NASCAR Chase for the Cup '06

[Cyclopsis Joe]

I grew up on Dale Earnhardt and Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, and I don't even know who's leading. I can't even tell you how many races are left.

Have I just grew out of NASCAR (F1..whoo!) or this Chase crap really making it that unwatchable? Please, no "NASCAR, lol redstaters" bullcrap. Only reply if you actually think NASCAR was watchable in the first place. Thanks.

Also, why the hell is it called Chase for the Cup? The trophy hasn't been a cup since 2003.

Edit: I forgot the word "are", I also added in the required "Don't reply if you hate NASCAR" line.

[infrared41]

I don't even know who's leading. I can't even tell you how many races are left.

3 races left. Matt Kenseth is leading Jimmie Johnson by 26 points (I think).

[BostonBlazer]

I don't even know who's leading. I can't even tell you how many races are left.

3 races left. Matt Kenseth is leading Jimmie Johnson by 26 points (I think).

You are right. Matt's ahead of Jimmie by 26.

[slapshot]

I think the addition of the whole field ruins the "chase" mystique (if there is one). Isn't the actual Chase between 10 or 15 cars? Shouldn't those cars alone be in the finals?

It's like calling it the playoffs, but still allowing every team to play, even during the Finals. St. Louis vs. Detroit, but Tampa gets to come in and hit some home runs that count against the Cardinals. You can win without winning.

[josh_cat_eyes]

I am a huge nascar fan!!! My favorite driver is Dale JR. but this year I am going for Mark Martin as he has never won before. I am belive that Dale JR. is in 3rd or 4th but Mark is in 7th or 8th I think.

[yh]

With 2 little ones in the house, there's never enough time or TV availability to devote to a full race anymore. I try to catch as many races as I can, but over the last 4 years or so there's been a precipitous drop in my watching habits. The good news, however, is that I do get to go to the Brickyard 400 and will probably be adding the KC race as well next year.

[dfwabel]

Personally, I like F1 over all other racing, plus, I hate NASCAR's scoring system which puts less emphasis on winning but rahter consistent finishes. However, I do watch the chase. If you have the ability to see a race in HD and surround sound, do so!

[ROCHitman]

I'm still watching...on a limited basis however.

My fav. is not in the Chase, but racing is racing. I gotta watch.

[WJMorris3]

At this point, I'm rooting for Mark Martin to pull three straight 2nds or 3rds and steal this, if only because it would make history.

[NJTank]

Its too long of season once NFL season starts people rather watch football.

[BigShoop]

I think the addition of the whole field ruins the "chase" mystique (if there is one). Isn't the actual Chase between 10 or 15 cars? Shouldn't those cars alone be in the finals?

It's like calling it the playoffs, but still allowing every team to play, even during the Finals. St. Louis vs. Detroit, but Tampa gets to come in and hit some home runs that count against the Cardinals. You can win without winning.

That's the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard. You know, cause the regular season in all those other sports include all 30-somethin teams............

If you dont know anything about racing, dont try to tell race fans what's good and bad about their sport.

Now, that being said, the Chase is the greatest thing to ever happen to nascar. People have short memories. Remember the days when football started and racing was an afterthought? Remember when races didnt "matter"? With the Chase, every single race is important. From Daytona to Richmond, you have the "race to the chase" and then you have the actual Chase, which goes without saying how dramatic it is.....ie: Jeff Burton's flat tire at 'dega, Matt Kenseth ran out of gas at Dover, Jeff Gordon blowing up at Charlotte, Jimmie Johnson coming from 9th to 2nd in 3 races, etc...

Anyway, back to the original question, yes I'm watching......

.................and I'm going to Homestead.

[puckhead42]

NASCAR was and is watchable if you understand the point system...and the MOTORsport....( I call it a motor sport because some dont consider NASCAR a sport )......For myself Ive viewed far less races since it went to NEXTEL...To me ......just cant get used to it....Winston Cup will always be on my mind....not taking anything away from the Drivers and their roots of NASCAR...but just doesnt feel the same....as for the chase...well...I really dont care for it....but....thats what we have...and we have to accept it.....

[BigShoop]

So if it was called the National Football Association, you wouldnt watch it? Cause that's basically what you're saying...

[puckhead42]

Are you refering to my post above?....and if you are you are mistaken....Ive been watching NASCAR since the mid 70s.....after 3 decades its hard to accept changes sometimes....my last post was my opinion and my feeling on the subject.....I also dont really care for some of the other sport playoff formats....wild cards..half a league making the playoffs...its all about $$$...and thats fine....thats the progress of sports today...by the way...I grew up in the Hampton Roads area......been to Richmond too many times to count....and caught a glimpse of a future Icon way back...he was driving the Wrangler car...and as for knowing racing.....dont claim to be an expert...but you can find me and my car on the dirt track on Friday nights and my other on the Dragstrip on Sunday...............

