Pet Peeves and other Nonsense

By Keith Ott

The Chase:

Where would NASCAR be without “The Chase?”  MY answer would be…exactly where they are now.   Both, fan and TV wise.  Yes, people, we are now within the window where everything is focused on the guy running in the last chase place.  Ok, so they changed the Chase a bit.  Whoopee, now we have 12 guys fighting for what possibly 3 have earned the right to fight for.  It’s ludicrous to think that anyone 600+pts out should win, or even contends, for a title.  This isn’t the NFL, or any other major sport, where the teams meet once in a while.  These guys fight every week, together, for 26 weeks.  However, now it’s ok to say, “You there,guy number 12.  How’d ya like to win a title?”  But, seriously, I want that to happen.  Maybe, if some non-winner, barely got in driver, strips the crown from a true Champion, people will speak up against the Chase.  Racing is certainly a reality for the drivers.  But, do we have to make it into a “reality show” for us fans?  Give us a little more credit.  We’re fans not idiots.  NASCAR, the only form of racing that lets TV decide its Champion

F1 and Montoya:

Does anyone in America actually plan to go to an F1 race?  Will anyone actually miss it because it’s gone? I’d have to laugh and say, why?  Who cares?  Let them keep their high technology.  I can actually almost envision F1 fans over there complaining about the time shift for viewing in America.  Keep it over there…I have a DVR, if I want to see a no passing, team orders race, with high tech cars, I’ll get to it.

Now, Mr. Montoya, he may have earned some points with me.  He, having said that the F1 racing is all tech and no racing, and that NASCAR was all about racing.  Now, if he could just manage to hit my guy less, he might garner a few more points.

Indy cars:

It would be nice if they put the action on the track that they produce in the pits.  Danica throwing a temper tantrum, and a dad standing up for his kid, doesn’t make up for the lack of racing.  They have 17 cars.  Maybe, going to some NASCAR tracks gets them a bit of attention.  But, the tracks like Richmond?  The driver blinks and he’s done a lap.  There’s no racing for these cars there.  There’s no testing of the driver or the car.  And, here you go Doug in CA, places like Fontana, Sonoma, Pocono, Daytona, etc. are the places these cars need to be.  They can spread their wings and let it be a real test.  I’ve got DOS racing games more exciting than the race I saw at Richmond.

BuschWhackers:

So, what do we call them next year?  And, while I do have definite views on this, my buddy Kurt Smith over there in “The Infield” has dibs on that topic.  He can expect a bunch of input from me on this in his post.  He always has a good take on things.  Check it out.

Last Peeve…Lap Leaders and the LD:

I never liked the “Gentleman’s Agreement,” and I don’t think the “Lucky Dog,” enhances NASCAR.   So, we have a caution….a backmarker stays out, and gets 5 (very valuable NASCAR points?)…BS, I say.  Racing points should be for racing.  Not to get into the “Top 35,” or for any other purpose…They should be racing points!  I think if no-one can get them except the guy who leads the most laps, what’s to lose?  No more teams swapping the lead on the track.  Every driver loses those 5 pts equally if he/she doesn’t lead the most laps.  I’m tired of, “Gimmee,” racing.  As for the Pooch,  it's another "Gimmee" thing.  I will bet more passes back onto the lead lap have been facilitated by the LD than by actual racing.

It’s an off week…Bring it on…Not on me, per se, LOL, I mean your pet peeves.