New NASCAR Format

[Just the facts]

Just when you didn't think NASCAR could make the sport any more complicated they come out with this new Chase format. Why does everyone make things so much harder than they should?

They should just break NASCAR into 2 division, and have a morning race at one track and evening race at another track. Do this for the first 30 races. At the end of 30 races the top 15 drivers from each division have an 8 race playoff. Whomever has the most points in the playoff wins the cup. They should set the field based on lottery style ping pong balls.

Also, if they want to make races more exciting caution laps shouldn't count.

[Roger S]

If they really wanted to make things exciting they could make a figure 8 track..... now I would watch that!

[bradh]

They're really kinda stuck in what to do, and they're caught in an endless cycle of trying to fix it every year.

If caution laps didn't count, the races would be even longer.

One thing that sucks is sponsors and multiple races at the same track have killed some stuff. Another thing that I wish they'd do, was not hold Nationwide and Sprint series races at the same track each week.

[Paseofreak]

I would hate to give up either (day or night) race at Bristol.

[Just the facts]

If they really wanted to make things exciting they could make a figure 8 track..... now I would watch that!

I went to a track in Bowling Green, KY where they have that. Talk about nerve wracking. I would love to drive a race car but there is no way I would ever do that.

Just for fun....

[bradh]

I would hate to give up either (day or night) race at Bristol.

Agree, there are some tracks that deserve two races.

Some others, do not (I'm looking at your cookie cutter tracks)

[bradh]

Plus, we need a road course in the Chase, maybe even two

[Just the facts]

Plus, we need a road course in the Chase, maybe even two

I used to be a huge NASCAR fan but over the last few years I have actually lost a lot of interest, and these changes aren't going to bring me back. I don't know why but I like road courses so much more than I used to; maybe it is because the advent of quality racing games like Gran Turismo.

[Anonymous.]

Yes the new format is adding more insult to an already severely injured "sport". Winner takes all @ the last race? Are you serious? Homestead is terrible and to have it all come down to that is a bad idea.

Adding playoff style to NASCAR doesn't work because all teams compete every single weekend. There are too many random luck factors that go into each race to determine a champion from a single race. This was the whole point of 36 races, to average it out and dilute the anomalies.


NASCAR used to be a sport, but it is now just another television show on Sundays, and sometimes Saturday. Extremely disappointed with this.


The Chase format should have never happened. NASCAR died in 2003.

[bradh]

Imagine if Talladega was the winner take all track, and David Ragan could be your champ?

Winner take all for the title is dumb. I'll still watch because I enjoy the races (for the most part), and the stories behind the drivers, but the format is bunk.

[CaptDave]

Not to mention the dumbed down technology in the cars. They were crowing about finally adopting fuel injection a couple years back and it was essentially the same aftermarket systems that had been available for 30 years. Give me LeMans or F1 any day. Unfortunately American road racing is about to get the Bubbacar treatment with ALMS folding into the 'new' IMSA.

The Chase is about the dumbest thing they have ever done. I once went to at least half a dozen races a year and raced at my local track. I may have watched 5 complete races over the last 5 years. The attendance numbers at the tracks should tell them something, but NASCAR makes its money from television and advertising. They are not a motorsports organization - they are purely a marketing machine.

[LibertyOKC]

Nascar starting going downhill with the prevalence of all the copycat 1.5 mile tracks, and the politically correct, trying to appeal to all groups attitude. The real downfall started when they suspended Jimmy Spencer for slapping Kurt Busch. Nascar was started by the hard core dirt racers, and now is full of a bunch of go cart racers. They need to get back to the real racing they once had. Do some races on the dirt, more road courses, and more short tracks, and if someone is an idiot and needs an attitude adjustment let it happen.

[Anonymous.]

I truly believe if Kenseth had just won a couple more races in 2003, the Chase would have never happened, and we would still do 36-race champions.

NASCAR is too knee-jerk.

After some thought and Daytona being just 3 weeks away, I am starting to get excited about the new season in that, once your driver wins - you essentially know you're in the Chase. So it is kind of balls to the wall until race 26. I won't write off this format until I see it play out this season, but I have little expectations and am expecting Richmond-gate again.

[gjl]

If you ain't first, you're last.

[Anonymous.]

Well Dale Jr doesn't have to worry about the Chase now.. lol

[Just the facts]

I truly believe if Kenseth had just won a couple more races in 2003, the Chase would have never happened, and we would still do 36-race champions.

NASCAR is too knee-jerk.

I would actually prefer to just drop a NASCAR champion, or at least greatly down play it. Whatever money goes to the Top 10 finishers should just be awarded during the races themselves. The Champion is the guy (or girl) who wins the most money. I don't know about Dale Jr, but I can't buy stuff with NASCAR points.

