By Jeremy T. Sellers
You know, I always thought a play-off system in sports was suppose to make for excitement, a true, “down to the finish, last man standing” type of ending. Points-wise, I’m not taking that away from the conclusion of this cup season, but to try and smile and say that these races will take place on “wondermous” tracks is a bold-face lie.
Don’t get me wrong, throw in Talladega, Lowe’s, maybe Martinsville? Anyway…whose brainstorm was it to start the chase in New Hampshire? Line them up for the firing squad. Sure, it has been good for some “feel good” wins among the cup ranks, but let’s face it, you can fall asleep on lap one and not miss much.
Oh, better yet, put California in the chase? Now, there’s proof they are still shroomin’ on the West Coast. The spring race in Fontana looked like a ghost town with 43 cars, and even Kevin Harvick went public by saying something needs to be done there to get people in the seats. The short? We as fans KNOW that quality racing does not occur on a flat, two-mile track.
Add Dover, The Monster Mile, just to make it sound more exciting than it really is. I have been to this track for a cup event. The most exhilarating event of the day was me getting a sun burn in the bleachers. Yes, it is a fast facility, but competitive enough for a play-off arena? I think not.
Even the hype they dumped into Homestead after its reconfiguration did not pan out the way NASCAR intended. Is racing better? Sure. Is it the quality it should be for the season’s final event? Definitely not! I have been to Miami, too, in case you were wondering. I will say it is the cleanest of the cup tracks I have attended. Fans are well behaved and access isn’t bad. However, I am still trying to figure out why they removed Atlanta, the fastest mile and a half, and put it pre-chase. Did someone in NASCAR have a frontal lobotomy? (Personally, I’d rather have a bottle in front of me…old psychiatric joke, but anyway…)
Of course I didn’t cover all of the chase tracks. What’s the point? I believe by now that you get the gist. NASCAR is turning a blind eye to many issues, and is losing fans in droves. Several, what I would consider “die hard” fans, have told me this season that watching racing, or reading up on racing news hasn’t mattered much. I am still a fan. For some reason, I still believe. Maybe I should give Santa Claus a call? However, it’s hard to deny that there is a problem when big names are stepping forward with their criticisms. I mean HUGE names such as Dale Earnhardt Jr, Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, and Dick Berggren just to name the ones that come to mind immediately. The fact that the new car has hurt racing cannot be denied.
Laugh at me if you wish. Leave me hateful responses if it makes you feel better. I truly don’t care. As anyone else, however, I do not believe in sacrificing safety, but the sport has gone from one extreme to the other. NASCAR racing at the cup level has become sterile, and next season, we will have to worry about the same issue in the Nationwide Series. How much longer does NASCAR believe it can fool its most important asset, the fans? Is the bar open yet? I need a drink!
{ 9 comments }
I’m right with you on the poor choice of tracks in the ‘chase’, and the general lack of excitement in the season so far. No matter how much the media yells, I find myself unable to get excited about which driver more than 500 points behind the leader is going to be eligible to ‘win a champeenship’. But, like you, I find myself tuning in occasionally to see if, just this once, the race will excite me the way they used to. Guess we’re like the kid on his birthday, shoveling through a pile of manure, mettering “There has to be a pony in here somewhere.”
I’m surprised to hear you say the racing at Dover isn’t any good for the Chase. Looking back to 2006, the Jeff Burton vs. Matt Kenseth battle was an awesome 20-lap duel. In ‘07, Carl Edwards dodged a massive wreck on the backstretch that shook up the Chase standings and in ‘08 who can argue with the fact that the three Roush cars put on one hell of a show for the final 30 laps. If you include this past May’s race with Johnson charging from 8th to 1st over the last 20 laps, and his battle with Tony Stewart, I think the racing at Dover has proved to be worthy of a spot in the Chase. It seems to be one of the only tracks that the COT puts on a good show at to boot.
Too many cookie cutters in the chase. I think they need to throw in a road course. I like Dover, it should stay. I’m bored with racing this year too, but I still tune in every week like you guys do hoping something exciting happens. And why do 12 guys make the chase and only 10 get on stage at the banquet? It doesn’t make sense.
Bite your tongue. The one thing we don’t need is a road race. Talk about boring. I would like to add Darlington and Richmond , I think that it will be interesting if Kyle and Mark do not make the chase. If the chase were changed next year to including everyone who won a complete race ( not a shortened race) it may make the whole thing more interesting.
The raod courses were probubly the best races this year and Darlington has to be one of the most boring races of the year. You must live near there. And everyone who won a race should make the Chase? You could end up with twenty guys in the “Chase,” so what would be the point of “The Chase?”
yes i live 45 minutes from darlington and don’t go to the track because it is probably the least fan friendly track on the circuit. The racing is usually excellent, although it is hard to do that with the Cot Interesting and road races do not belong in the same sentence. Sorry. As far as how many in the chase, who cares; it would makes a lot more sense to have races where drivers are are racing for wins each week instead of points racing, If ya’all are hung up on having 12 in the chase, make it the 12 with the most wins and the highest number of points. Actually, I would be happy to see a chase that was limited to winners only, boy could that be interesting, We might see a chase with fewer that 12 drivers in it, but they would be winners, rather than models of consistency. it could be interesting this year if we have a champion who hasn’t won a race all year. Name me one other sport where you get into the playoffs on anything other total wins.
Consistency is the name of the game, just ask Jimmie Johnson. Do you really think that Brad Keselowski should make the chase with one win over someone that finishes top 5 or 10 every week? I don’t think so.
At least it doesn’t sound like you’ve been drinkin’ Brian’s Kool-Aid.
Personally, I like the pony allusion. It was very fitting. Traditionally, Darlington has always hosted good racing. I have been to a race at this track as well, and will agree it is not fan friendly. However, it use to put on a good show. Why not add a road course? It sure as hell would be more interesting than New Hampshire or California!
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