[salomal-qask]

They have now also placed a six-race limit on the past champions' provisional.

Good move I'd say.

[Intiltern]

It's official now. Plus they added bonus points for each win in the 26 races before the chase, so a driver gets 10 bonus points added on for every win when the chase starts.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...d=2&id=2739091

[BILBONDER]

The Busch (or whatever it is now) series is another fuck-up. They need to limit the Cup guys in that series. I know they let them in for attendance, but I would like to see them all start in the rear or something. Maybe limit the amount of Busch Races a cup regular can run. Then limit the field to say 10 cup regulars.

It's the minor leagues!

Sure attendance would be great if Roger Clemens pitched once a week for a AAA team, but the minor leagues are there to develop players.

Mark Martin's pointless dominance of the Busch Series is why I'm glad he never got his Cup Championship.

[DoroKickcrofe]

NASCAR finalizing plan to change Chase field to 12

By David Newton
ESPN.com





DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Staying within 400 points of the lead no longer will be a factor to get in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
A source close to NASCAR said the governing body is finalizing a plan that will allow the top 12 in points in the 10-race playoff with no provision for how many points a driver is from the lead.
The top 10 and anybody within 400 points after 26 races qualified for the playoff during the first three years of the Chase.
But because the 400-point margin hasn't been a factor -- seven or fewer drivers were within that range from 2004-06 -- NASCAR decided to set a hard number.
Barring a last-minute change, that number will be 12. NASCAR also will award 10 more points to the winner after running several models that showed after 10 the system created more runaway scenarios.
An official announcement will come later this month at the media tour in Charlotte.
Having 12 drivers would have kept four-time champion Jeff Gordon from missing the Chase in 2005 and two-time champion Tony Stewart from missing it last year. Gordon was 12th after 26 races and Stewart 11th.
Kasey Kahne is afraid expanding the field to 12 will reduce the drama at Richmond, where the field is set, because fewer drivers will be within striking distance.
In 2004, drivers between eighth and 15th were separated by 76 points going to Richmond. That meant five of eight drivers were at risk of missing the playoff, a number that would be reduced to three with 12 guaranteed spots.
A year ago, positions six through 11 were separated by 77 points but sixth through 12 were separated by 273.
"There was as much pressure for me going into the final five races as I've ever had," said Kahne, who was on the bubble going to Richmond despite having a series-high five wins. "It was exciting.
"I think 10 guys is pretty good. From sixth to probably 13th was pretty close. If you put more in, there won't be quite so much on the line."
NASCAR officials considered putting in a provision that would allow a driver with the most wins outside the Chase in the playoff, but decided against it.
They also decided against expanding the 400-point margin to another figure such as 500.
Kevin Harvick, who won the Busch Series title and finished fourth to Jimmie Johnson in the Cup Series, is fine with whatever system NASCAR picks. "In the end, the guy who had the best year won the championship," he said of Johnson. "If we had the old points system he'd have won the championship."

[Flerdourdyged]

I figured they'd tweak something, but I was hoping they'd adjust the point awarding system before allowing 2 extra drivers into the chase.

I still think that if they award more points to race winners, a lot of the discontent goes away and you can keep the chase at 10 drivers.

But I'm YOM. I know nothing.

[Kiliunjubl]

We have to make sure Gordon, Earnhardt, and Stewart make the chase.

Even if it has to be expanded to 25 teams.

[MedicineForUs]

We have to make sure Gordon, Earnhardt, and Stewart make the chase.

Even if it has to be expanded to 25 teams.

Thats what I was thinking.

Next year 15, then 18, then 20, etc...

BTW, I just found out that my sister in laws brother is going to be working for Ryan Neuman

[Roneyslelry]

Thats what I was thinking.

Next year 15, then 18, then 20, etc...

BTW, I just found out that my sister in laws brother is going to be working for Ryan Neuman

Then you should learn that his name is spelled Newman.

I hope he has a backup plan, that team is getting ready to explode. Newman's been making cracks about how unhappy he is that his crew chief was fired.

[lidya-sggf]

Then you should learn that his name is spelled Newman.

I hope he has a backup plan, that team is getting ready to explode. Newman's been making cracks about how unhappy he is that his crew chief was fired.

Nice.

Can't you tell I watch alot of Nascar?

[WaydayTew]

We have to make sure Gordon, Earnhardt, and Stewart make the chase.

Even if it has to be expanded to 25 teams.

That is indeed pretty irritating, but NASCAR sold out years ago and it's all about ratings and sponsors and the money that the aforementioned brings. The ratings and sponsors come when the popular guys are in the chase. It's a dirty cycle. But it's today's NASCAR, sadly.

