Dixon/Shoe (1 Viewer)

[Pete]

Could we potentially see someone win 12 races in single season and potentially lose the championship because of the Countdown? The answer is yes.
I don't know if they mentioned it on the broadcast last night, but its beyond a mathematical chance.

We came close to seeing Bruce Larson win the 1990 FC championship without winning a race.
Due to the Countdown, we saw Eddie Kraewic win the PSB Championship without winning a race.
I think this would be the final nail in the coffin for the Countdown. Even if it doesn't happen, just the fact that it can.

 

[rollemup]

Could we potentially see someone win 12 races in single season and potentially lose the championship because of the Countdown? The answer is yes.
I don't know if they mentioned it on the broadcast last night, but its beyond a mathematical chance.

We came close to seeing Bruce Larson win the 1990 FC championship without winning a race.
Due to the Countdown, we saw Eddie Kraewic win the PSB Championship without winning a race.
I think this would be the final nail in the coffin for the Countdown. Even if it doesn't happen, just the fact that it can.

I hate that damn count down

 

[JB3]

Could we potentially see someone win 12 races in single season and potentially lose the championship because of the Countdown? The answer is yes.
I don't know if they mentioned it on the broadcast last night, but its beyond a mathematical chance.

We came close to seeing Bruce Larson win the 1990 FC championship without winning a race.
Due to the Countdown, we saw Eddie Kraewic win the PSB Championship without winning a race.
I think this would be the final nail in the coffin for the Countdown. Even if it doesn't happen, just the fact that it can.

Pete, maybe it does happen, but the Countdown is going NO WHERE !! There are 2 classes where #1 and #2 are seperated by less than 2 rounds which would not be the case without the countdown. NHRA is getting exactly what they wanted from the countdown. It may get tweaked at some point, but its not going away.

 

[vegasnitro]

Dixon is 85 points up going to Pomona. Shoe has a better chance of winning the lottery than he does this year's Top Fuel Championship.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Read the rule book, man.!

Even the Patriots knew that their 16-0 season meant nothing in the playoffs.

Evolve. If some driving ace wins all the races during the pre-down, then sux in the real-down, Guess what? It's his fault/team fault. He didn't perform. He/she looks himself/herself in the mirror and understands they got beat.

 

[twostep]

Dixon is 85 points up going to Pomona. Shoe has a better chance of winning the lottery than he does this year's Top Fuel Championship.

It's a tall order, for sure, but at least it's mathematically possible without having to set the national record. He has to win, Dixon has to go out in round 1, and Schumacher must pick up 6 more 'little points' than Dixon during qualifying. That'll get Shoe the Championship - by one point.

Reckon they'll still call 'em 'little points' ?

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Read the rule book, man.!

Even the Patriots knew that their 16-0 season meant nothing in the playoffs.

Evolve. If some driving ace wins all the races during the pre-down, then sux in the real-down, Guess what? It's his fault/team fault. He didn't perform. He/she looks himself/herself in the mirror and understands they got beat.

Yep. Just ask Mike Edwards............

Sean D

 

[Pete]

It's a tall order, for sure, but at least it's mathematically possible without having to set the national record. He has to win, Dixon has to go out in round 1, and Schumacher must pick up 6 more 'little points' than Dixon during qualifying. That'll get Shoe the Championship - by one point.

Reckon they'll still call 'em 'little points' ?

Again....1pt.

Its NOT beyond the realm of possibility everyone. Shoe has had steeper hills to climb than this.

 

[Buns]

Again....1pt.

Its NOT beyond the realm of possibility everyone. Shoe has had steeper hills to climb than this.

Anyone remember 'The Run' by chance?? One of the most legendary races ever. I will never forget watching that one. One for the record books.

 

[Rajunz]

Read the rule book, man.!

Even the Patriots knew that their 16-0 season meant nothing in the playoffs.

Evolve. If some driving ace wins all the races during the pre-down, then sux in the real-down, Guess what? It's his fault/team fault. He didn't perform. He/she looks himself/herself in the mirror and understands they got beat.

