Cup schedule changes for 2009. Best part California loses the Labor Day race, Atlanta gets AND drivers get one more weekend off for the season!!!

Worst part California is now a chase race. IMHO, Cali should have lost one race altogether cause the racing here sucks judo ass. . .

• Atlanta's second 2009 race will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, taking the Labor Day weekend slot now held by Auto Club Speedway.
• Auto Club Speedway's second race will be Sunday, Oct. 11 -- the fourth week of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a slot formerly held by Talladega.
• Talladega's second event will move to Sunday, Nov. 1, making it the seventh Chase event -- the slot formerly held by Atlanta.
The season begins with a tripleheader weekend at Daytona International Speedway capped by the running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15.
In addition to that season-opening event for the Cup Series, the Truck Series starts its season on Friday night, Feb. 13, followed the next afternoon by the Nationwide Series opener.

There also will be an additional off-week for the Cup Series, prior to the Labor Day weekend event, giving teams a final break before a 12-week stretch that will end the season. Because of the way the calendar falls, Cup teams will have four off-weeks during the 2009 season.

BRISTOL​

Hands down my personal favorite race for the entire season, even over the Daytona 500! Nothing gets me as giddy as night racing in Bristol. Two races stick out HARD in my mind and thats 1995 and 1999. ​

1995:​

[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH9sLnJL8NE&feature=related[/MEDIA]

1999:
[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C79DaWrMD70&feature=related[/MEDIA]

Texas Terry was my hero in those days. Big E was not...
More crashing, sparks, smoke, and much more attitude then all of em all season long. Even haters cannot keep themselves away. Just something about carbon dioxide on a hot Tenesse might gets me all fired up.

The best part...

Wife and kid staying downtown for some weekend garage selling!!! I might just watch em naked. :shock:

Standby for the the worst week in Tigerforum Fantasy NASCAR history. First my C-list driver is knocked out, then my A-list driver is knocked out, then wouldn't you know it 10 minutes later one of my B-list drivers gets knocked out. Good thing I started Rowdy, I may have broke a record.

Dunno, this is a bloodbath for a bunch of us. You are keeping good company.

CALIFORNIA
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Okay, let’s be real and say that this weekend folks could care less about some race cars and let’s focus on some football and avoidance of catastrophe. Okay let’s, but there is still a race this weekend and with that, there are two races leading to the chase.

A rather large cookie cutter full of boredom and noise! 2 miles of waiting for the sun to geaux down over turn 3 which reeks havoc on the drivers because they cannot see. Too bad, track temps are well over 130 degrees which drops considerably over 40 degrees once the sun geauxs down. Who leads and dominates heavily in the beginning tend to finish mid pack because their cars cannot change with the track. That is the very key to winning this Labor Day weekend night challenge is the ability to keep up with a changing track. The transition is brutal as the track changes characteristics in different stages on the track with shade. In the end there you will find either a Ford followed closely by a Dodge and a couple of Chevy’s. Changes, adapting to the track, HORSEPOWER win this one.

I say enjoy this one cause it will be the very last Labor Day weekend in California. Good news for the Southerners as this time next year this race will be in Atlanta (fastest track without plates) and there you will always find a great show. This race belongs in the South. California however becomes a chase race on a much different track which will not sport the heat so therefore a whole new race to be expected next year.

Does it get hot in Atlanta this time of year??? No, not as bad (110 index in California) but it sure does get wet...

LOUDON​

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10 to geaux. The chase is set and we find the same old group of usuals trying to get them selves a head start. I love Loudon because it stands alone in it's size and style of racing. It is a 1.058 mile D-shaped oval with just a touch of banking. Those who race the flat tracks best will fare well here but for sure it is a fun race to watch. This is going to be a fun chase I hope as there are already three top dogs looking to stay pretty even throughout. The nightmare comes in many shapes as down the road there will be venues like Talladega, Martinsville, Texas, and speedy Atlanta. The rest are cookie cutters and even some of them are good. This weekend will set the path for who gets a head start with room for a mulligan and who has to race extra hard to catch up, AND there are 30 others out there that could care less about a good finish, they just want to win. This race is even more important to win as it sets the tone for points. Some conservative racing follows and then with about three races to geaux, it becomes all balls out to win. ​

The Monster Mile
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Nuf said this joint is a solid bang of concrete and WALL! Dover is a 1 mile high banked speedway which brings challenges to brakes, set up, and driver ability. Typically two groves exist but the high grove has the most speed. Hard to pick a favorite for this joint but most drivers have it as their fave. This track is a lot of fun to watch and it is a great race to watch start to finish. For some reason the Fords are favored here but from time to time a Chevy will pull off a win. This is a marquee track to co start the chase and a very fitting, non-cookie cutter place to race. Truly there is no other place like it. It is the fastest one mile track on the circuit. ​

KANSAS
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Talk about life in the middle of nowhere. Kansas is taking off and for good reason, there is good racing in Kansas. Talk is over adding lights to bid for a second cup race and with the approval of a Hard Rock Café, this joint has all the looks to behave just like Vegas. Loyal fans have proven that this track has what it takes to have some exciting racing and that is shown by having the second most renewal rates only to Bristol. Who would have known? A lot there speaks for the type of weekend this joint rolls out and for the racing that happens upon this place out in the sticks.

Chase is into its third race of ten and WOW, what a change of the guard. Shrub has relegated himself to that of a passive bystander and with his comments last week after the race, this kid is done. Biffle is stronger then ever yet Carl Edwards leads by 10 points! Can the cat in the hat pull this one off? I think two time champ Jimmy Johnson has something to say as there is no one better at this time of year at the wheel. I still think he is a douche but a douche I have as my top pick for Kansas. Harvick is the biggest gainer in this chase so far and he seems to have some pretty good horse going into this weekend and with a couple of good tracks coming up for him I see him as a dark horse with his team mates sliding.

For those hooked on Jr. Nation...

Maybe next year!​

I know the season isnt over yet but I just wanna thank Cali for his weekly post! I love sitting here reading them and if you would like to do them again next year I only ask that perhaps getting them out on Monday or Tuesday of the race would be cool to give us better insight as to what drivers to pick.......:grin:

TALLADEGA​

Round 2 and this one ain't no mulligan. Points are so close for the top 3 that they can smell each other and this joint has a history at breaking hearts and making heroes. Both practices today have been extremely fast with a couple of individual laps at 197 MPH. Question always herd first is the big one. I just do not see the big one of old any more. This new car has proven it can handle much safer and corrects so much more easily then the old car. The last two races here have proven that with fewer cautions and fewer cars out of the race. Fact is engines are more of a threat as they do not get the breaks they are used too with the caution periods. The big one any more is like a 4 or 5 car pile up but no more of the 15 car wad ups like before, at least I hope.

Three cars to back ups from practice today, the 88 had a tire explode and took the 38 and a quarter panel from the 9 with him. This is a sure fired awesome kind of race to watch and if it is anything like the second race at Daytona, this will be one not to miss.

Congratulations to the Clancy family for bringing the newest member to the Tiger world. After all, JJ needs all the help he can get with his picks.