The Frontstretch: What's The Call? Time To Expand The Chase? by Mike Neff and Beth Lunkenheimer -- Thursday November 9, 2006

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What's The Call? Time To Expand The Chase?

Mike Neff and Beth Lunkenheimer · Thursday November 9, 2006

 

Welcome to this week’s edition of What’s the Call? Each week, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s big controversies. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!

*This Week’s Question : Given the closeness and almost weekly change in Nextel Cup Standings compared to the lack of drama
in the Busch and Truck championship races, is it time to take the Chase system and implement it in other series?*

Time For The Chase To Go To Busch And Trucks
Mike Neff

TheTop 5 competitors in the Cup series are currently separated by 105 points with two races remaining on the schedule…thanks to the Chase for the championship. While some people may consider the Chase a contrived system, it is nonetheless providing a very real, very close competition. Any of the Top 5 could leave Phoenix this weekend with the point lead; now THAT is a tight points chase. On the flip side, the Truck series has four drivers who have not been mathematically eliminated from championship contention, but none of the three competitors chasing the leader is within 135 points. Fourth place Ted Musgrave is 262 points out and, although not mathematically eliminated, he cannot win the title if the leader starts the next two races. The Busch series Championship, meanwhile, was a rout; Kevin Harvick clinched it after 31 races out of a 35 race schedule. There is not much, if any, Championship race left in the other two major touring series in NASCAR, making the end of the year little more than a giant snooze.

Well, here’s a simple fix to wake those series up: institute the Chase format. The Busch series has experienced continued growth in ticket sales thanks to the entry of multiple Cup drivers competing for the Championship this year. In 2007, there are only going to be three Cup regulars participating full-time in the Busch series. In order to maintain the fan base gains that were made this year, there needs to be a reason for them to keep turning out. A Chase format will ensure that kind of fan interest. The field of 10 is probably too big for the Busch Series; a more realistic number for the series is five. After 25 races, the Top 5 in points and anyone within 500 points should be given a point total to separate themselves from the rest of the field, setting themselves up to battle it out for the championship.

The Truck series would also benefit from the institution of a Chase. Although the series has been known for closer title battles in the past than the other two series under the traditional format, the dominance of individual teams is beginning to show up there, too. In order for the series to continue to grow its fan base, there needs to be a close point race. The Chase would serve that purpose. With the personalities in the Truck series, the “Go for Broke” style of those drivers associated with a sprint to the finish would make for some amazingly exciting racing in the last quarter of the year. With the shorter schedule, it would probably best serve the Trucks to only have a five or six race Chase, which would also ensure that everyone stays in contention for the title coming down to the last race.

The Chase was certainly a radical change for the Cup Series. However, there is no question that it has created very close points battles the last three years. That kind of excitement could only help the Busch and Truck series as well. In a points system where one team can dominate and pull away from the pack, the Chase would give the teams who figure something out later in the year a chance to still claim the title.

Don’t Spread The Chase To Other Series!
Beth Lunkenheimer

Ever since the implementation of the Chase for the Nextel Cup prior to the 2004 season, the idea to expand it to other series has been thrown around numerous times. With Kevin Harvick wrapping up the Busch Series title a few weeks ago and Todd Bodine now sitting more than 100 points ahead of Johnny Benson, the question has come up again. But don’t let those lopsided battles fool you into accepting a change; the Chase is nowhere near ready to be implemented anywhere else.

Although there have been a couple of very close points finishes, the Chase still hasn’t proven itself, even in the Nextel Cup Series. Take Tony Stewart, for example. This is a guy with 5 wins this season, including one just last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway and an average finish of 13.7. But because of the Chase, Stewart is stuck where he’s at with no hope of finishing any better than 11th. Kasey Kahne is in a very similar situation with 6 wins and an average finish of 16.1. Unfortunately, Kahne sits 10th in points and might as well be counted out of any chance at winning the championship.

The Chase has turned decent racing into points racing. With the Chase format, drivers are less willing to race for the win and more willing to race for the most points possible without getting a DNF. I know the thought on every mind to counter the complaint of number of wins is the number of DNF’s each driver has. For the record, Stewart has 4 and Kahne has 6. But DNF’s aside, what about those guys like Mark Martin win no wins? Or guys like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch with just 1 win? It isn’t fair for a guy with 1 win in a season to finish ahead of a guy with 5 wins in that same season.

