Backseat Blonde - So We're Stuck with the Chase, Now What?

November 22, 2004

Gordon Wins the Appreciation of Fans
By Allison Wagda

The Chase for the Championship is here to stay, so says
NASCAR CEO Brian France.

Not that I expected anything different. But knowing it’s
officially a done deal is disheartening to say the least. I
guess the folks down in Daytona drank just enough of
their own Kool-Aid to believe it has been a monumental
success.

The only chance we ever have for its demise is if Brian France leaves NASCAR. With
five championship contenders (if you believe NASCAR PR), and ratings getting a
slight bump (a point or two each race on average*), France has all the ammunition
he needs to spin this into a success...even if it still isn't widely accepted by the fans.

He’s not going to change his mind. Why would he? It was his idea. It’s always hard
to admit your wrong, and when everyone around you says you were right, why would
you ever believe otherwise?

Plus a majority segment of the mainstream sports media, now seemingly enamored
with France since he churns out weekly “news” ready-made and in time for
deadlines, has bought into the Chase. Story after story cites the new excitement
surrounding the championship. Sure it’s interesting, because it’s so close.

But it remains a contrived scenario. Fake. It’s like having an Olympic relay where the
lead runners, on the final lap, have to wait for the other competitors before the final
sprint. Of course it’s going to be exciting. But will the victor still be deserving?

A handful of journalists, mostly racing purists with years of experience covering all
sorts of motorsports, refuse to buy into the hype and report all the facts, not just
those issued in press releases. However, NASCAR simply dismisses those reports.

Like they do us fans. If you read the message boards and talk to fans at tracks, the
vast majority seem to remain opposed to the Chase.

So, since the Chase is going nowhere, what can fans do to restore any semblance
of credibility to the sport?

Demand a substantial point bonus for race winners.

France may have dismissed that idea in the media today, but given his apparent
affection for change, we shouldn’t take that as written in stone. Or even pencil for that
matter.

A 25-50 points winner's bonus would ensure NASCAR's top competitors are
included in the Chase, even if they have an occasional bad day. We want our
champions to be winners. The best in the field.

With a Chase anchored by the season’s most prolific victors, we could have a more
reasonable premise for a playoff. Encouraging hard racing throughout the entire
season would offer fans the type of battles to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Consistency is all well and good, and drivers should be required to run well regularly
in order to win a championship. But a more substantial winner’s bonus would force
drivers to bring their A-game every week and not be content settling for top-5 or top-
10 finishes.

For example, Dale Jr.’s attempt to win Atlanta a few weeks ago rather than settle for a
decent finish should be applauded. While it may have cost him the title, I’d rather see
him race to win any day over racing conservatively to protect his points.

If this Chase had a winner’s bonus of say 25 points, a different but equally
compelling story would have emerged. For the sake of this exercise, we’ll assume
the same top-10 made it in the Chase including a winner’s bonus (I don’t have the
energy to go back and calculate the entire season, sorry.)

Standings (with 25 pt. winner’s bonus) following Darlington:

1.        Jimmie Johnson, 6408
2.        Kurt Busch, 6366 (-42)
3.        Jeff Gordon, 6325 (-83)
4.        Dale Earnhardt Jr., 6314 (-94)
5.        Mark Martin, 6264 (-144)

So we’d still have a very close race, with any one of the top four having a reasonable
shot. But Jimmie’s unbelievable performance in the playoff would be rewarded. It’s
doesn’t seem fair to have one driver win almost half of the races and have to beat a
driver who only won one.

Not only does this concept make competition prominent, it makes drivers
aggressive. Performance will have to be augmented by the occasional risk-taking to
become a champ. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we’ve got.

NASCAR has changed everything this year. I feel a bit like I’ve got whiplash from it all.
I’ve disagreed with much of it, and I suspect as long as the sport continues its slide
into the realm of pure entertainment I’ll continue to do so. But I can live with big blue
bottles, censored drivers, and guaranteed qualifiers if a few simple safeguards are
introduced to ensure that competition remains the dominant concern.

Rewarding winners would be a big step in the right direction.

To let NASCAR know you want winners to win the championship, send a note to
fanfeedback@nascar.com.

If your looking for more detail on my reasons for opposing the chase, please see:
No Place for the Chase

*Ratings for Darlington seem significantly improved. However, fans should keep in
mind the comparison to the second-to-last race last season at Rockingham is flawed,
since the Rock was broadcast on TNT and Darlington this year was on NBC (the
network always does better). Also, since this was the last Southern 500, I believe that
had an effect. I might be convinced to give the Chase some credit for the increase,
but under the old points system we would have also had a close race, therefore
interest would have likely been as high. Just food for thought. Allison

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