The Chase, Current Competition, And Stewart Watching The Show
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 3:01pm EDT
By Tim Spencer, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
[thumb:364:l:s=1:l=http://thunderlounge.com/articles/nascar/features/the-way-i-see-it/]We’ll it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to let the keys flow, but that’s more Luke’s fault than it is mine. So this week we’re going to touch on a few items, and as always they’ll be the way I see it.
Folks, this years Chase whether you love it or hate it could be the closest one yet. At the same time, it could be the most distant one as well. Whether you like it or not, it is what it is. It’s designed to keep runaway titles from happening, and keep your attention on NASCAR. It does it, and does it well. However there is still the possibility for the title to be decided before Homestead. The likelihood of that is very slim though.
The biggest “complaint” you’ll see around the internet or hear around the local water cooler goes something like this, “Well my driver doesn’t have any hope for the title now that he’s not in the Chase, so I’m not watching any more.”
This is more full of baloney than a burger at South Boston and don’t taste near as good.
Why, you may ask? Let’s take a look and see why this “complaint” is full of it, as are the people who say it.
With the only amount of data that we have for setting the field for the Chase, which is now at 3 years worth, has there ever been anyone outside of the top 10 that was within 400 points of the leader? No there hasn’t been.
Through this “moder era” of stock car racing, also know as the “old” points system, with 10 races to go there has never been a driver come back from a deficit of 400 points or more to win the title. That right there throws their whole premise out the damn door and shows you that they would have probably been doing something else on Sunday anyway. They just needed an excuse to do it. Reason being is that their driver, whether that was a Chase or not, wouldn’t have won the title anyway. So what’s the big deal then? The racing is still racing, that hasn’t changed. Most of it is from people that simply need an excuse for why they won’t watch (they wouldn’t be most likely anyway), and/or need something to complain about.
Needless to say that while these people won’t be convinced, their argument holds no merit.
The regular season and the Chase are still about consistency, no matter how you slice it. The only thing the Chase does it make it a little more interesting by bringing the top drivers of the year closer together. You still have to be just as consistent to win it as you did in 2003 or before.
Like it or hate it, that’s the way it is. It’s all about who’s the best overall, not once in a while.
Moving on we’re going to note just how close the competition is these days. Just look at the top 20 in points. All could be considered a “star” of NASCAR. Yet, only 10 of these drivers could keep it together to make the Chase. Looking at positions 11 to 20, you see names like Stewart, Biffle, Edwards, and Newman to name a few. Look at Riggs in 18th. You’ll have to wade back 16 spots, through drivers with 26 starts, to finally find the next driver with less than the full 26 starts. He still wouldn’t have made the Chase, but he’d be up in about 13th or 14th with the points from a decent run in the missed race.
What I’m gettin at here is that the competition is so competitive these days that it is amazing. Long gone are the days where the field was separated by seconds in qualifying. Now the difference between a good car and a bad one are measures in tenths of a second.
There’s more teams that could win on any given Sunday than ever as well. It used to be a handful of maybe 6 or 8 drivers that had the best odds of winning at any given time with an occasional freak run from outside that main group. Now you’re talking 20+ teams that have the capability to do it just about on any track. Even the road courses are closer now, which should tell you something as well.
Throw in the Car of Tomorrow next season, and who knows what’s going to happen. Some will get it, some won’t initially. Only time will tell if this new vehicle design will close the gap in competition even further. It’s designed to be more competitive, cost less, and be safer. We’ll see what happens when it makes its debut.
Finally we come to Smoke. Like him or hate him, NASCAR (as an environment, not company, for this discussion) benefits from Stewart being in the series. He adds another face of personality and brings talent to the table as well. Sure his personality isn’t roses, but it makes for a more diverse group of competitors whether you agree with him or not. While he’s often the center of controversy he still says “screw it, I am who I am”, and goes on about his day. Far from the sponsor groomed perfect interview, he at least keeps it interesting.
NASCAR doesn’t necessarily need him in the Chase. They proved that they can survive and prosper when Jr and Gordon missed it last season. But what would truly be missed in the entire environment that is NASCAR is the personality, and the diversity it brings.
And… That’s The Way I See It!!
Filed Under: Features, Guest Authors, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Chase, The Way I See It, Tim Spencer
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