NASCAR Championship RANT

[Car-Guy]

OK, NASCAR fans, next week is the final and championship race for the 2014 season. Some of you probably know (from other posts that I have made) that I never liked this year’s chase formula. However, everyone knew from the start what the rules would be this year. That’s the way it is, like it or not.

So Ryan Newman will be one of the four drivers in the championship race next week and he has not won a single race this year while 10 other drivers who have won races are now out of the chase. Several have won multiple races and are out.

The only good news (IMHO) is that Brad Keselowski, was eliminated from the chase this week. (and he’s won more races (6 in total) than anyone else this year How odd is that!

I’m not sure what will happen next week, but it is very possible, that Ryan Newman could become the 2014 Sprint Cup champion without winning a single race all year, including the final and championship race. If he does win the championship, I hope it’s because he wins (comes in 1st place) the final race and not just on this stupid chase formula.
OK, my NASCAR formula rant is over, for now.

 

[samclem]

NASCAR--is that the "race" where the cars are deliberately restricted in how powerful the engines can be, where they were still forced to use carburetors 20 years after US passenger cars had moved on to fuel injection, where all the turns are the same way, and where grandstand attendance has been declining for years? It sounds like the arcane formula they use to pick their "champion" is the least of their troubles. (There--THAT ought to stir things up . . .)

 

[imoldernu]

Rant... +1
Been following Jeff Gordon since for over 20 years... and ditto the Keselowski thinking.
Nascar rules are almost as bad as the Nascar Website that has my vote for the worst on the internet.
Anyone who can make sense out of the rules is either brilliant or warped. Give it a try here:
Chase 101: All you need to know

 

[Car-Guy]

NASCAR--is that the "race" where the cars are deliberately restricted in how powerful the engines can be, where they were still forced to use carburetors 20 years after US passenger cars had moved on to fuel injection, where all the turns are the same way, and where grandstand attendance has been declining for years?

Well, yes for the most part. They do have a couple of road race courses - not all tracks are ovals of various lengths. As I've often said, I think they should either use stock cars (albeit modified like they did back in the 60's and early 70's) or change the name of NASCAR racing to something else. After all NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. There's nothing stock about stock car racing these days.

Sorry, I thought my RANT was done for today.

 

[Car-Guy]

Rant... +1
Been following Jeff Gordon since for over 20 years... and ditto the Keselowski thinking.
Nascar rules are almost as bad as the Nascar Website that has my vote for the worst on the internet.
Anyone who can make sense out of the rules is either brilliant or warped. Give it a try here:
Chase 101: All you need to know

Yes, I always like Jeff too. (He's in my top 5 favorite drivers) To bad he was eliminated in today's race too.

 

[pb4uski]

I have only casually watched NASCAR the last couple years (followed it more before). I actually like the new elimination round format. However, I don't like that the championship will be determined by a single race.

I am very happy Keselowski is out. What a bonehead. It would be nice if one of the competitors would punch him in the mouth so he chould at least get his teeth fixed in the off-season.

 

[MBAustin]

Another disappointed Jeff Gordon fan here.

My first in-person race was last week at Texas Motor Speedway. Seats in between turns 1-2, so saw Brad's move as it happened. But I'll agree with the other drivers and the commentators that if he would just man up for what he did and talk to Jeff, it wouldn't have been so ugly.

Very disappointed that he missed out on this chance for 5 championships, but if his pit crew had gotten him out in front of the pack on the restart last week so he didn't go 2 laps down, he would have been in. No one has talked about that, at least not that I've seen.

All that said, there are 4 great drivers in the final who will all be going for their first championship, so I hope Jeff wins the race next week and whoever is next behind him will enjoy the championship and realize that it really should have been Gordon's 5th. Just my opinion.

 

[Goonie]

I've been watching NASCAR for about 16 years, and absolutely hate the "Chase" deal. I think they should roll it back to the way it used to be. Let ALL 43 drivers stay in the running until the last race, and whoever has the most points at that very last race wins the whole enchilada!

