WAY OT - NASCAR "Chase for the Championship Format"

[Steve-o-bud]

This is way OT, so Moderator, feel free to delete...

For those who are Nascar Fans, what do you think of the new format? 26 race normal season, then a 10 race "Chase" including only the top 10 in points (plus maybe a few others within striking distance in the points), with the points spread being artificially  narrowed?

I don't like it one bit. I feel that one of the allures of Nascar is 40+ cars, thundering around a track. Even the also-rans and back markers. I also think that having 10 or so cars in a field will be boring. And, I feel sorry for those whose normal race towards the end of the season will now be a 10 car race.

If you want an example of how boring the 10 car format will be, just take a look at IROC. Narrowing the field to 10 cars take many other additional variables...much of the passing, helping, strategy, etc. will be history.

And how about those favorite cars that don't make the second part of the season? How about their fans, and how about their sponsors?

Thoughts...

[JonesFamilyJayco]

I think the new format may in the long run be a good thing.  Those who do not make the cut off will still be battling for wins and they did not have a chance a the championship. I have to believe that the new system may actually help a driver that suffers a rough start, but comes on late mid season.  Take Ryan Newman for example.  He won 8 races last year, but was not a contender for the championship.  With the new system, he along with the other 10+ will have a real chance.  Those 10+ will have a more narrow gap to chase and should produce more exciting finishes.  I am glad that they are awarding more points for winning.  Also, the points leader at the end of the regular season is still the points leader at the begining of the 10 race finish.  

The main benifit is that this should make for a close battle every year.  Hopefully, then Nextel cup drivers will have as close of a battle as the Bush & truck drivers had last year with the winner determined on the last lap of the last race.

It is always a risk to change a format that has been succesful for so many years, but in the long-run, I think this change will be good.

And last, NASCAR & camping go together- Maybe to improve the number of members, PUT can sponsor the 99 car!

[Gone-Camping]

I've got mixed feelings on this, but mostly I'm against the new system. It doesn't make one lick of sense why NASCAR would change the regular points by adding an extra five points to the race winner, if in the end (of the 26 race initial run) they are going to negate all that and assign them an artificial points number. The system has worked extremely well for many years, and the old saying 'If it ain't broke, don't fudge with it' really comes into play.
 
On the other hand, I can certainly understand why NASCAR is doing this. They want the end of their season to be more interesting and exciting. Get's kind of dull watching Joe Schmoe cruise his way to a championship instead of racing his way to it. This 'Chase for the Championship' will certainly add a certain element of excitement to the final ten races.
 
I actually wrote a piece about this that got published ("Leave the damn points alone") but it didn't do anyone any good! Guess we'll just have to wait-n-see what happens this year. If it does as indicated, it'll be praised by all. But if it falls flat on it's face, then we 'nay sayers' will have the "I told you so" behind us!!!!

[B-flat]

Hmmmm, this is a touchy subject.  I think that NA$CAR i$ getting $o way out on all the$e change$ that it ha$ lo$t touch of what the fan$ really want to $ee.  I am still  :mad: that a race wa$ taken away from The Rock la$t year in Oct, in$tead of the February one when it can be cold.  NA$CAR i$ going to keep playing with the point$ $y$tem until no one will be able to figure it out.  I say leave it alone.  (Note the somewhat hidden suggestions about NA$CAR.   )

[Steve-o-bud]

I think the new format may in the long run be a good thing.  Those who do not make the cut off will still be battling for wins and they did not have a chance a the championship. I have to believe that the new system may actually help a driver that suffers a rough start, but comes on late mid season.  Take Ryan Newman for example.  He won 8 races last year, but was not a contender for the championship.  With the new system, he along with the other 10+ will have a real chance.  Those 10+ will have a more narrow gap to chase and should produce more exciting finishes.  I am glad that they are awarding more points for winning.  Also, the points leader at the end of the regular season is still the points leader at the begining of the 10 race finish.  

The main benifit is that this should make for a close battle every year.  Hopefully, then Nextel cup drivers will have as close of a battle as the Bush & truck drivers had last year with the winner determined on the last lap of the last race.

It is always a risk to change a format that has been succesful for so many years, but in the long-run, I think this change will be good.

And last, NASCAR & camping go together- Maybe to improve the number of members, PUT can sponsor the 99 car!

I guess my main quarrel with the new system is reducing the field to 10 or so cars. That just won't be too exciting, in my opinion.

Messing with the point system doesn't bother me too much. I think adding additional points for victories is a good thing. I don't think an end of the year, the guy is just riding around staying out trouble so he can keep the points lead, is a very interesting way to finish the season.

Here's a couple of suggestoins: Run a two part season, First half top 10 battling the second half top 15, with the championship being decided in a three race shoot out.

Or, how about making wins in the latter part of the season count more, thus giving the points leaders something to worry about, and the lower running teams a chance to make up lost ground.

[labontefan]

I'm sort of reserving judgment to see how it plays out, but for the most part I don't like it.

Historically. Bobby runs really well on almost all the 10 tracks include in the "Chase", so if he's in the top 10 he has a shot at doing really well.

