Column: Brian France was right to bring playoffs to NASCAR

[StandOnIt]

By JENNA FRYER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spoilers, tension, a sense of urgency. Heroes, villains.

The NASCAR playoffs are playing out with all the drama Brian France envisioned for the elimination-style playoff system he helped launch in 2004.

After multiple tweaks and changes since then, the NASCAR postseason now has what France liked to call “Game 7 moments,” the kind of I-shouldn’t-miss-this attraction for fans that comes with, say, the Final Four, the NFL playoffs or October baseball. This year, this tension has been building since the playoffs began six weeks ago and the elimination race at Kansas Speedway over the weekend, with a wild finish that went into double overtime, did not disappoint.

https://apnews.com/01ba2473626c44e2...lFlow&utm_medium=AP_Sports&utm_source=Twitter

 

[ChexOrWrex]

 

[Greg]

Nope

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

 

[Ventisca]

By JENNA FRYER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spoilers, tension, a sense of urgency. Heroes, villains.

The NASCAR playoffs are playing out with all the drama Brian France envisioned for the elimination-style playoff system he helped launch in 2004.

After multiple tweaks and changes since then, the NASCAR postseason now has what France liked to call “Game 7 moments,” the kind of I-shouldn’t-miss-this attraction for fans that comes with, say, the Final Four, the NFL playoffs or October baseball. This year, this tension has been building since the playoffs began six weeks ago and the elimination race at Kansas Speedway over the weekend, with a wild finish that went into double overtime, did not disappoint.

https://apnews.com/01ba2473626c44e2...lFlow&utm_medium=AP_Sports&utm_source=Twitter

"But it is exciting, and Brian France’s system works. He’s just not around for the vindication."
-JF

NASCAR should rename the Cup Trophy in Brian's honor.

 

[ReturnTrip]

Well, that settles it I suppose. I'm convinced. Really, I am.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Well, that settles it I suppose. I'm convinced. Really, I am.

Might I ask exactly what it is you're convinced of?

 

[gnomesayin]

I'm pondering which Fryer hot take was more tedious, this or [paraphrasing] "Mike Joy is a dinosaur and Fox needs to get with the times like NBC".

 

[Speedbowl14]

Yeah the final 30 laps of the Kansas race were edge-of-your seat moments with...as much as I hate to say this...there truly were HUUUGE PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS!!!!

That said, I wish every race mattered. I wish each race had just some of the "big picture" excitement that Kansas had with regards to the championship. To put it in perspective...I know Kyle Busch won the "regular season" championship. I have no idea who got second. Because as long as we're going to a Homestead Bowl...it really doesn't matter what you do the first 26 races of the year. Points matter? For the 10-12 superstars of the cup series it DOESN'T matter as they're all gonna win.

 

[Blaze]

Nah, disagree. Honestly, the race still would've been a bit exciting at the end, even without the playoff mess IMO. Because the fact that Chase still would've been trying to win, Kyle Busch, Denny, all them still trying. That would've added the excitement level to it.

 

[Truex_rox]

Drivers are there to win championships and races no matter what system we run. While I'll concede that the most recent iteration of the playoffs is the best in my opinion, pencil me in as one of those guys that would like to see the racing play out naturally over the course of the whole season.

 

[Hotrod]

For I long time I did not think the green checkers points would really amount to much.
Boy was I wrong.

I like this system . I remember all to well what it was like to crown a champion
with 3- 5 races left in the season. I am glad those days are gone. I am already
looking forward to the final race at Phoenix next year. Imagine a final race
at the Roval! I hope they move it around every year.

 

[ChexOrWrex]

No sport has a “game 7 moment” every single season. Thats what makes those moments so special and memorable.

Manipulating that every season makes it predictable and flat.

Next.

 

[Blaze]

No sport has a “game 7 moment” every single season. Thats what makes those moments so special and memorable.

Manipulating that every season makes it predictable and flat.

Next.

Exactly. I rather have a season come down to the last race naturally. If someone wins it with 3-4 races to go, so be it they deserve it. That would make them seasons where it comes down to the wire amazing.

 

[gnomesayin]

The best thing any iteration of Chase / Playoffs ever produced was Tony Stewart vs. Carl Edwards in 2011. No Homestead Bowl could ever match the genuine intensity of that battle down the stretch and the culmination. Once they guaranteed every finale would be "Game 7", there is nothing unique about Game 7.

