Chase For The Sprint Cup has yet to deliver its intended punch

By Michael Smith - Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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NASCAR chairman Brian France has taken a lot of heat for creating The Chase For The Sprint Cup.

Rusty Jarrett
Getty Images for NASCAR

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format has generated as much or more debate than any facet of NASCAR since it was implemented in 2004. The radical departure it represented from NASCAR’s roots was hailed as both a revolutionary move by NASCAR CEO Brian France and a slap in the face to the sport’s traditionalists.
 
But the question hovering over the Chase is whether it’s really changed anything on the business side.
 
It would be hard to tell by asking Ed Clark, president of Atlanta Motor Speedway, who cheerfully surrendered an October slot in the 10-race Chase for a date on Labor Day weekend, two weeks before the Chase begins.
 
“We had to weigh that, but honestly, it didn’t take us long to make that decision,” Clark said of the opportunity to move to a holiday weekend and run at night.
 
NASCAR’s playoffs, designed to elevate interest at the end of the season and keep the competition closer, has succeeded in creating more story lines on the track. But it has not delivered the playoff-style lift in TV ratings or ticket demand.
 
Attendance for Chase races continued its downward trend against last year in the mid-single digits, on a percentage basis, just as they have all season.
 
Title sponsorships to Chase and non-Chase races work off the same rate card. There’s little to no premium attached to title sponsoring a Chase event, according to track officials.
 
Texas Motor Speedway charges fans a premium for tickets to its Chase race, but it’s one of few tracks to do so. At most venues with two dates, the first race in the spring drives more robust ticket sales than the fall race.
 
TV ratings, once a silver lining to NASCAR’s season, slumped to the finish, with ESPN experiencing declines for Atlanta, Martinsville and Charlotte, while the Texas race was flat. The 3.7 Chase average going into last weekend’s season finale was trending just below the 3.8 number for all 10 Chase races last year. The overnight ratings for Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway was 3.6, 5.3 percent lower than last year’s 3.8. Only three of the 10 Chase races have seen their ratings grow from the first year of the Chase in 2004, and two of those appeared on TNT in the Chase’s early years.
 
All in all, Julie Sobieski, ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions, gives the Chase a five on a scale of 10, while Speed president Hunter Nickell describes it as a work in progress.
 
“We still see this as a great opportunity to grow the Chase into a playoff and see the lift in key metrics -- ratings, ticket sales, sponsorship sales -- that other sports get during their championships,” Sobieski said. “For us, the Chase is our big investment. It’s at a time of year when it’s highly competitive for eyeballs, for sponsor dollars. … If we can get the last race in Miami to pull the same number as the Daytona 500, everyone will benefit.”
 
But there are significant obstacles to growing the Chase, namely that none of NASCAR’s crown jewel events is part of it. Treated as an entity itself, the Chase is the fourth-most-promoted event on the NASCAR schedule, most marketers agree.
 
The season-opening Daytona 500 and Speedweeks easily rank first, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis and Charlotte’s May combination of the Sprint All-Star Challenge and Coca-Cola 600 would be second and third.
 
How can the Chase become a marquee property without any historically marquee events?
 
“You’re talking about icons on the schedule,” said NASCAR’s Jim Obermeyer, managing director of brand and consumer marketing. And the race date is an important ingredient in making a race iconic.
 
Would Indianapolis Motor Speedway surrender its July date as the first event on ABC/ESPN’s 17-race schedule and all the promotion that goes with it for a spot in the Chase?
 
“That’s an interesting premise,” said Joie Chitwood, the speedway’s president and COO. “We’d look at it, but it’s not as easy as saying yes or no. We’d be giving up a lot.”
 
What about Bristol Motor Speedway and its ultra-successful August date that is an annual sellout and seats 160,000 fans. Think track president Jeff Byrd would swap his date for one in the Chase?
 
“We wouldn’t change unless a significant majority of our fans wanted to change it,” he said. “In this economy, if you do anything to upset the fans, you’re going to pay for it. As things stand now, that date is part of our tradition. People plan for that weekend. A lot of our ticket holders are still on summer vacation, so it’s really convenient for them.”
 
