New NASCAR format

[DAB]

Y! SPORTS (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nascar-creates-winner-championship-format-184431384--nascar.html)


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Say goodbye to the NASCAR era when a driver, fresh off a satisfying, top-10 finish, climbs from the car and raves about what a good points day it was.

Winning is all that matters under the latest and most radical change to the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

NASCAR's overhauled championship format announced Thursday is a 16-driver, winner-take-all elimination system designed to reward ''the most worthy, battle-tested'' driver at the end of the season.

''Riding around and being pleased because the (previous) format rewards consistency, those days are going to be pretty much over,'' NASCAR Chairman Brian France said.

The field, expanded from 12 to 16 drivers, will be whittled down to a final four through eliminations after every three races of the 10-race Chase. The remaining four drivers will go into the season finale with an equal chance to win the championship: The first of the four to cross the finish line will be crowned Sprint Cup champion.

''No math. No bonus points. It's as simple as it gets,'' France said.


It's the fourth change to either the points or championship format since France created the Chase in 2004. For 28 years prior to the Chase, consistency reigned as the champion was the driver with the most points at the end of the season.



so....in theory, you just have to win one of the first 26 races to make the cut, and then win one more (the last race) to win the championship.

meanwhile, JJ and company will again be using the first 26 as a test session for the last 10. duh.

[DAB]

so instead of the last races potentially being boring and not affecting the championship outcome, now the first races get that distinction.

hint NASCAR: you have too many races and too many drivers, all driving the same damn car. that's a good recipe for boring racing.

predict we'll have more late crashes with #2 spinning out #1 to steal the win.

and once you secure your spot in the top 30 with one win in hand, then it's time for testing and experimenting, and staying out of the way.

[NeedSpeed]

I just posted that in the fantasy thread :lol:

[DAB]

I just posted that in the fantasy thread :lol:

oops. didn't peep up there, as i don't do that fantasy stuff. :shrug:

[RED-85-Z51]

Why not...36 races, 37 drivers. At the end of each race, a driver and team is eliminated from the season...the 2nd place finisher in the 36th race is eliminated and ther last driver is your champ....This is basically where they are slowly heading.

[NeedSpeed]

oops. didn't peep up there, as i don't do that fantasy stuff. :shrug:

It's ok, you beat me, I duped you :lol:

[Steve Austin]

They should call it DUMBASSCAR. Any chase format sucks.

[NeedSpeed]

They should call it DUMBASSCAR. Any chase format sucks.

What would you propose?

[Grey Ghost]

hint NASCAR: you have too many races and too many drivers, all driving the same damn car. that's a good recipe for boring racing.


:slap: It's not about racing. It's about making money.

[NeedSpeed]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Only a few hours after NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France unveiled the new 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format, two of the sport's greatest champions were in the NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiling their latest ride and offering a review on the big news.

After unveiling a new, yet decidedly retro paint scheme for his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick shared their thoughts on NASCAR's elimination Chase format that makes winning races essential and a winner-take-all event to decide the ultimate championship.

"I love it, I really do," the four-time Cup champ Gordon said. "I think we have to go through a season and it's going to work better for some and not for others. I think it's still truly going to benefit the best team and the best team will win the championship or at least be in position to win the championship.

"Sometimes it comes down to one race and that track might favor a certain driver or favor a certain team. So that's going to have its challenges. It will force the team that's been the best all year to step up their game."

Hendrick, a 11-time Cup championship owner, said this change will take a little getting used to. But then again, he conceded he wasn't completely in favor of the Chase format when it was introduced in 2004. Six championships for his driver Jimmie Johnson in the last eight seasons, however, has helped win him over.

Hendrick said he agrees with France that the risk for the sport is not being open to change, not willing to evolve and be open-minded.

"It's the fear of the unknown," Hendrick said recalling an article he read recently about why businesses fail.

"Another one of the reasons was people feel like 'well, it's worked this way for all these years, why change it?' ?

"But I think Jeff's excited about it, and Jimmie's like, 'OK, yeah.' I think that's the way all of our guys have been. As soon as we digest it, we start figuring out what we've got to do."

Both Gordon and Hendrick raised the topic of having so much on the line in the season finale. After three rounds of eliminations, four drivers will vie for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the top finisher among them that day hoisting the Sprint Cup.

"I think the nervous part I have is just that last race, you're in that top four and you've had a heck of a season," Hendrick explained, acknowledging that last race finish could trump the season's summary.

"But to get to the top four, you have to have had a great season. The more I'm thinking through it and looking at it, the more comfortable I'm getting.

"There have been times when the Chase played to my favor; the way I look at it, if it's better for the sport, if the fans like it, then I'm all for it. Because that's what we need to do to make our sport grow."

Gordon agreed and really seemed to embrace the challenge this new format presents.

"You're not going to hear, 'well, I just got a good points day out of it, I finished 12th, or I'm not going to take this extra chance on restart,'" Gordon said. "We're always pushing hard to win but never are you going to see us push this hard as we will this year.

