NASCAR Chase Race # 3

Wayne Maybury · #1 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 01:44 PM

Something came to mind yesterday when I was watching the race. In all sports, only the teams that make the playoffs are allowed to continue to play after the regular season is finished. The "Chase for the Cup" is basically NASCAR's playoffs as only a dozen cars are now in the running to have a chance to win the cup. Then how come 43 cars are still in each race? Actually only the 12 cars that qualified for the chase should now be racing. Comments?

Wayne

Ron61 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 01:50 PM

Wayne,

Just running 12 cars would be a disaster. Just the finances alone would bankrupt many teams and NASCAR would not draw the crowds they do for a 12 car race. What really makes it interesting, and NASCAR will never admit this, but people want to see the non chasers wreck and cause the ones in the chase to have problems. Way back when this idea was first hatched, they talked about having two races, one with the original 10 cars and the other with all the rest. When they did a poll of fans and everything they found they would be racing in 1/2 full tracks as fans just weren't interested in that kind of racing. Also there is the sponsorship to consider. They are leaving now by the droves. If you cut it down to 12 cars then next season that would be about what you had for a season of racing as the sponsors pay millions to have their names on the cars for the full season.

Ron

Wayne Maybury · #3 (**permalink**) 09-29-2008, 02:11 PM

Ron

I was going to mention the sponsorship thing but didn't. If only 12 cars were running in the chase, there would be much more pressure from the sponsors to make it into the chase. I just find it ironic that cars and teams that have absolutely no chance of winning are still out there mixing it up with the 12 cars that are in the chase. At least they could guarantee the 12 chase cars starting in the first 6 rows. Johnson & Edwards as well as Biffle & Gordon put on quite a show yesterday and NASCAR managed to keep the yellow flag in their pocket for the final 25 laps for a change.

OK, here is another question for NASCAR fans. Let's assume that there are 12 cars in the chase that are fairly tightly grouped in points and a 13th place car just a few points out of the chase. What would happen if that 13th place team really got their act together and starting winning most of the remaining races and actually ended up first in the points at the end of the season? How could NASCAR possibly not give the cup to the car that had the most points overall?

Wayne