Totally agree Steve, it's a new game, some learn to play it, while others learn to play it well........personally I love the Countdown, it adds a lot of excitement to what used to usually be a boring time of year for NHRA Championship Drag Racing.

 

[Kansas Stan]

so why exactly do they run the rest of the year? I know they are marketing to the uninformed, casual race fan with circus hype....claiming excitement where there is none. Give me the day of Bob Glidden, who out worked and outperformed the other guys to such a degree the suits were forever hanging more bull**** weight penalties on him and old Bob would just change cars and take them to school again. The world has been convinced that we always have to have a "headline" finish to everything.....why? I'm guessing I'm not the only one who was perfectly fine with a racer (i.e. Glidden, Force, etc) dominating a year from start to finish with performances that reflected the amount of effort they put in their programs. I'll take a championship earned by a season of grinding it out...proving that you're better than the others over the deal where you can have a guy buy a tune up/crew chief and back into a championship when he pretty much couldn't find his b*** with both hands for the rest of the year. It's Pro Stock Trucks all over again. Let it die.

 

[Lori]

For me I feel bad that this is not going to happen for Cory McClenathan--again. It honestly makes me sick. He has never gotten one yet, and his time as a driver might be coming to an end.

 

[Pete]

so why exactly do they run the rest of the year? I know they are marketing to the uninformed, casual race fan with circus hype....claiming excitement where there is none. Give me the day of Bob Glidden, who out worked and outperformed the other guys to such a degree the suits were forever hanging more bull**** weight penalties on him and old Bob would just change cars and take them to school again. The world has been convinced that we always have to have a "headline" finish to everything.....why? I'm guessing I'm not the only one who was perfectly fine with a racer (i.e. Glidden, Force, etc) dominating a year from start to finish with performances that reflected the amount of effort they put in their programs. I'll take a championship earned by a season of grinding it out...proving that you're better than the others over the deal where you can have a guy buy a tune up/crew chief and back into a championship when he pretty much couldn't find his b*** with both hands for the rest of the year. It's Pro Stock Trucks all over again. Let it die.

I agreed with you up to the point of saying Force ground out a season long battle for the title. Those of us that can remember 1990, THAT was clearly the only season Force burned the candle at both ends, heck, he even had a semi follow the tour with bodies and engines because from Brainerd on they kept burning everything up.

When you have the resources to hire the right people, buy the right type and quantity of parts and lease the vast amount of space and dynos/equipment most of these guys have, then I don't feel its a "grind" at all.
The grind, to me, is when its a total labor of love and you have resources to run your operation, but you have major ups and downs and instead of throwing money at it you actually have to test and burn the midnight oil to find the solution.
Even though they are not in the Countdown, I admire what Cruz's team has done this year. That team defines the term!

Maybe I'm just old school, but at 37 I clearly remember those that did what they could with what they had and maybe a little side $$$ help.

 

[Kansas Stan]

I can't disagree with your assesment, Pete. I guess I kinda let my mind wonder on the Force thing. More or less, his life long quest is what I was talking about (without bothering to explain myself, LOL) He came from nowhere and persisted until he WAS somebody. I don't disagree with you that Force, and many others as well, throw a bucket of money at it to make it work. Still gotta have quality folks involved but how do you get them? Money. I guess overall, I'm just fed up with the instant gratification world we've become. No one wants to work for anything anymore....if you can steal it from your friend and or neighbor and profit from it....go for it (teams that weasel sponsorships from other teams instead of finding their own funding.) Making it short....I don't like the current system at all and would welcome a return to the "earn it" system of all year long points.

