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October 26, 2008
Best-laid plans...
By DAVID GREEN
Later today we could very well see Jimmie Johnson all but lock up his third straight Cup Series championship with 30 percent of the Chase for the Cup still left to run. It's all but a done deal already.
ABC-ESPN's promotions are almost amusing in their attempts to make the last four races of the season dramatic. Nothing is certain yet -- no, there's always that chance that Jimmie could oversleep four Sundays in a row and miss the green flag.
I think Johnson has it won. And that's OK with me. I want races and championship titles to come out in an honest reflection of how drivers performed on the track, and I think Johnson's three-peat will satisfy that criterion nicely. But I bet NASCAR and the television folks are squirming.
Because the Chase was supposed to give us, every year, the kind of white-knuckle conclusion it produced in its debut season in 2004.
It's not going to happen, people. Regardless of the system, barring out-and-out manipulation, there won't be a thrilling conclusion to every race or every points race.
My only question is, how many fans want that? I'm not sure anymore. Reading what other fans post, and judging from the decisions and rules changes NASCAR has made, I certainly feel as if I'm in a very small minority. Most fans, it seems, want to be titillated, and NASCAR is more than willing to titillate. It's just that the Chase is not proving to be a real consistent titillator.
I find it sweetly ironic that the truly compelling points races this year are in the Nationwise and Craftsman series, which have no Chase format.
It's also interesting to note that in Formula One, the driving championship this year will be decided in the final race of the season -- for the fourth time in the last six years.
October 26, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
Amen. Meanwhile, while I'm not a big Hendrick or Johnson fan, I wanted to stand up and applaud those guys today. That was a championship performance. Today, for the second week in a row, the 31 team didn't produce. Burton probably did fine, his team didn't. The 48 team hasn't missed a beat in these last seven races. Awesome.
As for the system, the points is an added touch, but I want to see a good race every week, and while the finish is a big factor in defining a good race, it isn't the only one. A prolonged mid-race battle is terrific; lots of lead changes are terrific. These are 3 hour enduros, folks. You want close finishes, go to the NHRA events. You want to appreciate driving, pit strategy, mechanical setup on cars? NASCAR works.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Oct 27, 2008 12:21:13 AM
David,
I applaud your use of the word "titillating" in most of its variants!
I would love nothing more than neck/neck runs to both the finish line and the Cup. But I'm a realist, just not going to happen every time. In fact, more often than not, it will not occur. Too many variables involved. Different tracks are "wild cards" ('Dega and M'ville); rogue racecar parts that fail inexplicably at the peak of a Chase run; drivers like Jimmie Johnson and their teams that when the pressure cooker is full-on, they don't bend or break. If anyone is worthy of a runaway title, it's those guys. Regardless of the system, they have earned it. It isn't solely about how many times you win, but your character, attitude, ingenuity and determination that gets you there......AND how many times you win.
Posted by: Joe | Oct 27, 2008 4:10:56 AM
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