[slapshot]

I think the addition of the whole field ruins the "chase" mystique (if there is one). Isn't the actual Chase between 10 or 15 cars? Shouldn't those cars alone be in the finals?

It's like calling it the playoffs, but still allowing every team to play, even during the Finals. St. Louis vs. Detroit, but Tampa gets to come in and hit some home runs that count against the Cardinals. You can win without winning.

That's the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard. You know, cause the regular season in all those other sports include all 30-somethin teams............

If you dont know anything about racing, dont try to tell race fans what's good and bad about their sport.

Well, let's see...

Here's what I do know about the Chase.

It's the top 10 drivers after the first 26 races. Only those in the top 10 can win the championship.

Okay, good so far, it sounds just like the playoffs in other sports.

But, the other drivers can still compete, and finish ahead of the top 10, but their points won't count and the top 10 still remain the top 10.

Huh?

This isn't one of those sport/not-a-sport arguments. This is just something that doesn't make much sense to a casual fan of other sports trying to understand NASCAR. It seems to me that if you don't make the playoffs, your season should end. You're telling me it's fair that someone who works hard to make the "playoffs" can get bumped off in the championship round by someone who shouldn't have been there?

I think logic would dictate that only the Top 10 drivers be racing in the playoffs, or just do away with this "playoff chase" and just add up the total points at the end of the year.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

I agree with JP. This chase stuff just makes it to complicated and it's just dumb. The Winston Cup series set up was fine. Personally, I would rather see someone clinch with 4 races left in the old system over seeing someone who still had a chance being locked out.

(Also, it's not just the top-10, it's also anyone who's within 400 points of the leader..which never happens anymore)

[Tazz013]

I think the addition of the whole field ruins the "chase" mystique (if there is one). Isn't the actual Chase between 10 or 15 cars? Shouldn't those cars alone be in the finals?

It's like calling it the playoffs, but still allowing every team to play, even during the Finals. St. Louis vs. Detroit, but Tampa gets to come in and hit some home runs that count against the Cardinals. You can win without winning.

That's the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard. You know, cause the regular season in all those other sports include all 30-somethin teams............

If you dont know anything about racing, dont try to tell race fans what's good and bad about their sport.

Well, let's see...

Here's what I do know about the Chase.

It's the top 10 drivers after the first 26 races. Only those in the top 10 can win the championship.

Okay, good so far, it sounds just like the playoffs in other sports.

But, the other drivers can still compete, and finish ahead of the top 10, but their points won't count and the top 10 still remain the top 10.

Huh?

This isn't one of those sport/not-a-sport arguments. This is just something that doesn't make much sense to a casual fan of other sports trying to understand NASCAR. It seems to me that if you don't make the playoffs, your season should end. You're telling me it's fair that someone who works hard to make the "playoffs" can get bumped off in the championship round by someone who shouldn't have been there?

I think logic would dictate that only the Top 10 drivers be racing in the playoffs, or just do away with this "playoff chase" and just add up the total points at the end of the year.

Even without the chase, drivers that are mathematically eliminated from the championship are still allowed to race. The Royals are still allowed to play their games after the all-star break.

The chase is basically a mercy rule. Instead of letting one driver blow everybody else away (like harvick did in the busch series), they let the nine guys behind him catch up.

[OB33]

The other thing you have to remember is that with only 10 cars, the race wouldn't be nearly as exciting because without all those other cars there are less cars to draft which would string out the cars all around the track.

[harperdc]

the Chase isn't what has turned me off from NASCAR - after growing up with the greats from the late '80s and early '90s, ESPN's wonderful coverage, and the great racing that era provided - it's the rampant commercialization that has.

I remember when the 'alternate' paint schemes were a one- or two-time per year event; now they're almost half the schedule. My gripes with most of the American sports is that every little stat bar is brought to you by some corporate sponsor; NASCAR and the NFL hit you over the head the most with them.

plus, even though I've always watched most other forms of motorsport, I'm much more excited about following F1, ALMS, Champ Car, or MotoGP than I am NASCAR. NASCAR has no technical innovation; don't talk to me about the Car of Tomorrow until you finish with carburetors. Technical innovation and the idea of seeing the different paths teams take to get to the same point is what's really fun.

Busch-whackers have made that unwatchable too. They really need to make it a promotion-relegation system, or strictly limit the amount of races for Cup full-timers...or something.

and the Chase is an artificial rendering of what happens in European soccer leagues: by the 3/4 mark in the season, there's a good idea of who is going to be competing for the championship by that time, but it's not a playoff; it's a race to the finish line between a few teams. The Chase (which opens that up to the top-10 and anyone outside the top-10 within 400 points of first) just artificially creates that, and I for one don't like it. Sure you get a 'chase' every year, whereas in years past guys like Kenseth stroll away with the championship. However, you also don't get quite as tight of championship races - think when Kulwiki won back in what, 1993? How close was *that* championship?