Turning our attention to the other two series, can you even imagine what the Chase in the Busch Series would have been like this year? Cup regular Greg Biffle has missed several races this season; but under that format, he’d still have a shot at winning the title. This is a division with far more problems to solve than changing the way their title is decided. And even if you could convince me that the Busch series needs to go to a Chase format, there’s no way the Chase should never be applied to the Craftsman Truck Series. For one thing, the Truck Series runs a season that’s 10 races shorter than the Nextel Cup Series, leaving less “regular season” races before the chase would start. In 8 of 11 seasons in Trucks, the points race has been decided by less than 100 points, making this “blowout” year is a rarity. Something tells me that even if the Craftsman Truck Series were using a “Chase” format, Todd Bodine would still be leading. He just seems to have a way of staying out of trouble this year…how you win points title under this system, Chase or not.

So no, the Chase hasn’t proven itself in the Nextel Cup Series quite yet, and it certainly doesn’t belong in any other series.

 

©2000 - 2008 Mike Neff and Beth Lunkenheimer and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!

sal
11/09/2006 05:36 AM
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Even though the Busch series has been a blowout, how many of us keep watching to see if Harvick can keep the ‘dream season’ going? Is winning a title more important than good hard racing week to week? Not to me…and judging from ratings (which are reportedly up for the Busch series, and going down for the Cup series) manufacturing a ‘close’ points battle hasn’t exactly enthralled the viewing audience. It isn’t the magic bullet that Nascar expected.

Rick Bourdon
11/09/2006 09:10 AM
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Keep and expand the chase, but modify it in all divisions. Keep the same basic format but: Race winners get a 25 point bonus. Get rid of the 5 point bonus for leading a lap, and instead, give drivers 1 point for every lap they lead. Anyone that wins a race, automatically qualifies for the chase. These changes would place a greater emphasis on leading laps and winning races, instead of just riding around the track making laps.

creative_rajiv
11/09/2006 09:28 AM
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But if they give 1 point for every lap lead, someone dominating the race might get extra 200-250 points for leading half of the race. And if you dominate 4 or 5 races in the regular season, you’ll have lot of points amassed. I’ll say give 1 point for every 10 laps led. That way we can eliminate the farcical leading a lap situation where a team mate lets you go and lead a lap for 5 undeserved points. There should definitely be emphasis on winning and give extra 50 points for winning a race. I still feel winning one race should not entitle you to run for a chase. What if a driver with non-championship caliber team wins a race on fuel mileage or some other trick… that shouldn’t entitle him to run for a championship. Increase the points window from 400 to 500. Other than that chase format is fine.

Tim
11/09/2006 10:17 AM
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Go back to the old way.I want to see the most deserving team win the Championship. 25 extra points for winning, and 10 for leading the most laps.

Rick Bourdon
11/09/2006 07:37 PM
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By placing a greater emphasis on leading laps, instead of say cruising in second or third spot, the top teams will have more incentive to get out and lead laps. Why not let somebody who won a race be in the chase. This season the only non-chasers to win were Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, and Brian Vickers.With the exception of Vickers, I think anyone in that group is of championship caliber, and could have been in the chase with a little luck. In the long run, the top teams are still going to be in the chase and win the championships. My plan just gives them incentive to race and not become complacent, i.e. points race.

creative_rajiv
11/10/2006 07:14 AM
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Winning a race still doesn’t entitle one for a spot in the chase. Biffle, Busch and Vickers haven’t performed at a Championship level. Barring Tony, all of them have struggled. Tony had some bad luck during summer and he hurt himself. Only if he had kept his cool during that stretch, he would have easily made the chase. You can win few races but can’t have lot of DNFs and expect to be in the chase. There are lot of consistent teams out there. So, giving extra incentive for winning will even out the field a little bit. If you can get 50 more points than the second place, you’ll press the issue and not just tamely settle for second.

Rick Bourdon
11/11/2006 05:34 PM
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OK, we agree to disagree, although I think we both agree something needs to be done to stop the ‘points racing.’ I mean how exciting is it to watch a guy that needs to finish 20th or better in the last 3 or 4 races to win the champinship? Racing is about leading laps and winning, not trying to pad your points.

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