Any Sprint Cup NASCAR fans out there

[Car-Guy]

Any Sprint Cup NASCAR fans out there?

Tomorrow the race is at Talladega Super speedway. One of my favorite tracks. This is the last race in the Contender round and I'm afraid my two favorite drivers (Johnson and Earnhardt) may be eliminated from this years chase. I hope one of them makes it to the next round otherwise I think my interest in the rest of the season may drop off.

It just doesn't seem right (never has) that driver(s) with "zero" wins for the entire season can progress to the next round(s) while driver(s) with multiple wins can be eliminated. I understand that NASCAR is trying to make it more interesting to the fans, but it's not working for me.

 

[eytonxav]

I have never become interested in NASCAR. I am an F1 fan, followed by GT, then Indy and lastly would be NASCAR when they drive on road courses.

 

[MBAustin]

I am a fan and agree with Car-Guy that the new playoff format isn't quite working out the way a lot of folks thought it would. I suspect we'll see more tweaks on the chase format next year.

I'm actually going to my first in-person race at Texas in 2 weeks. Very excited. Too bad it's the same weekend as F1 in Austin which is also on my bucket list, maybe next year.

Edit 1: I'm a Jeff Gordon fan and really would love to see him win it all again this year.

Edit 2: I am not a Talladega fan - too much of a crap shoot.

 

[Car-Guy]

I have never become interested in NASCAR. I am an F1 fan, followed by GT, then Indy and lastly would be NASCAR when they drive on road courses.

I actually prefer the NASCAR road race courses over the "various ovals". (e.g. Sonoma and Watkins Glen) but I like the bigger ovals too. (Talladega and Daytona) I like F1 racing too, especially when the track is on closed city streets.

 

[eytonxav]

There is nothing like the sound of 18K RPM F1 motor, unless one prefers AA/FD.

I've been to races at Monza, Italy and the Glen. Still need to make it down to Austin.

 

[pb4uski]

I like the new format. Makes things interesting. Go big or go home (actually just out of the championship chase).

 

[Texas Proud]

I have never like any version of "The Chase".....

There are 36 ish races in the year (not sure the exact amount).... the chase is the last 10....


SOOOO, say you win the first 26 races and are in the chase... get knocked out in ONE of the races in the chase... finish in second in all other races.... you still have a chance of LOSING the championship...


This is not a team sport where you play heads up with someone else and they have a chance to beat you head to head.... this is who is the best driver for the season....



I do like road races better.... but to me F1 is not competitive... there are a couple of teams who dominate and then the also rans..... I do like watching, but it is not the same....

 

[Car-Guy]

I'm not sure what disappoints me more.

The fact that my two favorite drivers where eliminated from the chase today (Johnson and Earnhardt) and both had 3 wins each this season or that two drivers (Newman and Kenseth) progress to the eliminator round and neither one has won a race this year. I think the best Newman has done this season is 3rd place in one race. At least Kenseth came in second place in a couple of races (I think)

I wonder if the guys that came up with this years chase formal either got hold of some bad moonshine or they left the engines running again with the garage doors shut.

 

[pb4uski]

Sounds like sour grapes to me. All competitors knew the rules long ago and what they had to do to get in and get to the next round, and they didn't perform as needed, so what's the problem? FWIW, my favorite didn't even get in, though I do like a couple of the remaining contenders.

It pained me that Keselowski found a way to weasel his sorry a** into the next round but the fact is that he needed a win to advance and found a way to get the win.

 

[Ronstar]

I follow Nascar a little, but not as much as I used to. I watched almost every race from 2002 to 2009, but slumped off from 2010 to 2013. I'm starting to watch/listen a little this year during the chase, but the new format puzzles me.

 

[Car-Guy]

Sounds like sour grapes to me. All competitors knew the rules long ago and what they had to do to get in and get to the next round, and they didn't perform as needed, so what's the problem? FWIW, my favorite didn't even get in, though I do like a couple of the remaining contenders.

It pained me that Keselowski found a way to weasel his sorry a** into the next round but the fact is that he needed a win to advance and found a way to get the win.

Sour Grapes - Not really, I didn't like the new formula from the start of the season
The problem - IMHO this chase formula hurts the sport
Keselowski - He's certainly not on my favorite list either

 

[imoldernu]

I go to Nascar almost every week on Raceview, sharing it with my son. Enjoy the multi facet pits. onboard radio in each car, virtual front, side, back views, cockpit speed acceleration and last time from leader, the instantaneous place/activity for every driver, and dozens more features...
Wouldn't pay for it myself, but he's a real sports nut and that works for him.

DW and I have an ongoing competition... me Jeff Gordon, she Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Carl Edwards, and whoever is near the lead the start of the race.
Raceview on my computer, and Nascar on the TV, where we switch back and forth.

I have two cousins who are in their later 60's who still race in Rhode Island , at Seekonk Speedway. A family tradition.

...adding a memory:
Haven't been to any auto race, since 1950, at the Lonsdale Sports Arena. First blacktop oval in New England. My Jr. High School classmate Bobby Sosville, who was 15 at the time, built his own car and entered races... including the demolition derby. In 1949 came the ruling about seat belts. Bobby didn't have enough money to buy store boughten seat belts, so he cut his uncle's leather belt in half and sewed it to the seat. His car number was double zero. Things were different then .

 

[Car-Guy]

...adding a memory:
Haven't been to any auto race, since 1950, at the Lonsdale Sports Arena. First blacktop oval in New England. My Jr. High School classmate Bobby Sosville, who was 15 at the time, built his own car and entered races... including the demolition derby. In 1949 came the ruling about seat belts. Bobby didn't have enough money to buy store boughten seat belts, so he cut his uncle's leather belt in half and sewed it to the seat. His car number was double zero. Things were different then .

Yes, things are different now. Change is inevitable, and there's no doubt that many changes in racing have been for the better, particularly in the area of safety. But, to be honest, I liked the days of stock car racing better when the cars were stock. (Well, maybe heavily modify stock) As Robert Duvall said in the ~1990 movie, The Days of Thunder. ("There's nothing stock about a stock car") How true that has been in NASCAR since the early 70's.

 

[martyb]

I grew up in a town with a popular NASCAR track (Rockingham, NC). Unfortunately, after a bunch of years of being one of the hot tracks, NASCAR abandoned it in favor of the bigger tracks in bigger markets. I understand that it was of course, about the money. The local businesses sure miss the income from the races, though. There are now a handful of smaller events being held at the track, and also at the drag strip across the highway from "The Rock". I don't really follow NASCAR too much these days.