Convincing NASCAR fans that the race for the championship is just as important as the race for the checkered flag that day is another obstacle. “The No. 1 reason fans go to the track is to see who wins that day,” said Mark Dyer, CEO of Motorsports Authentics and a former NASCAR executive. “The championship is secondary. … I think it does require a sort of cultural change for the fans.”
 
That’s a task that NASCAR, the tracks and sponsors can attack jointly, said Steve Gaffney, director of sports marketing for Sprint.
 
“Part of our responsibility is to make them care what’s going on with the points,” Gaffney said. “Why don’t we actively engage the fans, whether it’s with SprintVision or FanView, and have a point machination so that they’re reminded of the big picture? That’s on us, to make the Chase more visible.”
 
That cultural change extends to those marketing the Chase as well. NASCAR convened a group of influential decision-makers at its New York offices last January to tackle the issues facing the Chase.
 
Among those there were track operators Speedway Motorsports and International Speedway, ESPN, Sprint and Octagon, the marketing agency that represents Sprint.
 
A branding plan was conceived to present the Chase with more consistency, from the broadcaster to the tracks to the promotions.
 
“We wanted to make the visibility of the Chase unique from the other 26 races,” Obermeyer said. “When you see that red, white and blue bunting at a baseball park, you know it’s the playoffs. We want the Chase races to have that identity, whether it’s in signage, tune-in messages or the infield grass.”
 
Eight of the 10 tracks in the Chase bought in, using the black and yellow branding. Texas and Atlanta were the two that declined, saying that the signage, grass infield and other visible track assets were too valuable to donate.
 
“We have seen the fruits of the cooperation in the branding and consistency, but it’s still a property in its infancy,” Gaffney said. “The devil in the details is that you’ve got 10 Chase races and 10 different track promoters all looking to fill the stands. They have to make decisions in the best interest of their track. The Chase has not been the draw that they hoped it would be, but that’s why it’s important to move it up in stature.”
 
Michael Smith is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.

Comments

45 responses to "Chase For The Sprint Cup has yet to deliver its intended punch". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    chris welch said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 1:55 PM

    they start talking about points and the chase at the daytona 500. it gets enough pub. this sport is about the racing ON THE TRACK and having good competition. it shouldnt be about anything else. they need to be having meetings about how to make competition better. its about the race and no marketing guru is going to change that. if you watch nascar for the "playoffs", then you are watching for the wrong reasons and are probably pretty bored.

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  2. 2
    Bubba Ray said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 3:37 PM

    The Chase is what pretty much started the MASSIVE downhill spiral of NASCAR. I've been a fan since I was a boy (remember sitting on the floor, watching Cale and the rest go at it for hours when I was 4), and the "Chase" has always struck me as a marketing ploy...and a very unsuccessful one at that.

    For the last several years, I have basically stopped watching the races as soon as the Chase begins...why bother? The "Season" is over at that point, right?

    Most of the drivers won't make the top 10 (it's a numbers game...only some will move forward while others are wasting time and money), so what's in it for me?

    I've equated the recent NASCAR race for the Marketing $$ to Professional Wrestling these days...I'm not in it to pay NASCAR, I'm in it to watch competition. The Chase has ruined everything.

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  3. 3
    Charles OBrien said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 3:52 PM

    NASCAR does not need to worry about the Chase. They need to worry about the Departure. The Departure of sponsors, teams, drivers, etc because their old business model is flawed. Now is the time to fix everything, so start with keeping Cup drivers in Cup, Nationwide in Nationwide, and Truck in Truck. This country likes watching athletes ascend the ranks and when they are done, they are done! Don't send your old guys back down the system to clog it up for the young guys and the fans. Progression is a natural part of any pro sport.

    The cost savings from taking the already overexposed Cup drivers out of Nationwide would be staggering. Tony Stewart gets $100,000 to run a Nationwide race. What do you think that does to budgets? Especially when the young upstarts, who are plentiful these days, are willing to do it for next to nothing and put on as good of a show. If someone wants to watch Tony, they ought to have to do it on Sunday. You are watering down, overexposing, overpricing and killing your system.

    Please wake up NOW before your nightmare becomes a reality. Spread the wealth or greed will be your downfall.

