What if this happens at Indy next year? (1 Viewer)

[The Counterfeiter]

Tony Stewart and the Home Depot team manage to step on their d$$$ and stumble OUT of the Nextel Chase! Are Home Depot or millions of Stewart fans happy?
So . . . an NHRA pro team with a big sponsor has some bad luck or is not keeping up in the performance race early next year. Would you like to be the team owner who has to tell his sponsor you are done, even if you win every
F$$$$$ race for the rest of the year?

 

[afx421]

Tony Stewart and the Home Depot team manage to step on their d$$$ and stumble OUT of the Nextel Chase! Are Home Depot or millions of Stewart fans happy?
So . . . an NHRA pro team with a big sponsor has some bad luck or is not keeping up in the performance race early next year. Would you like to be the team owner who has to tell his sponsor you are done, even if you win every
F$$$$$ race for the rest of the year?

i agree, thats almost exactly what i said in a few previuos psts. with the new system, the best car out there all year may not win the championship. it stinks. if it happens to a very high profile team, the the you knw what will hit the fan!

 

[Nazgul]

I understand what you're saying and I agree. The unfortunate problem for my favortite Cup driver, Tony Stewart, is that he didn't have the best car this year - I think he has a top 10 car, but because of the way points are awarded for wins, his total doesn't reflect that. When he had to go to his back-up car in Richmond, it doomed eveything he'd done so far this year and it shouldn't have, especially with the wins he had.

But as dissappointed as I am that Tony didn't make it, I'm very happy for Kasey Khane, who should have been a lock for the Chase with more wins (5) than anyone one else.

What Cup racing & NHRA really need to do especially with a playoff type system is change (increase) the amount of points the winner of a race or event receives. If you win the final round in NHRA for example, you should get an additional 5 points or more.

As far as Nascar's Chase, I like it...my team just came up a little short this year. NHRA's playoff I don't like, maybe if they eliminated the second cut from 8 to 4 drivers for Vegas & Pomona I'd like it a little better. And 2 or 3 years from now, I may love the system, who knows?

No matter what though, give teams & racers more incentive (points) for actually winning the race. Most forms of racing suffer from this, F1 included. All of these motorsports organizations/associations need a lot more emphasis on actually winning. The way it is now finishing 2nd, 3rd, or 4th every time out will be good enough for some people as long as you have a different winner every time out.

I'm sorry for rambling with this long rant. I don't even know if I'm making sense right now, it's early in the morning, I haven't slept well, and I'm watching the GP2 race from Monza. The Italian Grand Prix is starting soon, so I'll spare you all any more ranting from me.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I think the vast majority, as indicated by the poll in the NHRA section, thinks who wins the championships every year should be based on their overall average performance for the entire year. To me a long term average more eliminates the word "LUCK" and indicates more the word "EARN." You're sacrificing what someone has earned in exchange for what you HOPE are ratings. You're just sh**ing on the people who put on the show for you at the same time. Look at the way pro stock can ebb and flow. Do you really want someone who happened to be hot at the end of the year to be the overall champion?

Had there been anything wrong with the previous system, people would have been complaining about it for years. I've never heard complaint one. Yeah, they DID fix something that wasn't broken. The only time I see that done in a business is when it's being done by people who had nothing to do with building the business that they're running. I've seen people come into industries with ideas of how they're going to do things differently, often losing personal fortunes in the process. The worst is when it's someone else's, because they just walk away when it's over.

I've used "arrogance" to describe the impression that many others and myself have had toward NHRA concerning other various issues. It's nice to see someone in the press (that Mr. Wolf) agree with me. I bet he's never even dealt with an NHRA track as a competitor, either.

Have you ever seen a thread moved from the Lounge TO the NHRA section? That would be a first. Should I be asking "Hey, what's this drag racing crap doing over here?" LOL. Would be like catching a handicapped person parking in one of OUR spaces!

I'm sorry. How unfeeling of me. "challenged person", I meant to say!

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Ya just had to do it, didn't you? I was only taunting because I was convinced nobody would move it.

