Cup RACE thread --- Daytona

Guess no one here has followed the NHL since the mid 80s, and if they have, they know exactly what I’m talking about. Only difference being the NHL hasn’t (yet) screwed with the sanctity that is the cup playoffs. They sure managed to make a bit of a mockery of the regular season though. I’ve long since stopped caring about it, genie is out of the bottle, and he isn’t going back in.

Across the sports landscape less “deserving” teams make the show, while more deserving ones miss it, all the time. What’s going on here really isn’t that much different.
 
Finally watched it all, albeit fast forward a lot, last night upon our return. I didn’t really see many bonehead moves. In those tight packs small bumps in one section get compounded in others making one guy a scapegoat.
I have to say I loved the fact Burton got his win, got the Woods their 100th, and beat the ultimate brat to do it. Also have to give KB props for keeping it clean and his interview afterward. Pretty classy and mature. Sad his history makes it a surprise but I almost felt sorry for him when he showed humility.
Speaking of classy, nice celebration by Burton. I hope he finds his way in a situation that works for him. And good to see the Woods and Burton family handling the situation with class afterward. Looks like they all handled the change like mature adults.
 
Im still in awe of the first stage. 3 wide for the entire 40(?? I forget how many) laps. A bunch of passing and different leaders, so good.
 
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aunty dive said:
So … in the opinion of many pundits, the rule is NFG.

What happens next?
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NASCAR needs to get rid of it and just have the playoffs set by points and give maybe like 25 bonus points for a win. I'd like playoff points removed too - it removes drama from the playoffs. In the NFL comparison imagine if they said OK the number one sees gets 17 points on the board to start each game. It sucks. Keep the 16 car format and stage racing with that bonus for winning.
 
I'd actually be ok with a wild card format again. Something like top 14 in points. Last 2 spots are for any winners not in the top 14. Wild cards would be highest winners in points not in the top 14.

Also wild card has to be top 30 in points
 
Harrison definitely earned that win. With that being said, I wouldn't be shocked if we go back to 1 overtime and a points system only for the Top 16. Cannot have a guy who is in 34th making the postseason because he won a race and bumping out Wallace or Chastain
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Harrison definitely earned that win. With that being said, I wouldn't be shocked if we go back to 1 overtime and a points system only for the Top 16. Cannot have a guy who is in 34th making the postseason because he won a race and bumping out Wallace or Chastain
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Oh hell yeah, got to protect 17th and 18th places. Can't have the jackpot in a plate race go to 34th, it wouldn't be proper.
 
BobbyFord said:
If there was another "NASCAR" running a similar schedule with no playoffs and no stages that's the one I'd be watching instead of what we currently have. The problem is there isn't one. NASCAR has a monopoly on stock car racing.
If it doesn't taste that great but you're hungry, you're gonna eat.
The new generation that is running the sport is only interested in money.
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With new drivers and teams? After investing all the years and emotion in whoever you support in NASCAR? I doubt it.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Personally, I'm not going to worry my old brain with "what ifs". That's beyond my pay grade. I'll let the big wigs
at NASCAR do the heavy lifting, it's why they get paid. It doesn't matter to me if they twist Oreos apart or play rock, paper, scissors.
As long as there are cars on the track, going fast, I'll watch.
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I agree. It’s about what happens on the track for me….not watching point standings go up or down. If that controls your interest you’re doing it wrong.
 
Ford 222 said:
I agree. It’s about what happens on the track for me….not watching point standings go up or down. If that controls your interest you’re doing it wrong.
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So just ignore all of the B.S. about cut off lines, playoff points, playoff implications, the flashing on the screen stats when a car drops one position. Yeah I get it, just ignore it. I usually just turn the gerbils off myself It's all they talk about. -sigh-
 
Ford 222 said:
I agree. It’s about what happens on the track for me….not watching point standings go up or down. If that controls your interest you’re doing it wrong.
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I don't disagree with the point but I think that all the "what if's" are exactly the problem. We get a constant bubble watch saying "if" the stage or race ended now but "oh wait" IF this driver wins the bubble moves up." It's exhausting. I understand I am old-school and what's in the past is in the past but we can still learn something from it. I remember races where the focus was the RACE and they never talked much about the championship until AFTER the race when they gave a rundown.

Either way, I think it's hard to argue that the last few weeks with Richmond and Daytona have really exposed the flaws with NASCAR's current playoff format and hopefully that will result in a change. What every sport wants in the playoffs if having the best teams in and having to compete at highest level. With "win and you're in" you end up with undeserving drivers making the playoffs at the expense of better teams and playoff points just give people leeway to not have to perform at the highest level on the biggest stage. If you just go to regular points with 5 bonus points for winning a stage in addition to stage points and then a straight up reset for the playoffs with everyone at 0 that would make for some excitement and teams performing at their best on the big stage, I do like the idea as well of having the top-14 qualify and then reserving 2 wild cards for anyone in the top 15-25 not in the top 14 who gets a win. At leapt that way it's not a total fluke like Harrison burton literally sitting dead last in the points of all drivers that have competed full time getting a playoff spot.
 
The more I think about it the more I like this format.
Have the Wood Bros. been chasing this number 100 hard out. Has not Harrison been trying his hardest to get that win?
If you play within the rules that have been set out more power to them when that get that win.
 
StandOnIt said:
So just ignore all of the B.S. about cut off lines, playoff points, playoff implications, the flashing on the screen stats when a car drops one position. Yeah I get it, just ignore it. I usually just turn the gerbils off myself It's all they talk about. -sigh-
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It’s tough to ignore I agree. But the way the champion is crowned doesn’t take away from what’s happening on track to me. Except some hard racing it creates. Manufactured or not, I love it and so do the detractors. It’s just something to bitch about.
 