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  4. 4
    BILL PARHAMENKO said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 3:53 PM

    I think that it is clear to everyone, except Brian France why track attendence is falling and tv ratings are going down. The Chase, among other things. In a poll recently taken by Scene Daily.com, I seem to remember over 60% of the people that responded to it stated that they thought NASCAR should do away with the Chase. I believe that other factors to the attendence and tv ratings going down are,
    the qualifing rules. You should not be guarenteed a position in a race by just showing up and being in the top 35. You should have to qualify for every position. I also think that NASCAR should do away with the lucky dog. If you can not race your way back to the lead lap,you do not deserve to be there. Every car in the race does not have to be on the lead lap. In my opinion, NASCAR needs to concentrate on putting on good competitive races and not putting a show for the fans. If I wanted to watch sports intertainment and a show, I will start to watch the WWE.

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  5. 5
    Bill Sanders said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 3:56 PM

    This years' Chase was the worst. The format needs to change with the winners of the Daytona 500 and the All-Star races getting automatic bids. This year both Ryan Newman and Kasey Kane did not qualify and that is pretty bad for NASCAR & their fans. With the demise of the Big 3 and the fallout from Toyota, 2009 may be a very down year for a struggling sport and eroding fan base. Hopefully, the leaders of the sport will get their heads together and get this thing back "on track".

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  6. 6
    Anonymous said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:04 PM

    I think its ironic the two series with season long points championship battles went down to the wire while cup was pretty much decided after Phoenix.Its my opinion[and everybody is entitled to theirs]that no matter what format some years will be close,some not so close,so get rid of the Chase,and go back to a season long championship format,I think its the fairest way to determine the Champ,Who knows we may have several tight races in cup for the championship,like we did with the trucks, and Nationwide series this year.By the way congrats to Johnny,Clint,and Jimmie.Way to go guys!Jeff Schroader,Owensboro,KY

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  7. 7
    Andrew Briscoe said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:10 PM

    I think that the entire season schedule needs an overhaul. Who wants to see teams go from Daytona to California? You're talking almost no prep time, and teams need to be able to have a recoup day between races. Fix the schedule, and maybe people will watch more and attend more. That and stop thinking your tickets are worth as much as you charge. Yes, the Daytona 500 and Brickyard are huge events, but the cost of attending them is outrageous.

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  8. 8
    clark holmes said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:20 PM

    THE CHASE FORMAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN IMPLEMENTED. CASE IN POINT, KYLE WON HOW MANY RACES?? WHERE DID HE FINISH?? TOP 43 QUALIFIERS EACH WEEK SHOULD RACE!! NO TOP 35 GUARANTEED A SPOT. TOO MUCH TWEEKING TO A SPORT THAT WAS DOING JUST FINE. DALE SENIOR IS PROBABLY NOT HAPPY AT ALL!!

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  9. 9
    Dan Seibert said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:26 PM

    If nascar IS GOING TO MAKE IT THE chase HAS TO GO. THIS IS AUTO RACING NOT FOOTBALL OR BASEBALL. THE CHASE WILL NOT WORK HERE.

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  10. 10
    Terry Duling said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:31 PM

    The Chase will never deliver until it contains two things: A more meaningful variety of races (Daytona, Bristol, a road course, etc.) and a Chase drivers-only points system apart from the rest of the field.

    Oh yeah ... starting/ending the season with 400/500 miles at Daytona, qualifying on the track and not on paper, fastest 40 plus two provisionals start (Richard's been retired for years, no need for his 43rd spot anymore), broadcasting every race on the same channel, more realistic Sunday race start times (NLT 1 PM EST) and a realization that not every fan has a small fortune to drop on tickets and a camping spot wouldn't hurt, either.

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  11. 11
    ROBERT BENHAM said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:33 PM

    After one year of "success" (with a close points battle the first year) and four years of failure, "the chase" needs to go bye-bye. It has failed miserably. It should have never been implemented in the first place. Racing is a season long sport and the driver who has run the best all season should be rewarded with the championship (like it used to be). As a business person, I would be very, very upset with how this has NOT worked. It's time NASCAR wake up and admit this was a failure and go back to the way it used to be with rewarding the championship. It has much more legitimacy than this "chase" junk.

