Bump Stop Setup

A bumpstop are pieces of rubber or plastic attached to front shocks to limit shock travel.  They are applied to the front only, because this is where the race cars chassis will have the most travel through the turns.

it seems to simple doesn't it?  A little piece of polyurethane that's shaped like Homer Simpson's favorite food "A Doughnut."  But I assure you, all that was simple ends as soon as the bump stop is put onto the shocks.  Teams want to limit the shock travel with this because the springs and shocks work together under a cup car and the team that could figure out the right match would win.

The bump stop fits into a small cup that slides on the shock, and there are a number of different sizes, and levels of hardness to choose from.  The advantage is the ability to run softer springs in the front of the car without the worries of bottoming out the chassis or rubbing the exhaust.  The height of the bump stop is very important to how the car handles through the corner.  If you don't have the correct heights on the bumpstops, the shock can actually hit the stop and then bounces back and tries to rest on the other bump stop.

Just like all the other adjustments on the race cars chassis, there isn't a specific number for setting bumpstop height in order to gain a couple of tenths.  Teams can control the height of the bumpstops by using shims.that are produced in increments of .01-inch. 

The Big Question About a Car Number

It's a question that's been roaming around social media for the past couple of months, if Carl Edwards does leave Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing can he take his car number with him?

Answer:  No, unless Jack Roush gets a soft side and lets him.

The car owner has his money on the lease of a car number and its very unlikely that Jack Roush will be soft enough to let Edwards take the 99 with him if he leaves to a Toyota team.  Remember the harsh comments he had to say when Kenseth left for Gibbs a couple of years ago?  The fact is, Jack Roush leases the number from NASCAR and keep the yearly lease on the number as long as wants it, remember Richard Childress kept the 3 locked up where no one else could get it until his grandson Austin Dillon was ready to move up.

I've been watching NASCAR for many seasons now, I can't remember a driver leaving one team for another (unless the team shutdown) and taking his car number with him.  Remember Dale Earnhardt Jr's situation before he went to Hendrick?  I can remember fans having their arms all tattooed up with an 8 on them, luckily, Yates Racing and Dale Jarrett let him take the 88 number.

Just like Childress, Roush Fenway has kept the lease on its number 6 since 2011.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., last piloted the number in 4 events in 2012.  Next year Trevor Bayne will make the jump to the Sprint Cup Series using the famed number that Mark Martin ran for so many years.  So here is where I come to my point about Edwards taking the number with him if he does leave Roush.  Carl Edwards isn't Mark Martin, and Roush didn't even let his most winningest driver take the number he drove for so many years with him when he left.  He didn't let Kenseth either. 

NASCAR has control over the numbers and allocates the numbers used on each race car to participating teams.  The first team who requests use of an available number is usually given the number and then there is the line of full-time vs part-time, the full-time team is usually given the rights to a number before a part-time operation.

Generally, if a team has used a car number, the number will be re-issued to the same team.  If a team relinquishes a car number, it will revert back to NASCAR.  

Danica Patrick wanted to run a No. 7 car in Sprint Cup, however, at the time Robby Gordon had the lease on the number and wouldn't give the number up.  Therefore, Patrick went to racing the 10.  Drivers don't always get what they want and I have a good feeling, Edwards might be settlinig for a different number than 99 next year if he parts ways with RFR.

Feedinig the future isn't having Sprint Cup Drivers dominate lower divisions

It's becoming so predictable every time that Kyle Busch gets behind the wheel of a Camping World Truck Series vehicle, he's going to dominate and win.  Before the last 5 years, the CWTS, was the series that many fans considered the most competitive and hardcore division of NASCAR.

However, when you put someone in superior equipment and he's got far more experience than the rest of the field he's going to steal the show away from the lower teams in the series.  The fact is, NASCAR letting drivers like Busch and Brad Keselowski run the two lower divisions on a regular basis is going to bring the series to its knees.  Being a social media regular, I see enough comments from fans about Busch's domination in the two lower divisions of the sport.  If you aren't a fan of Busch, you are probably speaking up about it.

A few weeks ago at Dover, Trevor Bayne was right on Kyle Busch for the race win.  Bayne hasn't won since Iowa last season and would have been in victory lane had it not been for the cup regular spoiling the show.  Sprint Cup drivers racing amongst the regulars in Natonwide and Truck Series races aren't anything new but fans are finally speaking up about it more and more and they're not happy.