Chase Fan 79 said:
I don't disagree with the point but I think that all the "what if's" are exactly the problem. We get a constant bubble watch saying "if" the stage or race ended now but "oh wait" IF this driver wins the bubble moves up." It's exhausting. I understand I am old-school and what's in the past is in the past but we can still learn something from it. I remember races where the focus was the RACE and they never talked much about the championship until AFTER the race when they gave a rundown.

Either way, I think it's hard to argue that the last few weeks with Richmond and Daytona have really exposed the flaws with NASCAR's current playoff format and hopefully that will result in a change. What every sport wants in the playoffs if having the best teams in and having to compete at highest level. With "win and you're in" you end up with undeserving drivers making the playoffs at the expense of better teams and playoff points just give people leeway to not have to perform at the highest level on the biggest stage. If you just go to regular points with 5 bonus points for winning a stage in addition to stage points and then a straight up reset for the playoffs with everyone at 0 that would make for some excitement and teams performing at their best on the big stage, I do like the idea as well of having the top-14 qualify and then reserving 2 wild cards for anyone in the top 15-25 not in the top 14 who gets a win. At leapt that way it's not a total fluke like Harrison burton literally sitting dead last in the points of all drivers that have competed full time getting a playoff spot.
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It doesn’t bother me that drivers after about 14th or so make it or don’t. Do we really think they have a shot at the title? They are just participants for the first and maybe second round. I like the live updates. Especially if there is a driver I want to make it in or one I don’t.
 
Ford 222 said:
But the way the champion is crowned doesn’t take away from what’s happening on track to me. Except some hard racing it creates.
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It does affect the way the race is covered. If you're not a playoff driver, good luck getting NBC to acknowledge you exist regardless of how well you're running. This is especially true at Phoenix, where there might as well be only four cars in the races as far as NBC cares.
Ford 222 said:
Manufactured or not, I love it and so do the detractors
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I'll take the unwarranted liberty of speaking for all detractors: NO. No, we do not love it.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
It does affect the way the race is covered. If you're not a playoff driver, good luck getting NBC to acknowledge you exist regardless of how well you're running. This is especially true at Phoenix, where there might as well be only four cars in the races as far as NBC cares.

I'll take the unwarranted liberty of speaking for all detractors: NO. No, we do not love it.
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You’re here, commenting. So you’re watching. And commenting about all the “manufactured” drama. If you didn’t enjoy it, your attention would be elsewhere. I know, wouldn’t want to admit it either when I whine incessantly like others do but, you guessed it, still here watching and commenting.

When pro football went political, I quit watching. Unless given free tickets or it’s on at a function and friends are watching.
 
Ford 222 said:
So you’re watching. And commenting about all the “manufactured” drama. If you didn’t enjoy it, your attention would be elsewhere.
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Enjoying races as individual events is not the same thing as enjoying how they fit into a championship. A collection of great short stories isn't the same thing as a great novel. Starting with the finest ingredients doesn't help if the recipe instructions are incorrect.
 
Ford 222 said:
It doesn’t bother me that drivers after about 14th or so make it or don’t. Do we really think they have a shot at the title? They are just participants for the first and maybe second round. I like the live updates. Especially if there is a driver I want to make it in or one I don’t.
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That's my whole issue though - do we really want teams in that have NO CHANCE? Maybe some are fine with it but I want the 16 best in there. Not the 10-12 best with a few fluke wins.
 
… “on the team plane” LOL

With a win in his pocket maybe Team Penske will stop running science experiments on Burton’s cars.

 
Chase Fan 79 said:
That's my whole issue though - do we really want teams in that have NO CHANCE? Maybe some are fine with it but I want the 16 best in there. Not the 10-12 best with a few fluke wins.
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There would be no "fluke wins" (read that as plural) in NASCAR and not have a chance. Winning in the top series is impressive and might be attributed to luck such as happens at restrictor plate tracks with multi-car pileups involving so many normal front runners. Winning twice in the same year has to have a modicum of skill, driver talent, car preparation and strategy all combined and that don't happen to drivers or teams that have "no chance." At least not in this sport and this day and age of finely tuned, aerodynamically prepared cars and green/white/checkers.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Enjoying races as individual events is not the same thing as enjoying how they fit into a championship. A collection of great short stories isn't the same thing as a great novel. Starting with the finest ingredients doesn't help if the recipe instructions are incorrect.
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All a matter of opinion on the championship. But to say the playoff doesn’t affect the effort therefor the product in a way we all want is ludicrous. We saw an epic race for the win by 2 guys racing to get in (and win) plus 2 other guys trying to point their way in that made last night pretty exciting. Races within races. Doesn’t get much better than that. All my opinion of course.
 
Chase Fan 79 said:
That's my whole issue though - do we really want teams in that have NO CHANCE? Maybe some are fine with it but I want the 16 best in there. Not the 10-12 best with a few fluke wins.
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Eh, I don’t really care. Last night was a good example of why the playoffs make the racing pretty interesting and dramatic. We wouldn’t have seen the 23 and 17 racing their guts in the middle of the pack if not for a playoff spot. Or the 23 come prepared to go for it all like they did. Manufactured or not.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I can respect that. I ask that you do the same when I say I don't enjoy the playoff format, instead of insisting that I do.
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I’m not insisting that you do. I’m not believing you don’t enjoy what it produces. Just like I don’t believe all these people that “hate wrecks” or fights/arguments from racing incidents brought on by the increased intensity of the playoffs. I’m sure they all run from the TV when they happen or close their eyes for every replay.
 
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