"I think the fans have a lot to think about now, but at the end of the season they're going to go, 'wow, this was amazing.'"

I don't see a problem with the format. Think about the Superbowl. A team can be undefeated all year and still lose the title.

[JRC27]

I don't see a problem with the format. Think about the Superbowl. A team can be undefeated all year and still lose the title.

Except this isn't the NFL

[DAB]

plan D: 36 races, take the placing from your best 31. allows you to be sick, injured, hung over, wrecked...whatever.

and the stop and park is shameful for the sport. as is watching cars that can barely keep pace, 5 or more laps down, return from the garage to make laps just to finish 39th instead of 40th. if you head to the garage, you are done for the day. don't score lower than 30th place. 31st or lower? no points for you. 30 cars on the track is plenty exciting, having 13 more beaters marking time is pointless.

[carlton_fritz]

Want the wins to be more important? Give more points for a win.

[Grey Ghost]

having 13 more beaters marking time is pointless.

Listen up, DAB France Jr. :D We want to parade around the track and get our sponsor all the TV time that we can. Get with the program.

[DAB]

Listen up, DAB France Jr. :D We want to parade around the track and get our sponsor all the TV time that we can. Get with the program.

exactly. fans are nowhere near their #1 concern. duh.

[NeedSpeed]

exactly. fans are nowhere near their #1 concern. duh.

And they are in other sports?

[NeedSpeed]

Curling perhaps?

Naked women's jello wrestling may be the only one.

[DAB]

And they are in other sports?

depends how much ticket sales contribute to the bottom line.

do they want to maximize the income from ticket sales, or have a full house that looks good on TV and that provides some good entertainment value to the ticket buyers?

[09CTSV]

Go back to the old days. Run as fast as you can, finish as best as you can and who ever has the most points at the end of the season, wins.
The chase is a joke. Go back to real racing.

[Grey Ghost]

And they are in other sports?

Nope. Anything 'Pro' level is a business. It's function is to make money.

NASCAR has to deal out points, awards, trophies, etc...for everyone involved. When sponsors hand out the cash they want something in return. It's not PC to call someone a loser anymore. They hand out something to everyone to make it APPEAR there are NO losers.

[jda67gta]

Go back to the old days. Run as fast as you can, finish as best as you can and who ever has the most points at the end of the season, wins.
The chase is a joke. Go back to real racing.



The racing is lousy, cookie cutter tracks, and “manufactured” drama…:yesnod:

[NeedSpeed]

Go back to the old days. Run as fast as you can, finish as best as you can and who ever has the most points at the end of the season, wins.
The chase is a joke. Go back to real racing.

So the last 1/3 of the season is a bore to watch because point leaders would be too far ahead to catch.

[NeedSpeed]

This appears better for sponsors and small teams

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- While expectations are high that the newly introduced Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format will create excitement, suspense and that "Game 7 moment" NASCAR has so diligently pursued, there is another element of the new system that is creating buzz for small and mid-pack teams.

Because a single race win is now a ticket into the Chase, the chances are better that a small team or historically underdog operation could qualify for NASCAR's playoffs by putting together one great triumph.

Not only does that create a competitive opportunity, it's good news economically for those teams.

"It's a huge difference going to a sponsor and saying that with a good year we could be in the top 25 in points versus now if we can win a race we'll be in the Chase," said Bob Jenkins, team owner of Front Row Motorsports, one of the sport's smaller teams which stunned the field with a one-two finish at Talladega.

But that victory now takes on a broader meaning -- it shows the team can win, when that's all it will take to be a part of the upcoming postseason.

"As much as this gives every team a chance, it gives every sponsor a chance for visibility," Jenkins said. "It will be way easier to sell that."

And that is an intended consequence, according to NASCAR's Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps.

"We think it's a great opportunity from a sponsor's standpoint, obviously going from 12 to 16 teams, you're expanding the field and the sponsors we've spoken to are thrilled," Phelps said following Thursday's announcement. "From a team's perspective the primary sponsors are thrilled, the team owners and drivers are happy for what this means for sponsors.

"It would be great to have someone who isn't even thought of (as a championship contender) win his or her way into our Chase and, from there, who knows what happens."

That's the attitude for driver David Ragan, who won the Talladega race for Front Row Motorsports. He is adamant that the new championship system evens the playing field in an unprecedented way, calling it the ultimate "game-changer."

"We live on instant news, want every football game to come to a time-expired field goal, or every baseball game going to bottom of the ninth and a team coming from behind to win," Ragan said. "This is kinda setting up those types of finishes. I love the traditional points where all 36 races count toward your championship but this will produce excitement every single year."

Front Row teammate David Gilliland, who finished second at Talladega, sees the advantages of a larger Chase field on a number of levels -- not the least of which is a different approach to preparation.

"Making the Chase was never in our immediate goals, it's a goal of each of us to one day be in the Chase and fighting for a championship but we're a small team building and getting better each year," Gilliland explained. "Now a team like us, it shows we could be there and have a chance. It's a huge shot in the arm for our team.

