The Chase 2011 (just a rumor)

[KevMcNJ]

Just a rumor but it was on Sirius today and the announcer said it was what NASCAR execs are leaning towrd in 2011

Chase expands to 15 drivers.

Elimination rounds. they go X amount of races and cut the bottom 5

Go another selected # of races then cut anohter 5.

One of the announcers said more than once that Brian France wants "more Game 7 moments"

OMG they are delusional. Viewership plunged this year in the Chase

So they want to double down on it?

Get ready for sub 2.0 ratings if this is really what they plan on implementing

[mdkiel]

How many different ways can you cook steak? Sometimes point championships are nail-biters, sometimes they are not. Just go back to traditional points and let the chips fall where they may.

[Sweaty Teddy]

There has to be some way for NASCAR to back out of this gracefully. Perhaps they go until they get to the 10th Chase then spin it as some sort of 10 year deal and end it. You MIGHT get a brief pop in ratings but it won't last. This artificial drama is just that, artificial.

[mstove]

There has to be some way for NASCAR to back out of this gracefully.

Apparently not so far. Good grief - what a mess.

Oh, and the usual NASCAR apologists can skip with references to other series...I like and watch NASCAR...just not so much the last couple of fall "chases". I'd just like to go back to the old system.

[NoviVespa]

They will do what has to be done to get Jr. in the title chase. But, it still will take the top 28 to get him in.

[3Paige14]

That sounds ridiculous. Give them their own points system! That'll help tighten it up!

[DavidM]

They will do what has to be done to get Jr. in the title chase. But, it still will take the top 28 to get him in.

That's what I was thinking too!

The chase is a pig, you can try and dress it up, but it's still a pig!

[MoparsRule]

There has to be some way for NASCAR to back out of this gracefully. Perhaps they go until they get to the 10th Chase then spin it as some sort of 10 year deal and end it. You MIGHT get a brief pop in ratings but it won't last. This artificial drama is just that, artificial.

Not a snowball's chance in hell as long as Brain France is at the helm. This trial balloon of "knockout" whatever that they've floated out there through the nascar press outlets is just about the most ridiculous, gimmicked up points thing that I have ever seen.

The concept of a "playoff" in a sport where every team competes directly against each other every week is pathetic & contrived enough to a point where it has turned of massive numbers of fans... they do this type of a thing & they may just push themselves right past that tipping point.

[JMFVET]

At risk of sounding like a total idiot, what is the concept/purpose of the Chase?

I have always been primarily an open wheel fan but used to watch NASCAR as well, at least the big races. I lost interest as the cars became less and less "stock" and haven't watch much at all since the Chase and the COT. Watched a few races again this year and I found all the talk about the Chase vs nonChase point standings a distraction. In final year-end standings, are the Chase participants automatically the top series finishers? What happens if a driver gets in the Chase then totally tanks, is he still ranked ahead of someone who just missed but finished well in all the end of season races?

I am not bad mouthing Jimmy Johnson by any means, but I am curious if he would have won 5 in a row under the old scoring system.

[atrackforumfan]

if a driver gets in the Chase then totally tanks, is he still ranked ahead of someone who just missed but finished well in all the end of season races?

When the points are "reset", the chase drivers are set at a sufficiently high number that they can't be caught by the rest of the field.

[Littleman]

At risk of sounding like a total idiot, what is the concept/purpose of the Chase?

I have always been primarily an open wheel fan but used to watch NASCAR as well, at least the big races. I lost interest as the cars became less and less "stock" and haven't watch much at all since the Chase and the COT. Watched a few races again this year and I found all the talk about the Chase vs nonChase point standings a distraction. In final year-end standings, are the Chase participants automatically the top series finishers? What happens if a driver gets in the Chase then totally tanks, is he still ranked ahead of someone who just missed but finished well in all the end of season races?

I am not bad mouthing Jimmy Johnson by any means, but I am curious if he would have won 5 in a row under the old scoring system.

