Brian France took over as NASCAR Chairman in 2003 and boy has he done great things for the sport. There are some NASCAR fans that would actually fall for that type of comment, which is why I hope all of the readers will read the title of the article before actually reading it. France is now proposing new changes for the Chase, which include now 15 drivers instead of 12 and an elimination style/knockout format. Now, France just doesn’t seem to get the big picture. We don’t want the Chase at all! We want to see 43 drivers competing week in and week out and the person with the most points out of those thirty-six races as the champion. We are sick and tired of seeing ten race seasons and for nearly the past 2,000 days we haven’t had a new champion.
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[/media-credit]France would be a good fit for the United States Senate. He just doesn’t listen to the will of the people. The people don’t want the Chase and instead of following up on their request, he just wants to “change” the Chase. France should expect more ratings and attendance drops if he does this again. We should go back to the old points system and just give 10 more bonus points for wins. I believe that if we do that we would be seeing a much more exciting points finish and the person that really deserves the championship will win.
Now, how would my change have worked in the past? Well let’s take a look everybody. We all know that Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship by 90 points over Jimmie Johnson. Now, with the new 10 extra bonus points on wins…who really won? Matt Kenseth still. Kenseth won 1 race in 2003 and Johnson had 3. So, ultimately it was a 70 point gap between Kenseth and Johnson that decided the championship. 2004 is going to be probably the nail biter! Jeff Gordon won under the old way by 47 points over Jimmie Johnson that year, but Gordon had 5 wins, Johnson had 8. This would have been a 17 point win for Jeff. Isn’t this the way to go? Mr. France, I have had enough with your points system. Do you care that NASCAR’s attendance is dropping, or are you just too incompetent to realize how wrong you really are?
I got a couple emails the other day about my proposal and one person yelled, “Well! Jeff Gordon would have run away with the championships in the 90’s!! That’s no fun!” My response is simply this, “He won the races. That is the way my points system works. You have to be able to not only win races from time to time, but you have to show some sort of consistency.” There is no point reverting under my system. You either win it or you don’t, so there is no complaining when the season is done about being unfair. My fellow colleague, Matt Embury on the radio show Next Time By said, “The only reason you want your system is because you are a Jr. fan and you want to see him back in the championship hunt.” That was probably the most silly comment ever. First, What difference would it had made for Jr. if they had the old system? That’s right. Nothing. He wouldn’t even had been a factor and I’m not a Jr. fan, so that kinda backfired.
Before I leave you guys, I want to hear what your version of the points system should be and I’ll respond to them. You can add me on Facebook or email me at therhino.ryan@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you guys.
I disagree, Andy. That is too similar to the point system that Formula One has. NASCAR needs to maintain its originality, but at the same time the 43-1 point system was actually used by me for my prediction game at http://www.thesportsstuff.com
I think that would work better than the 100-10 system.
I agree that the focus should be on wins. The big issue with Nascar is that drivers know that consistence is far more valuable then winning races. Jamie Mac wins 3 races and doesn’t make the chase , and then you have several drivers make it that didn’t win a race, how does that make sence? What they should do is go to a point system like F1 that puts a big value on winning as appose to having a good points day. If you look at the race at Turkey, you had teammates in Red Bull take each other out and then Lewis and Jenson almost did the same thing fighting for the win. At the end of the year, there were four guys in it that could take the title and Vettal who was third won by winning the last race. If Nascar wants that “Super Bowl feeling” then they should look at F1 for a point system that makes the race exciting even for eight and ninth place. My suggestion would be points only for the top 15 and it would look like this: 1st. 40 points, 2nd 25, 3rd 20, 4th 15, 5th 12, 6th 10, 7th 9, 8th 8, 9th 7, 10th 6, 11th 5, 12th 4, 13th 3, 14th 2, 15th 1 point. Why should a guy that comes in 32 get any points? Just my two cents.
Points only for the top ten, with ten points separating them. 100 for first 10 for 10th.
A consistent driver will still do well, but they can’t keep putting up 7th place finishes and expect to be there at the end.
Hello! People are missing the point – everyones talking and compplaining about the “Chase”. How about refocusing on winning races?
If I go to a race, its not to see whos ahead in points at the finish line, but who wins the race.
As long as the focus is on the championship we will keep getting points racing and more and more potential sponsors who arent willing to bet millions on their car getting to the chase.
