How will NASCAR look in the far-off year of...

by Vincent Giacalone Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:24 pm

2011????

Found this article by being myself and browsing archives of NASCAR ten or so years ago (May 31, 2001, to be exact). It's a pretty interesting read when you consider what it correctly predicted and what it didn't.

Doug Belliveau wrote:It was a beautiful day in New Orleans for the Ebay 500 with sunny skies, unusually low humidity and a comfortable temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. The new pentagon-shaped super speedway was just completed last year and is now the largest in the country at three miles in length. The pre-race festivities begin as Bill Clinton, Director of WB Entertainment, is paraded around the track as the grand marshal in a new convertible Ford Thunderbird. As race time approached, U.S. President Alan Greenspan is projected on the holographic Jumbotron screen suspended from the Bridgestone blimp. His command "Gentlepersons, start your engines" booms over the 200,000 seats within Earnhardt Memorial Speedway, and the cars are soon on the track warming up their tires.

Up until the last minute, drivers and crews were scurrying to make adjustments to their car setups. No one is really sure how this race will pan out, given the recent required changes to the cars. NASCAR President Ray Evernham was instrumental in mandating new changes to the engine and aerodynamic configurations for the super speedway tracks. Gone this year are the restrictor plates from the intake manifolds. The car bodies have been modified to include higher front-end skirts and steeper-angled rear spoilers. These changes, combined with the new rev limiters, seemed to function well last year when they were experimented with at Daytona. The Daytona race produced the results that drivers and fans were looking for: better throttle response with the new fuel injectors; lower top-end speeds and reduced bunching of cars. Depending on the results of the New Orleans race, NASCAR may implement these modifications on other tracks such as Atlanta and Texas later this year.

A look at the entry list for this year's Ebay 500 reveals that most drivers are under the age of 35. Long gone are the likes of Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd, all winning championships while in their 50's prior to retirement. NASCAR's most competitive division became a young person's sport when they increased the season to 42 races. Despite the protests of many veteran drivers, NASCAR added six new Wednesday night feature races, all to be exclusively broadcast on The NASCAR Channel. Ironically, this was the brainchild of NASCAR Channel's CEO Darrell Waltrip, who raced into his 50's before becoming a broadcaster on what was once known as FOX television. This in turn reduced the number of sponsors willing to provide financial investment for such a long racing season. In response to the lack of sponsorship, NASCAR reduced the field for each race to 40 cars. As a compromise to the veterans, NASCAR created the Senior Circuit for drivers over the age of 45. Modeled after the PGA Senior Tour, this racing series includes 22 races, consisting mostly of short tracks and road courses. Dale Jarrett, Mike Skinner and Ken Schrader are currently the headliners in that division.

As he sits on the pole behind the Chevrolet Avalanche pace truck, veteran seven-time champion driver/owner Jeff Gordon wonders if this race will make or break his final season. Jeff had decided that this year would be his last after his horrific crash at Talladega last year. He is convinced that he is still around to race because he was wearing the HANS 2 device, finally mandated by NASCAR three years ago. At the same time, "black boxes" were also installed in all racecars. The black boxes were a result of a class action lawsuit filed by the fans of the NASCAR drivers killed in 2000 and 2001. That, in combination with the new deformable composite front end, saved Gordon from disaster when he crashed nearly head-on into the wall at 149.47 mph. Next to Jeff on the outside pole is last year's champion Bobby Hamilton Jr. in his Mercury Sable, looking for his second consecutive win.

During the final pace lap, the 2003 Indy 500 champion Tony Stewart is contemplating what it would take to earn his 50th career UPS Cup win. Driving his Chip Ganassi Toyota Camry Solara, Tony revs his Tundra engine in anticipation of the green flag. In addition to Toyota, Honda had also attempted to enter NASCAR last year, but ended up scrapping its program. Instead, it will concentrate on supplying engines to the IRL, which has been a successful program for Honda since the demise of Oldsmobile.

