Around Iredell Sports

2007 Sep-05

Expanding Chase field backfires on NASCAR

By Tony Fabrizio
Media General News Service

Daryle Singletary’s country music hit of a dozen years ago poked fun at the cliché “too much fun,” but there are plenty of things in life of which too much is exactly that.

NASCAR gave us another one with its decision before the season to expand the Chase for the Championship from 10 drivers to 12.

The original Chase concept worked well. Ten drivers qualified to have their points reset for the final 10 races. A provision assured that anyone below 10th place still within reasonable distance of the leader (400 points) also would get in.

Figuring more qualifiers would mean more excitement and assure all the stars got in, NASCAR added two berths. The move has backfired. There’s virtually no drama heading into Saturday night’s final “regular-season” race at Richmond, and one of the biggest stars — Dale Earnhardt Jr. — probably still won’t get in.

The field for the Chase is virtually set, with only a slim chance that 11th-place Kurt Busch or 12th-place Kevin Harvick could fall out and Earnhardt could get in.

Eight drivers, starting with runaway points leader Jeff Gordon, have clinched berths. Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. will clinch spots by starting the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Busch is in if he finishes at least 36th, and Harvick is in if he finishes at least 32nd — even if Earnhardt wins the race and earns the bonus for leading the most laps.

Only A Miracle
Earnhardt knows that realistically, it’s practically a lost cause.

“What do people expect me to say when they keep asking me about the point standings?” he said. “I check the standings right after each race, and then I forget about it. I know we’re a long way back, and even though we have a mathematical chance to get into the Chase, we’re going to worry about things within our own control.”

When the Chase was devised in 2004, nobody was happier than the track operators at Richmond. Suddenly, the late-summer race at the three-quarter-mile D-shaped oval — already a popular event — was one of the year’s most intense races. It would be the cutoff race, the one to decide the final spots for NASCAR’s equivalent of other sports’ playoffs.

For sure, there was drama the first year at Richmond. Jeremy Mayfield, winless for four years, raced into the Chase from 14th place by winning the race. Mark Martin and Ryan Newman also squeaked in, while Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray just missed the cut.

“Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Martin said about getting in.

Need The Big Names
The second and third years of the Chase produced developments that were disconcerting to NASCAR. Four-time champion Gordon and fan favorite Earnhardt missed the cut in 2005. Tony Stewart, the 2005 Nextel Cup champion, missed it in 2006.

Heading into the cutoff race at Richmond in 2005, six drivers — nine mathematically, but six realistically — were in contention for the final Chase berths. Among them were some of biggest guns: Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Newman.

Dale Jarrett said that Chevy 400 “could be one of the most interesting races we’ve ever seen,” and while it didn’t turn out that good, it did have an intensity that this week’s race probably won’t approach.
Last year at Richmond, Kahne — who had led the series in wins — barely claimed the 10th and final spot over Stewart, whose terrible weekend began when he crashed his primary car 10 minutes into practice and ended with an 18th-place finish in the race. Stewart not making the Chase was a shocker. But under the format that was in place — one that still should be in place — he didn’t earn his way in.

NASCAR took the view that Gordon and Earnhardt missing the Chase in 2005 and Stewart missing it last year was a flaw in the format, when in fact it lent credibility to the Chase.

Making the top 10 proved to be no ordinary task.

The format worked with 10 drivers. Twelve are too many, especially when the points leader (Gordon) holds a whopping 640-point lead over 12th place. Wiping the slate clean for that many drivers dilutes the championship.

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