[Scfdglkn]

Tony Stewart's take on the proposed change:

"I still think it should only be 10," Stewart said. "I mean, what's next? It goes from 12 to 15 two more years down the road and then it goes from 15 to 20 and this and that?
"No more than 12 -- it shouldn't have been more than 10 to begin with [because] that's a quarter of the field. Why do we need to bring in more than that?"

Additionally, something I didn't include in the original post is that part of this proposal by NASCAR is to reward 10 additional points to race winners. In my opinion, if they do that, Stewart is right and there is no need to expand the Chase drivers to 12. I sincerely believe that rewarding more points to race champions solves a large portion of the existing problem.

Link for Stewart quote: http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/head...fle/index.html

[enasseneiff]

NASCAR jumped the shark with its original "chase" idea.

It is now jumping the Barracudas, electric eels, and the Stingrays.

"Hey guys, let's take a bad idea and make it worse".

They should retun to the original format and just award 50 points more to the winner.

The chase is lame and it always will be.

[Johnny]

NASCAR jumped the shark with its original "chase" idea.

It is now jumping the Barracudas, electric eels, and the Stingrays.

"Hey guys, let's take a bad idea and make it worse".

They should retun to the original format and just award 50 points more to the winner.

The chase is lame and it always will be.

Eh. I'm going to disagree with that. I'm not anti-Chase, I just think it needs tweaked, which they appear to be doing.

The Chase prevents a driver from doing what Kevin Harvick did this year in the Busch series, which is to clinch the Championship weeks before the final race. For that reason alone, the Chase is a good thing. It guarantees that there will be 10 drivers on an even slate with 10 races remaining.

Now, because of the Chase format, and the fact that it hurtyou MUCH more to get a DNF than winning a race would benefit you, drivers have been "points racing" and just trying to not have a bad day, rather than trying to win or have a great day. That hurt the sport a bit. But now, if they reward the race winners more, like they speculate that they might, things get much, much better for the Chase.

[realfan87]

Eh. I'm going to disagree with that. I'm not anti-Chase, I just think it needs tweaked, which they appear to be doing.

The Chase prevents a driver from doing what Kevin Harvick did this year in the Busch series, which is to clinch the Championship weeks before the final race. For that reason alone, the Chase is a good thing. It guarantees that there will be 10 drivers on an even slate with 10 races remaining.

Now, because of the Chase format, and the fact that it hurtyou MUCH more to get a DNF than winning a race would benefit you, drivers have been "points racing" and just trying to not have a bad day, rather than trying to win or have a great day. That hurt the sport a bit. But now, if they reward the race winners more, like they speculate that they might, things get much, much better for the Chase.

The Busch (or whatever it is now) series is another fuck-up. They need to limit the Cup guys in that series. I know they let them in for attendance, but I would like to see them all start in the rear or something. Maybe limit the amount of Busch Races a cup regular can run. Then limit the field to say 10 cup regulars.

It's the minor leagues!

Sure attendance would be great if Roger Clemens pitched once a week for a AAA team, but the minor leagues are there to develop players.

[TolleyBoymn]

The Busch (or whatever it is now) series is another fuck-up. They need to limit the Cup guys in that series. I know they let them in for attendance, but I would like to see them all start in the rear or something. Maybe limit the amount of Busch Races a cup regular can run. Then limit the field to say 10 cup regulars.

It's the minor leagues!

Sure attendance would be great if Roger Clemens pitched once a week for a AAA team, but the minor leagues are there to develop players.

Now I'm with you on that. Last year I discussed this numerous times, and I still believe now what I did then:

Limit each Cup Driver to 10 Busch races per season. They can pick and choose which races they run. Your idea of limiting Busch races to only 10 Cup regulars is a good one, except NASCAR will tell you that wouldn't be enough to fill the field. Personally, I say screw that crap. Why must there be "X" amount of cars in the field for the Busch race? If you limit it to 10 Cup Regs, and you end up with, say, 29 drivers for a race....so friggin be it. Run the race with 29 drivers.

But again, NASCAR is a business, and like any business they are trying to attract fans and make money. If that means allowing unlimited Cup regulars in the races, and allowing said regulars to run as many races as they want, they'll do it.

I was surprised enough that they have entertained the idea of tweaking the Chase format. I'd be downright shocked and awed if they actually tried to fix the Busch series. A Cup Regular will win it again next year, and probably the year after that. Younger drivers will continue to have virtually no platform in which to develop and compete to move up. And that's pretty shitty.