2014 Nascar Cup Series pre-season

[Cynic]

If NA$CAR are really that bothered about keeping the title open until Homestead, why don't thery just bin the chase altogether and reset the points for the top x runners then? All this tinkering around the edges smacks of somebody in France's office trying to justify their paycheck.

[NaBUru38]

I think that Nascar bosses knows very well what they are doing. We can complain that the new system is unfair. But they don't care about that. They are aiming at having more media coverage in September-November, and they will.

The new Chase system means that four drivers are eliminated every three weeks. Which means, the media can discuss which drivers will, may, might or have been eliminated. You can talk about that for hours and hours.

o- "This driver is irregular, but in a good day he can win and he has good chances to mke it to the next round".
o- "The next track suits this driver, he has had 7 top 5s in the past 10 races there."
o- "This driver can get thorugh on points, but if these other drivers win, he's out."

That doesn't happen with a regular points system. It's just "he's close to the lead" or "he is a bit too far in the standings and needs a miracle to win the title".

The new Chase system isn't meant to encourage people to watch the race. It's meant to encouage media to talk more and more about Nascar - and then encourage people to watch the Chase.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The new Chase system isn't meant to encourage people to watch the race. It's meant to encouage media to talk more and more about Nascar - and then encourage people to watch the Chase.

As they pointed out on MWM, and I tend to agree, there is no such thing as a casual motorsports fan. Sure for the Daytona 500 some new viewers will tune in but they won't for the rest of the season. They are ****ing off their current fan base.

I liken it to horse racing in the US. Everyone watches the Kentucky Derby every year but 99% of those people, myself included, will not watch another horse race that year.

[Nick Woodbury]

If NASCAR thinks they "know" what their doing with all of these rule changes, then why do we find tracks hacking off seating their capacity by the thousands i.e. Michigan, Dover, Talladega, Texas, Martinsville, Charlotte and now their pride and joy at Daytona? (come 2015)

Those tracks, some of which are staples in NASCAR's history, are living breathing proof that NASCAR, and its management have dug this series into a hole that will be very difficult to get out of. Nothing good can come out of these new rule changes, I can only see it getting much, much worse from here.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

As they pointed out on MWM, and I tend to agree, there is no such thing as a casual motorsports fan. Sure for the Daytona 500 some new viewers will tune in but they won't for the rest of the season. They are ****ing off their current fan base.

I liken it to horse racing in the US. Everyone watches the Kentucky Derby every year but 99% of those people, myself included, will not watch another horse race that year.

Well, it seems that Nascar is attempting to do the Kentucky Derby casual fan trick 10 times in the Chase.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I think that Nascar bosses knows very well what they are doing. We can complain that the new system is unfair. But they don't care about that. They are aiming at having more media coverage in September-November, and they will.

That's right; they'll be on Sports Center so people who are paying attention to the playoff battle heating up in the NFL, the MLB playoffs and to see who Labron, Melo and Griffen will be dunking on can get a slight glimpse into to a sport that was started by moonshiners. These people don't give a rip about stockcar racing, or any racing for that matter. They'll get the 2 min exposure to the sport and find out where Danica finished. In the end, they don't give a damn and it's at the cost to people who actually cared and watched for decades. They are completely missing the point and not even close.

Originally Posted by JHamilton

As they pointed out on MWM, and I tend to agree, there is no such thing as a casual motorsports fan. Sure for the Daytona 500 some new viewers will tune in but they won't for the rest of the season. They are ****ing off their current fan base.

I liken it to horse racing in the US. Everyone watches the Kentucky Derby every year but 99% of those people, myself included, will not watch another horse race that year.

Perfect analogy. Derby Day I love, but if the Derby winner loses in the Belmont or whatever is next, I suddenly don't care.

Also pointed out by MWM was that while most people think NASCAR fans are dumb hicks, they are actually very smart about their racing and that's why they aren't watching or attending anymore. The racing fan that would go to their local short track Friday and Saturday night and either tune in or go to the track on Sunday is gone, replaced your "casual observers".

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

If NASCAR thinks they "know" what their doing with all of these rule changes, then why do we find tracks hacking off seating their capacity by the thousands i.e. Michigan, Dover, Talladega, Texas, Martinsville, Charlotte and now their pride and joy at Daytona? (come 2015)

Those tracks, some of which are staples in NASCAR's history, are living breathing proof that NASCAR, and its management have dug this series into a hole that will be very difficult to get out of. Nothing good can come out of these new rule changes, I can only see it getting much, much worse from here.

