New Idea for the Championship Weekend

Smoke20

Gasman
Joined
Feb 17, 2023
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I know, way too early to think about it, but since we are still technically in the off season until Sunday I thought this would be a good topic.

The Championship race is largely not that great. It's obvious from the last couple of years that the top 4 are given something extra (whether that's extra HP, more bend in the rules, whatever) to ensure they are the top 4 cars in the race. The other cars might as well not even be out there. The other drivers and teams are already in off season mode and could genuinely care less about the race. It creates a race to where if your driver isn't in the top 4 there honestly isn't that much reason to watch.

So why not spice up the Championship Weekend a little bit. Here's what I think would be a good idea.
Each day of Championship Weekend (Truck Friday, Xfinity Saturday and Cup Sunday) there are two races.

The first race would be for all the drivers who didn't make the Championship 4. Make the race high lucrative. It wouldn't have to be long, say 200 or 300 kilometers at Phoenix. For Trucks and Xfinity $1 million to the winner and $250,000 to second and third. After that, nothing. For Cup $2 million to the winner and $500,000 to second and third
 
You say the 1st race is for everyone that didn't make it and would the second one only be 4 drivers?

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You say the 1st race is for everyone that didn't make it and would the second one only be 4 drivers?

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Correct. The 1st race (undercard, whatever you want to call it) would be for everyone outside the top 4 and the 2nd race (Championship Race) would be for the top 4. The 1st race could even have sponsorship, a trophy, everything a normal race would have. The Championship Race would just obviously be for the Championship.

I honestly find Championship weekend nowadays to be a complete bore. I mean what's the point in the other driver's even being out there? There's nothing for them to race for. They are just filler so that there are "technically" 40 cars. I mean NASCAR even tells them to essentially stay out of the way. For that weekend it's empty shells.

This format would allow those teams to have something to race for, a reason to actually give a darn about the last race weekend of the year.

Last time I checked we don't have other teams playing in the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl weekend in games that don't matter.
 
Correct. The 1st race (undercard, whatever you want to call it) would be for everyone outside the top 4 and the 2nd race (Championship Race) would be for the top 4. The 1st race could even have sponsorship, a trophy, everything a normal race would have. The Championship Race would just obviously be for the Championship.

I honestly find Championship weekend nowadays to be a complete bore. I mean what's the point in the other driver's even being out there? There's nothing for them to race for. They are just filler so that there are "technically" 40 cars. I mean NASCAR even tells them to essentially stay out of the way. For that weekend it's empty shells.

This format would allow those teams to have something to race for, a reason to actually give a darn about the last race weekend of the year.

Last time I checked we don't have other teams playing in the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl weekend in games that don't matter.
TV audience isn’t going to watch a four car race.
 
I personally wouldn't watch a 4 car race. I mean, if we have two of them take each other out, we're going to have a two car race for however long would be left in the race. I like the idea of giving them some sort of incentive to beat the championship four.
 
Some people need to refresh their “arguments”
 
Correct. The 1st race (undercard, whatever you want to call it) would be for everyone outside the top 4 and the 2nd race (Championship Race) would be for the top 4. The 1st race could even have sponsorship, a trophy, everything a normal race would have. The Championship Race would just obviously be for the Championship.

I honestly find Championship weekend nowadays to be a complete bore. I mean what's the point in the other driver's even being out there? There's nothing for them to race for. They are just filler so that there are "technically" 40 cars. I mean NASCAR even tells them to essentially stay out of the way. For that weekend it's empty shells.

This format would allow those teams to have something to race for, a reason to actually give a darn about the last race weekend of the year.

Last time I checked we don't have other teams playing in the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl weekend in games that don't matter.
See the problem with this comparisons is that people don’t need the other stuff because an NFL game, no matter Pre season, season, playoffs, whatever, is always 2 teams. Yes you have other games during the season, but it’s always 2 teams per game. So when the playoffs start, you still have 2 teams per game, you don’t need those extra teams. With NASCAR, 4 cars going around the track would honestly suck. I don’t wanna see that lol.