Not to be overlooked, Shawna Robinson will begin the race in the sixth spot. After a rocky start in UPS Cup competition, the crafty veteran has amassed nine career victories for Mark Martin Racing and spawned a huge interest in woman's racing. Today's qualifiers include five women, the most ever in NASCAR history.

Directly behind Shawna in the starting grid are the Earnhardt brothers, Dale Jr. and Kerry. Since the retirement of Terry Labonte, Ward Burton and Rusty Wallace, the Earnhardts are the only pair of brothers currently competing on the circuit. The brothers now own Earnhardt Racing and are teammates with 2001 Busch champion and 2004 UPS Cup champion Kevin Harvick.

As the cars slowly came around the last curve awaiting the dropping of the green flag, the fans stood in unison and screamed their lungs out as the rumbling stock cars suddenly came to life. They roared past the start/finish line, leaving behind a cloud of blue smoke, 800 horsepower of eardrum-rattling noise, and the pungent smell of expended high-octane fuel. These are the things I hope never change in the future of NASCAR racing.

Could some of these changes occur in NASCAR over the next 10 years? What's your vision of NASCAR's near future?

by pennst24 Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:38 pm

>Shawna Robinson
>Winning Cup races
>LOL

Everything else seems believable.

by **Cynon** Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:44 pm

I was most amused by "2003 Indy 500 Winner Tony Stewart". Laughing

In his dreams!

by day500champ1 Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:45 pm

I like these things. Whether they are about NASCAR or not, it's interesting to see how someone thought the sport would look now.

by RealRacer4 Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:46 pm

Well, the writer of this article has the prediction on fuel injectors and the Toyota Camrys being used in NASCAR right. Wow. Reading this article honestly made me feel like I was on acid. Laughing

by conrail1990 Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:02 pm

Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022. How will NASCAR look in the far-off year of... 277638789

by pepsibottle1 Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:11 pm

lmfao!!!!!!

by navycook75 Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:12 pm

OH MY GOD

That article.....

also, NASCAR President Ray Evernham? LAWL

by **crl** Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:21 pm

Bobby Hamilton, Jr., 2010 NASCAR Cup Series champion? Yeah, he missed the mark on that one...

by Dan Mackay Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:10 pm

my brain hurts

by Racerfan275 Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:30 pm

Now i actually wanna see this happen. Sounds kind of interesting with a few exceptions

by Alta Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:46 pm

conrail1990 wrote:Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022.

I agree with this sentiment. LETS DO THIS!

by navycook75 Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:49 pm

Alta wrote:
conrail1990 wrote:Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022.
I agree with this sentiment. LETS DO THIS!

I'm all for it

by **crl** Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:12 pm

navycook75 wrote:
Alta wrote:
conrail1990 wrote:Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022.
I agree with this sentiment. LETS DO THIS!
I'm all for it

And let's just make it as full of BS as possible.

"After claiming his second straight Trojan Condoms Cup Series title, David Ragan called it a career..."

by JMac525 Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:28 pm

Very interesting article, and very interesting idea for the board. Smile

by BBoy Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:34 pm

crl wrote:
navycook75 wrote:
Alta wrote:
conrail1990 wrote:Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022.
I agree with this sentiment. LETS DO THIS!
I'm all for it

And let's just make it as full of BS as possible.

"After claiming his second straight Trojan Condoms Cup Series title, David Ragan called it a career..."

"Jeff Gordon retired in 2015, adding 4 more wins to his storied career, Jimmie Johnson took the torch of Hendrick Stewart-Haas RCR Motorsports. With 126 wins and 10 Cup Series titles, Jimmie Johnson retired in the year 2021, cementing himself as the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time."

by Alta Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:38 pm

"Matt Crafton wins his 9th cup championship haven't not scored a win in his entire cup career and his entire career be comprised of 2nd place finishes."

by **crl** Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:40 pm

BBoy wrote:
crl wrote:
navycook75 wrote:
Alta wrote:
conrail1990 wrote:Why do I sense a forum project. Nascar in 2022.
I agree with this sentiment. LETS DO THIS!
I'm all for it

And let's just make it as full of BS as possible.

"After claiming his second straight Trojan Condoms Cup Series title, David Ragan called it a career..."

