The Chase Is Coming! The Chase IS Coming!
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08/23/2016
Vivian Simons |
Author's Note: My articles are based solely on my opinions. Normally no statistics are offered. Enjoy and feel free to comment afterwards...
The 2016 NASCAR season has been passing quickly. It feels as if we just ran the Daytona 500, but that was over six months ago in February. It was also 22 races ago. As I write this, there are still 14 races left in this season. Four regular races will determine the rest of the final 16 drivers who will be "promoted" to chase status. At this time, 12 drivers have won races and if they are in the top 30 in point standings, they will make the Chase, which is the final 10 races of the season. Only one of those drivers is not in the top 30 in points. There is a possibility he will make it, but odds against it are just as good. Drivers will be eliminated during the 10 race chase and finally there will only be one, who will be called the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. The Champion will receive a huge amount of money and a trophy which will be presented at an awards banquet in December.
There has been much controversy among the fans since the Chase was first introduced and implemented. In their desire to be more like other sports, the hierarchy of NASCAR decided they needed what is actually a playoff system although they don't want to call it that. NFL has their playoff system, which results in two teams playing in the Super Bowl. Baseball also has a playoff where the final two teams play up to seven games in the World Series. Although there are some who do not refer to it as a playoff, NASCAR seems to pattern itself after basketball's Sweet Sixteen playoff system. Of course, there are some differences but ultimately it has sixteen teams competing for the big trophy at the end of the season.
The major difference in NASCAR's playoff season is the fact that although there are teams in NASCAR, there is only one driver in one car for each race. When they decided to have sixteen drivers in their Chase, they chose not to eliminate the other twenty four drivers and cars from the ten races during their chase. As everyone knows, there are still forty cars competing against each other on the track during the Chase races. How does this really compute to a 16 car/driver playoff? The driver is crowned the champion in the end. They do refer to the whole team as a championship team, but their monetary awards are nothing like the driver receives.
I still have not figured that out, as all the other cars and drivers that are allowed to race during those ten races kind of skew the actual playoffs.
“No problem”, says NASCAR. The other drivers have been warned not to interfere with those who are in the chase. They can be on the track and they can race as long as they mind their manners where the chase cars are concerned. They are told not to do anything that will alter the outcome of the race or championship.
Question: what does logic tell you about this situation? We all know that at any given time something can happen on the track that will alter the outcome. There can be mechanical or tire problems that can create a problem for others, including the drivers in the chase. There can be the "little thing" called payback, which most times turns out to be a big thing. Many drivers can therefore create a problem for a specific driver by using various ways and means to make sure that driver does not finish well, if at all. They could actually be paying back another driver that is not in the chase and the chase driver could be caught up in that melee. Let me ask you this: how is this fair to the drivers who are in the chase? Do other sports put other teams into the playoffs just to let them finish the season and gain experience by testing for the next season? No, the other teams are eliminated. Only NASCAR keeps other teams in their playoff races (games).
Since NASCAR started their Chase for the Championship in 2004, there have been many discussions about whether it is a good thing or not. Some fans/people love it and some hate it. There have been many articles written about both the pros and cons of it. It has been discussed over and over and it seems like each time it is discussed, there are many who seem to think they have the perfect answer to make the chase perfect. Everyone seems to think they have the best solution for keeping it or eliminating it. The one constant that most of us see is that as long as Brian France desires, it will remain and it is one of the best things ever to happen to NASCAR.
We can complain, suggest or even stop watching, but we have no power to change it or do away with it. If one is a fan as I am, we will keep watching and keep discussing all possibilities and keep saying "Maybe next season, maybe...” We like to think there is always hope.
Please feel free to express your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. Thank you.
The 2016 NASCAR season has been passing quickly. It feels as if we just ran the Daytona 500, but that was over six months ago in February. It was also 22 races ago. As I write this, there are still 14 races left in this season. Four regular races will determine the rest of the final 16 drivers who will be "promoted" to chase status. At this time, 12 drivers have won races and if they are in the top 30 in point standings, they will make the Chase, which is the final 10 races of the season. Only one of those drivers is not in the top 30 in points. There is a possibility he will make it, but odds against it are just as good. Drivers will be eliminated during the 10 race chase and finally there will only be one, who will be called the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. The Champion will receive a huge amount of money and a trophy which will be presented at an awards banquet in December.
There has been much controversy among the fans since the Chase was first introduced and implemented. In their desire to be more like other sports, the hierarchy of NASCAR decided they needed what is actually a playoff system although they don't want to call it that. NFL has their playoff system, which results in two teams playing in the Super Bowl. Baseball also has a playoff where the final two teams play up to seven games in the World Series. Although there are some who do not refer to it as a playoff, NASCAR seems to pattern itself after basketball's Sweet Sixteen playoff system. Of course, there are some differences but ultimately it has sixteen teams competing for the big trophy at the end of the season.
The major difference in NASCAR's playoff season is the fact that although there are teams in NASCAR, there is only one driver in one car for each race. When they decided to have sixteen drivers in their Chase, they chose not to eliminate the other twenty four drivers and cars from the ten races during their chase. As everyone knows, there are still forty cars competing against each other on the track during the Chase races. How does this really compute to a 16 car/driver playoff? The driver is crowned the champion in the end. They do refer to the whole team as a championship team, but their monetary awards are nothing like the driver receives.
I still have not figured that out, as all the other cars and drivers that are allowed to race during those ten races kind of skew the actual playoffs.
“No problem”, says NASCAR. The other drivers have been warned not to interfere with those who are in the chase. They can be on the track and they can race as long as they mind their manners where the chase cars are concerned. They are told not to do anything that will alter the outcome of the race or championship.
Question: what does logic tell you about this situation? We all know that at any given time something can happen on the track that will alter the outcome. There can be mechanical or tire problems that can create a problem for others, including the drivers in the chase. There can be the "little thing" called payback, which most times turns out to be a big thing. Many drivers can therefore create a problem for a specific driver by using various ways and means to make sure that driver does not finish well, if at all. They could actually be paying back another driver that is not in the chase and the chase driver could be caught up in that melee. Let me ask you this: how is this fair to the drivers who are in the chase? Do other sports put other teams into the playoffs just to let them finish the season and gain experience by testing for the next season? No, the other teams are eliminated. Only NASCAR keeps other teams in their playoff races (games).
Since NASCAR started their Chase for the Championship in 2004, there have been many discussions about whether it is a good thing or not. Some fans/people love it and some hate it. There have been many articles written about both the pros and cons of it. It has been discussed over and over and it seems like each time it is discussed, there are many who seem to think they have the perfect answer to make the chase perfect. Everyone seems to think they have the best solution for keeping it or eliminating it. The one constant that most of us see is that as long as Brian France desires, it will remain and it is one of the best things ever to happen to NASCAR.
We can complain, suggest or even stop watching, but we have no power to change it or do away with it. If one is a fan as I am, we will keep watching and keep discussing all possibilities and keep saying "Maybe next season, maybe...” We like to think there is always hope.
Please feel free to express your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. Thank you.