NASCAR puts in new points system

[Steve Mehs]

I like it! Anything that will do away with the retarded Chase I'm all for. May need a few tweaks, but if they go to this system I may make yet another attempt to start following it again.

AP Source: NASCAR may scrap points system - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

 

[Jimbo]

I like it! Anything that will do away with the retarded Chase I'm all for. May need a few tweaks, but if they go to this system I may make yet another attempt to start following it again.

AP Source: NASCAR may scrap points system - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

Looks like they are NOT doing away with the Chase at all according to this article.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Well that blows. The article was updated shortly after I posted the link.

 

[dfergie]

NASCAR sets up simpler point system - NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN

 

[SamCdbs]

Mr. France:

- The network empty suits told you that this "chase" was a good idea. It was not.

- The "sky is falling" over-reactors told you that you had to eliminate racing back to the caution, which had been safely used for 50 years. You did not.

- The GM mis-management told you that it was tired of actually competing and wanted a spec "car of tommorrow" where makes have been reduced to just another sticker sponsor. This was dumb.

- Hendrick told you that it was a good idea for him to own half the field, so he could spread the cost of vastly costly investments over 10-15 sponsorship groups. It was not.

- Now, with it all coming down around you, the hangers on are telling you to change the points system.

You are not the man your father and grandfather were. You are not even the man your sister Leza is. You are over your head.

Fix NASCAR. Repeal every change made since 2001. Then turn the deal over to Leza or to somebody you hire that knows what they are doing. Then move to Boca Raton and live the playboy born rich Florida life you were cut out for.

 

[Ramy]

I like the changes, but that isn't enough to bring me back.

 

[stimpson]

Mr. France:

- The "sky is falling" over-reactors told you that you had to eliminate racing back to the caution, which had been safely used for 50 years. You did not.

They haven't raced back to the yellow since after the DJ incedent at Louden in 2003.

- The GM mis-management told you that it was tired of actually competing and wanted a spec "car of tommorrow" where makes have been reduced to just another sticker sponsor. This was dumb.

They are trying to get back to having a more manufacturer specif identity.

- Hendrick told you that it was a good idea for him to own half the field, so he could spread the cost of vastly costly investments over 10-15 sponsorship groups. It was not.

Wow. Half the field. I thought he only had a four car team.

 

[Ramy]

I believe they stopped racing back because of Robbie Gordon. Might be the same race you are talking about, because I don't remember when, but he was going full force when the yellow came out and took the lead in the race because all the front runners slowed down to let lapped cars get their laps back and R.Gordon never slowed down and took the lead.

 

[stimpson]

Found this on Wki.

2003 Sylvania 300The 2003 race marked the last time that the long-standing NASCAR rule of racing back to a yellow caution flag was in place. During the race, Dale Jarrett spun and hit the wall in turn 4 and came to rest in the middle of the racetrack's front stretch. Leaders slowed down except Michael Waltrip, who attempted to put several cars a lap down; he and others raced past Jarrett's immobilized car at full speed and some barely avoided contact with him. Beginning with the next race, the MBNA America 400 at Dover, in addition to other rule changes for the Cup, Busch, and Truck series, NASCAR outlawed racing back to the caution. Instead, NASCAR froze the field immediately at the caution and allowed the first car one lap down (or multiple laps down, if there were no cars one lap down) to rejoin the lead lap; this is officially called the "free pass" by NASCAR but is widely known by fans and journalists as the "lucky dog" rule.

 

[Ramy]

Oh, well the R.Gordon incident must have happened before that.

 

[SamCdbs]

As to the 50 year safe practice of racing back to the caution, the key word in all of these reports is, of course, "almost". Before, the racing was much more interesting. During green, there was the drama of trying to stay "on the tail end of the lead lap". Then during a caution, the drama of the race back, and the intrigue of who might let a buddy back and who might race somebody hard. The the pit stop. Now, with pit crews trained to perfection, if the caution comes out, come back in 20 minutes. NOTHING important will have happened. The NASCAR decline started the day of this over-reaction to an event that DID NOT HAPPEN.

As to Hendrick, between cars he admits to owning, cars he owns in secret, cars that he supplies engines for and so on, he controls 40% of the field. That means, if he wants to spend $X to make the cars 0.000001% faster, he can spread that investment over 10-20 sponsorshps. Other have to keep up with only 2 or 3 or 4 cars. It is his "secret" to dominating.

And the wisdom of this is shown in the seas of empty seats and in the cut by 40% or more TV ratings.

France is in over his head. Its time men ran the sport and demanded men race in it.

 

[stimpson]

I'm sure NASCAR didn't want to wait for something to happen before implementing the Lucky Dog rule. Unlike they did with the start of the pit road speed limits.

 

[talos4]

IF 50 years of supposed safe practice and "almost" issues is to be the standard to follow consider:

The sport would have:

No driver fire suits.
No pit crew fire suits,
No drivers side safety nets,
No tubular frames,
No full body harness's,
No full face helmets,
No helmets on pit crew members,
No Hans,
No fuel cells,
No soft walls,

Then consider:

That open gate coming out of turn 4 at Bristol would still be open.

