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Well i guess it still takes a lot of balls to do which the average Joe public wouldn't have, but perhaps just a day at the office for a prefessional racing driver

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

just like every other day for them then regardless of the track,still an impressive job.

Although it may be a matter of planting your foot to the floor and keep it off the wall for qualifying (even if it isn't really) the race is a whole other story. Now try to imagine 40+ cars all trying to the same with very little space between them, drafting off another car to save fuel but then having to get into clean air so you don't overheat. From what I understand it's a new car this year so the bumpers don't line up for bump drafting so that should be out of the equation, but are a lot of things that go into driving these cars on the types of tracks they race on.

I haven't been a fan of NASCAR since the late '70s, but that doesn't mean that I can't or don't recognize the skill it takes to do what they do, and so far this weekend Danica is doing it the best. Will it hold up? Who knows, but things often don't go well for pole sitters at Daytona or Talledega, so I will hope for a solid top ten for her.

True but thats due in part to 400M running being a somewhat low profile event

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

Well i was referring to the qualifying part of it and not the race itself which i have little knowledge of

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

Yup, still in Pomona. I'm not sure if Force is the only woman to ever win there or the only woman to win there in Funny Car, but here's another crazy stat: She's only the 4th #1 qualifier to win the event in the last 25 years! Impressive. If she can become as ultra-consistent as her father was in his prime, she's gonna win tons and tons before she's done.

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Yes. IIRC they can go flat out even without a restrictor plate, and they'd be averaging over 221 mph! I remember when Rusty Wallace did a test at one of the restrictor-plate tracks without the plate, and he was hitting over 228 mph on the straights, and he said it was possible to go as fast as 235 mph if they put a good setup on it. This was 9 years ago so I'm sure the cars are much faster now.

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Ok i thought that was the case, so qualifying would be down to the car as much as anything and Danica herself was honest enough to acknowledge the advantage of weighing so little

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

Current Standing: 16th

I'm not sure qualifying on an oval is a LOT easier than a twisty track. Somewhat different skills.

I don't watch Nascar anymore, but I hope she does well on Sunday

Yes, it's pedal to the metal at all times and you only need to watch your "perfect" in/out line, the rest is all car.

Exact gear shifting and finding exact braking points are a bit more difficult.

Yup, it is easy.... everyone can do it.

West, you like some others, have no idea what is involved...

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Forza Ferrari
WCCs = 16
WDCs = 15

Blake I'm afraid when it comes to Daytona qualifying West is spot on. Dover, Bristol, Michigan... Totally different proposition!

Well, I've been watching oval racing for about 40 years, so please tell me what makes a good lap, other than finding the perfect line around the track at full throttle?

west, you make it sound as though there is nothing to it.... but that is not the case. There are variations in the surface, wind factors, the perfect line in the turns, and just where to run on the track to maximize the run. I recall even one of the other drivers commented on Patrick saving the car and the lap when hit with a gust of win that moved the car sideways.

If it were so damn simple, everyone could do it. After all, 200mph in a 3400 lb sled with nearby walls is no big deal.... hell everyone can do it!

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Forza Ferrari
WCCs = 16
WDCs = 15