NASCAR: “Holiday Fat”
Everyone knows how it goes. With the possible exception of Richard Simmons everyone puts on a few pounds during the holiday season. That fact seems to hold true for the powers that be within the corporate halls of NASCAR as well. (Wonder if Brian France has a “cubicle?”)
Back say, about November at Texas Motor Speedway, France said this about any changes contemplated for the season ending Chase “extravaganza:” “It’s not on the table,” France said referring to additional participants. “We like the 10 — 10 races, 10 drivers.”
Well the holidays are over and apparently HWSBO has read the tea leaves, as in tons of disparaging emails, and well… the plan now is to put some holiday-like fat in the Chase.
Spokesman Ramsey Poston said an announcement is planned for Jan. 22, during the sport’s annual media tour at Concord, N.C.“We’re looking at ways of putting more emphasis on winning races. … And trying to see if there are adjustments that can be made to keep the Chase more competitive throughout the 10 races,” Poston said.
Chief bobblehead, spokesman Jim Hunter said the biggest changes in the Chase would be more points for a victory and more than 10 drivers in the Chase field.
How many points and how many drivers are still being determined, Hunter said. “We’re running the models.” (Say, what does Ingrid Vandebosch and Niki Taylor have to do with this? Oops.. “wrong hat” as Bullwinkle would say, and wrong models.)
This switch in course should fuel the rumor mill for the next couple weeks. I’ve previously come down on the conservative side of the winners points issue. I concede a few more points would be warranted but some have tossed out ideas of up to 500 points extra for the winning driver which is patently absurd.
Somewhere between 25 and 50 should be a nice fit as long it’s implemented for the entire year and not exclusive to the Chase. As far as the number of drivers in the “extravaganza” goes unless they come up with something way out of left field not much can be done. The first three years have proven that after the first 3-5 events not many more than five drivers are realistically in the hunt for the Cup anyway. Adding one or more drivers to the total won’t change that dynamic.
The only way to change that would be to give a single Mulligan for each driver to use in the last ten events. The option to use it would have to be decided by the team prior to Tuesday of the following week where it was to be used. And it couldn’t be used in any event where the team received any type of points penalty issued by NASCAR. Sorry, no gimme’s for being a “bad boy”
The only other thing I would consider is an exemption for the reigning Cup champion. Granted, that’s different than any other sport, ask the Pittsburgh Steelers, but if the object is to add more drivers why not the current champ?
Come January 22nd we’ll all find out what NASCAR is thinking, or not thinking as is sometimes the case.
Brian France, NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle
Francecar doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel after 3 chase seasons. More points for a wins soungs gr8! That’s all I’d change. Vroom…
I’d consider 12 entries for the Chase. Not for the sake of the Chase, but for sponsors. That’s 2 more happy sponsors a season, and unfortunately this sport is a dust bowl without them. Not saying bow down to them exclusively, but what would 12 vice 10 hurt in this case?
More points for a win, I’m in the same class of thought that it shouldn’t be more than 50 points. To be honest, 25 would be fine by me. It’s a little perk, but nothing serious. The season is, and always has been about consistency over the length of the schedule. Giving someone a buttload of points for a win, such as 500, would mean they could be good in 25% of the races and flop in 75% of them and still be a factor at the end. To me, that doesn’t prove a damn thing.
Now, for letting the defending champ into the Chase.
Marc, you’ve hit the pipe one too many times. Why let them in automatically? Just to defend their title?
Well, they had 26 races to defend it, and if they choke, they choke. A title defense isn’t made over the course of the last 10 races. It’s a season long effort.
OK, I think I’m done now.
First let me say any thoughts by NASCAR to change the chase are driven by two things. A combo of Jeffy, Dale Jr and Smoke missing out in 05/06 plus
the ratings drop last year.
Call it a slow acting knee-jerk, but after only three years of their science experiment it’s un-needed.
Secondly, Luke… Shhhhhhh… no one is supposed to know about my “pipe.”
I’m not so sure Marc. Unhappy sponsors are bad. Bad for teams that bust their butts for a year to make it to Richmond in September but miss it, bad for NASCAR, and bad for the fans.
I think that they really are taking a serious look at the numbers percentage-wise, as compared to the stick and ball guys, and noticing that they let a larger percentage through to run at the title. I don’t expect it would be much, my gut says 12, so I guess we’ll see.
I kinda flipped out earlier on the Lounge earlier, I started off with an upcoming 2007 preview in mind, and ended up on a COT rant. lol Oops!
Not to mention I’m a little pissed at Steve Waid and his comments today about it. I see the point, but he really came off as an ass about it. But then again, I’ve never been a huge fan of Waid.
Pipe? What pipe? Got proof? Got pictures? Wasn’t me.
Wonder how much Steve received under the corporate table to pen that article?
I just read it, and it reads like “yea ok we’re from NASCAR and we’re here to help you. So shut up.”
I don’t know Marc, but Waid’s never impressed me much.
Might be the attitudeIt’s the attitude.He comes across as “I’m better than you, because I meet and interview all these drivers and NASCAR people while you just dream of it.” At least that’s how it is to me.
Occasionally he makes a decent point, but even a blind man can find the hole now and then.
Not to mention the whole comment stuff a SD is nuts. They moderate everything, and if they don’t like your opinions they either just delete it or mark you as a “spammer”.
I’ll probably pick a fight with them sometime this year. It’s been coming for a while. I doubt they notice it, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll feel better when I share my opinion of them in writing.
First of all , all the Chase haters need to get over it. Pre-Chase, how many drivers ever had a chance of winning the title during the last ten races of the season besides the top 2 or 3 cars? None.
Would Dale Jr. or Tony have had a chance to win if they were in 11 or 12 or 13 under the old format? Hell no. So what’s the big deal? Race your way into the top 10 or else race for 11th place. In short I like it.
Wins vs. conistency: With 36 points paying races the series had better pay serious attention to consistency, the season is a marathon, not a sprint. Having said that, wins in the final 10 races should receive premium points. Reward consistency to make the top ten, reward wins during the final 10 races.
As for past champions making it into the chase, fuhgettabout it!
January 6th, and I’ve solved all of NASCAR’s problems!
Most of the Chase haters have redirected their collective ire towards other week points in it rather than drivers missing out on a chance to compete for the Cup.
Consistency vs winning:
Every time this argument arises I recall the Detroit Tiger season of 1984. They started the year on a still standing record pace, something like 37-7. Then they finished the remainder of the year only at a .500 pace and went on to win the Series.
So what was more important, the start or the .500 section of that season for the Tigers?
I always claim both but some arguing the “wins should be more important” when discussing NASCAR almost always disagree.
Your analogy of the Tigers is misguided only from the perspective that if they hadn’t won 50% of the second half games, they wouldn’t have made the series. If you play .650 winning baseball over 162 games you will win 105 games. If you did the same in NASCAR you’d win 23 races.
Not apples to apples comparison. Individual races should be about winning, but over the years, after 36 races, there were usually only 2 guys with a shot for the cup at the end. The chase has made it way more interesting. If you gave Chase winners (or all drivers for that matter) an extra 10 points for wins, it would keep the front runners fighting for W’s instead of laying back if they take a big lead. Conversely, guys in 8,9, and 10 spots would have a better chance of moving up with each win.
You didn’t know George? My middle name is misguided.
My point was the Tigers after their hot start were at best mediocre. If NASCAR goes overboard with giving too many points for winning a similar situation could occur.
A driver could win enough to build up a lead large enough where the last 3-4 Chase events he stokes it by just aiming for 5-10th place.