The Driver Formerly Known as Brad Krashalotski Says Drivers and Fans Should Get "Unconfused"

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All- Star format critics 'need to get unconfused' - Keselowski

NASCAR has come in for considerable criticism from drivers and fans over its latest format for the Sprint All Star Race, but Brad Keselowski – who was widely credited with pushing for the new rules for last Saturday's race through the Drivers Council – continued to staunchly defend the changes and suggested the critics "need to get unconfused."

Revisions included placing the fastest drivers in the back of the pack on new tires and pitting them against slower ones with track position. While resulting confusion over the rules exasperated some such as Tony Stewart, who called the race "the most screwed up All-Star Race I've ever been a part of," Keselowski (below) maintained the changes made for a better show.

"There was a last – or next-to-last lap pass – for the lead," he told FOX Sports. "There were several passes for the lead. The last four [All-Star] races, there hasn't been a pass for the lead in the last 20 or 30 laps. I think our fans deserve a better format than that – and they got that."

"I don't know how you can get much more compelling racing than what we saw, so they need to get unconfused and enjoy the racing."

Keselowski also credited NASCAR's aerodynamic tweaks for helping to spice up the actions.

"I thought it was certainly key to making the cars have more [tire] fall-off and opening up more passing opportunities," he added.
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Racer.com

WEAVER: http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/129904-weaver-don-t-dump-all-star-format-yet
 
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The format was overly complex, and with current aero rules it didn't need to be, plus it got hosed by the 20 plus Nascar being unprepared for that. With previous aero rules, something had to be done, so something was done. A good effort that didn't work out as well as hoped.

Particularly inappropriate was Denny Hamlin taking pot shots at BK. For some unknown reason, Hamlin has not revealed his suggested format for the All Star Race.
 
Nascar has got to scale back the gimmicks it uses to try to manufacture excitement and if an event requires gerrymandering in order to pique interest it is likely not worth holding. Continue with the things that make the racing desirable to watch and keep things simple.
 
Well they don't pay him to think, just to drive - now I can see why. Ratings dropping year after year, I am sure taking shots at the fans will help.
 
Brads right it wasn't confusing, it was the simplest format in years. One unexpected thing happened and that does not mean the format was bad or at all confusing. Seriously people tell me what was confusing about it because nothing was
 
I didn't watch the race with sound on, and have yet to go back and do so, but I did read the breakdown of the format and each of it's segments and it didn't come across as being too complex or confusing to me. Did the race not follow the explanation of the format that was given prior?
 
Wrangler1 said:
Well they don't pay him to think, just to drive - now I can see why. Ratings dropping year after year, I am sure taking shots at the fans will help.
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Yeah, the comment from Brad illustrates why I have stated several times I don't think he is the sharpest knife in the drawer as he can think whatever he likes but biting the hand that feeds him is just plain dumb. Even if he was 100% correct in telling the world that "people need to get un-confused" the perception amongst most of the fans and drivers is that the format sucked and if that is the perception then it is reality. Making a statement like that makes him sound like an arrogant little prick who is being defensive instead of admitting he screwed the pooch and moving on.

I would tell BKez that formats need to be straightforward and should never be convoluted as the more convoluted they become the greater the chance for error.
 
BradK tells it like it is. It wasn't confusing unless you didn't read the general format beforehand. And surprisingly, some drivers did not as Stewart said before the race. Probably because BK was being credited with it and their idea sucked so they acted like kids and made it as difficult as they could. Other than his tweet to Moody that it was just one guys idea, what else has Hamlin, the passive aggressive puss that he is, said?

Wrangler1 said:
Well they don't pay him to think, just to drive - now I can see why. Ratings dropping year after year, I am sure taking shots at the fans will help.
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If you quit being a fan because of what a driver said you were not a fan to begin with. You ought to be cheering that your driver kicks his ass every week.

TexasRaceLady said:
The actual on track racing was great. The confusion came from the 20 NOT doing what was necessary and NASCAR being unprepared.

The part that tee'd me off was the stopping of the cars to check lug nuts. NUTZ! :D
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Yeah somebody wasn't listening at the drivers meeting beforehand or didn't bother to read the rules the week before which astounds me when racing for $1000000....
 
One small change would have made it much better. Make the Mandatory pit stop happen between lap 20 and 40. Problem solved. It would have been much better if so many cars hadn't been down a lap. If the first car with four tires had restarted sixth or seventh instead of third, that last segment would have been epic. The format itself wasn't bad.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
The actual on track racing was great. The confusion came from the 20 NOT doing what was necessary and NASCAR being unprepared.
The part that tee'd me off was the stopping of the cars to check lug nuts. NUTZ! :D
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Yep. That's why I gave it a 9. And I agree with the rest also.
 
I still don't understand the lack of a wave-around.....cars were in front of the new leader...why not? But I agree, the rest of the race was fun. If they clarify the pitting/wave around issue, I'd be fine with this format again.
 