Here ya go - from Jayski's website:

Standings if the Chase wasn't around and the old posints system that was used from 1975 thru 2003 was still used

2010 Sprint Cup Driver 'Classic' Points Standings:
[after Homestead, race 36 of 36....the OLD way]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #29-Kevin Harvick, 5274
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 4989, -285
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 4865, -409
4) #99-Carl Edwards, 4820, -454
5) #24-Jeff Gordon, 4669, -605
6) #18-Kyle Busch, 4647, -627
7) #17-Matt Kenseth, 4640, -634
8) #14-Tony Stewart, 4628, -646
9) #2-Kurt Busch, 4459, -815
10) #31-Jeff Burton, 4423, -851
11) #16-Greg Biffle, 4414, -860
12) #33-Clint Bowyer, 4376, -898
13) #5-Mark Martin, 4364, -910
14) #1-Jamie McMurray, 4325, -949
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(11-21-2010)

"Classic" 2009 Sprint Cup Series Points Standings
the OLD way - Driver Points Standings [after Homestead, race 36 of 36]:
pos, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson (X), 5156 [7 wins] CHASE CHAMP
2) #24-Jeff Gordon (X), 5090, -66 [1 win]
3) #14-Tony Stewart (X), 5085, -71 [4 wins]
4) #11-Denny Hamlin (X), 4806, -350 [4 wins]
5) #5-Mark Martin (X), 4762, -394 [5 wins]
6) #2-Kurt Busch (X), 4758, -398 [2 wins]
7) #16-Greg Biffle (X), 4541, -615
8) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya (X), 4503, -653
9) #18-Kyle Busch, 4457, -699 [4 wins]
10) #39-Ryan Newman (X), 4447, -709
11) #99-Carl Edwards (X), 4398, -758
12) #17-Matt Kenseth, 4389, -767 [2 wins]
13) #9-Kasey Kahne (X), 4388, -768 [2 wins]
14) #33-Clint Bowyer, 4359, -797
15) #00-David Reutimann, 4221, -935 [1 win]
16) #83-Brian Vickers (X), 4122, -1034 [1 win]
(X) a chase driver.(11-22-2009)

"Classic" 2008 Points Standings...the old way, not the Chase after Homestead:
(Traditional Points...the old way, not the Chase)
1) #99-Carl Edwards 5236 [9 wins]
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson 5220 -16 [7 wins] CHASE CHAMP
3) #18-Kyle Busch 4984 -252 [8 wins]
4) #16-Greg Biffle 4747 -489 [2 wins]
5) #31-Jeff Burton 4709 -527 [2 wins]
6) #29-Kevin Harvick 4691 -545
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4605 -631 [1 win]
8) #24-Jeff Gordon 4537 - 699
9) #20-Tony Stewart 4487 -749 [1 win]
10) #07-Clint Bowyer 4487 - 749 [1 win]
11) #11-Denny Hamlin 4439 -797 [1 win]
12) #17-Matt Kenseth 4316 -920
13) #6-David Ragan 4299 -937
14) #9-Kasey Kahne 4085 -1151 [2 wins]
(11-16-2008)

"Classic" 2007 Points Standings...the old way, not the Chase after Homestead:
(Traditional Points...the old way, not the Chase)
1) #24-Jeff Gordon 5455
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson 5102, -353 CHASE CHAMP
3) #20-Tony Stewart 4749
4) #17-Matt Kenseth 4718
5) #11-Denny Hamlin 4623
6) #5-Kyle Busch 4585
7) #99-Carl Edwards 4574
8) #07-Clint Bowyer 4556
9) #31-Jeff Burton 4549
10) #2-Kurt Busch 4371
11) #29-Kevin Harvick 4344
12) #1-Martin Truex Jr. 4314
13) #12-Ryan Newman 4046
14) #16-Greg Biffle 3991
15) #25-Casey Mears 3949
16) #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3929
(11-18-2007)

