Beckman's New Idea For The Countdown.... (2 Viewers)

[Bullard Anderson]

OK tell me where Paul Lee's interview was, where was Vandergriff's, where was KJ's, where was Angie Smith? What, you wanna tell me there not in the countdown so they don't deserve an interview, BS!

Your now telling me that's it's ok for some teams never to be interviewed if they go rounds because the sponsor made it on tv anyway? If we go that route why interview anyone? Plain and simple, forget team, forget points, you win a round, no matter who you are in what class you should get an interview.

How do you explain to a sponsor, Yes we won but we never got an interview but that guy lost but got one?

My point is your car and sponsor are on the tube if you go rounds. I am not saying you are wrong to a point. But there are times in the spring/summer when these guys dont get interviewed even with the win. Sometimes Paul Lee is not interviewed in a winning round because he is Paul Lee. I would think and hope usually after the 2nd winning round ESPN2 gives the guy/gal some pub.

There have been many times where a winning Pedregon or Capps has been left off a top end interview for a losing JForce or Robert Hight. Sometimes the loser is the bigger story for his/her exit.

I do recall seeing Vandergriff in his hauler yesterday and C&J Energy prominently on the car and the hauler with the cam in pit area.

The big guns of any sport are going to be interviewed whether they win or lose.

I believe to much weight by nah-sayers is being put on the Countdown as the root cause.

 

[Buns]

Come on, guys.. We covered the whole TV coverage thing in a huge thread like a month ago. Do we really need to rehash it all over again?

 

[HEMI6point1]

I'll be happy if Neff, Beckman, or Hagan win it. It's very, very close.

OTOH, if Cruz steals it away I'll be like this:

 

[mike]

Neff would have clinched at Vegas and Worsham would be 90 points up heading into the finals with the old deal.

Dean

I hate that someone can have an incredible season but not win the championship...I follow a lot of different motorsports and right now Formula 1 is having an unforgettable season because Sebastian Vettel is totally dominating and winning everything; it will be a season that will be remembered for years...

IMHO I think some of the best, most memorable years are when someone absolutely dominates...like The Snake in '75 and '76 or Glidden with his Fairmount

I guess if you aren't going to give the championship to the team that has the best season, just invite the top 8 in each category to a season ending championship race and make the race winner the season champion...maybe that way someone will take about actually winning race and not just "going rounds" or "playing spoiler"

and while I'm rambling...seems like Capps winning Vegas was less important to a lot of people than who got the most "little points"...it just seems out of whack :-/

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Ya know the Countdown isn't close at all to the Super Bowl or the NCAA football or basketball championship. What I mean is a team can go 15-1 in the NFL or even 16-0 then lose in the first round of the playoffs or the Super Bowl or the Final Four and nobody is sad for them. We say they didn't bring it that game and got beat. We move on. We are accustomed to it.

In the Countdown the best team is given many races to prove they are the very best. It's not a one and done. The unpredictability of NITRO can help ya and hurt ya depending on where you fall in the Countdown arguement.

What will take place at Pomona in Funny Car and Top Fuel is phenomenal!!!!

I am not a member of a team, a driver, a sponsor, or an owner. I am a fan. When my fav driver wins it doesn't put a dime in my bank account or elevate my W-L record. On on Sunday I want to be entertained.

 

[Rat]

Come on, guys.. We covered the whole TV coverage thing in a huge thread like a month ago. Do we really need to rehash it all over again?

Wrong thread

 

[Rat]

How about if teams had to declare prior to the start of the season if they were going to contend for the championship or not. Then require the countdown teams to race every race prior to Indy. Make Indy a double points race again and reset the points for all the countdown teams after Indy. And just to make it a little more interesting designate one of the countdown races as a double points race.

I would go for that.

 

[Rat]

Gray would be in 7th right now with no chance to move up any further. (was 11th). Vandergriff would be in 8th right now with a slight chance to move to
7th (was 12th)

Neff would have clinched at Vegas and Worsham would be 90 points up heading into the finals with the old deal.

Dean

Brad Littlefield claims he would be 5th with 35 points out, still You and Brad prove my point well

 

[Rat]

What would NHRA do if there was a tie ?? Is that even possible ? just curious

I think they have various ways, I also was pretty sure they would look at win totals first then qualifying averages

 

[mike]

Ya know the Countdown isn't close at all to the Super Bowl or the NCAA football or basketball championship. What I mean is a team can go 15-1 in the NFL or even 16-0 then lose in the first round of the playoffs or the Super Bowl or the Final Four and nobody is sad for them. We say they didn't bring it that game and got beat. We move on. We are accustomed to it.

IMO, the reason this comparison isn't valid is that unlike the stick and ball sports, in motorsports you race against every other team every race...it's not like Racer-X only has to race against another top team once or twice; or Racer-Y has a easier schedule than Racer-A...so the main point of having playoffs is missing and all that is left is (again IMO) artificially created drama

 

[Rajunz]

IMO the countdown enhances sponsor exposure because it provides
a points battle (drama) right out till last race, which can not be said of
pre-countdown championships wrapped up by indy or shortly after.......

Another thing that has been missed on the sponsors is that teams like McMillen, Vandergriff, Gray, etc. all got the majority of exposure leading into the Countdown, fighting for that final spot. The Countdown works both ways.

Not for the title, Neff would have it wrapped up and Del would have it all but locked up. No one remembers who finished 7th and the battles lower down in the standings. The Countdown has given us a title race down to the final race of the year like it has done the majority of the time since it was rolled out. Big fan of the Countdown.

I am a big fan of the Countdown too. Pomona will be very exciting to watch, down to the last run, just like last year when Force pulled out an incredible feat.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

I will try and let this be my last statement in this thread:

62.5% of the starting field at Pomona1 in each class will make the Countdown. If your not good enough to do that I can't feel sorry for ya. You have from Feb thru Sept to do it.