Ford 222 said:
BradK tells it like it is. It wasn't confusing unless you didn't read the general format beforehand. And surprisingly, some drivers did not as Stewart said before the race. Probably because BK was being credited with it and their idea sucked so they acted like kids and made it as difficult as they could. Other than his tweet to Moody that it was just one guys idea, what else has Hamlin, the passive aggressive puss that he is, said?


If you quit being a fan because of what a driver said you were not a fan to begin with. You ought to be cheering that your driver kicks his ass every week.



Yeah somebody wasn't listening at the drivers meeting beforehand or didn't bother to read the rules the week before which astounds me when racing for $1000000....
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Its not the format beforehand it was the Kenseth fiasco with no wave-around that was the problem - fix that and it would have made for a much better show.

I didn't say NASCAR was going to lose fans over what was said. I was saying that with all the fans that have been lost in recent years - a very strong few remain that love this sport to death and stuck with it through debris cautions, cars with wings, and 1,726 championship formats. Do you really want to call them out?
 
Wrangler1 said:
Its not the format beforehand it was the Kenseth fiasco with no wave-around that was the problem - fix that and it would have made for a much better show.

I didn't say NASCAR was going to lose fans over what was said. I was saying that with all the fans that have been lost in recent years - a very strong few remain that love this sport to death and stuck with it through debris cautions, cars with wings, and 1,726 championship formats. Do you really want to call them out?
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I didn't view it as a call out exactly....and BK certainly could have phrased it better than he did. I'm sure it was a heat of the moment comment while everyone was railing on his idea and looking at him since there were issues nobody thought of. I'm sure his idea was 3 segments with mandatory pit stops and the required 4 tire stop for X amount of cars. NASCAR probably came up with the details and officiated it incorrectly in hind sight...which is always 20/20.
 
Just give them soft enough tires to demand tire management, and minimize downforce. And stop it with the BS shenanigans. The showdowm had good races with simple formats.

And some races will be lemons, there will be times that a dominant force stinks up the show. Its racing deal with it. But there will be many great races too for fans talk about for ages.

It is too bad that Nascar doesnt believe it is own product enough to let things work itself.
 
Ford 222 said:
BradK tells it like it is. It wasn't confusing unless you didn't read the general format beforehand. And surprisingly, some drivers did not as Stewart said before the race. Probably because BK was being credited with it and their idea sucked so they acted like kids and made it as difficult as they could. Other than his tweet to Moody that it was just one guys idea, what else has Hamlin, the passive aggressive puss that he is, said?


If you quit being a fan because of what a driver said you were not a fan to begin with. You ought to be cheering that your driver kicks his ass every week.



Yeah somebody wasn't listening at the drivers meeting beforehand or didn't bother to read the rules the week before wh
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Ford 222 said:
BradK tells it like it is. It wasn't confusing unless you didn't read the general format beforehand. And surprisingly, some drivers did not as Stewart said before the race. Probably because BK was being credited with it and their idea sucked so they acted like kids and made it as difficult as they could. Other than his tweet to Moody that it was just one guys idea, what else has Hamlin, the passive aggressive puss that he is, said?


If you quit being a fan because of what a driver said you were not a fan to begin with. You ought to be cheering that your driver kicks his ass every week.



Yeah somebody wasn't listening at the drivers meeting beforehand or didn't bother to read the rules the week before which astounds me when racing for $1000000....
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It has gone past the point of whether the rules were understandable or not as most of the fans and drivers did not like the format and don't want to see it again. With the low the low down force package in place there was no need for the gimmicks and time wasting exercises.
 
Wrangler1 said:
Its not the format beforehand it was the Kenseth fiasco with no wave-around that was the problem - fix that and it would have made for a much better show.

I didn't say NASCAR was going to lose fans over what was said. I was saying that with all the fans that have been lost in recent years - a very strong few remain that love this sport to death and stuck with it through debris cautions, cars with wings, and 1,726 championship formats. Do you really want to call them out?
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550,000.00 less people tuned into the the race last Saturday as the year before so it is important that Nascar puts on a straightforward show that people are interested in seeing.
 
The 20 just had terrible luck ... that caution came on lap 46 .. 3 or 4 laps before he needed to make a green flag stop under the rules. The dumb rules didn't allow him to pit before lap 50 once that caution came out, so they gave him a silly penalty. It was a mess of a race with silliness galore. Why not just have a 200 plus lap race with an odd number of laps that would make for some fuel strategy, or heck ... maybe do 250 laps, and then stop them for a mad dash for the cash of a final 15 laps.
 
Honestly just get rid of the mandatory stops and this is a fine format. If the goal is green-flag pit stops then make the segment length longer than a fuel run and don't count caution laps. Forcing two pit stops in 50 laps is just stupid, you don't need that much tire or fuel, and that's where the whole thing came apart.
 
