Sure, the new system rewards risk takers, focusing on wins. And ONLY wins. But it also sharpens the focus on luck, both good and bad, more than any other process they've ever come up with.
Bad luck could possibly stop a driver's season in a single race. While good luck for a 25th-place team could have them holding a trophy over their head.
Does that sound right to you?
In a 2010 survey that NASCAR held, it said that fans wanted elimination rounds and one-race playoffs. But who chimed in on that survey? Survey hounds? The doomsayers who always speak up on the web? Or the masses that make up the core of TV fans of NASCAR?
One of Brian France's statements was that the majority of fans don't like points racing. Are these the same fans that TV networks cater to, with replayed race wrecks? Those aren't fans. Those are lookey loos. I've seen it in sports bars. The only time the crowd looks at the NASCAR TV is during the wreck footage networks continually pitch out there to viewers to sell the sport.
Phhffft.
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NASCAR's new rules for winning the championship turns a blind eye towards the establishment of using points to win a contest. It turns a blind eye towards consistent participation and performance results. They've just made this the new reality TV of an all-or-nothing sport.
We saw the new qualifying process which was a great change, making qualifying a bit more susceptible to on-track situations and maybe a more fun to experience. Not to mention making for a shorter qualifying process that can take less time on TV.
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The changes we're seeing for the Chase is that now there will be 16 cars in the field of the Chase, up from 12.
To qualify, anyone with a win from the regular season gets in the Chase field. Fifteen contenders will get in on wins, the 16th will be by points. If they don't have 15 winners after the first 26 races, then, and only then, will points be used to fill out the field.
(Looking back in past seasons, they'll have plenty of takers, so I don't think they'll be using points to fill in the field.)
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Once in the chase, cars will be eliminated every 3 races (a round) until we're down to the final 4 competitors at Homestead.
In each round, if someone wins a race, they move on. If not, accrued points will decide who moves on.
Though if the best driver gets a flat tire in this process of elimination rounds and doesn't recover, there goes his chances of struggling back into the top spots.
And how will Homestead be the deciding factor for champion? It's a winner take all mentality, as who ever of the four cars beats out the other three to the checkered flag will be crowned the NASCAR champion. Whether they win or come in 38th, as long as they beat out the other three.
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When NASCAR invented "The Chase," it used to be 10 drivers angling for that trophy or 23% of the field.
Now, they have 16 cars, or 37% of the field contending for the trophy. If we leave well enough alone, sooner or later, they'll have the entire field back in it! It's that full-circle thing.
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For me, here's where the concern sets in...
I'm trying to appreciate the change incorporated by NASCAR to make the sport more exciting, but all it has done is violate the tradition of a points-based system and performing consistently.
I wonder if it was NASCAR that truly made this change? I've seen hints from various sources that the real money folks, those paying huge television rights monies to NASCAR, have a pretty solid say in some aspects of the sport. But I digress...
With this elimination round scenario, I presume, is an attempt to make the sport more exciting or appealing. But appealing to the new fan, not the established fan.
In my eyes, this has the word disappointment written all over it.
NASCAR said they're looking to put the emphasis back on winning which has me wondering why they could not just buffer a win with more points instead of this elimination process?
Looking back over past seasons, had this new "scoring elimination" process been used, the fields for the Chase would have looked different as some drivers would have dropped out while others would have slid in with wins, even if they were 26th in points in the field.
In 2012, the 17th and 18th finishing drivers would have qualified. In 2011, the 13th, 14th, 17th, 19th, 23rd and 26th place teams would have qualified to contend for the Chase.
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Other aspects of this new system seem to make it possible to amplify actions from "boys have at it."
It impacts or brings to light, more concerns about "team orders," to help those who might need a win.
It amplifies bad LUCK, and will punish risk takers that lose. Talladega is in the Chase. That's the crap-shoot race that can take out 10, 15 or 20 cars in a single wreck. Thus, Talladega could decide someone's fate for the entire season. This and other restrictor plate tracks where anyone, even Danica Patrick, could end up winning.
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What this new system of "scoring" or "elimination trails" has done, is take the primary focus off the building up of points as the way to win the year.
If my driver wins Daytona, I do not need to tune back in until the Chase starts, and then, only every few races to see what happens to him.
And depending on what four drivers might be left at Homestead, it could be a good thing, or it could be a flat-liner for TV ratings. (Not likely, but still.)
Now, without the entire season of points building up from race to race, fans can cherry pick the races they want to watch their driver in.
And if my driver gets eliminated before or early on in the Chase, I'm not sure I would care any more about watching the rest of the season.
In a WORSE CASE SCENARIO, as the last race of the season starts, and there's a wreck in the first few laps, eliminating all four Championship contending drivers from the rest of the day, then what? Who ever got the best credited finish, no matter who it is, will be the champion?
I know... that's an extreme example but dang, it could happen.
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NASCAR is an automotive sport, based, oh, sorry, used to be based on hard work building points throughout a season. Not this last-game-of-the-series crap. This sport isn't about two teams facing off against each other. It's an entire field of cars facing off with each other every week. And now the winner can eliminate 42 other teams in a single race/round.
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Winning is now the more important aspect of the sport. I've never seen a sport where charging out the gate as hard as possible is the best plan. Ever. Not in marathon running, not in chess, not in any war game. Not in anything. There's pacing, tactics and planning.
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Admittedly, the perspectives that have come to mind are all worse case scenarios. More than likely, we'll see the cream of the crop rise to the top, as is always the case.
I have a strong disdain for how they're handling this last race of the season with this winner-take-all mode at Homestead. This diminishes the entire process of using points.
This new system, racing for the chase, can reward someone with a lucky win and luck of the draw set of performances.That's luck, not skill. And that is what can win the season. This, potentially, could be making a joke out of NASCAR in the auto racing industry, because, as we've all seen over the years, flukes DO HAPPEN.
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With that said, come season's end, we'll see how everyone embraces the process and how the usual crowd of drivers will probably be at the top, contending to win the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.
Or not.
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