 

[none]

What was interesting in watching last night's race was that was mentioned that Kevin Harvick would let one of his teammate's pass him intentionally if it meant getting another RCR car in the chase, after Harvick was already locked in. The guys doing the race were stressing how important it is for car owners to get as many cars as possible in the chase. Is this the kind of team tactics that I can look forward to seeing at Maple Grove next year? I better enjoy this year's race at the Grove with the potential for records being set, because next year the weather will be hotter and team tactics will take center stage. To me last night's NASCAR race would have been much more exciting if cars were racing more for the win and less to simply make the chase. Although I don't like NASCAR's chase for the cup, I'm sorry to say that it is better than the countdown to mediocrity that NHRA is shoving down our throats.

 

[Joker]

Tony Stewart and the Home Depot team manage to step on their d$$$ and stumble OUT of the Nextel Chase! Are Home Depot or millions of Stewart fans happy?
So . . . an NHRA pro team with a big sponsor has some bad luck or is not keeping up in the performance race early next year. Would you like to be the team owner who has to tell his sponsor you are done, even if you win every
F$$$$$ race for the rest of the year?

I understand this, but Nascar and NHRA are completely different in this situation to me. In Nascar, there are 15 cars that are contenders every week with maybe 5 more here or there that could surprise you but there are 15 teams that could make the top 10 any year. In NHRA, its not like that to me anyways. Any of the top teams could have a bad year and still be in the top 8 by Indy I think. Funny Car is probably the most competitive class overall where I could see it happen but in the others I think you would just have to have a really really sh*tty season for that to happen. Like Worsham this season but I dont know. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that we wont have any big huge teams miss the chase like Nascar does. I dont think there is any way a JFR/DSR car misses the chase (excluding DSR pro stock team).

 

[Paul]

I am a Tony Stewart fan and I am very disappointed with the results of last night. I knew that there wasn't a chance he was going to win the championship this year in the old format, that's why I was hoping he would make the chase. Since Tony is not in the chase, it doesn't mean I will stop watching. I will be watching to hopefully see Tony win the last 10 races and also watch an exciting championship battle. I hope the NHRA structure will result in similar excitement next year.

 

[__]

I am a Tony Stewart fan and I am very disappointed with the results of last night. I knew that there wasn't a chance he was going to win the championship this year in the old format, that's why I was hoping he would make the chase. Since Tony is not in the chase, it doesn't mean I will stop watching. I will be watching to hopefully see Tony win the last 10 races and also watch an exciting championship battle. I hope the NHRA structure will result in similar excitement next year.

+1 Totally agree.

 

[none]

I too root for Smoke. But Paul is correct, under the old point system he was already out of championship contention. The chase gave him a chance to get back in. He didn't make it and now he is racing for 11th. Under the old system maybe he could get hot and move up to 5th. So What?

Anybody remember what Jimmie Johnson said last year at Homestead after he crashed? He could have just ridden around and finished second in the points, but he said that if you're not the champion it doesn't matter if you're 2nd or 22nd.

Alan

 

[d'kid]

Okay, everyone's right, time for me to chill about the whole Championship thing...

Because it doesn't matter! There's 23 races.... 23 winners in each class... besides all that matters is who won the Winters and who won INDY... everything else is icing on the cake.

Besides, you could win the first 19 races of the year, lose first round at race 20 and Dnq race 21 and 22 for totally silly reasons, win race 23, and not be the champion... so, what does being the champion really mean?

 

[MaC]

Who knows

Doubt if Home Depot's attitude about Stewart not making the chase will be a lot different than the sponsors for Dale Earnhart, Jr. and Jeff Gordon...both failing to make the playoffs last year. Both are in this year...and didn't seem to suffer any major sponsorship defections. However, most all of the above mentioned are calling for a points restructuring, placing more emphasis on winners of individuals events. Kahne had won 5 events this year...but just barely made the chase. Seems like a reasonable adjustment.

MaC

 

[Joker]

Okay, everyone's right, time for me to chill about the whole Championship thing...

Because it doesn't matter! There's 23 races.... 23 winners in each class... besides all that matters is who won the Winters and who won INDY... everything else is icing on the cake.

Besides, you could win the first 19 races of the year, lose first round at race 20 and Dnq race 21 and 22 for totally silly reasons, win race 23, and not be the champion... so, what does being the champion really mean?

