December 30, 2009
By Chuck Abrams
NASCAR tweaks the Bud Shootout
Whew, a quiet week for Danica Patrick. The media flurry surrounding the Indy Racing League star has subsided for the moment which allows us to reflect on other matter this week.
This week, I wonder about the new changes to the Bud Shootout that NASCAR has announced. There are now 28 drivers that are eligible to race in the Shootout. And you no longer have to be a former winner of the Bud Shootout. You don’t even have to be a past Cup champion. You simply have to have won a race at Daytona or have been in the Chase in the previous year.
So what you ask?
That means John Andretti can race in the Shootout by virtue of a past July win there. And just to show I am not picking on Andretti, other non-Shootout winning eligible drivers include Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray among others.
It seems that NASCAR feels the need to tweak the very first race, even though it is a non-points race, to attract more attention and viewing fans. And by tweaking I mean adding more cars to the race.
What NASCAR needs to understand is that adding more cars to a race does not mean it is a more compelling race to watch. For me, the Bud Shootout was a reward for winning the title or a past shootout or a pole. It was not a reward for just winning any race at Daytona. Or for being a good boy for making the Chase. Or for being rookie of the year. Or for just getting up in the morning.
The Bud Shootout was a great race because the guys were going for money and they were testing their skills in the Daytona draft and getting ready for the Great American Race. And you don’t have to watch a lot of cars going around. It was a limited number for a reason. It was a special race for a special group.
A race that is fun to watch is made up of good, hard racing, not the number of cars. Look at drag racing. It is two cars head to head. Not four. Or six. Or 43.
Fans want to see great racing and NASCAR knows that is an issue right now. While there were some good races this year, there were a lot that were not. And that happens. But when you have a fan base that is looking for better racing overall and looking for a reason to tune in for 36 weeks, you need to provide a great product week in and week out.
Opening up the Bud Shootout to even more drivers is not the way to do it in my book.
The early book
The early pre-season favorite to win it all in 2010 is once again Jimmie Johnson. Until someone else steps up to the plate in the final 10 races, he is the man. And by stepping up to the plate I do not mean leading the regular season. We all know that means relatively nothing anymore. While it is fun to see leaders change throughout the season, you really only need to be in the top 12 to have a shot at the title.
But barring and unforeseen accident that would keep him out of the car, Johnson will not only make the Chase, but probably win it all again. Then you can start the proceedings to canonize him.
Let me know your thoughts.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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