Great point. For a group that is choosing to continue down the path of no return, they certainly should take a hard look at what it used to be; the Bristol night race sold out the day after the previous event was completed. Now they can't even sell it. Pretty obvious to me, but WTF do I know.

[marc sproule]

and then there's this.....

http://www.wheels.ca/news/danica-will-only-win-in-nascar-sprint-cup-if-shes-by-herself-richard-petty-says/

[Cynic]

And he's probably right.

Danica is one of a number of what I'd call second tier drivers who are good not great, but who are plenty capable of winning either through fuel-mileage or in a superspeedway lottery.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by marc sproule

and then there's this.....

http://www.wheels.ca/news/danica-will-only-win-in-nascar-sprint-cup-if-shes-by-herself-richard-petty-says/

Such an important story it was picked up by the Onion

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nas...ault:1:Default

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Nothing good can come out of these new rule changes, I can only see it getting much, much worse from here.

Having given the changes some more thought I'm actually interested in seeing how 2014 plays out. Since winning races will be more important I'm hoping it'll lead to more rubbin' out on track and more ****ed off drivers.

[gomick]

At the end of the day, they are all drivers & will want to win every race they enter - wont they?

[jimmer]

After up-grading my virgin media package good to have premier sports so can watch live races again.. Not that rubbish 1 hour hilights show..

Happy days...

[rustyfan]

Oh... wow - the right side ticker FOX Sports 1 is using is just simply... INSANELY AWFUL.

Dear Fox: please, please, puh-lease don't use it for the Daytona 500!

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Finally the sling-shot is back at Daytona. Too bad Kenseth and a bunch of others drove like complete idiots out there tonight.

[chernaudi]

Closing rates and blocking attempts/manipulating the draft to get runs caused most of the accidents. That aside, this was the best racing at a plate track I saw in a while. But all of this--the good, bad and ugly--were caused by that rear spoiler and the big hole it punches in the air. That's where the closing rates in the draft came from.

At least it wasn't the single file/follow the leader pack racing we had all of last year.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Oh... wow - the right side ticker FOX Sports 1 is using is just simply... INSANELY AWFUL.

Dear Fox: please, please, puh-lease don't use it for the Daytona 500!

Do you mean the box that says "Top 3" and "Field"? I like it, it's easier to remember.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

I agree in regards to the package easily the most excited I've been for the 500 in years.

Also, after seeing the response by the fans for the Ambrose incident if I were a NASCAR driver I would wreck Dale Jr nearly every race just to troll the rednecks. Hopefully a Toyota wins the 500 this year, preferably one of the Gibbs cars.

[chernaudi]

Yes, I see this as probably the most unpredictable 500 or plate race in a while. With the tandem drafting, you had a lot of passing, but when teammates got involved, it did sort of get predictable at the end.

With the pack drafting, there was very little passing and for the most part, everyone was content to follow the leader.

This is a good hybrid of those concepts. The pack can break apart and come back together, they can race close and make passes, and as long as one doesn't become too ambitious, it can be done cleanly.

I still think there will be big ones because of deals like with Matt and when Kyle spun himself out by misjudging the closing rate, which is much faster than it was under the old rules (think of '01 when the cars had that gurney flap on the roof), but it did make for good racing and lots of passing.

[FIRE]

I enjoyed the race.

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Also, after seeing the response by the fans for the Ambrose incident if I were a NASCAR driver I would wreck Dale Jr nearly every race just to troll the rednecks.

I had the same thoughts after the crash.

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Hopefully a Toyota wins the 500 this year, preferably one of the Gibbs cars.

I hope it will be #21 Wood Brothers again or another smal(ler) team.

[NaBUru38]

So, Dale Junior is in the Chase. What will he do the next four months, apart from starting the 26 races? Will he try to win again, so he gets bonus points for the first Chase round? Will he help his teammates to win?

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

So, Dale Junior is in the Chase. What will he do the next four months, apart from starting the 26 races? Will he try to win again, so he gets bonus points for the first Chase round? Will he help his teammates to win?

The fact that we can say this after one race is comical. As for what he will do, probably drink beer, make a couple more commercials, and grow his beard.