didn't want to see & don't want to go to just to be able to sit in the top half of the grandstand for the Cup races? Didn't think so...

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"I think Davey had a way about him that made people feel special when he spoke with them. When he was around them he had just a rare quality that was truly a star quality. I think people were drawn to him because of that. It has really lasted all of these years. He was a great guy." -- Liz Allison

"What kind of man would live in a world where there is no daring? I don't believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all." -- Charles Lindberg