Xfinity RACE thread --- Texas

[Team Penske]

^^^, as I continued to question the latest "chase" system I remember way back a few years in the BC (before chase) years when none of it was around. I remember looking at the scoring and thinking, if so in so driver wrecks out that will move the other driver who is 25 points behind into third place and if this other driver wins, he could move up two places on and on. I would study those standings sheets. I would be able to look at the whole field of drivers, all 40 of them and be able to see say a driver in 25th place 2 or three points behind 24th and be able to follow that "race in a race" the whole season. I know a lot of this wouldn't be something for casual fans. But I don't see why the old system in most instances wouldn't give the talking heads the drama that they need. Keep the "points matter" stage points, make them smaller, (the commercials must go on) and be done with it. I believe I could keep up with the points pretty well during a race if I wanted to, as it is now I really can't and when going to the Nascar site, all I see are a few drivers still in the chase and I have to hunt around to see the rest of the field. When I do find the other drivers, their points are all screwed up and they don't make any sense at a glance. Those races within races that the smaller teams have in the back have no chance what so ever of being discussed as it is now, much less 9th or tenth place positions.

Winning prize money is never discussed like it was years ago, the money for winning the season championship and the final season money for all the places down to 20th have vanished. Sure the deathbedders would have a holiday, but for most sane people, the prize money awarded is important, it is what sets our sport apart from most of the others. Gone are the days of a driver holding this huge paper check with confetti stuck to him and it.

I remember the points for leading at 1/2 time and what some teams would do to get them.
I like the the stage racing, makes the debris cautions predictable and it only means a few more entries on the spreadsheet. I dislike the the chase, it certainly is not a play off as in other sports so lets do away with it. I do like the idea of giving a drivers first win of the season a special bonus of say 150 points and an extra 50 points every win after that. It makes winning the best way to win a championship.
Another thing that may help small teams get ahead is "no points for 26th on back." and the top 25 earns bonus money like years ago. That way we have multiple races going on at the same time. Top 5 cars going for the win every week, next ten cars racing for points, next 5 cars racing for bonus money and finally the rest of the cars trying to make their teams better
so they can get into the top 25. Also takes away the need for these back markers to wreck
their cars every race.

 

[JBone88]

Precisely why nobody respects this sport at the moment. This is a circus. I honestly hope we have a winless champ. I could think of no better ending to the playoff where eVeRy PoInT mAtTeRs WiNnInG mAtTeRs MuH sTaGe RaCiNg

 

[Bobw]

I remember the points for leading at 1/2 time and what some teams would do to get them.

Wasn't that sponsored by Gatorade and if memory serves it paid a whopping 10 grand for leading at the halfway mark? 10k was big money then.
The old system rewarded consistency. The higher you finished the more points you received. Bonus points paid for winning, leading a lap and most laps led. Championship went to the driver who collected the most points in the entire season.
When Nextel came on board they wanted something to hold our interest rather than us drifting off to football. They created this artificial drama known as ''The Chase''

Should a driver be named champion without winning a race? IMHO, NO!

 

[StandOnIt]

The whole ball of wax started one year when Kenseth won the championship with one win and Newman had multiple wins and didn't. Instead of looking at all of the high finishes Kenseth had in addition to the win, Penske and Newman put up a fuss about it. Who knows could have been an excuse like today to try to create more drama, like poison ivy arm, Gordon getting a do over etc.

 

[StandOnIt]