If the NHRA doesnt amend the chase format, being the last 2 races to decide the championship, we then could very well have a joke being world champion.
It ridiculous but whatever. Nothing we can do about, and even as much as I hate it, it wont stop be from going to the races or watching them and supporting NHRA.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I still predict that NHRA drops this whole thing (knowing that the more often people predict it, the harder it might make it for them to do it, LOL. NHRA admits making a mistake? LOL).

Again, if I am wrong, you know several people will be tabulating and we'll know both, who NHRA's champion is, and who WOULD have been champion under the old deal. Will we still know who was number 2-10 in points? (already heard that this is going to change or even eliminate paying them. Does it?)

 

[Cabes]

What Cup racing & NHRA really need to do especially with a playoff type system is change (increase) the amount of points the winner of a race or event receives. If you win the final round in NHRA for example, you should get an additional 5 points or more.

Five? I would say at least 25 bonus points for winning, but would lean to an extra 50 in either series. I'm one who is looking forward to the new system, as long as it produces the final round or two deciding the championship. If it does that, it will be a success. But if you go with the old sytstem, award the winner of the final round a 50-point bonus. That way the guy who wins the most races, will more than likely win the championship, which wasn't the case last year in Funny Car, and is hardly the case in NASCAR.

 

[swervin]

The money difference from 5th to 11th was almost 1 million not to mention any perks that may be added by the sponsor. So what. I will take 5th over 11th anytime, sure number one is good but if you didnt earn it you shouldnt get it.

Wasnt it also reported that some of the NASCAR sponsors that will give you $20 million for the year but only $15 if you dont make the chase holding out for obvious reasons?

Bob

 

[BF]

So, NASCAR's system works so well we need to copy it? Let's see, in 2004 (the first "Chase") we have Kurt Busch, arguably the least popular champion in NASCAR history who at best was a 6th or 7th place car in the old system. In 2005 we omit Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt JR form the chase. How do you suppose that affected attendence and ratings? I attended a sold out Talladega that spring and refused to attend in the fall with neither above mentioned drivers in the running. Apparently a lot of other people felt the same way as there were seats available almost everywhere. NASCAR also has an advantage with their system that we do not. Their drivers are guaranteed a spot in the starting field. Lets get down to the race where 4 drivers start duking out for the championship and we have a rainy weekend. Only 2 sessions are run in qualifying because of the weather. Imagine all four drivers from one catagory not qualifying, not likely but is possible. If we're going to try to be like NASCAR, he!! lets go all the way and guarantee starting spots for the contenders. Interesting column from the link:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...MGArticle&cid=1149190494938&path=!sports!auto

PS: Did anybody see the IRL finale? That was a great NON-artificial points race. While it doesn't happen every year, it sure is nice to savor it when it does.

 

[Nazgul]

Five? I would say at least 25 bonus points for winning, but would lean to an extra 50 in either series. I'm one who is looking forward to the new system, as long as it produces the final round or two deciding the championship.

I agree it should be a more than just an additional 5 points for winning. I used that as an example, but right now 5 would be a start where as there aren't any extra points avalible now. You just get your normal 20 per round win. A final round win should certainly be worth more than 20 points in my opinion.

 

[Cabes]

I agree it should be a more than just an additional 5 points for winning. I used that as an example, but right now 5 would be a start where as there aren't any extra points avalible now. You just get your normal 20 per round win. A final round win should certainly be worth more than 20 points in my opinion.

What about a 20-point bonus for qualifying No. 1. Getting one more qualifying point than the No. 2 guy doesn't seem right to me. Plus, if you gave the No. 1 that additional 20 points, you might have more teams try to go for the No. 1 on Saturday. The way it is now, teams that are safely in the show, just try to gain data for Sunday, but if you gave them that extra 20 points, it might motivate them more.

 

[none]

If the NHRA doesnt amend the chase format, being the last 2 races to decide the championship, we then could very well have a joke being world champion.
It ridiculous but whatever. Nothing we can do about, and even as much as I hate it, it wont stop be from going to the races or watching them and supporting NHRA.

Top four in Top Fuel right now
Doug Kalitta
Tony Schumacher
Brandon Bermstein
Melanie Troxel

Which one of those is the joke?

In Funny Car
Ron Capps
John Force
Robert Hight
Tony Pedregon

Same Question? You want Pro Stock too?

Alan