 

[Pete]

I can't disagree with your assesment, Pete. I guess I kinda let my mind wonder on the Force thing. More or less, his life long quest is what I was talking about (without bothering to explain myself, LOL) He came from nowhere and persisted until he WAS somebody. I don't disagree with you that Force, and many others as well, throw a bucket of money at it to make it work. Still gotta have quality folks involved but how do you get them? Money. I guess overall, I'm just fed up with the instant gratification world we've become. No one wants to work for anything anymore....if you can steal it from your friend and or neighbor and profit from it....go for it (teams that weasel sponsorships from other teams instead of finding their own funding.) Making it short....I don't like the current system at all and would welcome a return to the "earn it" system of all year long points.

I'm with ya Stan. He is the only current driver, aside from Del, that I can say has earned everything he has! Its a different era now and its a "pay to drive" system, so I cannot comment on any other driver post 1998ish....lol

 

[Just Paul]

. Those of us that can remember 1990, THAT was clearly the only season Force burned the candle at both ends, heck, he even had a semi follow the tour with bodies and engines because from Brainerd on they kept burning everything up.

Ha, yeah they had a little problem that when John lifted, it would bang the blower. I remember Coil saying something to the effect of- "We came to Indy with 10 blowers...If it needs a new blower every run, it gets a new blower every run..."

They then went ahead and ran the car off the end of the track on fire winning the Big Bud Shootout.

 

[Buns]

I'm with ya Stan. He is the only current driver, aside from Del, that I can say has earned everything he has! Its a different era now and its a "pay to drive" system, so I cannot comment on any other driver post 1998ish....lol

Ha, yeah they had a little problem that when John lifted, it would bang the blower. I remember Coil saying something to the effect of- "We came to Indy with 10 blowers...If it needs a new blower every run, it gets a new blower every run..."

They then went ahead and ran the car off the end of the track on fire winning the Big Bud Shootout.

That's why when Paul Page said in regards to Matt Hagan, "Is he the next John Force?", I wanted to punch the TV. No disrespect to Hagan but he can't carry John's boots when it comes to accomplishments in the sport we all love. John is the epitome of a self-made man and he's done a better job in the sport of drag racing than just about anyone else.

There are a lot of great drivers now that are up and coming but John did it in a completely different era. And he's still successful in the modern era.

 

[PJ]

I can't do it. I tried, hell I even forgot there was a race this weekend. I went from watching every race and going to many national events plus being a member prior to the countdown to know I watch less and less every year, dropped the membership and only went to 1 nhra race this year.

I tried last year with TF coming down to the last race. I figured if this is what I'm stuck with this is supposed to be the big moment I mine as well gt on board. I shut the tv off after rd 1. The voices in my head keep yelling FAKE, so and so won all these races, this guy gets three good races all year and now will be the champ

Now to fix it. Choice 1 is to go back to a season long championship but if the powers that be can't do that at least go to 8 cars and put them on the same side of the ladder. This way playoff cars actually do something crazy and compete against each other. People point out that the Giants won the Super Bowl despite Patriots going 16-0. The difference though is that the G-men had to actually beat other playoff teams.

Right now its hard to tell the difference between the countdown and the BCS. Both crown and champ by their rules yet most people seem to argue who is the true champ. Doesn't seem to be a good way to grow a sport.

 

[Gordon]

Right now its hard to tell the difference between the countdown and the BCS. Both crown and champ by their rules, yet most people seem to argue who is the true champ. Doesn't seem to be a good way to grow a sport.

This might be the best point ever made with respect to the Countdown system.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the Countdown. On the one hand, there is drama where there otherwise wouldn't be. For example, Cory Mac wouldn't even be remotely close without the Countdown. On the other hand, it is absolutely painful to see playoff cars racing against non-playoff cars. And yes, I know the argument can be that playoff cars shouldn't struggle or lose to non-playoff cars. I disagree. Non-playoff cars have NOTHING to lose by throwing the kitchen sink at it and hoping for the best, whereas all the playoff cars have to play it hard but safe.

I have maintained from day one that there should be two sides to the ladder once the countdown begins, just as PJ points out in his full post. If NHRA makes that one, single change, I will be 100% on board with the Countdown, until then, not so much.