"Jeff Gordon retired in 2015, adding 4 more wins to his storied career, Jimmie Johnson took the torch of Hendrick Stewart-Haas RCR Motorsports. With 126 wins and 10 Cup Series titles, Jimmie Johnson retired in the year 2021, cementing himself as the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time."

"In one of the greatest comeback stories in sports history, Joe Nemechek hit a $600 million Powerball jackpot in 2014, and put most of the money into his team. With much better equipment, Nemechek would claim the 2018 Cup Series title in an enormous upset over Jimmie Johnson."

by RealRacer4 Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:56 pm

"In recent years with NASCAR going green, they felt it was best to start using electric motors starting in the 2019 season. They are looking to use wind or solar energy as a source to power those electrical motors in the future. Handling the massive torque that electrical motors have and making Goodyear and Firestone tires grippier to accomodate for the torque will be a challenge for the tire manufacturers. NASCAR teams have been using fuel injectors, ethanol, and have went from the V8s to the V6 turbocharged motors in recent years. NASCAR felt making this move was the right thing to do. NASCAR has also started using chrome muffler bearings to their mufflers they added in 2016 reduce noise pollution and has turned out to be a huge success. With the 120% drop in TV Ratings in the past 10 years, NASCAR hopes a lot of race fans will find this idea to be amazing."

by Spannerhead29 (Nelson) Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:03 am

It's funny how back in 2001 Jeff Gordon being a 7-time champion sounded pretty realistic.

And lol Ebay 500

by **crl** Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:17 am

"In 2020, in order to try and compete with the NFL in the Fall, NASCAR began requiring a driver to catch a pass from his crew chief during a pit stop. Dropping this pass would result in a one-lap penalty. In the first race in which this requirement was introduced, at Chicagoland, Casey Mears ended up winning by three laps, as all the other drivers kept dropping their passes."

by Alta Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:30 am

"Police are still searching for Ron Hornaday who was last seen at the 2012 Truck spring Martinsville race."

by Cardinals5 Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:44 am

"Joey Logano, NASCAR's bad boy, responded to a question by describing in graphic detail what he would do to the reporter's mother. This of course after Logano finished second in the Daytona 500 to Danica Patrick, who won her 77th career race, moving her past Dale Earnhardt Sr on the all-time win list.

Kurt Busch, the newly-appointed Ambassador for Sportsmanship, issued a severe reprimand to Logano, saying 'We tolerated him biting Jeff Hammond because frankly Jeff looks like a well-done turkey anyway, but the remarks he made today were over the line.'

Despite his several outbursts this season, Logano is still the favorite to repeat as Sprint Cup Champion. He and his teammate at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Dario Franchitti have been very strong all year and may make it another EGR 1-2 finish in the points."

by Magus978 Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:47 am

5-time defending Daytona 500 champion Dave Blaney has announced a shocking switch to Formula One! Despite his 5 Daytona 500 wins being the only wins of his career, Blaney insisted that this wasn't a joke.

"Well, Golden Corral will be coming with me, so if I finish in the points, kids get to eat free!" Blaney said after making his announcement.

Golden Corral immediately went out of business after the announcement.

by Tanrar Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:49 am

"Timmy Hill has become one of the hottest drivers in NASCAR, winning 15 races in the 2016 Cup campaign, And winning the championship by 65 points over 10-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson."

"Blake Koch scored his best finish of 39th for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in the #42 Huggies Chevy in the 2015 Kansas 601 after Juan Pablo Montoya was killed in a tragic hit-and-run involving a street sweeper."

by Dan Mackay Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:49 am

2033, Jeff Green wins his 10th straight championship driving for humphrey-smith-front row-mclaren mercedes-RCR Hendrick presented by roush, and dies in the 2044 daytona 500 in a wall on hit in turn 4.

by navycook75 Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:51 am

Johanna Long wins 2014 Cup title, Nationwide riot ensues after Long dumped Danica for the lead on the final lap of the Ford 400, costing Danica the points lead.