"It's opened up a whole other opportunity for us. We had a meeting Tuesday, for example, and talked about tracks we're going to test at and we're going to test at some of the tracks we feel are our strongest and we have the best chance to go out and win a race. It's definitely changed our approach."

And perhaps for the first time since joining the big league ownership ranks, Jenkins said he sees real opportunity to be on the same footing with the larger, more established teams.

"If we can figure out a way to win a race, I'd like to see what we could do," Jenkins said. "It could change your whole mindset, especially if we win one early in the year knowing you're probably going to be in the Chase, you invest in ways that would make you more competitive. You never know.

"In the past we looked at places we may have struggled so we wouldn't test. Now it's a whole different paradigm. You want to go and be 'Jack the Bear.' "

And it's never been more possible.

[JRC27]

This appears better for sponsors and small teams

Yeah, so they luck into a win (rain maybe) and then they are the first team eliminated in the chase :sleep:

[Steve Austin]

What would you propose?

Old format. Points for position at the end of the race. Points for leading and maybe points for a pole position. The one with the most points wins the cup.:cert:

[RED-85-Z51]

So, lets say as of race 26...8 drivers have wins. How do they decide who fills in 9-16? And lets assume the points leader is a race winner.

[NeedSpeed]

Old format. Points for position at the end of the race. Points for leading and maybe points for a pole position. The one with the most points wins the cup.:cert:


So the last 1/3 of the season is a bore to watch because point leaders would be too far ahead to catch.

http://bannedcampforum.org/Images/Emoticons/withstupid.gif

[JRC27]

So, lets say as of race 26...8 drivers have wins. How do they decide who fills in 9-16? And lets assume the points leader is a race winner.

If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase Grid positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points

[carlton_fritz]

Naked women's jello wrestling may be the only one.
http://i58.tinypic.com/9rt93r.gif

[Steve Austin]

So the last 1/3 of the season is a bore to watch because point leaders would be too far ahead to catch.

The points system is not what its about for me. Each race is or is not interesting to me and thats how I decide what to watch. I am more interested in the mechanical aspect. I really miss the show where Larry Mac, Chad Knaus and Booty Barker explained what makes the cars work.

[69camfrk]

They should call it DUMBASSCAR. Any chase format sucks.

Real NASCAR has been over since Earnhardt died. It would've stayed a decent venue had he survived. Everything they've done to "make it exciting" has dumbed it down even further. Cars should be stock bodied with aerodynamic packages like the old days, and I don't give a shit about the tube frame chassis, etc. It needs to be 2 door, 2 wheel drive....well, you get the drift. I could fall asleep at any NASCRAP race.:sadangel: That being said, I used to love NASCAR racing.

[Jeff '79]

:ball:

[NeedSpeed]

The points system is not what its about for me. Each race is or is not interesting to me and thats how I decide what to watch. I am more interested in the mechanical aspect. I really miss the show where Larry Mac, Chad Knaus and Booty Barker explained what makes the cars work.

I agree. But the how the race goes depends on the point system. Once you've established a lead point wise, there is no point racing hard, just maintain what you got. The whole point of the rule change is to force them to race, which is what everyone bitches about. As far as I can tell, they could race stock cars from the dealerships on a s-curve laden track and people would still say it was better with Dale.

[09CTSV]

The points race reminds me of college football. You have to be invited to play a bowl game and just because you had the most wins in the season doesn't mean you get to play the big game.
Bring back the regular sheet metal with aero packages, non restrictor plates on the big tracks, no chase points and then let them race. A super speedway race is like watching a golf match anymore.

You could fall asleep, wake up ten minutes later and be a few more laps up with the announcer saying the same crap, "Looks like the #45 car is getting ready to make a move, he's looking for someone to draft with him." Well Jim Bob remember the days when you could just power your way around the track without drafting?" Let's look at the Fox in-depth analysis of the modern Nascar car.....

Bring back real racing, go to a short track with some up and coming racers to see how they put their heart into the race. That is what racing is about and that is what NASCAR needs to get back to.

[Bill]

:disappointed:

I thought this thread was going to be about how all the drivers were going to learn how to make right turns for a change.

[09CTSV]

They do, it is called a Road Course. Not that all of them drive these courses very well....

[Burro (He/Haw)]

:disappointed:

I thought this thread was going to be about how all the drivers were going to learn how to make right turns for a change.

I didn't think anyone watched NASCAR any longer. :shrug:

[Jeff '79]

I didn't think anyone watched NASCAR any longer. :shrug:

Wrong Fk! :kick:


If you'd like to watch my fantasy nascar league progress, my team name is The Festering Boils.:D

[JRD77VET]

Wrong Fk! :kick:


If you'd like to watch my fantasy nascar league progress, my team name is The Festering Boils.:D

Nice team name :slap:

[Burro (He/Haw)]

Nice team name :slap:

Should be 'festering ball sack.' Better yet, 'festering insignificant ball sack.'