The Winston!

[MountaineerTom]

To me, this is about the best race of the year, even though it's not for points.  

 

Here's who's in it (not counting the transfer spot from the open), who do you think might win it.  I think Jr. is on a roll and ready to win again.  :thumb:

 

Elwood will be there, so look for his goofy mug on TV.

 

1 Ward Burton - 2002 Daytona 500

2 Matt Kenseth - 2002 Rockingham

3 Sterling Marlin - 2002 Las Vegas

4 Tony Stewart - 2002 Atlanta

5 Kurt Busch - 2002 Bristol

6 Bobby Labonte - 2002 Martinsville

7 Dale Earnhardt Jr - 2002 Talladega

8 Jimmie Johnson - 2002 California

9 Mark Martin - 2002 Coke 600

10 Dale Jarrett - 2002 Pocono

11 Ricky Rudd - 2002 Infineno

12 Michael Waltrip - 2002 Pepsi 400 at Daytona

13 Kevin Harvick - 2002 Tropicana 400, Chicago

14 Bill Elliott - 2002 Pocono(2)

15 Jeff Gordon - 2002 Sharpies 500, Bristol

16 Ryan Newman - 2002 New Hampshire 300

17 Jamie McMurray - 2002 Lowe's, UAW Quality 500

18 Johnny Benson - 2002 Rockingham, Pop Secret 400

19 Elliott Sadler - #28 Team win at 2002 Infineno

20 Ricky Craven - 2003 Darlington spring race

21 Joe Nemechek - 2003 Richmond spring race

22 Terry Labonte - Past WC Champion, 1996

23 Rusty Wallace - Past WC Champion, 1989

[antig24]

I can't wait for this race, I think that one of the "young guns" will win it.

[Elwood]

Well, I'm pulling for the Penske drivers and two-thirds of DEI.  I like DEI, but I'll never like Green.  BUT I'm going to pick Kurt Busch to win, simply because he's always up there near the front no matter what, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

I think the coolest thing would be to see Steve Park win the Open and then win the Winston for RCR, but I'm sure that won't happen.

[TarheelZ]

A bunch of those guys can run good at this track, but I think Bobby Labonte does it more consistently than anyone, so I'll pick him.  Anybody but Wonder Boy!

[MacA]

 JIMMIE JOHNSON!!!  

 

So he blew up a motor doing his victory burnout!! There are more where that one came from!! :thumb:

[MountaineerTom]

Congrats to Johnson, (and you too MAs9T9  :thumb: )

 

That was one h3ll of a burnout.    :thumb:

[MacA]

Congrats to Johnson, (and you too MAs9T9  :thumb: )

 

That was one h3ll of a burnout.    :thumb:

Thanks! The burnout was pretty spectacular! That team really needed this win!! They are a great bunch of guys!!

[Elwood]

I was a little upset with NASCAR, but Johnson did great.  We were there and on the broadcast they said that if Gordon touched anybody else he was oput, because he had already wrecked so many people.  The very next green flag lap he ran into the back of Jarrett, they even showed the replay on Gordon's bumper cam, but they never said anything.  I also did not like the penalty to Steve Park in the Open, there have been countless resats/starts jumped in Winston events in the past and they make them line up and start again, NOT stop and go penalties for the leader.

 

Other than that it was an exciting race, and a good one.   Congrats to Johnson.

[MacA]

We were there and on the broadcast they said that if Gordon touched anybody else he was oput, because he had already wrecked so many people.  The very next green flag lap he ran into the back of Jarrett, they even showed the replay on Gordon's bumper cam, but they never said anything.

I know...I know!! Just another reason for the Gordon-haters to hate him more!! If it had been an Earnhardt it would have just been "the unfortunate consequences of aggressive driving"!!    

 

Keep in mind that it is easy for us to sit in our easy chairs and be "Armchair Nascar Officials", but what actually causes an altercation on the track isn't always obvious. To me it looked VERY OBVIOUS that Tony Stewart purposely drove into the left rear of Terry Labonte causing that late accident that took Terry out (along with numerous others! ). What we didn't see was that there was some checking-up going on that resulted in that accident. Easy for me to be mad at Tony for eliminating the 4th Hendrick driver from finishing The Winston, but it was just ... an unfortunate consequence of aggressive driving!! :thumb:  The only good thing (other than nobody was hurt) is that Tony took himself out being aggressive.......Jeff finished the race!! :owned:  

[General Lee 01]

I know...I know!! Just another reason for the Gordon-haters to hate him more!! If it had been an Earnhardt it would have just been "the unfortunate consequences of aggressive driving"!!    

That's ok. When I'll be in the Winston (I'm estimating sometime around 2020). I'll knock Gordo around some. And after I take him out, I'll go after Johnson, and play with him a little before I take him out on the last lap and I take the Victory. And we'll call it even.

[MacA]

I know...I know!! Just another reason for the Gordon-haters to hate him more!! If it had been an Earnhardt it would have just been "the unfortunate consequences of aggressive driving"!!    

That's ok. When I'll be in the Winston (I'm estimating sometime around 2020). I'll knock Gordo around some. And after I take him out, I'll go after Johnson, and play with him a little before I take him out on the last lap and I take the Victory. And we'll call it even.

       

[Elwood]

My complant is more with NASCAR, although I am a "Gordon hater".  They said he would be out if he hit someone else and then did not follow through, they didn't say it had to be on purpose.   I feel the same way about Park's penalty.  If it had been the #8 car or the #24 car they would've restarted just like they did last year with the #12 car.  But Park isn't one of the big favorites so they just penalize him and go on.

[antig24]

What Park did is no worse than what Tony Stewart did last year at the glenn and NASCAR didn't say a single thing then. They should have just redone the start like they did with the 29/97 restart. I also think that they should spin a wheel to see how many cars are going to get the invert. With the fans voting you know they are going to vote for 10.