5 Reasons To Watch Daytona, NASCAR, ALMS, Sebring - SHAKEDOWN

LEO PARENTE: On Monday's show, we talked auto
racing with US roots.
And thank you all for all the smart comments, the "hey Leo,
I actually thought about it before I wrote something" type
comments versus just keyboarding "all NASCAR and
all America sucks." And I hear you as to keeping Shakedown of
racing as broad as can be and better than the mainstream
drool, including looking at those series not
always in the limelight.
Today we're going to continue a bit of where we left off.
Because this is a NASCAR weekend, and I want to prep
you with some things NASCAR that I want you to look for.
You may be surprised at what I tell you.
But also, we'll do a check of the new cars that emerged at
the American LeMans series test days of last week and
what they tell us about 2012.
No, we didn't go, but we will be there for the 12 hour.
And to continue to spark your thinking about racing, in
general, I have a list of five things that a racing series
should have if it's going to be good and interesting.
And then you and I can apply those criteria to
a few racing series.
And in the comments, you can add to the list of five
yourself, if you choose.
In fact, let's do all the stories in a list of five
format, and look at that.
I did the intro as a list of five-- the thank you, telling
you Shakedown will continue to cover a variety of racing, our
NASCAR preview, the ALMS cars preview, and the list of five
criteria for great racing.
Hey, JF, what were with those pictures?
JF: You want five.
Five.
LEO PARENTE: Jackson 5, Dave Clark Five, I get it.

We're going to start with NASCAR.
Get your hands off the mouse and don't click away.
I'm staying on NASCAR to give you five things to watch for.
Because as a racing fan, you really need to watch the
Daytona 500.
It's iconic and worthy of your time as such.
But do what I do.
Turn down the TV sound.
Because where most racing around the globe, has that
English-accented announcer treatment, and it sounds so
right, even though I get sometimes lost in the brogue
or the pronunciations.
Con-TRER-versy?
Really?
NASCAR gives us the mangled English, tortured dialogue,
and Southern dialect of one Darrell Waltrip, who may be an
internet hero with his VH supercar screaming ride around
Mount Panorama, but DW and his friends are still, to me, back
of the classroom dense when it comes to the depth and
complexity of their vocabulary because they define it by the
words boogity, boogity, freaking boogity.
Look, I know Mafia Italians with a better vocal-abulatory.
Yeah, I know it's "vocabulary."
And yes, I am an East Coast, New York, college-educated,
MBA-graduated elite.
[BLEEP]
you.
Cracker Barrel stores are no place to buy a Valentine's Day
gift, NASCAR-loyal Confederates.
You know that's going to get me a few thumbs down.
And why am I so pissed off at the dumbing down of NASCAR as
the way it's presented?
Because it's not dumb at the team and development level.
There may be no telemetry in the race car during the race,
but listen to this.
Richard Childress Racing, the real Dale Earnhardt team, with
the real Dale E. heritage, is testing aero and fuel
injection at a private test.
A guy named Kent Day is RCR's director of competition, and
he's running the test.
He holds a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from
Clemson University.
To get a handle on the fuel injection, RCR hired
ex-General Motors engine and electronics experts--
they're college educated, too--
to help with that transition.
At the test, they'll guide the engine tuners and the drivers
to disseminate all the data as it comes from the McLaren
electronic control units.
Nobody's reading spark plugs anymore, Darrell.
It's computer readouts.
NASCAR will allow the teams use the race weekend data to
dial in the cars for power and fuel economy, but no data and
no changes during the race.
So teams are testing, and RCR's not the only one trying
to dissect a driver's braking and acceleration around the
track for maximum performance and, by extension, engine
tuning, the same way it's rumored that Vettel and
Renault worked to get in sync.
And the same level of science is all afoot for aero and
chassis in NASCAR, plus Gnassi has that mile-long wind tunnel
carved into the Laurel Hills mountain-- well, he bought an
unused highway tunnel from the state of Pennsylvania--
doing all that aero work.
The point is, NASCAR is math, science and technology.
I'm just getting you ready for the better cars in 2013 Read
the RCR article I posted in the description.
