Who got screwed by the countdown? (3 Viewers)

[none]

ESPN - Stephens: Pomona proves Countdown a success - Racing

It's articles like this that drive me nuts about the countdown. Normally Stephens' articles are well written but in this instance he's talking about how Robert Hight would have had a difficult time winning the championship under the old format when that statement is completely inaccurate. Then he's talking about how the countdown was a genuine success and the only way it could be better would be to have all the championships decided in the final round. If that's the case then why should the fans and racers for that matter even bother to show up at the first twenty two races. Normally when the season is over I'm wanting more, not this year, I went to five and a half (For some reason I couldn't make it to Reading on a Wednesday) this year and none of them meant squat. After 2006 I thought back to a semi final race at Sonoma where Schumacher beat Kalitta and thought that if Tony had lost that race Doug would have won the title, and it was kind of neat to know that I saw what turned out to be a race that played a large part in who won the title. This year Sonoma and Reading were turned into glorified test sessions; I could care less who's in eighth place.

 

[Bob]

Nobody got screwed. They all knew the points system changed going in. Those that don't like it can always move over to IHRA.

Nothing personal Rich but I get sick of reading crap like this. I GOT SCREWED! I can speak for no one other than myself but one person did for sure. I can't go to IHRA tracks either because they are few and far between.

Are you really telling the pros to give up their sponsorship money and switch to IHRA? Give me a break.

 

[Angus]

Guys and guys,

I totally respect your opinions (most of them), but let this go. NHRA will not listen to you. They don't care.

Many racers are thankful for the countdown, as it gave many of them a shot to do something they wouldn't have been otherwise able to do.

It does no good to bicker and complain. What's done is done. What's decided has been decided. All you can do is sit back and support the sport that has brought us so much joy as fans over the years.

I don't understand why we keep playing this game like 1st graders do.

Many of you just need to grow up.

I loved grade one. Life was simple, no worries, biggest problem was deciding which cartoons to watch on Saturday morning.

Oh ya, and there was no Countdown

 

[turbo ken]

Yet another countdown thread

Leave Bill Stephens a comment about his own rose colored glasses look at the countdown.
ESPN - Conversations: Countdown to Championship finale better than advertised

 

[the zone]

My guess is because of they way the season ended with the champions who were crowned, the NHRA WILL look at changing the system. For startesrs there is animosity between the NHRA brass and DSR. And in almost all cases the DSR team was wrong in in the controversy's. and because it is the NHRA's playground They probalby were not happy with shoe winning the title. Jeggie is a great racers but should have finished third in the points, period. I like the idea of the playoff starting at Indy (top 10) without a further reduction. They did still honor the top ten at the banquet I believe (did not go this year).

Larry Sullivan, I am pleasantly surprised by your candor on this topic. I hope there is no backlash for you or DRC from your outspokeness.

Brent Friar, if you guys did not have luck on your side at the race in Reading would you feel the same way you do now. (I don't think so).

Dean

 

[Sully]

My opinions are my own, not those of DRC. I reserve the right to have an opinion without clearing it with DRC or the NHRA. I believe I stated my opinion about the Countdown well before the season started and I've seen nothing to make me change my mind, but I've seen plenty of things that support my original objections to the 2007 championship system.

If you don't want to take my word for it, just read Tony Schumacher's post-race comments about the Countdown - "hastily conceived and poorly thought out" pretty much sums up his assessment - and he won the championship. I can only imagine what Fuller or Hight or Anderson or Connolly would say if they didn't have to worry about repercussions from NHRA. Gee, "the powers that be" might even take away some of their hard-earned and "valuable" POWERade points. Oh, wait, they already did that...called it a Countdown or something. All in the name of making the boring sport of drag racing more exciting or something like that.

I thought it was pretty exciting last year, much less so this year because it was carefully staged, just like all those highly-scripted "reality series" on TV - I don't watch those, either.

 

[rocketman]

Nothing personal Rich but I get sick of reading crap like this. I GOT SCREWED! I can speak for no one other than myself but one person did for sure. I can't go to IHRA tracks either because they are few and far between.

Are you really telling the pros to give up their sponsorship money and switch to IHRA? Give me a break.

So how did you get screwed? I don't recall seeing your name on any of the pro catagory entry lists.

I'm just saying that they announced this at Indy last year and every team knew up front what they had to do to make the final 8 and that's the way that it is. The finals in top fuel worked perfectly as the race went down to the last round. Like Patty said it was exciting. You also have to realize that under the old system if you were in 10th place at Indy you had no chance to win it anyway. I'm sure Fuller hates it but again the rules weren't changed in mid season.

As for IHRA all I'm saying is that they have the old points structure and for a while winning the champoinship paid the same.