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  12. 12
    Kenneth Farley said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:40 PM

    Not only does the schedule need an overhaul, management needs an overhaul. The brainstorm moneymakers Brian France has come up with so far have been flops. No other organization on the planet would let a CEO get away with that many complete mistakes prior to the "pink slip". Blood may be thicker than water, but there are many who could do a better job Mr. France. Why don't you leave it to the professionals and be a figurehead.

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  13. 13
    Tom Meier said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:41 PM

    I think NASCAR should have a minimum age limit of 21 years for the Cup series, with at least one year of experience in the Nationwide series regardless of age. The Cup rookie drivers should be the only Cup drivers allowed to run all Nationwide races. The other Cup drivers should be allowed to run only six races a year in Nationwide with a limit of six Cup drivers per Nationwide race (not including the rookie Cup drivers). The Cup drivers would choose their races starting with the Cup champion and working down the final-standings order. That way owners would have to develop new drivers and more young drivers would have a chance. The best Nationwide race we ever saw was one with no Cup drivers.

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  14. 14
    Don Donk said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 4:43 PM

    Shorten the season. Period.

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  15. 15
    Tom Meier said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 5:06 PM

    Getting back to the Nationwide series. This year these Cup drivers ran the following number of Nationwide races: Bowyer, 35; Edwards, 35; Ragan, 35; Kyle Busch, 30; Reutimann, 35; Harvick, 22; Hamlin, 19; Biffle, 15; J. Burton, 13; Vickers, 12; Stewart, 9; McMurray, 11; Kahne, 10; Earnhardt, Jr., 9; Kenseth, 7; and several others, 6 or fewer. Several of these drivers have been in the Cup series for five years or more. Think of all the spots that would be available for Nationwide drivers if these drivers were limited to six races each. For sure, a true Nationwide driver would be the champion and the winnings would be greater for the Nationwide-only teams.

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  16. 16
    Dee mcclure said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 5:13 PM

    Keep cup driver out of the nationwide and truck races. and let the young guys battle for the big trophy.

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  17. 17
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 6:00 PM

    i wonder who really runs NASCAR...France, Helton, shareholders?...whoever it is has no clue as to what to do...gone are the days of Bill France...

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  18. 18
    Kirk Grosch said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 6:11 PM

    The Chase going down the stretch was not that great and if you had to watch it on TV, Bless your heart. The ESPN/ABC combo from the booth was awful with the Hickory Twins (Dale & Andy) trying to out talk the other restating for the nth time, what was already obvious to anyone that had watched a race. Just dreadful...I had to listen on the radio.
    This won't happen but what if NASCAR moved the Daytona 500 to the last race of the season, then you could be racing for the championship as well as the "Big One". I would certainly be more exciting than what we've seen the last few years.

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  19. 19
    Keith Johnson said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 6:24 PM

    Brian:
    The chase killed NASCAR. The media liked it and NO one else. Racing is about WINNING, not points. Lucky Dog, Stupid! Award 50 points extra for a win. Make a win count. Can't stand Kyle Busch but he was way ahead in the points after 26 races and should have won the championship. Then NASCAR gives it to Jimmie Johnson because he did better in 10 races. Is this stupid or what. No one in this area even talks about NASCAR since Brian made all these changes in the past few years. Ratings are down, fan count is down, sponsorship is down. Just maybe it is time for NASCAR to listen to the fans who supported them since the 70's and 80's. If not! DOWN some more!

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  20. 20
    James Mogseth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 6:53 PM

    The 'Chase' didn't kill NASCAR...yet. And the loser that suggests moving the Daytona 500, get real. What is killing NASCAR is all the 'political correctness' that has stopped pit brawls, whether good or bad, stopped drivers from venting their real thoughts and replaced them with canned comments or fines, and removed the excitement with crappy same as the other guy cars. Should I really go on? I've been a fan of racing since I went to my first car club race at age 9, I'm now 46. I've always loved it, always had my favorites. Unfortunately, my interest has fallen almost as fast as the stock market. GO BACK TO STOCK CARS! Use horsepower limits, no wings, keep drivers in their respective series only, allow minimal body mods limited to front spoilers and ground effects, put the control back in the drivers hands and race. Oh yeah, lose the chase and drop the ticket prices you greedy SOB's who own the tracks.