What do all of these have in common?

Every one of these and many, many more I haven't listed was the result of injury or death at the track.

Should NASCAR have waited until the inevitable ACTUAL "T-bone" on the track to stop racing to the caution flag?

Consider TV ratings and attendance:

Most sports have seen a decline in both Attendance and TV Ratings.

While the Mighty NFL is certainly enjoying good TV ratings, they have shown a decline in recent years.

Event attendance is another matter.

There were 26 home market blackouts this past season. Overall attendance is down 5%. The Jacksonville Jaguars have permanently closed seating sections during NFL games in order to avoid a blackout by needing to sell fewer tickets. How'd that work out?

How much $$ do you have to drop in order to go to an NFL game, NBA, MLB NASCAR etc?

In my case here in Milwaukee, When they STILL had a NW race I dropped over $300 in tickets, parking and a little food. Travel was not a part of the cost. I live a mile from the track.

With a 52" HD display, 5.1 surround sound, comfy chair, homebrew beer, why would I drop that kind of cash on a sporting event?

 

[stimpson]

IF 50 years of supposed safe practice and "almost" issues is to be the standard to follow consider:

The sport would have:

No driver fire suits.
No pit crew fire suits,
No drivers side safety nets,
No tubular frames,
No full body harness's,
No full face helmets,
No helmets on pit crew members,
No Hans,
No fuel cells,
No soft walls,

Then consider:

That open gate coming out of turn 4 at Bristol would still be open.

What do all of these have in common?

Every one of these and many, many more I haven't listed was the result of injury or death at the track.

Should NASCAR have waited until the inevitable ACTUAL "T-bone" on the track to stop racing to the caution flag?

Consider TV ratings and attendance:

Most sports have seen a decline in both Attendance and TV Ratings.

While the Mighty NFL is certainly enjoying good TV ratings, they have shown a decline in recent years.

Event attendance is another matter.

There were 26 home market blackouts this past season. Overall attendance is down 5%. The Jacksonville Jaguars have permanently closed seating sections during NFL games in order to avoid a blackout by needing to sell fewer tickets. How'd that work out?

How much $$ do you have to drop in order to go to an NFL game, NBA, MLB NASCAR etc?

In my case here in Milwaukee, When they STILL had a NW race I dropped over $300 in tickets, parking and a little food. Travel was not a part of the cost. I live a mile from the track.

With a 52" HD display, 5.1 surround sound, comfy chair, homebrew beer, why would I drop that kind of cash on a sporting event?

:up

 

[Mr Tony]

As to the 50 year safe practice of racing back to the caution, the key word in all of these reports is, of course, "almost". Before, the racing was much more interesting. During green, there was the drama of trying to stay "on the tail end of the lead lap". Then during a caution, the drama of the race back, and the intrigue of who might let a buddy back and who might race somebody hard. The the pit stop. Now, with pit crews trained to perfection, if the caution comes out, come back in 20 minutes. NOTHING important will have happened. The NASCAR decline started the day of this over-reaction to an event that DID NOT HAPPEN.

yep and the wavearound rule hurt NASCAR it so that when there was a restart we didnt have 8 guys "on the tail end of the field" yet they started ahead of the 1st place guy who is now stuck in 12th place

As to Hendrick, between cars he admits to owning, cars he owns in secret, cars that he supplies engines for and so on, he controls 40% of the field. That means, if he wants to spend $X to make the cars 0.000001% faster, he can spread that investment over 10-20 sponsorshps. Other have to keep up with only 2 or 3 or 4 cars. It is his "secret" to dominating.

There's lots of that going on with owners. You've got 4 or 5 guys supplying engines to 3/4 of the field.

 

[Jimbo]

Right, theres a hell of a lot more that just Hendricks owning cars .... doing the same thing.

 

[SamCdbs]

By all means, lets eliminate the most dangerous part of racing. This racing under the green. Most all of the accidents happen under the green. SOMEONE MIGHT GET HURT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

Lets just drive the cars around under caution for 500 miles. Its safe.

Also duller than dishwater.

Lets also eliminate checking, the hard slide, and tackling. Its safe.

The proof is in the ratings and the seas of empty seats.

 

[stimpson]

By all means, lets eliminate the most dangerous part of racing. This racing under the green. Most all of the accidents happen under the green. SOMEONE MIGHT GET HURT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

Lets just drive the cars around under caution for 500 miles. Its safe.

Also duller than dishwater.

Lets also eliminate checking, the hard slide, and tackling. Its safe.

The proof is in the ratings and the seas of empty seats.

Do you still watch NASCAR at all?

 

[Jimbo]

What happened to our NASCAR Sticky ?
It's that time of year again !

The Budweiser Shootout is this Saturday at 8 pm.