Acs said:
Honestly just get rid of the mandatory stops and this is a fine format. If the goal is green-flag pit stops then make the segment length longer than a fuel run and don't count caution laps. Forcing two pit stops in 50 laps is just stupid, you don't need that much tire or fuel, and that's where the whole thing came apart.
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Problem solved - I am now unconfused.
 
Invisible Guest said:
The 20 just had terrible luck ... that caution came on lap 46 .. 3 or 4 laps before he needed to make a green flag stop under the rules. The dumb rules didn't allow him to pit before lap 50 once that caution came out, so they gave him a silly penalty. It was a mess of a race with silliness galore. Why not just have a 200 plus lap race with an odd number of laps that would make for some fuel strategy, or heck ... maybe do 250 laps, and then stop them for a mad dash for the cash of a final 15 laps.
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Lap 47 was the last lap he could pit. Kenseth screwed up.
 
I don't think it was that confusing to begin with, and the Kenseth situation really threw everyone for a loop. I think if you just mandated that only green flag laps count, as in the final segment, it would be fine. And maybe adjust the possible inversions in case wrecks take out a decent amount of cars like what happened last weekend. Like 6-8-10 or something.

Imo, it's good to have one race a year where you really mix things up and unscrew your head, otherwise what's the point of having an All-Star event? I'd rather just see a points race somewhere else if we're going to utilize a normal race format.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
I didn't watch the race with sound on, and have yet to go back and do so, but I did read the breakdown of the format and each of it's segments and it didn't come across as being too complex or confusing to me. Did the race not follow the explanation of the format that was given prior?
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Honestly, the Kenseth thing really trickled down and affected most of the race. If it weren't for that you're looking at having several more cars on the lead lap the rest of the race and subsequently up front on older tires for the start of the final segment.
 
The Nature Boy said:
Lap 47 was the last lap he could pit. Kenseth screwed up.
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The caution came on lap 46 ... but once the caution flew so late in the segment he couldn't do a green flag pit stop before the end of the segment .. thus the 1 lap penalty. If there's no caution he comes in the next lap and fulfills the green flag pit stop requirement and continues on without penalty. I don't see how Kenseth screwed up ... bad luck is more like it.
 
Invisible Guest said:
The caution came on lap 46 ... but once the caution flew so late in the segment he couldn't do a green flag pit stop before the end of the segment .. thus the 1 lap penalty. If there's no caution he comes in the next lap and fulfills the green flag pit stop requirement and continues on without penalty. I don't see how Kenseth screwed up ... bad luck is more like it.
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I would just have caution laps not count in the All Star Race, that would've fixed this whole thing.
 
Not counting caution laps would have fix it, but Kenseth's pit crew wouldn't have been under as much pressure to do a super quick 'green flag' like pitstop either. Some would probably think that was an unfair advantage.
 
I see what you are saying ... there would be no pit stops allowed under caution. They would resume the race at lap 46 after the caution ended, and then Kenseth pits under green then. Makes sense.
 
The lug nut check was nuts, if NA$CAR had never allowed them to go to 4 lug nuts tightened they wouldn't even have to worry about lug nuts. The cars now have nothing in common with street cars so why not just make a 4 lug nut wheel for them.
 
I don't really understand the blaming of Brad for this whole deal. He came up with an idea and Nascar went with it. Yes they didn't plan ahead for what ifs but I don't see where that is Brad's fault. Matt's team was the only one that got burned on the deal so shouldn't it be up to his CC not planning ahead? At least Brad will suggest something instead of being like Hamlin and just whine and blame somebody else, especially if it is Brad. The racing was good and that is what counts to me. The lug nut deal shouldn't be a big deal after all you are suppose to have all lug nuts secured right? Could things have been better thought out, sure, but on the other hand it was a new idea so what should you expect? Most new ideas aren't proved until they get used a couple of times. If the other drivers are so smart why didn't they go and come up with ideas or come up with what ifs that might be expected?
 
oldgoat said:
I don't really understand the blaming of Brad for this whole deal. He came up with an idea and Nascar went with it. Yes they didn't plan ahead for what ifs but I don't see where that is Brad's fault. Matt's team was the only one that got burned on the deal so shouldn't it be up to his CC not planning ahead? At least Brad will suggest something instead of being like Hamlin and just whine and blame somebody else, especially if it is Brad. The racing was good and that is what counts to me. The lug nut deal shouldn't be a big deal after all you are suppose to have all lug nuts secured right? Could things have been better thought out, sure, but on the other hand it was a new idea so what should you expect? Most new ideas aren't proved until they get used a couple of times. If the other drivers are so smart why didn't they go and come up with ideas or come up with what ifs that might be expected?
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No matter the originator, it was garbage.
 
blanston said:
No matter the originator, it was garbage.
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Sorry but I guess we disagree. The racing wasn't garbage but the planning for problems wasn't very good and that is on Nascars lap. That it hurt Matt was icing on the cake for me. Maybe the drivers and CC should have opened their mouths if they had concerns instead of throwing darts afterwards. Of course for some it is easier to whine than be involved.
 
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