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  21. 21
    Tom Meier said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 7:20 PM

    My wife threatens to go upstairs where she can watch the races with the sound off. When we started watching NASCAR back in 2000, each race stood on its own. Now, beginning before Daytona in February, its The Chase, The Chase, The Chase over and over and over, peating, repeating, 3-peating and probably 4-peating next year. We are fans of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and many others; but the repetition of comments for four to six hours before and after each race plus during the race (minimum four hours) is the ultimate in overkill. We attend two or three races a year and it is refreshing to be able to watch a race without the constant babble. And, please, pray that Michael Waltrip continues to drive his Cup car.

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  22. 22
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 7:47 PM

    is it time for NASCAR to go hi tech?...down-size the motors to about 4.6L...maybe try fuel injection...let's step up to the modern era NASCAR...GET RID of the CHASE...

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  23. 23
    clem zahrobsky said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 8:18 PM

    if the car companies survive they will demand NASCAR race cars they sell like the camaro and mustang and the engines will be fuel injected. the car companies engineers learn very little racing the cars and engines they do now. NASCAR will also have to put up with the new administration that are going to try and stop racing because it causes global warming and uses fossil fuel,mark my word.

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  24. 24
    Grover rickman said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 8:28 PM

    Like I have said 10 times this year, Racing has been so bad at most of the tracks I saved about $3000.00 not going to the Races and hours and hours of extra time watching the first 30 lapsgo do something for 3 hrs and get back in time to see the last 25 laps when they are really Racing!!! Good Luck Nascar!

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  25. 25
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:10 PM

    I am kind of tired of every time points don't end up like they think they should, everyone, including NASCAR, starts jumping to "We need to change the points system." Matt Kenseth ran away with the title? Let's change the points system! We only have 10 guys in the Chase and the defending Champion (Stewart) missed it by 11 points? Let's change the points system and have 12 guys instead! JJ has won three years in a row-must be time to change the points again--dang people just leave things alone! Both the series that had NO Chase were way closer than the one with the Chase!

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  26. 26
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:11 PM

    Adding-Brian France has ruined NASCAR. I keep watching and hoping...but Brian is running it into the ground.

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  27. 27
    said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:14 PM

    NASCAR as we know it died when Bill France Jr. died. He didn't try to change a successful formula by adding a lot of flash, and he certainly didn't try to alienate his fan base like his successors have. I started watching Cup racing back in 1993 and have been a loyal Petty fan over the years. What is disturbing lately is the fact that most of the family owned teams are either mostly gone, or are being swallowed up by corporate interests because the cost of racing has gone up dramatically. The other thing that bothers me are all the cookie cutter tracks being built with the hope of getting a Cup date, meanwhile good tracks like North Wilksboro, and Rockingham have fallen by the wayside in order to give them race dates. I don't know about you, but I think that watching races at Texas, Vegas, and Lowes, are all pretty much the same because the track are all the same in layout. I think they ought to dump the chase, throw in some dirt tracks, a couple more short tracks, and a few more road coarses in order to spice things up. Maybe Brian should talk to y'all and learn what most of us really want instead of trying to run things like Wall Street. We all know how great they are doing lately, need I say more.

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  28. 28
    Bill Maier said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:16 PM

    Does Brian France ever read the responses from the fans. If not some one needs to post them on the wall in his private john.
    Dump the chase and bring back real cars!!!

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  29. 29
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:22 PM

    Bill France Sr and Jr took care of the drivers and fans...this new group is just after the $$$$...

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  30. 30
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:29 PM

    "I seem to remember over 60% of the people that responded to it stated that they thought NASCAR should do away with the Chase. I believe that other factors to the attendence and tv ratings going down are, the qualifing rules. You should not be guarenteed a position in a race by just showing up and being in the top 35. You should have to qualify for every position. I also think that NASCAR should do away with the lucky dog. If you can not race your way back to the lead lap,you do not deserve to be there. Every car in the race does not have to be on the lead lap."