There was an entertaining race in the playoffs (as there are entertaining races in and out of the playoffs reasonably often) and that means that "Brian France was right" with all of his incessant tinkering. Strong logic at work.

 

[Turtle84]

It's entertainment at the expense of legitimacy. That's my simplest explanation.

 

[gnomesayin]

What I don't understand, and maybe if Brian France isn't available, Jeff Burton and Rick Allen could help me out here, is that since the playoffs, three race points battles, and a championship finale guaranteed to come down to the final restart have saved NASCAR, why do they bother with the crummy "regular season" at all?

Perhaps the Daytona 500 doesn't need a points cutoff line to give folks something to care about, but they should start eliminating one driver every week thereafter. 36 races, 36 charter teams, it's a weekly reality show that writes itself people.

 

[ChexOrWrex]

The best thing any iteration of Chase / Playoffs ever produced was Tony Stewart vs. Carl Edwards in 2011. No Homestead Bowl could ever match the genuine intensity of that battle down the stretch and the culmination. Once they guaranteed every finale would be "Game 7", there is nothing unique about Game 7.

There was an entertaining race in the playoffs (as there are entertaining races in and out of the playoffs reasonably often) and that means that "Brian France was right" with all of his incessant tinkering. Strong logic at work.

Everyone loves that season but the biggest fail
IMO is the points reset with 10 races to go. Its what allowed Stewart to catch up and simply perform for 10 races instead of all 36 to win.

Next.

 

[DIDIT]

Jenna Fryer has a right to her opinion. I have not agreed with her opinions in the past and this one is no different.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

No sport has a “game 7 moment” every single season. Thats what makes those moments so special and memorable.

Manipulating that every season makes it predictable and flat.

Next.

Exactly. 1992 and 2011 are special for a reason.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

No sport has a “game 7 moment” every single season. Thats what makes those moments so special and memorable.

Manipulating that every season makes it predictable and flat.
Next.

This. You win this thread. I’ll add that the playoffs are a joke because auto racing isn’t a stick and ball sport. It was beautiful watching a championship battle play out over the full schedule, every race was a playoff race. If the championship was clinched a few races early? Boo hoo, try harder next time....the champ deserved it if that was the case. I miss organic championship battles, I hope and pray one day in the distant future this WWE inspired gimmick goes away.

 

[Switchback]

This. You win this thread. I’ll add that the playoffs are a joke because auto racing isn’t a stick and ball sport. It was beautiful watching a championship battle play out over the full schedule, every race was a playoff race. If the championship was clinched a few races early? Boo hoo, try harder next time....the champ deserved it if that was the case. I miss organic championship battles, I hope and pray one day in the distant future this WWE inspired gimmick goes away.

I agree with you 100% but I seriously doubt a full season champion is ever coming back. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

I agree with you 100% but I seriously doubt a full season champion is ever coming back. I hope I'm wrong though.

Yea I agree I’m not gonna hold my breath but a guy can dream/wish right???

 

[DewChaser988]

Eh, I could tolerate the format more, if more of the artificial crap was removed. For example, scrapping the silly "win and you're in" format, and having all 16 drivers race their way in on points. And that points earned in the Playoffs carry over into every round. As well as the Round of 4 being 3 races rather than 1
.

 

[Team Penske]

^ I agree with the last part. If every round has 3 races then so should the last.
Cut it back to top 12 in points compete and go from there.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

What I don't understand, and maybe if Brian France isn't available, Jeff Burton and Rick Allen could help me out here, is that since the playoffs, three race points battles, and a championship finale guaranteed to come down to the final restart have saved NASCAR, why do they bother with the crummy "regular season" at all?

My understanding is that many people have the same question regarding the NBA's regular season.

 

[AuzGrams]

I would have preferred to see a 12 > 8 > 4 (8 > 4 in X/Trucks) format with the playoffs being 9 races.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

My understanding is that many people have the same question regarding the NBA's regular season.

A few years ago the media narrative was that the NBA were going to do away with conference playoffs and just seed 1-16 which was a horrible horrible idea. The reasoning behind that was the Eastern Conference was so awful which was the case but what people are forgetting was that competitive balance is cyclical. To tie it back to racing not every year was a Matt Kenseth type was going to win the Cup with 1 win ( I had zero problem with him winning in 03, 17 was bulletproof that year), some years the championship battles were going to be good and some years not so much in a full season championship. But at least it was more organic compared to what we have now. I will say I do like how state points or playoff points whatever it is carry over through the whole season. Reason why KDB can pretty much book a trip to Miami.

