Krista Voda: To tweak or not to tweak – that is the question
There has been talk of potential changes coming next year to NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup.
I lean toward the mantra, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” when you consider that the format has helped increase drama and excitement toward the end of the year.
Part of the Chase dilemma results from what Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus have accomplished the last four seasons at Hendrick Motorsports. I don’t think the Chase system is flawed, but the No. 48 team’s domination makes it appear that way.
If Johnson wins a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title, it will be nearly impossible for NASCAR not to tweak the Chase heading into 2011.
NASCAR has the best intentions in exploring possible changes to the Chase. In recent times, the sanctioning body has responded when fans asked for improvements – consistent start times for races, double-file restarts, green-white-checkered finishes and allowing the drivers to police themselves more – that would better the sport.
NASCAR is concerned with pleasing its fans and has to be commended for that when it comes to the Chase. But I’d be a little hesitant in making changes to the system when one team’s domination has tainted it and brought the issue to the forefront.
There’s danger in further tweaking the format when you consider the number of new mainstream fans. Too many changes tend to alienate new followers when they struggle to understand the rules that govern competition and championships.
In sports such as football or basketball, you don’t necessarily need to know the intricacies of rules to keep pace with scoring and who’s leading as a season progresses. Wins and losses are easily accounted for in those team sports.
NASCAR doesn’t have a black-and-white scoring system and that’s the challenge with new fans — in order to bring them in and keep them, you have to maintain some level of consistency.
As mentioned, I’m impressed with NASCAR being open to Chase enhancements in the interest of pleasing fans. To me, this is not a case of making changes for the sake of change and trying to garner more exposure — I don’t agree with that.
But the Chase has only been in existence since 2004; it’s still relatively new. I don’t know many other sports that would change how they crown a champion seven years in.
NASCAR’s focused on making the sport as compelling as it can be but it also needs to preserve its integrity. Jeff Gordon won four Cup titles before the Chase was implemented. Johnson has captured four championships during the Chase era. What happens if a true playoff format is adopted and teams are eliminated in the future? That’s three very different sets of criteria for winning a title.
I understand the notion behind elimination but that scares me. It would create more drama and a sense of urgency, but it is a double-edged sword. One bad race and you’re knocking a guy out? That seems very unfair. Championships are supposed to reward consistency and an overall body of work.
Under the current system, teams have to compete at a consistently high level (not perfect) during the first 26 races to have a shot at the title. Then they have to peak at the right time to win the championship.
Johnson and his No. 48 team have done that in recent years, but it’s not like they have run away with things so far in 2010.
It’s been a season filled with different story lines when you consider that Kevin Harvick was nowhere near qualifying for the Chase last year. He’s been the series points leader for the majority of this season. Denny Hamlin looked like the dominant driver in the series for a stretch. Roush Fenway Racing was winless through 19 races. There is a lot going on and things can change dramatically from year to year.
What shouldn’t change is the format for crowning the best driver and team in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series – at least not yet.
Matt Kenseth won the 2003 Cup championship with only one victory. That was the impetus for the Chase, but even with it in place, we could have a winless driver (Gordon comes to mind) win it all this year.
There’s only so much you can control.
