September 10, 2012
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Of all of the rule changes that NASCAR has made in the past several years, perhaps the most controversial is the new points format, The Chase for the Championship that NASCAR officials have in place for its premier division.
The vast majority of fans don't like it at all, while some have come to accept it. Yet does NASCAR even need it?
The Chase field is set for the Cup Series and twelve drivers are lining up for a run at the title but there is quite a championship battle heating up in the Nationwide Series, where there is no Chase.
Elliott Sadler is leading Ricky Stenhouse Jr., by one point in the Nationwide championship and Austin Dillon is in third position, behind by 30 points.
On Friday night at Richmond, Elliott Sadler was involved in an accident and went a lap down. He made a monumental effort to drive his damaged racecar to a twelfth place finish and retain the lead in the standings by one point. There can be no closer battle than that. With eight races remaining in the Nationwide Series, the championship is still wide open.
Last year in the Cup Series, the Chase contributed to the closest Championship battle in history. Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards finished the season tied in points with Stewart winning the Championship by virtue of having the most wins.
Does the Chase contribute to more drama or has all that has been done is to delay the inevitable?
The Chase creates some excitement during the middle of the season as drivers jockey for position just to qualify for it. Yet for the most part, the drivers who barely make it in generally aren't a factor at the end of the season.
The point of the Chase is to keep one driver from locking up the championship early and to give more than a couple of drivers a chance to contend for the title going into the final races. But isn't that usually what happens anyway? Two drivers wind up vying for the championship in the final races and no one else has a chance.
One of the oldest sayings in racing is that consistency wins championships. That may still be true but it is not consistency over the entire season that counts but just the final ten races of the year. Detractors of the Chase hold that as the biggest point of contention.
A case can be made that the Chase is the reason for Jimmie Johnson's unprecedented run of five consecutive Championships. If the Chase hadn't been instituted, Johnson would have only won two of his five titles. Jeff Gordon would have two more Championships on his resume, bringing his total to six, just one away from tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with seven, and Carl Edwards would be a two-time champion.
Yet one has to wonder if winning the NASCAR championship today carries with it the same honor and prestige as it did when Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won their seven titles, or has the Chase cheapened it?
So the question still remains, who should NASCAR crown as its champion; the best driver over the course of the entire season, or the one who goes on a hot-streak during the final ten races?
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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