Someone on here was keeping track of the points with the old points system, do you have an idea where they would be at the moment?
1. Gordon 1217
2. Logano -25
3. Dale Jr -72
4. Keselowski -79
5. Harvick -93
6. Newman & Kenseth -124
8. Hamlin -166 (not counting the 75 points he got decked for Pocono 2 infraction, and counting Hornish's 27pts tally at Fontana)
9. Edwards & Larson -168
11. Johnson -185
12. Biffle -220
For me, I want to see either Newman or Hamlin win the championship. Newman for not having a single win throughout the year, and Hamlin for missing out on an entire race (Spring Martinsville, albeit due to an eye injury).
it was Auto Club (Fontana), but how is him missing a race relevant?
Since NASCAR seems to be completely dedicated to the Chase system, and to avoid having a lame duck race like Nationwide will next weekend, here's my modified Chase system that gives even more emphasis on wins than this system currently does, while still leaving the door open for a highly consistent driver to win the championship with few wins. (I would ideally like there to be no Chase, but NASCAR wouldn't likely entertain that notion).
Races 1-26: There's no fixed number of drivers for the Chase. Anyone who wins a race is in, anyone in the Top 10 in points without a win is in, and the two most consistent drivers in the Top 20 without wins should also be in.
Races 27-35: No more elimination round, bottom-four-get-axed-each-week only to watch recently eliminated drivers remind everyone that they're still fast the next week. For these 9 races, anyone who wins is in the running. Additionally, the top driver who didn't win in the last nine races moves on as well.
Race 36: Best finish wins it.
This isn't basketball, this isn't football. No gimmick-y brackets just for the hell of it.
I kinda like it, it is definitely my belief NASCAR could come up with a system that is both
fairer and entertaining until the last race...
How about:
-One win gets you automatically to Chase round 1, regardless of point standings or number of entries. Top 10 in points advance as well if they have no wins.
These drivers (single race winners + top 10 in points with zero or 1 win) will race to advance to the next Chase round.
-2 wins get you automatically to second Chase round. If one of these drivers wins one of the Chase races in round 1 or 2, he advances to round 3 automatically.
-3 wins get you automatically to third Chase round. If one of these drivers wins one of the Chase races in round 1-3, he advances to Chase Finale automatically.
-4 or more wins get you automatically to final Chase round. For every win above, 3 points bonus are awarded (5 Wins=+3pts, 6W=+6pts, 7W=+9, etc). Spots are not limited to 4, and can be at most 8.
Multiple wins basically grant you "bye" weeks -or bonus points.
While in NFL, several bye weeks would actually hurt you (from not playing live opponents), here, the drivers are actually still racing and potentially scoring points, they just can't get eliminated.
Also:
-Finale location switches every year, as well as All-Star race. Can never be a plate race or a road course.
-Add a third road course to schedule? Have one of the Chase races be a road course, with them alternating every year (year 1: Sonoma & Watkins Glen in regular season, Road Course 3 in Chase, year 2: RC3 & Sonoma regular season, Glen in Chase; year 3: WG & RC3, Sonoma Chase)?
Potential choices: Road America, Mid-Ohio, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Indianapolis Road Course, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Road Atlanta...
-Have Indianoplis Motor Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway alternate year to year on schedule? the former Indy Raceway park is very popular with drivers & public.
-Add Iowa, Gateway and/or Eldora to schedule, replacing one of the 2 track dates?
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In other news, Kyle Larson's a class act:
#42-Kyle Larson called #31-Ryan Newman's last-lap actions Sunday "a little upsetting" but said he understood Newman's desperation and "can't fault him for being aggressive there.'' Needing to pass Larson to secure the final spot in the championship round, Newman dive-bombed the rookie on the last lap at Phoenix International Raceway. Newman's car slid up the track and hit Larson's car, sending it toward the wall. That allowed Newman by, giving him a shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. By advancing, Newman eliminated #24-Jeff Gordon from title contention. "Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard,'' Larson said in a statement provided to Motor Racing Network by Chip Ganassi Racing. "I knew (Newman) was right around me and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase. It's a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in and can't fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position."(Motor Racing Network)(11-10-2014)