It used to be that I never wanted to miss a single race, but anymore, I really couldn't care less about watching it. Like today, instead of watching the race I went for a long walk, then stopped at the coffee shop for a little over an hour to visit with friends. After the coffee stop I continued on my long walk again. By the time I got back home, the race was over! I think I may gave watched one or two full races this year. Hopefully next year will be better, and I can miss them all.

I guess I just got spoiled as a kid going to the local track and watching a bunch of local, amateur, good ol' boys giving it their all, to try to win a whopping $50 or $100 kitty!

And I agree, the NASCAR website has to be the worst (or nearly so) on the world wide interweb. I think whoever designed it, must have been the same one that came up with the design of the Chase. Pathetic.

 

[Texas Proud]

I hate the current format, but as the OP said, they knew the rules at the start of the season...


I really HOPE that Ryan Newman wins the championship WITHOUT winning a single race... that would put some heat in the system to change the rules...


I think the champion (at least in racing) is the best driver over the course of a full racing season... as I had pointed out in a previous rant, someone could win 30 races (heck, maybe even 34) and still lose the championship... how stupid is that

 

[pb4uski]

That is what I dislike about the "final" only being one race. A driver could theoretically win every race before Homestead and lose the championship with a stumble at Homestead.

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

I agree with Goonie.

 

[MBAustin]

That is what I dislike about the "final" only being one race. A driver could theoretically win every race before Homestead and lose the championship with a stumble at Homestead.

I've had the same thoughts, but then I think about other sports and many of them have a "win or out" playoff system. An NFL team could go undefeated through the regular season and playoffs and lose the Super Bowl. A soccer team could win all of its World Cup games up until the final and lose - maybe even in a penalty kick shootout. So I guess the new chase format is more reflective of our general sports culture than the old way.

I expect they'll stick with the new format with some tweaks.

 

[Car-Guy]

I really HOPE that Ryan Newman wins the championship WITHOUT winning a single race... that would put some heat in the system to change the rules...

You might be right and it could happen that way. Heck he could come in 20th place (or even worse) at Homestead and it's possible he could still become the champion.

 

[Texas Proud]

I've had the same thoughts, but then I think about other sports and many of them have a "win or out" playoff system. An NFL team could go undefeated through the regular season and playoffs and lose the Super Bowl. A soccer team could win all of its World Cup games up until the final and lose - maybe even in a penalty kick shootout. So I guess the new chase format is more reflective of our general sports culture than the old way.

I expect they'll stick with the new format with some tweaks.

Yea, it is kinda different with team sports when they have a playoff... but racing has always been a sport that takes into account the whole season.... all the other NASCAR sponsored series still do it the old way...


Also, when you are in the playoffs you are ONLY playing your opponent... you do not have 30 something other cars that can knock you out of the race and the championship....


I agree... it is here for now... unless there is enough uproar if the winner is someone who never actually won.... but that might take a few years of it happening to change....

 

[Car-Guy]

Well as it turned out Ryan Newman lost by about a second. Fortunately, a very deserving driver (Kevin Harvick) won the race and this years championship. Hopefully NASCAR will adjust the way chase formula works next year so that "winless drivers" can't make it to the championship race.

 

[MBAustin]

I agree, although I like Newman as a driver - and Logano also - I was pulling for Harvick or Hamlin.

I also agree they need to tweak the chase points a bit. Jeff Gordon had a suggestion http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-me...gordon-ford-ecoboost-400-miami-homestead.html

Anyway, good for Kevin and can't wait until Daytona in February.

FYI - it is not easy to watch a NASCAR race at a NYC sports bar. They acted like they didn't know what it was.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[pb4uski]

....FYI - it is not easy to watch a NASCAR race at a NYC sports bar. They acted like they didn't know what it was. ....

There is probably a good reason for that... they don't have much of a clue... they prefer to watch the NY Giants lose.