62.5%. Damn! Some would argue that the Playoff invitee list is to big.

 

[Rat]

I will try and let this be my last statement in this thread:

62.5% of the starting field at Pomona1 in each class will make the Countdown. If your not good enough to do that I can't feel sorry for ya. You have from Feb thru Sept to do it.


62.5%. Damn! Some would argue that the Playoff invitee list is to big.

Yea and I admit that has for sure made the point races what they never were prior to 2007, BUT it's not right to cut the guys off who just want to get a spot in the top ten for their sponsor. My whole point with the teams that are 11th to 15th to be reset as well with the top ten only if they made every qualifying countdown race is not so the 11th to 15th place guy could win a championship, chances are they dont have what it takes to be anywhere near that good, but if guy in 11th-15th is capable of top ten performance but had bad timing, why deny them the chance to gain the glory spot and run better than the guy that got it?

Vandergriff is 11th, was 12th when the countdown was finalized, he would be 8th, my whole case is why deny him the 8th spot right now WHEN HE EARNED IT, Morgan Lucas be bumped out of the top ten, he does not deserve it so why does he get to add another top ten to his resume? Vandergriff peaked at a horrible time for progress in points, it does not sit well with me that a guy who's had serious sponsor troubles in his career ran well, at the wrong time, and gets shown the door. Johhny Gray is worse, he was 12th, now he WOULD BE FIFTH -35 points out, He could be running for the title next week! This is a SERIOUS FLAW. Service Central has to be pissed, and it's gonna be hilarious is Johnny Gray does well enough to make up the 35 and win the fictional championship instead he will finish 11th.

Johnny Gray's deal should be all the evidence and support I need. SO, NHRA please reset the points for the countdown next year including whoever is outside the top ten but ran every event of the year.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Patrick, look at the Service Central team's track record. It's their fault. They didn't make the cut off as deemed by the rules laid down prior to Pomona1.

And I do think JGray, RTobler, DSR, and the bottom end engine guy will tell be man enough to tell ya that. They failed this season to do the job to it's fullest. However, by their late season performance no doubt a Preseason Top 6 for me leading into 2012.

Good debate though Patrick. Highly enjoyable.

 

[Rat]

93.7% have the chance to make the coundown if my rule was implemented and 15 teams all happened to run every countdown qualifying race. In all seriousness you could start the countdown with about 75% of all the teams in it.

Really not much more I can say about it, just that I feel if you run the full season up to countdown qualifying end, and u miss the minimum, u should still be a part of the game, sponsorships depend on the top ten, who knows what other contracts might.

If my rule gets implemented, Johnny Gray is a very unique case, never ever before has a team in 12th turned around this well before to be in an unoffical 5th, but realistically, 11th to however many teams ran all the races that get reset will not be a threat for the championship, they will make the guys 8th-10th nervous. What's bad about that? It's a 2 way street to me, you should fight to get in the top ten, you should also have to fight to stay in it after the countdown starts, go ask Lucas how relieved he must be that he does not have to even worry about finishing 11th or worse instead of 10th? I don't like that

 

[PJ]

What's the countdown??? Hell I forget there was a race last weekend and haven't finished a season yet since the countdown started. I guess two of my favorites are in the running, but I can't get excited. *yawn* I'll watch when the season starts again next year

 

[Rat]

What's the countdown??? Hell I forget there was a race last weekend and haven't finished a season yet since the countdown started. I guess two of my favorites are in the running, but I can't get excited. *yawn* I'll watch when the season starts again next year

I'm with PJ....Get rid of the countdown and if the forces that be say we need to keep it reset everyone who ran every race outside the top ten too. I am going to write a letter to them soon. Now are these letters actually sent to people who read them or to a giant trash compactor?

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
2035 Financial Way
Glendora, CA 91741

 

[Bob]

Ya know the Countdown isn't close at all to the Super Bowl or the NCAA football or basketball championship. What I mean is a team can go 15-1 in the NFL or even 16-0 then lose in the first round of the playoffs or the Super Bowl or the Final Four and nobody is sad for them. We say they didn't bring it that game and got beat. We move on. We are accustomed to it.

In those sports, losing in any playoff round is a loss to another team that actually made the playoffs. In the countdown, a championship can be affected/determined by teams that didn't make it into the playoffs after the playoffs begin.

 

[PJ]

I will try and let this be my last statement in this thread:

62.5% of the starting field at Pomona1 in each class will make the Countdown. If your not good enough to do that I can't feel sorry for ya. You have from Feb thru Sept to do it.


62.5%. Damn! Some would argue that the Playoff invitee list is to big.

The odds are actually much better than that depending on the class. In top fuel there are what, maybe 12 or 13 full timers. People complain when basketball and hockey let in roughly 50% of thier teams.

 

[PJ]

In those sports, losing in any playoff round is a loss to another team that actually made the playoffs. In the countdown, a championship can be affected/determined by teams that didn't make it into the playoffs after the playoffs begin.

Very true, as much as I hate it, I could go along with it if the playoff teams actually raced. It's almost BCS style now as it is not often played out on the track between the people actually racing for the championship. Make it 8 team countdown and put them on one side of the ladder. Allow the other side of the ladder to be an open qualifying so that there are still 16 car fields for the teams and other racers still get exposure for thier sponsors.
This way if you do come from 5th, 8th or 10th in points to capture the championship, then you had to actually beat the teams in the running to get to it.

With the intricacies and nature of drag racing, I still think that a season long points system is a better way to go but if they are going to force the countdown down our throat then at least make it workable and a true playoff.