OK.
The top five things to look for at Daytona, starting with
the Saturday night Bud Shootout, Sunday qualifying,
the Thursday qualifying races, and then,
finally, the Daytona 500.
Number one.
How will pack drafting work versus the two-car buddy
system of last year?
NASCAR changed the radiator rules to stop the nose-to-tail
stuff by getting the cars to overheat easier.
They tweaked the rear spoiler to make the cars more nervous.
They're going over 200 miles an hour in the draft.
Number two.
Who will figure out fuel injection first?
And will the race be a power struggle or a
fuel economy derby?
Either way, it's hard to bet against engine guy Jack Rausch
and his force.
Sorry Hendrick Engines, but prove me wrong.
Number three.
Will the Busch brothers behave, or deepen their legacy
as great talent attached to huge assholes?
Kyle has worse anger management troubles than Chris
Brown when he hits stuff.
And Kurt managed to get himself fired from a plum
Penske ride for being a dick.
I met Rutledge Wood after he shot
that Jalopnik TV interview.
And we decided we really need to blame the Busch parents for
raising such unfettered jerks.
Number four.
Danica.
Let me put it this way.
I know everyone and everything that has any power to help her
race good is being brought to bear to make this marketing
experience work for NASCAR.
But if I get any inkling that this process is not fair, all
bets are off.
Like if she gets the pole position.
Don't do the joke, guys.
But if she does, I will never believe anything about NASCAR
ever again.
And I'll make sure you don't either.
Number five.
The racing itself.
Daytona used to be a handling track because of the bumps.
Then they paved it, and last year, it was an aero track.
Now with the rules tweaks, what will it be?
I'm going to take a risk here and say it's going to be a
combination, but with the radiator rules, it'll be a
last lap slingshot race.
You're going to have to stay in clean air, and therefore,
there's going to be passing that will continue through the
entire race, and I hope a last lap, last run.
OK.
The 2012 ALMS cars.
Five things to watch for.
Number one, the new Porsche GT3 RSR--
new aero, wider track, larger front wheels.
Number two, the new Corvette C6R, also a wider track.
It's an ACO GTE rules thing to keep up with the Ferrari 458
and BMW, front Canards to get some front down force going,
and new engine tweaks to fix the power and mileage issues.
By the way, did you see the leaked
Infinity mid-engine car?
I bet this is the Newey Red-Bull-influenced car, and
it's got to be on a G2 grid somewhere in the world.
ALMS would be nice.
Back to the list at number three, the Honda LMP1.
At ALMS, LMP1 is only a two-car race, this versus the
Dyson Mazda.
But in WEC, I want to see it versus the Audi to find out
how quick it really is.
That's going to happen at Sebring.
Number four.
Scott Tucker and his Level Five team at LMP2.
Google him.
The PR claims he's a four-time national champion.
Now, I'm too uncaring about his racing career to look it
up, but I know most if not all of those championships have
come when he ran in classes where he was the only car.
Now there's competition in LMP2, so
let's see what happens.
Plus why is this guy not in jail?
Is it an Indian protection thing.
Finally, number five ALMS versus WEC.
I can't wait for the Sebring 12 hour.
OK to close the show, here are the five things that make
racing good.
And by that I mean a really good racing series must have
all five of these criteria.
Pick the series you like.
Think of these five and share your comments on how each
series stacks up against the five.
Here they are in no order of priority, because that can
vary by series.
Number one.
The technology--
aero, materials, mechanical design, engineering, the
currency of the technology.
Number two, the people--
the drivers, the engineers, the owners, the personalities,
and their skills.
Number three, the strategy.
Do you need it to win?
And how is it executed?
Number four, the cars themselves.
Do they look cool, sound cool?
Are they manufacturer supported?
And number five, the driving.
Sure, there's speed, but how about the passing and the
skill level to make it all be a wow?
[BLEEP]
LEO PARENTE: Finally, look.
Sim Raceway sent us their wheel.
Get ready for some demos on Shakedown, and I'll see you
all online at simraceway.com.
I've really got to end this show because I
have stuff to do.
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