Comments on: Guess Who’s Winning Without The Chase?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:45:48 +0000

Think 2004 was Gordon or Johnson would’ve won by old system.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:43:27 +0000

CdnNASCARNut – the super bowl, world series & stanley cup etc always had a playoff. They didn’t have 50 years of no playoffs then switch.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:40:59 +0000

I think Jeff Gordon 07 I don’t have a clue about 06 05 04

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:40:01 +0000

If their wasn’t the chase what was the top 3 in every year? 04, 05, 06, 07. ?

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:29:35 +0000

It is sad what Mike and Brian has done to NASCAR. Welcome to the WWE folks. Even though fans are leaving at an alarming rate. They still want to sodomize the sport that Bill France Sr and Jr spend decades building up. What if the NFL decided after 11 games to take the top 12 teams and which ever won the most games in the last five game is declared the champion. Or if MLB took the top 12 teams after 108 games and who ever won the most in the remaining games is the champion? If you’re going to have a playoff system (which racing doesn’t need) then you should create a separate points system for the top 12 teams.

By: Garry

Garry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:18:09 +0000

Amazing qualifying today for this weeks race, maybe the best this year.

So many things going on…..

Jimmy Johnson and Mark Martin fighting for pole position to see who wins the chase.
Several new drivers fighting for a job next year.
At least one old timer trying to stay young.
All of the drivers trying to make the race, with a couple of them going home sad.

How about the drivers who might make or break thier career with these lat 2 two qualifying laps of the year …… YIKES!!! … iT HAS TO BE FAST…..BUT… crash and maybe never be back,,,ever….BUT ….. Hit a goood lap and maybe get a job for 2010. WOW!!!

And the finale??….the young driver, with the best name in racing (SPEED), has a great qualifying lap …. and winds up next to JJ, on the front row…… WOW …. AMAZING…

By: Neon

Neon — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:28:36 +0000

Mark Martin is a great driver. Jimmie Johnson is a great driver. IMHO Mark Martin, however, once again cemented his maximum 2nd place in the Championship way back at Indy when JJ jumped him on the restart and MM didn’t force the issue. I know you could say a single place in that race does not make up the 100+ pts deficit, but that its the principle of who wants it the most.
Good luck to both this w/e!!!

By: windowlicker

windowlicker — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:45:21 +0000

Doug in CA: “Whatever system you have, some years it’ll be close, other years it won’t.” You’re spot on

Neon: I agree, the chase is manufactured racing.

I don’t know if I like the chase or not. I guess what I don’t like most about it is the possibility that the bubble guys could go on a tear the last 10 races & the best they can finish in the standings is 13th. But it’s all speculative.

What I do like about it is there is a reward for wins.

So I’m with Doug in CA that it’s just the nature of the sport that some years points will be tight & some years won’t.

I think someone has a man crush on Mark Martin. It’s OK bro. I understand. I’ve been accused of it myself.

By: Journo

Journo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:30:50 +0000

Ric- Nice work. I’ve never seen that before. It’s for the reason that you point out that NASCAR is trying to make the Chase work. It really does tighten up the points race up and add a little more interest late in the season.

By: Ric

Ric — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:26:51 +0000

After reading Doug in CA’s post, it got me thinking, so I did a little checking. I wanted to compare how close the races were in final points before and during the Chase format. I seem to remember years where someone was mathematically the winner with several races still to go, and years where it was decided in the last race.

If you count JJ’s current 108 point lead for 2009, the average difference between first and second place during Chase years (2004 – 09) is 58.8 (353 / 6 = 58.8). If JJ would win, lead the most laps, and MM ended up 43rd with no laps lead (161 points diff). The average difference between first and second in points would bump up to 85.7 (514 / 6 = 85.7).

The 6 years before the Chase (1998 – 2003) the average difference between first and second place is 217.3 (1307 / 6 = 217.8). Since 1998 – 2001 had some high numbers (364, 201, 265, 201) I went back for 10 years to 1994 then I came up with an average of 183.6 (1836 / 10 = 186.3).