"Classic" 2006 Points Standings...the old way, not the Chase after Homestead:
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson 5158 CHASE CHAMP
2) #17-Matt Kenseth, 5154, -4
3) #29-Kevin Harvick, 4838, -320
4) #20-Tony Stewart, 4727, -431
5) #11-Denny Hamlin, 4725, -433
6) #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 4641, -517
7) #24-Jeff Gordon, 4567, -591
8) #31-Jeff Burton, 4535, -623
9) #9-Kasey Kahne, 4497, -661
10) #6-Mark Martin, 4484, -674
11) #99-Carl Edwards, 4428, -730
12) #5-Kyle Busch, 4416, -742
13) #16-Greg Biffle, 4075, -1083
(11-19-2006)

"Classic" Points Standings - Top 15...the old way, not the Chase after Homestead, race 36 of 36:
1) #20-Tony Stewart, 5199 CHASE CHAMP
2) #16-Greg Biffle, 4984, -215
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 4771, -428
4) #6-Mark Martin, 4676, -523
5) #99-Carl Edwards, 4597, -602
6) #2-Rusty Wallace, 4512, -687
7) #17-Matt Kenseth, 4451, -748
8) #12-Ryan Newman, 4409, -790
9) #19-Jeremy Mayfield, 4281, -918
10) #97-Kurt Busch, 4248, -951
11) #24-Jeff Gordon, 4174, -1025
12) #42-Jamie McMurray, 4130, -1069
13) #38-Elliott Sadler, 4084, -1115
14) #29-Kevin Harvick, 4072, -1127
15) #88-Dale Jarrett, 3960, -1239
(11-20-2005)

"Classic" 2004 Points Standings...the old way, not the Chase after Homestead:
1) #24-Jeff Gordon 5042
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson 4995 -47
3) #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4869 -173
4) #97-Kurt Busch 4795 -247 CHASE CHAMP
5) #20-Tony Stewart 4701 -341
6) #6-Mark Martin 4597 -445
7) #42-Jamie McMurray 4597 -445
8) #17-Matt Kenseth 4376 -666
9) #12-Ryan Newman 4361 -681
10) #38-Elliott Sadler 4315 -727
11) #18-Bobby Labonte 4277 -765
12) #9-Kasey Kahne* 4274 -768
13) #29-Kevin Harvick 4228 -814
14) #88-Dale Jarrett 4214 -828
(11-21-2004)

As you can see, Jeff Gordon lost two championships due to the "Chase" BS. Kinda makes it hard for him to pass Ironhead.

[jandj]

At risk of sounding like a total idiot, what is the concept/purpose of the Chase?

The original delusion was that "The Chase" would let NASCAR hold it's own against the NFL.
Live hangings wouldn't hold their own against the NFL, but, as all good fanatics do, NASCAR has redoubled it's efforts after it has lost sight of it's original goal.

[JMFVET]

Thanks to all of you for answering my questions.
I am guessing that I am pretty typical of the fans that NASCAR wants, but lost thru the COT/Chase time period. Both really turned me off to the point I stopped watching.

I have seen several comments here and elsewhere about how dominant JJ is, that DE and RP never won like this, and that he is "the best ever." Again, no insult to him as I acknowledge he is a great driver and has accomplished a lot but it is my opinion that we can't compare his record to pre-chase. He is dominating the current "game" but it is a different game than what used to be played.

Thanks again

[11rowsof3]

Don't mind saying that I watch and love NASCAR.... and hate the friggin' Chase!!!!!!!!!!!! It cheapens the sport!!!

[Cri Cri]

To follow up on Littleman's post, I think a year like 2008 Jimmie would have still won the championship, because he only had to finish 30th or so in the final race so he just rode around to 15th. If he had to run up in the top 5 or 10 he would have done so just like this year.

Now this year would have been different IMO. Maybe he was experimenting like people say, but the switch to the spoiler got them behind some and he went through several races where he crashed out and had problems, He was 7th or so at the start of the chase, but it did what playoffs are supposed to do, It gave them a second chance.

Now, I don't think the championship is undeserved. He had 6 wins and the most top 5's of anyone and more top 10's than anyone except Harvick. Harvick was more consistent at finishing races, but JJ was better when push came to shove.