But I still don't like it, because it's artificial. I don't think it's fair to a team who's worked hard all season long to build up a points lead, only to have it taken away and reduced to only a 5-point lead.

I like the idea of giving more points to the race winner, even more than the 5 extra points they added on. Change is not necessarily a bad thing, but this went too far, I think.

IMO, the whole purpose of a "season" championship is to recognize the driver and team who perform consistently well all season--not someone who hits a hot streak in the last 10 races.

Yeah, we've had some runaway points races with the old system. But we also had a lot that came down to the last race of the season. Look at 1992 when the whole thing came down to Alan Kulwicki leading one more lap that Bill Elliott, and earning the extra points for leading the most laps. He won the title by a 10-point margin.

The Busch and Truck championships came down to the last race in 2003--pretty much the last lap of the last race--using the same points system as Cup.

One of the biggest potential problems I see is sponsors bailing out after the first 26 races if their team doesn't make the cut. (Some have already made noises to that effect.) There are only 38 teams with full time sponsors now. We certainly don't need any more teams losing their sponsors. Maybe it's all about the money...but in that case, losing more sponsors is not the desired result!

[Dayton Dave]

Unless I missed something, all the cars will be running all the races.  Of the last 10 races - only the top ten are in the hunt for the championship.  The rest of the field can and will still be able to run to win each race.  I guess that it could allow the remaining cars to be spoilers of sorts.  It will be interesting to see how things play out.  From what I have heard, there has never been anyone winning the championship from below the 10 place out positions.  This will just make the final 10 drivers a little more edgy because they are all now closer in points and each will have a chance, where in the past, it really was not much of a chance for anyone but the top 2 or three.

[byrdr1]

The main benifit is that this should make for a close battle every year. Hopefully, then Nextel cup drivers will have as close of a battle as the Bush & truck drivers had last year with the winner determined on the last lap of the last race.
 
It is always a risk to change a format that has been succesful for so many years, but in the long-run, I think this change will be good.
 
And last, NASCAR & camping go together- Maybe to improve the number of members, PUT can sponsor the 99 car!

I see another person under the NA$CAR spell.
What about the year before when Mark Martin and Tony Stewart were battling and Mark finished 13 points behind in 2nd... The system was not at fault then it worked fine. Only NA$CAR had to mess in that run for the gold too..
The system works, IT pays for being constant ALL YEAR long not the last 10 races. I wonder what will happen this year if Dale Jr. gets a 200-500 point advantage going up to the last 10 races and then he is only 5 points ahead the 2nd place driver for the 27th race and something happens that puts him out 1-2 races. And he loses the championship..WHAT will the NA$CAR folks do then..
Folks NA$CAR isn't about the fans anymore. It is all about MONEY$$$$$$$.
BUT I will agree that NA$CAR and camping go together.. I did it last weekend at Rockingham..And I had a blast.
randy

[Miller Tyme]

I'm not fond of the change, either.

So far this year, after 2 races, there were already not enough sponsors for cars to run at Rockingham. They had to drag out a bunch of unknowns just to fill out the field.
Name drivers like Jeff Burton and Johnny Benson probably aren't going to run a full season(unless sponsorship is secured), and I'm sure other teams are in the same spot. Other teams are running many different sponsors during the year. Even RCR can't find a sponsor for the #1 car.
 
While a playoff format would be somewhat interesting, IMO a lot more of the sponsors will leave and go to other forms of motorsports, i.e. WRC, NHRA, or others. Money talks, and if you're not in the playoffs, you're gone.

[cam]

It is a big change alright,and I can't say I was thinking the old way was wrong, but lets get the facts straight.  You can't compare it to IROC.  There will still be 43 cars in the last 10 races just like the first 26. The only change is the top 10 and anyone else within 400 points of the leader will battle it out over the next 10 races for a $5 million prize.

The way I see it is those guys will be racing hard and will have 31, 32 33 other cars racing harder because they have nothing to lose points wise, but have a sponsor and alot of fans to prove themselves to.

The only guys that really have to be concerned is the leader after 26 races, if he has a big margin because that will go away, and the cars in like 11 or 12 place...it will suck to be them if they miss the cut.

Like I said,  I don't think a change was necessary, but to say the last 10 races of the year aren't going to be exiting seems a little short sighted.  

The decision has been made...Bring it on...go #15!!!!

[Gone-Camping]

You won't see a wholesale drop out of drivers either, as they must continue to race in order to keep their "owners points" going. Remember, those owners points not only play a primary role in determining who get's provisional starting positions, and how many, it also plays into the following year. They are also used to set the starting grid should qualifying get rained out.
 
Initial fears of sponsors pulling out are probably greatly exagerated, most of them have contracts and a committment to run the full season. They will still get their air time, and it's entirely possible drivers not in the top ten will still run & finish in the top ten, perhaps even winning some of the final ten races. So the sponsors will still get their "TV" time, which is what it's all about for them.
 
Just the same, I really wish they had left things alone. But who knows, until we get there and see what happens, this could be the greatest thing to come along since roof flaps!!!