[3wide]

Regardless, I've been known to say the 400-point rule would never, ever be a factor. Look at 2003, Matt Kenseth's kill-'em-with-consistency effort that ultimately resulted in the Chase format.
By race 26, Kenseth was nearly 800 points ahead of 10th-place Michael Waltrip. That, folks, is Chase eligibility times two.
So dominant was Kenseth's No. 17 Ford that year, not even one driver was within 400 points when the checkers flew at Richmond. Dale Earnhardt Jr., second in the standings at the time, was 417 points back.
So why 400? It'll never happen, right?

Found this in one of Marty Smith's columns. I guess maybe B. France was onto to something.

[A pirate]

I see Kenseth as part of the reason, and a minor one at that. It was his dominance but he made the last race or so irrelevant. I'm guessing that the ratings for the last race or two were down and the advertising money was lower.

The chase is born, making the last race, at the very least as relevant as the others and ratings went up as the relevance did.

Of course this is just my $.02.

[Quality88]

You know, no one complained when Petty run away season after season. BP one a championship when only winning one race, right? The reason we have a chase is Nascar has become to material. Nascar has a president who utilizes his degree and milks the sport that made and fed him. It's nothing but a cash cow to him. That in turn has helped to slowly kill the sport. They have not ever tried to steer away from the fact that they are trying to compete with the NFL. They can't compete with the NFL. That's a fact. Nascar has it's fans, the NFL has it's fans. When both sports are on, those fans will stay with their respective sports. I get what they are after... more drama and excitement to catch more fans. The result of money. I say %$#@ that. Let's get back to the old days of drivers settling it out on the tracks between themselves. That would create more drama then this canned crap Nascar is pushing now. More rivalries that would be talked about for years, instead of 2 races or one season. Let a couple of drivers fist fight in the grass at Daytona with no repercussions or interference, instead of WWF heals(Nascar) running to the ring to ruin the match( the race). Who wouldn't want to watch a race without a sponsor spewing jackass driver complaining? How bout a good "Well the car was good" or "the car was just junk" or "Damn that guy was fast all day wasn't he?"

I'm not trying to rant, Just my opinion.

[TN_Gal]

I'm gonna read some more posts before I comment on this one......what happens if we go to Homestead and JJ is 250 points ahead of 2nd place? What's the diff?? (oops, I made a comment)

[LSC9901]

I will more than likely never change my mind. The chase is a money pit. France no longer care s about racing. He wants to line his pockets with the big bucks and having a playoff is another way to increase his wealth.

Let them run for 36 weeks and the winner gets to be the champion for a year. Seems simple.

[24/8/48fan]

It just doesn't seem to add up to me, I know this would be nearly impossible, but say driver x misses the chase by 20-30 points, then sweeps five of the last ten races, what would that say about the chase?

[Souporscotty]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

I will more than likely never change my mind. The chase is a money pit. France no longer care s about racing. He wants to line his pockets with the big bucks and having a playoff is another way to increase his wealth.

Let them run for 36 weeks and the winner gets to be the champion for a year. Seems simple.

I'm with you LSC

[candlejack]

Well, NASCAR is unique in the fact that there are going to be 43 cars on the track and all 43 will have an affect on the race. Other sports playoffs get rid of the lower tier of teams and then only the teams that made the playoffs "duke" it out for the championship. Yes, it is possible for one driver to do good in a number of races and runaway with the Cup, just like it is possible for one team to sweep their playoff run as well. I like NASCAR's idea of the "playoffs" where a number of things can happen. You also can guarentee Mr. Murphy will show his ugly head.

[LSC9901]

I am not a fan of the "playoff" in its current configuration. The idea of a playoff isn't totally unacceptable to me but .... How would baseball fans feel if approximately 28% of the regular season was changed to the playoff season and they played teams not in the running ?? I understand that the two sports are different but I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it as long as it exists but after 26 weeks 11th place and below are now removed from any chance to advance into the top 10. All other major sports (and we are a major sport) have their playoffs after the FULL regular season. Bull crap !!!!!

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

I will more than likely never change my mind. The chase is a money pit. France no longer care s about racing. He wants to line his pockets with the big bucks and having a playoff is another way to increase his wealth. Let them run for 36 weeks and the winner gets to be the champion for a year. Seems simple.

I heard an interview with Booty Barker this week and he was asked his opinion of "The Chase." (a.k.a. Playoff). He said something along the lines of: "The racing purist in me wants to keep it the was it was, but NASCAR is no longer a sport, it's a business, and it makes perfect business sense to have "The Chase, "because it adds interest for those who are new to NASCAR."

I can't say I disagree with him.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I heard an interview with Booty Barker this week and he was asked his opinion of "The Chase." (a.k.a. Playoff). He said something along the lines of: "The racing purist in me wants to keep it the was it was, but NASCAR is no longer a sport, it's a business, and it makes perfect business sense to have "The Chase, "because it adds interest for those who are new to NASCAR."

I can't say I disagree with him.

Bob and everyone else ... I don't disagree with that assessment BUT ..... lets do the play offs after the regular season. The regular season should be 36 races. After that then let the ten of them go at it. It would be another IROC series type of race. I know the chances of the 11th place driver actually making it to first in 10 races is not great but he could surely make it into the top 10 and possibly into the top 5 if the points were close enough.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Bob and everyone else ... I don't disagree with that assessment BUT ..... lets do the play offs after the regular season. The regular season should be 36 races. After that then let the ten of them go at it. It would be another IROC series type of race. I know the chances of the 11th place driver actually making it to first in 10 races is not great but he could surely make it into the top 10 and possibly into the top 5 if the points were close enough.

I see your point. I believe NASCAR set the 400 point rule because, since 1975, no one who trailed by 400 points or more with ten races remaining had never won the championship.

On the happier side, as bad as the playoffs are, it could be worse. They could have done what Bruton suggested; breaking Cup into two separate divisions, running separate schedules. Then there would be a series of "Championship Races," between the top ten in each division at season's end?

Now there's an idea which could make me appreciate stick&ball once more.

[LSC9901]

Somewhere someone did a study about how the points race would have changed if there wasn't the "Chase. I don't believe it made a big difference but none the less there was a difference in the standings at the end. Does anyone know where that comparison might be found ? I can't remember if it was done by someone here (I don't think so) or if it was done on NASCAR.COM or some other sports site.

[TN_Gal]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Somewhere someone did a study about how the points race would have changed if there wasn't the "Chase. I don't believe it made a big difference but none the less there was a difference in the standings at the end. Does anyone know where that comparison might be found ? I can't remember if it was done by someone here (I don't think so) or if it was done on NASCAR.COM or some other sports site.

It was done here, cause I replied to it ...will try to find it

[A pirate]

Not sure where I read this but recently I saw that during the first year of the chase the last 10 races averaged a +11% ratings increase over the year before. Mission accomplished NASCAR, tradition be damned.

For the record I really don't care one way or the other it's just funny how it was made, at least to me, out to be in the spirit of competition.