by **Ceej** Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:52 am

Pastor Maldonado realizes that NASCAR vehicles are much more suitable for hitting people with, and wins 3 Sprint Cup titles.

by **Syzygy** Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:53 am

"One of the newest teams on the grid is Thunder Motorsports. After winning the largest lottery in history, Michael Rutana bought out the remnants of Furniture Row Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Inception Motorsports. The team fields five cars, with multi-time winners Stephen Leicht, Cole Whitt, and Jon Wes Townley driving. Running for rookie of the year for Thunder Motorsports this year are Sergei Mokshantsev and Michael Rutana himself, who insists, 'why the hell not?!'"

by 24batista24 Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:55 am

Tora Takagi wins the 2016 NASCAR Nationwide series championship after putting himself on his own throne by wrecking the field and making them do synchronized dancing in the air during the final race of the season, the Oreo Bud AMP Dale Jr FM Zombie Urnhat Ghost 250 at Daytona. The Russian judge only scored the field a 5.5 out of 10.

by navycook75 Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:56 am

In 2017, after 27 years after leaving F1, Life comes back as a NASCAR Nationwide team with Milka Duno at the wheel, they break the record for the slowest lap time possible, by clocking a 2:30:19.265 lap time at Bristol.

by Tanrar Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:59 am

"Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the 2026 NASCAR Cup Championship by 3 points over Kyle Busch, who proceeded to start punching children in rage after losing the championship. Earnhardt Jr's first words to the media after the championship was: "We won the title?.... This fucking car sucks."

by Alta Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:13 am

"At the 2016 Michigan Summer race, Dale Jr wins his 1st race since the same race in 2012.

by AntmanB Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:12 am

Joe Nemecheck retires in 2100 after winning 7 races in 7 attempts, saying that I'm too talented for racing. He said that he would go onto competitive lobster diving.

by **crl** Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:41 am

"Stock car racing becomes an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Dallas, Texas. Controversy reigns on the final lap in the 100-lap race for Gold, when six-time British Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden bumps Austin Dillon out of the lead coming off of Turn 4, giving the Scotsman the Gold Medal, as Team USA lodges a protest against the result, saying that Shedden's bump-and-run is completely against the spirit of the Olympics. The protest is rejected, but Dillon gets his Gold in the 200-lap race one week later, with Shedden forced to settle for a Bronze behind Dillon and 69-year-old Silver Medalist Mark Martin."

by f1fan12 Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:03 am

"In 2026, Nascar decided that it was best for the series to run 30 out of 35 races, on mile and a half tracks."

"16 time Nascar Most popular driver, Kyle Busch, became a superstar in the sport, after he got banned from NASCAR for violating section 12-1 of the NASCAR handbook. "Actions detrimental to Stock Car Racing." For calling Brian France, "Stupid." The fans revolted NASCAR and thus became Kyle Busch's massive fanbase. To the day, Kyle Busch still tries to be hated. But now when he whines and cries about nothing. The fans go nuts for him."

by Alpineopossum Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:59 am

crl wrote:Bobby Hamilton, Jr., 2010 NASCAR Cup Series champion? Yeah, he missed the mark on that one...

he just threatened the author of the article with a gun.

by Electric Wolf Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:31 pm

lol @ CRL's idea

@Alta: No.

@CRL's 2nd idea: Meh, it would be nice to see that.

@Joe C's idea: Best idea so far.

@Alta's 2nd idea: No

@Joe O's idea: OH HELL NAW

@Tom: Eh... no.

@Tanner No.

I couldn't predict anything in the future to save my life aside from Danica going to top-tier equipment she doesn't deserve AKA Hendrick and possibly Joe Nemechek closing his Cup operation and focusing only on Nationwide.

by Tanrar Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:59 pm

Casey Lester wrote:lol @ CRL's idea

@Alta: No.

@CRL's 2nd idea: Meh, it would be nice to see that.

@Joe C's idea: Best idea so far.

@Alta's 2nd idea: No

@Joe O's idea: OH HELL NAW

@Tom: Eh... no.

@Tanner No.