 

[SlicedBread22]

I like the playoffs.. everything about them.. this system also rewards drivers for doing well all season. It's good.

 

[donthaveanickname]

I am still wondering whether the playoff system or the CoT did more damage to NASCAR.

A season finale like 1992 can't happen every year and that is what makes special things special.

 

[AuzGrams]

I'm fine with them actually sticking to something instead of a bunch of changes, but I wish they'd give the regular season champion or the guy with the most playoff points in Miami / Phoenix the first selection of pit stall. Maybe that's gimmicky IDK.

 

[Pat]

From Jenna... go figure.

 

[Zerkfitting]

I started out as a race purist; I didn’t like the playoffs. My opinion was the championship represents the full 36 race season. I understood what they were trying to do but it wasn’t working until they came up with the current format.

I only remember one close season when Davey Allison, Bill Elliot, and Alan Kulwicki decided the championship in the last race. Usually the season was over by Labor Day with two or three with a chance to win the championship. And they conservatively ran for points against each other. By the last race the champion often only had to start the last race to win the Cup.

I like the excitement of the playoffs and it gives a team a chance to recover from a bad race. The top drivers & teams should advance and there is a chance for an underdog to win (e.g Kulwicki).

In my opinion when a driver falls out of the playoffs, they should re-enter the yearlong points pool. Afterall, the playoffs are for the Cup and everyone else should be racing for their ranking (which would represent the full season effort a purist can appreciate).

 

[ReturnTrip]

15 years on and the remainder of us fans are still split down the middle on loving or hating the playoffs.

Someone put me back in the matrix. Matt Kenseth did nothing wrong.

 

[10-4]

Racing is supposed to be entertaining. Nobody would watch it if it wasn't. All those empty seats are starting to sell again and ratings showing a little improvement at some races too is proof to me the sport is headed in the right direction. It makes me laugh when someone calls the playoff format generated drama. The same could be said about Nascar from it's very inception. I like the current format way better than anything in the past.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

I started out as a race purist; I didn’t like the playoffs. My opinion was the championship represents the full 36 race season. I understood what they were trying to do but it wasn’t working until they came up with the current format.

I only remember one close season when Davey Allison, Bill Elliot, and Alan Kulwicki decided the championship in the last race. Usually the season was over by Labor Day with two or three with a chance to win the championship. And they conservatively ran for points against each other. By the last race the champion often only had to start the last race to win the Cup.

I like the excitement of the playoffs and it gives a team a chance to recover from a bad race. The top drivers & teams should advance and there is a chance for an underdog to win (e.g Kulwicki).

In my opinion when a driver falls out of the playoffs, they should re-enter the yearlong points pool. Afterall, the playoffs are for the Cup and everyone else should be racing for their ranking (which would represent the full season effort a purist can appreciate).

I like this post really reasonable. I'm intrigued after elimination of the driver points being season long

 

[StandOnIt]

Pretty sure any points system, playoff system since the beginning of Nascar has been a problem for some, a fix it this way project for others, and just one of many abhorrence's for the change nothing fans. I am still scratching my head when the talking heads were saying Logano just squeaked by into the next round and when the rankings came out for the round of 8 he is placed 4th. That is my bitch about the newest form of the chase/ playoffs or whatever they call it, I have a hell of a time keeping up with the points, and all of the yelling and screaming is confusing at best. Other than that, I am fine with it, by the time they get to the final four, they are the best 4 car teams in the series.

 

[Blaze]

Everyone loves that season but the biggest fail
IMO is the points reset with 10 races to go. Its what allowed Stewart to catch up and simply perform for 10 races instead of all 36 to win.

Next.

It’s still probably the best battle post chase, but yeah that’s a good point.

 

[StandOnIt]

It’s still probably the best battle post chase, but yeah that’s a good point.

I don't think it is that great, at any time a team can get better and string some good races together over a year, it happens, and a team can lose the handle also. See: Brad Keselowski, much better at the beginning of the season.

 

[Blaze]

I don't think it is that great, at any time a team can get better and string some good races together over a year, it happens, and a team can lose the handle also. See: Brad Keselowski, much better at the beginning of the season.

Well fair play to you. I think it was the best chase year we had yet. Feel free to have your opinion tho dude.