The better option is getting rid of the playoffs all together, yeah that’s an idea. Go back to the full season championship.
 
See the problem with this comparisons is that people don’t need the other stuff because an NFL game, no matter Pre season, season, playoffs, whatever, is always 2 teams. Yes you have other games during the season, but it’s always 2 teams per game. So when the playoffs start, you still have 2 teams per game, you don’t need those extra teams. With NASCAR, 4 cars going around the track would honestly suck. I don’t wanna see that lol.


The better option is getting rid of the playoffs all together, yeah that’s an idea. Go back to the full season championship.
I think we pressed post at the same time. Great minds think alike. Same analogy even.
 
While I don’t think the final 4 are given any tech bonus, I KNOW that NASCAR leans on all the other teams HARD to not screw up the show. Wasn’t always that way, but the last 4 or more have been obviously “hands off” by the rest of the field. Last year Logano’s team nailed the setup so well nobody had much of a chance. Probably why they will not likely hold the finale at a short track.
 
Why not just offer all the non-final four teams some obscene prize to go up there and just beat the final four? The caveat is that if you wreck them, you get nothing.

I wouldn't have a problem with that as long as NASCAR agreed the top four wouldn't be given any slack in terms of rules or any additional HP that gives them an advantage. Plus I would say as long as it's not an intention wreck I would take out the wreck part. The Championship 4 shouldn't be given special protection.

We all know this won't happen though as NASCAR doesn't want it to happen. They want all the focus on the Championship 4 and the other drivers are just supposed to drive around and look nice on the track but not actually try to race. That's what I'm tired of.
 
I think we pressed post at the same time. Great minds think alike. Same analogy eve

While I don’t think the final 4 are given any tech bonus, I KNOW that NASCAR leans on all the other teams HARD to not screw up the show. Wasn’t always that way, but the last 4 or more have been obviously “hands off” by the rest of the field. Last year Logano’s team nailed the setup so well nobody had much of a chance. Probably why they will not likely hold the finale at a short track.

I would be completely fine with going back to a full season Championship. It's the best way to crown a champion anyway. Problem is NASCAR would lose their minds at the very thought of the Championship being decided before the last race of the season. They would lose their mind even more of another Kenseth type situation.

NASCAR is so bent on it being the last race of the season so they have their "Game 7" moment. Ignore the fact that many times in MLB, NBA and NHL the Finals don't get to a Game 7. NASCAR doesn't understand that the reason "Game 7's" are so cherished is because they DON'T happen every year. Heck they can go YEARS without happening. NASCAR can't seem to understand that by trying to foce a "Game 7" moment every year they actually take the excitement out of the "Game 7" moment because everyone knows it's manufactured.

I agree last year Logano's team nailed the setup. And I think at first the final 4 weren't given a tech advantage, as evidence by the fact that some of the Championship 4 would barely be in the top 10. But in the last couple of years they are almost always 1-2-3-4. I don't care if they are the Championship 4, the fact that they almost always run 1-2-3-4 the last couple of years tells me they are given something extra. That does not happen organically. Especially not year after year.

I also agree that it's a show, not a race and NASCAR tells the team not to screw it up. But that's the problem. The Championship 4 has become a show, not a real race. My solution would at least bring it back to being a real race.

The other teams would have a reason to actually show up and just not drive around waiting for the season to end. And NASCAR can ensure the Championship 4 are protected and they have their artificial manufactured "Game 7" moment.

Heck just do two races period if people are concerned about only 4 cars being on the track. Have a regular 300 mile race for the non-championship 4 with a big $2 million prize for winning and then have a second 300 mile race where the Championship 4 are competing and the rest of the cars just drive around and stay out of the way.
 
The final 4 don't have more horsepower than the other cars. And a 4 car race would be more boring than the 1st duel last night.
 
Since we’re making changes
The first 26 race points winner XXX
Gets automatic bid to the final race
Still has to race thru to last race if XXX drops out before last race
There are 5 racing for the championship

So there is a slight benefit by XXX racing to the final 4, 1 less driver to contend with
 
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