NASCAR has announced new changes to this year's Chase for the Cup Championship, and it sounds like it will be pretty exciting. If you're not familiar with how it worked in the past, basically there was a regular points system used up until 10 races to go. At that point, the top 10 drivers' (and 2 'wildcard drivers') points were reset to equal, and the final 10 races (the 'Chase') were used to determine the Champion. http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2014/1/30/chase-for-the-nascar-sprint-cup-championship-format-changes.html This year, things are going to be a lot different. Instead of 12 drivers, 16 will now qualify for the Chase. Rather than qualifying based on points earned during the season, the top 15 drivers with the most WINS will qualify, and then the highest points earner gets the last spot. So points are essentially thrown out the window, and only wins will really matter. That's when things get really interesting. There are now 3 elimination rounds in the Chase, 3 races each, with the bottom 4 finishers being eliminated after the 3rd race. A win guarantees advancement to the next round. After 3 races there will be 12 drivers left, then 3 races more and 8 drivers left, and finally 3 races to reach a 'final four'. The 10th and final race at Homestead, Miami will determine the Champion, not by points, but simply by whichever of those 4 crosses the finish line first. I think this is the most innovative system for determining a champion in all of motorsports. I'm sure some racing purists will be appalled by how 'gimmicky' it all seems, and I think they'd have a point. It might go down as the absolute worst idea ever, but, I see it as an opportunity to breathe some fresh air into the world of auto racing. If nothing else, it is going to create some really aggressive tactics on raceday, and that means more exciting racing for the fans, and no holding back by the drivers just to 'race for points'. The single Championship race with everything on the line should be particularly exciting. What do you guys think? Is this a good idea, or is it doomed for failure for being too unorthodox? If it's successful, do you think other leagues will pick up something similar? Do you think any sim leagues might try a similar system for their series, just to shake things up?
Will there be 15 different winners during the season? Personally this whole chase format never added any excitement to NASCAR. The races are too long and there aren't enough teams in it. Just my opinion though.
I think in 2013 there were 17 drivers who won at least 1 race. I agree, the Chase didn't add anything special before, as it was just a new points season that lasted for 10 races. Hopefully these changes will put some excitement back into it. Of course, it might backfire and be a complete disaster, it wouldn't be the first time NASCAR screwed something up royally.
And you know what ? With this format, the champion last year would have got an incredible amount of zero victories, Dale Earnhardt Jr. It's incredible that they managed to get their gimmicky Chase even more gimmicky. Kudos to them for this. Thankfully, there's still the Trucks.
it certainly spruces it up no doubt about that, I'm neither for or against the new way just eager to see how it will pan out. Essentially now drivers have to go for wins alongside points to get into the Chase more which is a good thing. I agree some races are too long, they could do with having X number of Sprint races say less than 200 miles then X number over 350 or something. Still I'm looking forward too the new season same as ever, bring it on
Why don't they just skip the first 3000 laps, randomly remove 1/2 the field (simulates the wrecks but without the cost) then start the ones who remain at the final yellow with 10 laps to go. What they did with the Rolex 24 was detestable but predictable. Sports car racing in the US will take a long time to recover from this disaster. And it'll only recover after nascar dumps it and another entity with some sort of integrity runs it again
If you have to meddle with the point results of a series just to make it more interesting then perhaps something is wrong with the racing. Championship victories should be about season-long consistency or things like fighting back from poor early-season results...
I'm not sure what NASCAR has to do with the Rolex 24, or sports car racing at all? I don't get what you mean, sorry.
Indeed, great race, and memorable last chance qualifying race Grand Am was run by NASCAR guys, and so is the USCC apparently. He means the NASCAR yellows for invisibris to bunch the field and get a sprint to the finish. At Daytona, there was that yellow with 20 minutes to go for a car that kissed the wall, and immediately rejoined, even at Sonoma in NASCAR it doesn't get a yellow flag mid race...
Long races, fake yellow flags, funky rules, etc. NASCAR has been terrible for years and now they're dragging multiclass sports car racing into this. It's really bleak, and I feel no excitement for the new season no matter how many lucky dogs or qualified drivers for the "playoffs" are in this year. Awful series.
Ah, I see what you mean. I believe the guys that run the USCC are completely separate from NASCAR, but of course the big money players are all connected one way or another. Wouldn't surprise me to learn they are one in the same. The invisible debris stuff was a joke. I forgot about that, but now that you mention it, I bet it will happen even more this year, just to make sure someone new wins each week. I hope not, but the thought of it just brings my excitement down quite a bit for this season.
Unfortunately 'fans' are very quick to change channels when they decide something is boring. People not used to motorsport don't understand it's almost always about the car, and nearly all the time one car is faster than the rest. When that's not the case and it's a close battle fought to the wire, that's great. But trying to manufacture that every time is not only fake - it makes it less special. You need contrast or everything is grey.
Dont get me wrong with what im a bout to say but the existance of nascar is an atrosity to motorsports, should be banished from the face of the earth, this is only my opinion.
I don't think it's possible to take that in any way except the way it was intended Me, I can't stand chess. Never liked it, never cared enough to be any good when I did try playing it, and didn't like the way experienced chess players treat you like you're an idiot because you don't know how to best position your pieces and take control of the centre etc etc. If I never saw or had anything to do with chess again in my life I'd be more than happy about it. But other people like it, so good luck to them.