I thought it was a good race and a good result. Of the four chanpionship round contenders, Harvick was my favorite though anyone but Logano would have been fine with me. Logano's jackman must be feeling really bad this morning but I'm not sure if he really had the car to win anyway.

FWIW as I recall it was quite possible for a winless driver to win the championship under the old system so I don't see that having a win during the season should be a prerequisite - if it should be then they should just say so.

 

[Car-Guy]

.

FWIW as I recall it was quite possible for a winless driver to win the championship under the old system so I don't see that having a win during the season should be a prerequisite - if it should be then they should just say so.

You may be correct. They have changed the rules a number of times over the years although I don't believe a winless driver has ever won the championship "as it almost happened this year". For myself, I think I would be "okay" with the new chase format if they would simply add a provision that to be in contention for the championship race, you must have at least one win for the season. I doubt that any system will please everyone, but to me, winning a race during the season should be a prerequisite to becoming the champion. (past, present or future formats)

 

[kombat]

racing has always been a sport

Whoa, whoa, slow down there. Who said racing was a "sport?" It's a "sport" in the same way poker is a "sport" (in that it requires absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever, but for some reason is still broadcast on ESPN).

 

[REWahoo]

Whoa, whoa, slow down there. Who said racing was a "sport?"

Oh, is this the "racing isn't a sport" rant thread? I'm so confused...

 

[pb4uski]

You may be correct. They have changed the rules a number of times over the years although I don't believe a winless driver has ever won the championship "as it almost happened this year". For myself, I think I would be "okay" with the new chase format if they would simply add a provision that to be in contention for the championship race, you must have at least one win for the season. I doubt that any system will please everyone, but to me, winning a race during the season should be a prerequisite to becoming the champion. (past, present or future formats)

I actually sort of like the elimination format and the drama that it adds. The only change I would make is to make the championship a series of say, 3 races rather than a single race. That said, it was interesting that all four contenders were in the top ten for most of the day yesterday until Logano's car fell of the jack in the late going.

I'm indifferent as to whether one should have to win a race during the season in order to either make the chase or win a championship.

Whoa, whoa, slow down there. Who said racing was a "sport?" It's a "sport" in the same way poker is a "sport" (in that it requires absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever, but for some reason is still broadcast on ESPN).

And yes, auto racing is a sport that requires significant hand-eye coordination, reflexes and stamina. If auto racing isn't a sport, then golf, sailboat racing and many other recognized sports would be in question too. I see a fair amount of overweight baseball players but no overweight Nascar drivers that come to mind right away.

 

[Car-Guy]

Whoa, whoa, slow down there. Who said racing was a "sport?" It's a "sport" in the same way poker is a "sport" (in that it requires absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever, but for some reason is still broadcast on ESPN).

Maybe you are right- At least Donavan McNabb seems to agree with you.

 

[Car-Guy]

I see a fair amount of overweight baseball players but no overweight Nascar drivers that come to mind right away.

Not when they drive around for 3 to 4 hours at speeds of up to 200+ MPH in a full fire-suit with the car interiors that can reach 140 degrees.

 

[imoldernu]

Anyone notice the split screen commercial/race thing? DW and I counted 6 1/2 minutes continuous commercials at one point, and five or six of the twelve mid-race action events were not shown live, because of commercials.
We americans are a patient sort. How like sheep we are, paying Comcast or DirecTV $1,000.00 year to watch commercials.

 

[Car-Guy]

Anyone notice the split screen commercial/race thing? DW and I counted 6 1/2 minutes continuous commercials at one point, and five or six of the twelve mid-race action events were not shown live, because of commercials.
We americans are a patient sort. How like sheep we are, paying Comcast or DirecTV $1,000.00 year to watch commercials.

Yes I noticed the split screen commercials too. With the exceptions of football games and racing (which I like to watch live), the DW and I record just about everything else on the DVR so we can watch it when we like and zip thru the commercials.