race winner gets 185 points plus 5 bonus points for leading a lap and another 5 if they also lead the most laps. In too many cases the second place driver gets the same amount of points as the winner. This is simply wrong. The points and purse payouts are diametrically opposed since the winner always gets a much bigger slice of the purse pie.
My solution to this; eliminate The Chase and modify the points system. First place would be awarded 200 points, second 175, third 160, fourth 150 and fifth 145. Points would drop by five per position back to twentieth. From twenty first to thirtieth they’d drop by three and all drivers/teams from thirty first on back would receive thirty five points, even those failing to make the race. The pole would be worth a fifteen point bonus, second ten and third five. No points for leading a lap with a twenty five point bonus for leading the most laps. With my system don’t you think there would be more racing to the front? It would also eliminate the thirty first place car from returning to the track for points if wrecked. (NOTE: In a previous article I mentioned that racing belongs on the track, not pit road. Stop the gaining of positions under caution by fast, often dangerous pit work)
I’ve read many positions on what can be done about the BuschWhackers. I like the idea of going to Pony cars provided all it would involve is reskinning the current chassis so long as limits are place on the body tweaks like the COT system. I also like the idea of limiting Cup regulars in the top thirty or thirty five in points to ten races with a lottery system to determine what races these would be. I also like my own idea of awarding Cup regulars points behind Busch/Nationwide regulars. Don’t forget that back in the good ole days, DW, Ironhead and other Cup regulars fielded their own cars, not mega team supported ones. I like Cousin Carl and Happy Havock but they have tainted the trophy in my mind.
Now about the cars...The premise of the COT is outstanding up to a point. The fact that you can take one car and run it at Martinsville, Talladega and Richmond has to be a cost cutting factor. (NOTE: As Junior would say, “Back In The Days’, the schedule always had an off weekend before Daytona and Talladega because most teams only had one car and this was to allow them time to repair them after Martinsville and Bristol.) The strict template rules should eliminate much of the wind tunnel testing cost. Two factors bother me about my understanding of the car. The driver was moved closer to the center of the car for safety and that’s good. I also understand the car is heavier on the right side. That’s bad. The taller greenhouse, driver centering and right side weight are surely the cause of all the driver complaints about handling. Fix it. Let’s face it folks, our so called stock cars haven’t been stock for way too many years so let’s make the race cars race-able.
The matter of scheduling and Bruton Smith go hand in hand. Will he take a date from NH? Should he have to? Pocono’s two races are way too close together. The same for NH. Pocono, CA, Phoenix and Martinsville need to be cut back to one date. KY, Nashville and Lost Wages need to pick up a date. If Bruton takes NH and improves it to a high banked three quarter mile track then keep both dates there but separate them by more time. It’s a crying shame about the situation at Atlanta but I can’t see spending huge sums on infrastructure for two weeks a year. Talladega isn’t easy to get to but it usually has good crowds.
The top thirty five rule is utter nonsense. Its intent has had the exact opposite effect that it intended. Talk about your unintended consequences. Too many high dollar sponsored teams have had to load up and go home. If any teams are to be protected I’d limit it to the top ten in points with one defending champ and no past champ provisional. My afore points system overhaul would make this even more viable. Historically, racing is about running what ya brung, qualifying on speed and racing for the win if you make the field. The current system is nothing but a glorified enactment of the old promoters provisional and isn’t needed in today’s racing world. It’s time to restore some logic and common sense to this mess. Sadly, common sense and NA$CAR is an oxymoron.
Back in the Days, CBS and ESPN put NASCAR and Winston Cup on the national map. They showed the races and had excellent pit road coverage and respectable theme and background music. What the H happened? E$PN was supposed to bring TV coverage to a new level based on past performance. E$PN blasts our ear drums with that horrible Aerosmith puker to open their non coverage and then bores the daylights out of us with inept booth and infield set blabbering. Rusty is a total loss with his constant repetitions of inane comments. I think most drivers would state they drove their guts out or their rear ends off but never mention brains. How often does he say, “That’s for sure.” during each telecast? I think his problem is his awareness that his nature would be to use entirely different phrases, profanity permitted. That stupid air graphic is totally out of place and way over emphasized. Suzy Kobler is total waste along with Brent Mushburger. The only quality they have is in their pit reporters. As John Daley pointed out, their production
crew at Texas turned it into a Chad Knaus
telethon. Where is Bob Jenkins, Benny
Parsons, Ned Jarrett and the like when we
need them? If I were a newcomer to the
sport, E$PN’s coverage wouldn’t inspire me
to waste money on tickets to a race and
I can’t help but believe they are effecting
race attendance as well as viewer ship.
Well I’ve picked my nits and vented my
spleen. Is anyone paying attention? Let’s
hope so. Thanks for reading and
remember these are my opinions based on
my observations. You have the right to
disagree but never to be disagreeable.
Please, please, look after those little innocents. It’s one crazy world out there that makes me glad my children are all grown. God bless you and yours, all who serve to protect and defend, this great nation and all victims of terrorism.
May we never forget: We are the land of the FREE because of the BRAVE.
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