Jan 15, 2007

Ho-Hum, NASCAR Changes Chase

Well, they had their chance, but they blew it. According to rumors and a report by David Newton of ESPN, NASCAR is set to change the way it chooses the finalists for its 10-race Chase for the Cup, the series' answer to the playoffs in stick-and-ball sports, but instead of the imaginative proposal that we conceived and outlined here in Racing Rap, it is simply a rearrangement of the same old rec room furniture. The new Nextel Cup Chase will be about as imaginative as putting the Barcalounger there by the window, putting the Lay-Z-Boy by the fireplace and pointing both toward the TV set. You might think you've accomplished something, but the net gain is zero.

Reports indicate the new plan will enable the top 12 drivers in points to get into the Chase for the Cup. In previous years it was the top 10 drivers, plus any driver who happened to be within 400 points of the leader after the 26-race "regular season" had concluded. Since the 400-point rider seemed to have little net effect on the field, the decision has been apparently made to freeze the contenders in the chase to a nice round 12, which is divisible by two, three, four or six, by the way.

The change seems to have been influenced by the fact that NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon finished 11th and 12th, respectively, last year, and since they weren't within 400 points of the lead, they didn't qualify for the Chase and thus had no chance to win the championship.  That was a promotional bummer for NASCAR since both Stewart and Gordon are multiple past Nextel Cup champs. So just watch, this year either Stewart or Gordon is bound to finish 13th, just to keep things uninteresting.

What NASCAR failed to do in the reshuffle of the Chase rules is consider our immodest proposal to make the faux playoffs a true playoff situation by eliminating the last-place driver in each of the first nine Chase races. Then make the last race of the season winner take all. To heck with championship points, which nobody understands or cares about anyway. Make the winner of the last race of the year the winner of the championship. Simple to understand, compelling to watch.

But again, NASCAR was too timid to step up and make the big move. It's hard to understand why, because the series is all about promotion, and it is run by some of the best carnival barkers in the country since Colonel Tom Parker...and I mean that in a positive way. But there is still time for them to get a backbone. Come on, fellas, give us what we want.