The Other Untold Story ~ The Race for the Winless Cup Champion
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Last
week, we covered one largely ignored story line - What
About the Other Race - Win, You’re In.
In it, we pointed out that although the racing media was totally focused
on the four drivers point racing for the final two spots in the
Chase/Playoffs/Eliminations, there were fourteen other drivers who were
eligible to make the Playoffs. One of
those ignored could make it in if they won the Brickyard.
Bubba
Wallace was one of the fourteen and was a Kevin Harvick-Joey Logano restart
tangle away from doing just that-winning the race and punching his ticket into
the run for the Championship. NBCSN
totally ignored his drive to the front as their focus was back on their storyline
four. If Bubba had of pulled that off,
heads of the broadcast crew would have exploded from his disruption to their
predetermined story. Larry Mac would
have had to FaceTime in to screamingly ask his signature “Where did he come
from?”
That
would have been fun to see. We came really
close to that becoming a reality.
But
that was last week. Here we are. Race 27.
Las Vegas. The first race of the
10 race Chase/Playoff/Eliminations or whatever name the process to crown the
2019 Cup Champion goes by now. The field of sixteen Chasers has been set. Let the Chase/Playoffs/Eliminations
begin!
Now
for the next untold story - The Chase for the Winless Champion!
A
winless champion is one of those things no one talks about. Many don’t think it’s even possible. Wasn’t this system supposed to prevent that
from ever happening? Matt Kenseth nearly
did it under the old Latford points system.
Wasn’t it that fear that brought all this Chase/Playoffs/Eliminations
nonsense about? Wasn’t it-the PR fear of a winless champion?
Here
is a little secret... it’s still possible and on paper is quite simple. To become a winless Cup Champion all a
winless Chase qualifier has to do is
1)
Finish
the season with no wins,
2)
Be
the fifth worst in points or better after each elimination round and
3)
Be
the top Chaser finisher at Homestead.
There
has not been a winless champion... yet.
Ryan Newman almost did it 2014.
If Kevin Harvick had finished third instead of first, and a non-Chaser
won the race, second place Ryan Newman would have been a winless Cup Champion.
It
was that close.
So,
who is in the running for the Chase for the 2019 Winless Cup Champion? Here is a list of those who are eligible
going into this week’s race, along with their reset points total-
Kyle
Larson (2005),
Ryan Blaney (2004),
William Byron (2001),
Aric Almirola (2001),
Clint Bowyer (2000)
Ryan Newman (2000)
The
top four were contenders for the 2018 Winless Champion. Blaney and Almirola were eliminated by
winning races in the Playoffs. Larson
and Byron were eliminated by not being the fifth worse or better in points
after an Elimination Race. Bowyer had
two wins going into the 2018 Chase so wasn’t eligible for the 2018 Winless
Champ and Newman was not in the top sixteen in points and did not make the
Chase.
So,
who has the best chance of being the first Winless Champion?
At
first glance, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney are in the best position because they
are fifth worst or better in points at this point. If they maintain or improve their points position,
they should advance to the second round.
Unfortunately, those two probably have the best shot at being eliminated
by winning a race in the Playoffs.
William
Byron and Aric Almirola will have to improve their points position to keep from
getting eliminated in the first round.
At this point in the season, I’m not sure they have enough to get out of
the hole. Clint Bowyer... I would love
to see him advance to the next round and keep his Championship drive alive, but
there is just something that says that for them to stay in the Playoff they
will need a win, which eliminates him from the Winless Champion Race.
That
leaves Ryan Newman. Newman squeaked into
the Playoffs and is tied for last in points, a position no Chaser wants to be
in. But since he has experience at
advancing without winning from the 2014 Chase/Playoffs/Eliminations or whatever
they called it back then, when he nearly won the whole shooting match without
ever visiting Victory Lane, I have to make him this season’s favorite to be the
first Winless Champion.
When
they roll off to take the green on Sunday and start the 2019 Playoffs, keep
these six drivers and their race within the race in mind. You’ll have to keep them in your mind,
because chances are very good if you are watching television you won’t even see
them on the track. TV’s focus will be on
the other end of the spectrum-the Kyle Busch’s, Kevin Harvick’s and such-the
multi-race winners, the current points leaders and not on this race within a
race no one wants to talk about.
That’s
OK. As long as the possibility remains;
as long as one of these six are still eligible to be the first Winless
Champion, the Sanctioning Body has to be mindful of the reality and will have
to be prepared to tell us how a Winless Champion is deserving and be prepared
to defend that the method they have devised is the best way to determine the
Cup Champion.
Would
you be happy with a Winless Champion? We
have ten races to determine it will become a reality this year.
Hang
on.
(Editor’s
Note: No apologies. This article was sent to me late on Friday with no mention
of time sensitivity. We don’t run articles on the weekends, and there was
already one ahead of it. I do my best, but I put down my magic wand somewhere
and can’t find it now. There are still 9 more races after Las Vegas, so this
one still has integrity.)