Quote from Mr. Kninja :

As far as limiting RPMs, I agree with what a lot of people were saying about 2013. They were going way too fast, NASCAR has never been known to do speeds in excess of 200 on a regular basis. Slowing the cars down will let them have more control of the car, and be able to maneuver a lot more. Hopefully resulting in more side-by-side racing and passing.

Pre-1988 you mean. Before that it was a case of how fast will they go. Remeber Dega 87 and that 212mph quali lap?

However my point is that for many, MANY years open wheelers have lived at or above 220mph+ (CART/Indycar at Michigan) and those guys are exponentially more dangerous than a stock car with closed wheels....so if the open wheel guys figured it out.

The #3? Well, Ricky Rudd was the first driver to win in the #3 for RCR. Not Dale. The #3 was in use in 1949. Guess who drove it? Not an Earnhardt. In fact Dale started his career in the #2 and drove the #15, so why isn't Earnhardt Nation screaming for the Captain to give up the #2? Or the #15 for that matter? It works both ways. Yeah Dale was one of the best. Not disputing that but why should he get special treatment? If Richard Petty had died driving the #43 would his fans want that number retired? I don't hear anyone bitching about Aric Amirola driving it this year.

Dale's father drove the #8 by the way. Pop quiz, what number did Jr drive at DEI? Yep, #8

My point is that.

A) It's a number

B) Nobody (save for very exceptional circumstances) deserves a number retired. See MLB and #42. Or NHL and #99 (though I disagree with that move)

Sure in the NBA (for instance) a team can retire a number but is it retired league wide? Last I checked theres guys on other teams wearing #23, just not the Bulls, or #00 but not the Celtics.

IF Nascar is gonna retire numbers they'd eventually have to go to 3 or 4 digit numbers or do what the Modifed guys do and add a letter. It'd get ugly, you'd have Brad in the 2, Joey in the 20N Austin in the 3A etc

I'm waiting for a NASCAR team to pick 27 and a Canadian to go lulz Gilles tribute (which actually didn't Jacques do that in NWS the ast few races, the n number I mean)

Well, if Petty died in the 43 people would want it retired for sure.

^ Which I don't agree with at all.

Why should a number be retired just because a driver died in it? NASCAR didn't retire it in 63 when Joe Wetherly died or Fireball Roberts. It goes back to special treatment. What makes one driver more special than another?

_No_one_is_disagreeing_with_you_m8

Quote from Bmxtwins :

_No_one_is_disagreeing_with_you_m8

Quote from DieKolkrabe :

^ Which I don't agree with at all.

Why should a number be retired just because a driver died in it? NASCAR didn't retire it in 63 when Joe Wetherly died or Fireball Roberts. It goes back to special treatment. What makes one driver more special than another?

Going by how its been since the start, success is what makes a drivers life seem more worthy, an unsuccessful driver isn't news worthy so the coverage is minimal.

Quote from Mustafur :

Going by how its been since the start, success is what makes a drivers life seem more worthy, an unsuccessful driver isn't news worthy so the coverage is minimal.

Missed the point.

Back iin the 60s Joe Wetherly and Fireball Roberts were the biggest stars of the day however, they were the Earnhardt and Petty of the era. When they got killed their numbers weren't retired at all.

But success is a huge barometer, that again is why I feel bad for the Dillons as well as (to a point) Jr, if Jr wasn't Dale Jr people would be pleased with his consistency if he'd made it to the cup series right?

Well remember that NASCAR really started to hit mainstream television markets nationwide with Dale's era.

Quote from Bmxtwins :

Well remember that NASCAR really started to hit mainstream television markets nationwide with Dale's era.

You done it now...Wall of text warning:

No, it hit the mainstream in 1979 with the Daytona 500, aided by a storm that paralysed much of the East Coast so people had no choice but to watch TV and CBS had the broadcast (in its entirety no less) with the (legendary and WHY THE **** ISN'T HE IN THE HALL OF FAME?) Ken Squier, David Hobbs and (again get him in the HoF) the late Chris Economacki.

That, and the sport caught on because people figured hey, that was a cool race now what will the next race bring (answer: More racing)? To quote Dr Dick Berggren:

Quote :

It was the first water cooler race where people stood around and talked aout it on Mondays. It took years to realize how important that race was.

It made the front page of the NY Times sports section. Did any race in Dale's era do that? Did any race before 1979 do that? Did any F1 or Indycar or dirt race or Baja race do that? What about the then-still new NFL merger? NBA? NHL?

Best bit? It wasn't even the opening race of the year. It was the second race after Riverside. Best bit #2: The whole race. Oh sure people talk about the finish and the fight but go and watch the whole race, it wasn't just one moment, it was the whole package. Imagine that today, the season starting in Phoenix or Fontana before going to Daytona.

Fun fact. The first ever NASCAR race televized was....a short track race in SC. The practice for that was, as with the Indy 500, show it on tape delay and only show the last half or quarter of the race. The 79 500 was when it truly took off. Petty, if anything, helped spur the sport far, FAR more than Dale because here's this Southern guy who can wheel a racecar and is a 5-6 time champion setting a record each time he wins. Dale never had a shot at 200 wins. Sure if he'd have won 201 that'd be record breaking front page news but by then the sport had evolved to where 200 was (and is) a mark that's impossible to reach and no I don't count Kyle dominating the lower series. Richard Petty took 200 Grand National Series (which was Cup before Winston Cup) and Winston Cup wins.

That's not a knock on Dale but Petty was by far a bigger household name during the 70s and 80s and even up until his retirement in 92. Then Dale/Jeff took over after that.

NASCAR isn't all about Dale and the 90s. Sit down and watch some of the greatest races and read up on the history of the sport. If anything the sport peaked during the 70s and 80s and has been on a slow downhill slide ever since. Not even Winston returning would take it back to what it once was in the 70s, 80s and early/mid 90s. Why? Too much money and the sport's ruining itself with 1.5 milers everywhere and bland, corporate loving drivers. JJ's a good driver. Don't get me wrong but I'd rather have somebody in the #48 who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty on the track, who isn't afraid to (for instance) move Kyle out of the way at Martinsville for a spot. And for the love of all that's holy, get rid of the Chase. Said it before but why is NASCAR (and the NHRA for that matter, another organization that screwed itself over circa 2007-8) trying to emulate stick and ball sorts?

Or rather, why's NASCAR trying to manufacture drama? Did Vince McMahon get appointed to the board?

/end rant