I’d rather see the old point system, but let’s face it Cup product wise is just plain bad, and it’s become a joke with all the dumb changes the powers to be have done. I’ll just be watching the NCWTS this season, it has the best racing in NASCAR, love the shorter races, the 25 race schedule works better with my Bears, Blackhawks, and Redsoxs schedule.
Drop the chase and top 35 rule. It would be nice to see the FASTEST cars race. The NHRA does this and it works. If qualifying is rained out, then practice speeds are put into play. The top one and two qualifiers get 10 and 5 points respectively. Every lap led under green is worth 1 point ( that will take care of sandbaggers ). The points awarded at the end of a race will increase 2 fold per position. In the event of rain during a race, pit road will be closed until the lead lap cars can pit together.
Nascar needs to look in the mirror, stop, backup and pickup the faithful fans that got them to this point.
Jonathan, I’m not here to talk about the Nationwide Series. The Sprint Cup and the Nationwide Series are different and the competition level in the Sprint Cup is vastly different.
For example, Kyle Busch won 13 races in Nationwide, but was only able to get 3 wins in Cup and he didn’t win the championship. Thankfully this year drivers are only able to get points out of 1 series. You are going to see great racing from all 3 series this year.
Now for the Chase…dump it.
Great Question, JR! This unfortunately happened to Boris Said at the Glen a year or two ago and they need to get rid of the Top 35 in owner points. It’s unfair to the rest of the field.
Also, the champion’s provisional needs to go too. If you want to make the race you need to qualify on time like everyone else. NASCAR has been too nice on it and they need to pick up the pace.
If the majority of the NASCAR fans want stock car racing the way it used to be, then NASCAR needs to reinstate the old point system and let the guys race. That’s a “No Brainer”. If NASCAR wants to sell out the races and realize a huge increase in the TV veiwersip, then they need to come up with about 40 more drivers like Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Those three guys race to win and they love to race.
Keep the Chase its the best system! Nationwide uses the old points system and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz title decided before Homestead???? No thanks dont want that sorry old timers things chnage and if you dont like it dont wrtie about it and don watch cause its not going anywhere! I use to watch the NFL but dont now, but you wont see me writing any articles on it or complaining about it cause I DONT WATCH!!!! If I watch somthing its cause I like it and I dont complain about it! Oh and btw im happy Nascar races on 1.5 mile tracks great racing! Sorry you cant see wide racing at Bristol! Bristol is great but the short tracks are perfect with what we have now I would sleep through most of those snooze fests if there were more boring
Go away people
You are so right. Good ideas and so of course France can’t possibly be wrong.
Dump the chase, dump the top 35 crap, return the shoot out to pole winners from prior year, adding previous winners, 2 or 3 pulled out of a hat type drawing be OK, safer cars is great but dump the IROC format. The car should have the same body shape and design as what sits on the show room floor. Don’t need 2 races at Pocano. Do need races back at some well know short tracks. And the big one, Dump King Brian!!!!!
The Chase is here to stay. While I agree that brian france has hearing & ignore issues & the chase is no great idea. At this stage brian (thank God for Dad & Grampa) is not going to admit to being wrong. 10 is fine in the chase but brians greed needs more big sponsors in so maybe we need 20 or 25 or the ever famous top 35 in pts (lol) the point for the chase need to work so that 1 bad race puts you out (scored so your only racing the 10/12/25 whatever# it is this week. Just a start
Thank you for your honesty and like the information you share and answer our questions! My question is about qualifying.
Too often we see rain come in and cancel everything, many times after some of the teams have run their qualifying lap. This results in some go or go home teams having spent a considerable amount of money to prepare and get to the track only to load up and go home.
Instead of having the go or go homers qualify after the 35 locked in cars, why can’t NASCAR have them go first? This slight change would allow NASCAR to put the fastest of them in the field. Then if rain does come out before all the 35 locked in cars attempt their runs, they could take the top 35 slots with the fastest go or go home cars behind them.
Wouldn’t this be fair not only to the teams, the race, but also the fans getting to see the fastest cars racing?
Thanks for shedding some light on this as it has mystified me for quite some time.
Thank you! Glad someone likes my points system.
HERE HERE!!!! Let’s go back to the old system, the chase was designed to make the racing “more exciting” for the fans, but it has instead made most of us dissatisfied with the current style of racing. Lets run for the extra 10 point bonus that winning pays, and not for chase points.