Last night I seen many comments from friends about the race being predictable and "why watch when you know who's going to win, unless someone wrecks Kyle Busch."

There is a need for cup drivers to run these two divisions, but in my opinion there needs to be a set limit on the amount of events that these drivers should be able to race if you have over 3 years experience of full-time Sprint Cup race.  There should be 5-6 cup drivers per weekend and they shouldn't be racing more than 10 races a season.  Let the drivers spread out the schedule like Mark Martin did back in the day; Martin only ran 10-13 races a season and most were set in the Southeastern part of the country due to his sponsor Winn Dixie being in those areas.  Had Martin ran as many events as Busch did, he'd probably have double the wins but he only ran that small schedule each season.

After this season, NASCAR seriously needs to look at limits because they're not feeding their future with these guys, they're starving the newcomers from winning and getting more experience.  Last weekend's race at Road America was a sight because a regular finally won a Nationwide event.

NASCAR Political Factions by Mia Kuettel

This is a fan editorial by Mia Kuettel
We can all distinguish individual Americans as having common, yet many divided interests and opinions. We can refer to each other as Lefties, Right-Wingers, or Unaffiliated Independents. So it is comparable in the world of NASCAR, fans are united as well as divided within the realms of stock car and truck racing. However, after years of these notable differences, there hasn’t actually been a common label to describe the three fundamental categories defining which side of the field each fan finds his or her self rooting from. Now racing fans can actually classify themselves with the appropriate label that describes their general viewpoint just like the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can. Keep in mind, just as it is with registered voters who define themselves as Republicans or Democrats, they may not all agree with absolutely 100% of every issue at hand, but they know who they are and what they stand for. The same holds true for each NASCAR fan.
Moderates (MODs)
Driver Loyal. Does not matter what team he drives for or what make the car is. MODs (“My Outstanding Driver”) will readily follow his or her driver wherever he may go. Driver can do no wrong. When things aren’t going right, the MOD is quick to blame the team., the crew chief, the owner, and even the make of the car. If their driver decides to go from Chevy to Toyota, the MOD would sell everything they have, if necessary, to purchase all new driver apparel to outwardly and proudly show their support for that driver. Silly Season for the MOD is a “dream-team building event” placing his/her Outstanding driver with the best of the best. When the MOD notices other teams running better, they wish to swap with the winning players to give their driver what he needs to win. The perfect season would be to make the Chase an unprecedented experience by clinching the championship with 2 races left. Never mind that their driver may have taken the checker by wrecking numerous other leaders through the season “Rubbin’s Racing!”
Liberals (LIBs)
Enjoys NASCAR – the sport – for what it is “entertainment” LIBs (Living in Bliss) will have favorite drivers, team owners and brands. It is not unusual for LIBs to have several favorite NASCAR drivers. They may pick a driver because of his hairstyle, or the way he interviews. Many times they chose their drivers based on the color scheme of the car, the sponsor, or the television commercials they’ve done. Typically, LIBs are more capable of taking Silly Season in stride, yet there are some that will give you their “arm-chair crew chief” opinions of the impending events and how their teams need to be restructured, etc. The Perfect Season for the LIB would be for them to see all of their favorite drivers and sponsors simply make the chase despite all the adversities that their drivers endured during the season. For example, bad luck, penalties, point deductions, fines, even if they had all swapped teams, owners, cars, wives, etc. The more drama, the better, After all, it’s about the Entertainment, right?
Conservatives (GOBs)
Brand Loyal. “Good ‘Ol Boys/Babes” start with the brand make of the car first. Their Daddy’s and Granddads drove the GOB’s brand of car, and so does their favorite driver. This tradition will be passed on for generations to come no matter what. So don’t think for a minute that any non-American brand named car will ever find a place in the GOB’s heart. If their driver leaves their lifelong brand to race a different brand, the GOB will have no other option but to give up their driver and pick another. Many times for a remaining teammate or some will pull for their next favorite driver who still drivers their lifelong brand. In extreme cases, they may give up being a NASCAR fan all together after their beloved driver proved to be disloyal to their cars’ brand. But deep down, they’ll reminisce the glory days, and remember each detail of every NASCAR race they’ve ever seen. Silly Season for the GOB usually starts when NASCAR “shows favor” by approving changes to their rival brands but not theirs. A Perfect Season for the GOB would be that no other brand but his would make the Chase and finish in the top-5 and of course, his driver would win the Cup!