    Wanted to respond to a couple of these-first, yes, do away with the Chase.

    Secondly, however, I have to respectfully disagree about the Top 35. The reason to implement the Top 35 is to make sure that the superstars that people pay the money to see are in the race. If Jeff Gordon blows an engine or cuts a tire in qualifying, there's going to be a lot of ticked off race fans who bought tickets to see Jeff race. Same with a bunch of the other guys. So I like the Top 35, although I think maybe it should be reduced to, about the Top 25.

    Also-the Lucky Dog. I think this is a safety issue. The Lucky Dog did not exist before the Caution Freezing the Field Rule. Prior that rule, you could race back to the caution flag-allowing a person who has maybe just become lap down to pass back by the leader and get his lap back. Well, this became dangerous. So, they implemented the freezing rule-but that effectively took away a lot of chances for guys to race back to the yellow and get their lap back-thus the Lucky Dog. So, I like the Lucky Dog as well.

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  31. 31
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:34 PM

    Sorry, I apparently do not know how to insert paragraphs.

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  32. 32
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:39 PM

    there was a fear by NASCAR once that if the stars of NASCAR didn't make the show...would a fan sue if his favorite advertised driver didn't make the race...and that's also why they tread lightly about suspending a driver...

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  33. 33
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 9:42 PM

    Oh and to continue my serial posting. I agree that Cup drivers need to stay away from Nationwide. I think they should require drivers to choose which series they will race for a championship in-and only be able to go for one of them. That way, there would be less draw for Cup drivers in Nationwide as they wouldn't be able to win the trophy at the end.

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  34. 34
    Sheila Hawley said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 10:04 PM

    I love what all you guys are saying! NASCAR is about racing. 36 races, not 26. Who wants to watch the last 10 races when there are 43 cars out there, but only 12 count? The media loves it, yes. But the fans are supposed to be what counts. Brian should listen to all of us. And I agree Nationwide should be for Nationwide drivers, not Cup drivers. Certainly the big guys can find themselves a Nationwide driver to win a Championship. And I agree that Cup drivers, except Rookies should be limited on the number of races they can enter. Bring Busch back with Busch drivers winning the Championship. Martin Truex, Jr. was the last Busch driver to win. This has to stop. WE fans don't watch Nationwide or Trucks to see Cup drivers. Pay attention Brian. You're Chasing your fans away.

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  35. 35
    Joseph Stephens said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 10:21 PM

    Get rid of the chase!! Why would you ever want to have 31 drivers running 10 races a year for nothing as far as we fans are concerned. Sure is a sureal lesson in futiliy. Thanks Bill for ruining our sport and for what? While we're at it why you just have 10 lap races and maybe you won't have to find some way to close up the field for a thrilling finish. It's pretty silly to have them race 490 miles to close them up for a race to the finish. Your killing the sport sir.

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  36. 36
    Joseph Stephens said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 10:21 PM

    Get rid of the chase!! Why would you ever want to have 31 drivers running 10 races a year for nothing as far as we fans are concerned. Sure is a sureal lesson in futiliy. Thanks Bill for ruining our sport and for what? While we're at it why you just have 10 lap races and maybe you won't have to find some way to close up the field for a thrilling finish. It's pretty silly to have them race 490 miles to close them up for a race to the finish. Your killing the sport sir.

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  37. 37
    Frank Pinto Jr said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 11:17 PM

    Pretty valid points by everyone posting...This sport relies more on economy than most sports due to its diversity. Car manufactuers,gas prices,lodging,sponsors,ticket prices,etc..Sure they say ratings are up-duh! Because people are not going to the race because of economy, so they stay home and watch. But lets face it, the prerace is boring and too long. Just start the race for crying out loud and get rid of the useless celebrity parade! Get back to your roots Nascar! Early race times, one channel to broadcast races all year,get rid of the Chase and back to full season points,bonus money for winning"big 4 races",Daytona,Lowes race,Atlanta,Talladega,and one race at California, bring back Rockingham(after Daytona 500),North Wilkesboro,give race to Kentucky Speedway,one race at Pocono,standardize ticket prices,let all teams test at Lowes and revamp schedule for less cross country travel. And no gimmes-everyone qualifies! If rained out,and qualifying can't be reschduled,last race finishing order sets the field. Also no Cup drivers in truck series and after three years in Cup, no more Nationwide either. Finally, last 20 lap restarts go single file.

