The Nature Boy
NASCAR needs a driver's union
I was bored recently so I started thinking of a historical what-if. What if NASCAR had introduced the modern day Chase format when they signed their FOX/NBC contacts? I'm going through and putting together Chases based on the first 26 races of every season from 2001 onward.
I'll start off by posting the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Chase participants:
Analysis: Chase Year One is off to an interesting start. With 14 different eligible winners, it was a tight race to make it in. Mark Martin makes it in by a mere 31 points over Bill Elliott. On the underdog front, The Wood Brothers make it into The Chase, Andy Petree's first Cup win came with a Chase berth and Johnny Benson pointed his way into The Chase.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. is the most successful team in the 2001 Chase with all three cars making it in.
I'll post 2002 tomorrow possibly, but I'll just leave this here for discussion and speculation about how THIS would've played out.
I'll start off by posting the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Chase participants:
- 24 – Jeff Gordon [5 wins]
- 88 – Dale Jarrett [4 wins]
- 20 – Tony Stewart [3 wins]
- 28 – Ricky Rudd [2 wins]
- 40 – Sterling Marlin [1 win]
- 18 – Bobby Labonte [1 win]
- 8 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win]
- 2 – Rusty Wallace [1 win]
- 99 – Jeff Burton [1 win]
- 1 – Steve Park [1 win]
- 22 – Ward Burton [1 win]
- 21 – Elliott Sadler [1 win]
- 55 – Bobby Hamilton [1 win]
- 15 – Michael Waltrip [1 win]
- 10 – Johnny Benson [points]
- 6 – Mark Martin [points]
Analysis: Chase Year One is off to an interesting start. With 14 different eligible winners, it was a tight race to make it in. Mark Martin makes it in by a mere 31 points over Bill Elliott. On the underdog front, The Wood Brothers make it into The Chase, Andy Petree's first Cup win came with a Chase berth and Johnny Benson pointed his way into The Chase.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. is the most successful team in the 2001 Chase with all three cars making it in.
I'll post 2002 tomorrow possibly, but I'll just leave this here for discussion and speculation about how THIS would've played out.
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