[shawnw]

I never liked the idea that you could place second all year and just be consistent and end up in the chase on points alone by leading laps and such without winning a race (compared to some who won a race or two but had terrible consistency problems and so never made the chase, or had to fight hard at the end to make it in). I like that now you have to be a winner to be in the chase. That said, can you imagine the uproar if Danica is running between 4th and 8th all race (which she has done I think) and there is a major accident on front end on the last lap and she ends up winning a race and thus makes the chase? Don't get me wrong, I actually hope she starts winning on her own merits to keep things interesting. But if she got in the chase that way I could see some folks flipping out.

[Anonymous.]

Did anyone else follow this past season with the new format?

In my opinion, it created excitement - but seemed way manufactured. Instead of rooting for drivers to win, it was instead a root for drivers to fail. Ryan Newman went winless and had something like 4 top 5s and he was one position away from winning the entire Cup. He basically showed that you can finish in 8th place every week and be eligible in the finalee race.

I'm not really sure how to improve the Chase with the knockout system - but something with carry-over points or reseed each "round" after elimination, based upon wins. The drivers that dominated the season were not even in the finalee.

The new format was supposed to put an emphasis on winning and the catchphrase was even "win and your in". It was clearly more risky to go for the win in a race, than it is to coast around in 7th place - and you know 7th place will likely advance you into the next round (EG: Ryan Newman). Therefore, you must add an incentive to win the race once you are in the Chase - because if next year they keep it the same - I guarantee that people will be more adapt to playing it safe than to risk wrecking for the win.

[bradh]

It makes it more like traditional American sports playoffs. You can't say "well the guys that dominated the season didn't even have a chance at the title" and then knock a guy for consistently posting top 10s without a win. I think the automatic win qualifying for the Chase aspect during the regular season actually did create situations where guys had to win, and then once they had the win in their pocket, they were free to let loose on other tracks, try things, etc that they may not have done if they were points racing or pressing to get that win.

As far as win a race to advance in the Chase, what happens if all non-Chasers win the first 3 races? Oops....

And yes, I realize that earlier in this thread I was a doubter...I was wrong.

[Anonymous.]

To the first part of your post. NASCAR cannot be like other American sport's playoffs. Every weekend, everyone (team) plays each other - that would be like every single NFL team playing on the same field every single sunday. NASCAR cannot be compared to those sports - nascar is auto-racing - it is in its own category, IMO.

Perhaps you misunderstood my suggestions to improve the Chase, or you did not follow this past season very intently. There was already the caveat of win a chase race, and automatically advance to the next round. That is a good incentive. For my point, there was a classic example that occured in the second-to-last round of this season. Jeff Gordon had two 2nd place finishes out of the 3 races that advance you to the finalee. In the one where he did not place 2nd - he was actually leading the race in the final laps and was wrecked by another driver who was going for the win. If he had simply fell back to 5th or 6th (out of the danger zone) - he would have advanced easily with a great average finish in those 3 races. Instead, he finished somehwere in the high 20s or low 30s and ended up missing the finalee by a single point (which Ryan Newman got by wrecking someone on final lap).

So my idea is to somehow seed the beginning of each round in the Chase based upon how many victories each drive has from the regular season. This way it provides separation and rewards those who consistently won races.

[jn1780]

Well it is a sport based on luck. Unless you can constantly win poles and stay ahead of everyone that may crash.

[rezman]

If they really wanted to make it more exciting, they would get rid of template cars and allow teams to build engines and chassis to their own specs.

I quit watching NASCAR a long time ago.

[Just the facts]

I grew up a huge NASCAR fan but they lost me a few years ago. Here is what I would do they put JTF in charge.

1) Eliminate the whole season champion thing. No one cares. The only thing that matters is winning each race. If you want to keep a point system then 42 points for winning, 41 for coming in second, and on down the line. A driver finishing 42nd gets 1 point more than a drive who didn't qualify (which is what someone coming in last deserves).
2) Make the car body 100% conform to the template of the best selling street production model of the car.
3) Power it by whatever type of motor you want. IF you can strap a jet engine to it and still control it in a corner then knock yourself out.
4) Caution laps don't count. If you want to come in and work on your car while the pace car makes 10 laps then so be it. Only green flag laps count in the race.
5) Race back to the line after a yellow flag.
6) No speed limit on pit road while the green flag is out.
7) Change tires, snap on some wiper blades, and keep racing in the rain

[Of Sound Mind]

5) Race back to the line after a yellow flag.
6) No speed limit on pit road while the green flag is out.

These are both safety-focused rules that should not be changed, unless death and maiming is okay with you.