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  38. 38
    Becky Deline said:
    Nov 19, 2008 at 11:33 PM

    I watch the Nascar races for 1 driver. I am really sick and tired of hearing about the same drivers week in and week out. It gets old. Get rid of the stupid chase. If I was a sponsor, do you think that I would want to be in a sport where I get absolutely NO publicity for my company because they don't show them on tv or anything like that? Why would these companies want to waste the money? Brian France and Mike Helton and the other Nascar yoyo's in charge are looking and everything with rose-colored glasses. They probably should take the glasses off and get some kind of clue and look at the path Nascar is going, because in the end, they are going to be sitting there scratching their heads and wondering why they can't get anyone in the seats at the race tracks.

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  39. 39
    chris welch said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 12:58 AM

    alllllllll restarts should be single file. there is a lucky dog rule now, let the lapped cars race at the back til there is a caution and let the LEADERS RACE!!!!!!!!!!! it is an absolute tragedy that a guy restarting 6th ends up 5 seconds behind after 3 laps.

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  40. 40
    Timberline said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 6:41 AM

    NASCAR is now nothing more than an expensive IROC. Every time a team figures out some way to go faster, another portion of the whole thing gets blueprinted. That's what's killing it for me. And like someone else said, this is not a ball sport. We don't need the chase.

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  41. 41
    said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 8:46 AM

    Want improvement cut the Chase. If NASCAR wants the playoffs then only the top 10-12 drivers race alone. Dumb! The football playoffs don't include the last place teams. I don't care about the big picture. I want to see races that matter. The 26 race season could just be it. Who is winning, wins the Championship. The other 10 races who knows. Sorry Jimmie and Chad but repeat is just boring!!! Remember Hendrick dominates and that is boring. Using the old system which is the actual points, Edwards would have won. Fair that Rowdy finish third. I see that the truck and Nationwide (cup drivers who don't belong) had increased viewing and the race for the championship was determined close to the finish of the last race. Cup- golly cousin carl did you really have a chance?

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  42. 42
    Gary Nagelsmith said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 1:46 PM

    Where does Texas get off charging more for their Chase event? I go to a few races every year. If a track that I want to go to has two races and one of them is a Chase race, I go to the one that isn't. Chase races are boring because everyone stays away from the Chase contenders. During the regular season races, every driver out there is driving as hard as he can and racing every other driver regardless of where they are in points. Non-Chase races are way more exciting. That might be why nobody is watching/attending the Chase races. GET RID OF THE CHASE!!!!

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  43. 43
    Gary Nagelsmith said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 1:49 PM

    Also, when I saw that poll recently taken by Scene Daily.com, it was up to 83% thought NASCAR should do away with the Chase.

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  44. 44
    Gary Nagelsmith said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 2:17 PM

    I got involved here a little late so I'm not sure if anyone is even reading this but I have one more comment.
    Bristol Motor Speedway track president Jeff Byrd stated "We wouldn’t change unless a significant majority of our fans wanted to change it," ... "if you do anything to upset the fans, you’re going to pay for it." So Jeff, if you're reading this, why would you change the best track on the circuit? What were you thinking??? You changed the track from 36 degree banking to 30 degree progressive banking. You ruined the greatest track in NASCAR!!! Since the repaving, racing hasn't been the same. THANKS A LOT!!!

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  45. 45
    carole collins said:
    Nov 20, 2008 at 5:29 PM

    Drop the Chase, drop the Chase, drop the Chase. Can't say it enough, but none of the Nascar execs are listening to the fans who buy the tickets and the merchandise.All the drivers have fans, not just the top 12. Who wants to buy a ticket if your driver is 15th with no chance of getting into the top ten? Everyone who has posted has had some good ideas though.

    I find it interesting that Brian was nowhere to be seen during the Indy fiasco, but appears now that his pocketbook is being hurt.

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2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

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