I couldn't predict anything in the future to save my life aside from Danica going to top-tier equipment she doesn't deserve AKA Hendrick and possibly Joe Nemechek closing his Cup operation and focusing only on Nationwide.

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

by Electric Wolf Tue Oct 09, 2012 7:00 pm

RandomClassic wrote:
Casey Lester wrote:lol @ CRL's idea

@Alta: No.

@CRL's 2nd idea: Meh, it would be nice to see that.

@Joe C's idea: Best idea so far.

@Alta's 2nd idea: No

@Joe O's idea: OH HELL NAW

@Tom: Eh... no.

@Tanner No.

I couldn't predict anything in the future to save my life aside from Danica going to top-tier equipment she doesn't deserve AKA Hendrick and possibly Joe Nemechek closing his Cup operation and focusing only on Nationwide.
BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Thx

by Alta Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:09 pm

Casey Lester wrote:lol @ CRL's idea

@Alta: No.

@CRL's 2nd idea: Meh, it would be nice to see that.

@Joe C's idea: Best idea so far.

@Alta's 2nd idea: No

@Joe O's idea: OH HELL NAW

@Tom: Eh... no.

@Tanner No.

I couldn't predict anything in the future to save my life aside from Danica going to top-tier equipment she doesn't deserve AKA Hendrick and possibly Joe Nemechek closing his Cup operation and focusing only on Nationwide.

Your head. --------------------------------------> joke

by day500champ1 Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:32 pm

10 years from now. Most of the members of this forum will have stopped watching NASCAR because they were bored to death or moved to following another sport in depth.

As for the sport itself, Johnson will win at least one more title. Jeff Gordon will have retired from full time driving by 2023 as well as Mark Martin. Dale Jr. will win once in 2016 and 2020 giving him 2 wins in 10 years. Keeping and finding sponsors will be the main story.

Keselowski win have 2 titles to his name; Hamlin will have 1 as well. Austin Dillion replaces Jeff Burton at RCR and returns the #3 to victory lane in cup as well.

by Rykia Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:32 pm

"Morgan Shepherd wins 5 cup and 5 nationwide championships, then retires and becomes a pastor/cop."

by PKligBKFan Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:34 pm

BK Racing and Travis Kvapil win two consecutive AT&T Cup championships.

by **crl** Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:37 pm

Dancing Gangnam Style will replace burnouts as victory celebrations.

by Magus978 Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:47 pm

day500champ1 wrote:10 years from now. Most of the members of this forum will have stopped watching NASCAR because they were bored to death or moved to following another sport in depth.

Sometimes I wonder if you're actively trying to start a flame war with people who don't share your opinions. Maybe it's just me though.

Anyway, ON TOPIC, and srs time for a second Razz

I would LOVE to see a points-paying race overseas. Maybe something along the lines of what used to be the Japanese exhibitions, only this time they mean something.

by Tanrar Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:50 pm

day500champ1 wrote:10 years from now. Most of the members of this forum will have stopped watching NASCAR because they were bored to death or moved to following another sport in depth.

Do you just TRY to start problems because people don't share your opinion?

by **Cynon** Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:03 pm

RandomClassic wrote:
day500champ1 wrote:10 years from now. Most of the members of this forum will have stopped watching NASCAR because they were bored to death or moved to following another sport in depth.

Do you just TRY to start problems because people don't share your opinion?

Don't feed the troll. Especially since he isn't very good at it.

by Alta Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:02 am

"Michael Waltrip will still be running the two superspeedwaty races a year and with America doing well economy-wise from 10 years back, field sizes incrases to....WALTRIP THAT WAS 50 OUT OF THE 65 CARS...WHY DON'T YOU JUST RETIRE ALREADY"

"Danica will eclipse Kyle Busch's record for the best 22nd place finish ever after getting wrecked by a random mid-fielder."

by Spannerhead29 (Nelson) Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:09 am

"Robert Nelson has retired after winning 10 consecutive Sprint Cup Championships, and 360 Sprint Cup races, 360 poles, 9 Daytona Shootouts, 9 Duels, and 10 All-Star Races, from 2013-22.

A man can dream ;_;

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