Sprint for the Cup
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The Sprint for the Cup,, originally called "The Chase for the Championship" and then changed to "The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup"[1] is the playoff system used in NASCAR's top division, the Sprint Cup Series. The Chase was initiated for the 2004 NASCAR Season, and announced on January 21, 2004. The format used in the 2004-2006 seasons was modified slightly for the 2007 season. The 10-race Chase pits the 12 drivers with the highest "regular season" points against each other, while racing in the standard field of 43 cars. Beginning with the 2008 season, the playoff will become known by it's new name as a result of the merger of Nextel Communications with Sprint Corporation. The winner of the ten-race playoff wins the Sprint Cup.
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[edit] NEXTEL Chase Champions
- 2004 Chase - Kurt Busch
- 2005 Chase - Tony Stewart
- 2006 Chase - Jimmie Johnson
- 2007 Chase - Jimmie Johnson
[edit] Seeding and Scoring
The current version of the Chase was announced by NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France on January 22, 2007. The current format modifies the existing format announced on January 21, 2004, and is the 12th time since 1949 that the point system has been changed.[1]
After 26 "regular season" races, the top 12-ranked drivers, as determined by points accumulated during the season, advance to contend for the Cup championship. The 12 driver's championship points are reset to a base of 5,000 points per driver, with a bonus of 10 points awarded to each driver for each win during the regular season. At the conclusion of the 10-race Chase, the driver with the highest point total is the Nextel Cup champion. During the Chase, normal scoring applies, with drivers who win a race receiving 185 points for the win, 5 bonus points for leading a single lap, and 5 points for leading the most laps.
In 2007, NASCAR expanded the field of contenders from 10 drivers to 12, and implemented a 10 point-per-win bonus. Brian France explained why NASCAR made the changes to the chase:
"The adjustments taken [Monday] put a greater emphasis on winning races. Winning is what this sport is all about. Nobody likes to see drivers content to finish in the top 10. We want our sport -- especially during the Chase -- to be more about winning."
[edit] Origins of the Chase
The publicly stated purpose for the NASCAR Chase playoff system was to make the NASCAR mid-season more competitive, and increase fan interest and television ratings. The timing coincides with the commencement of the National Football League season. Prior to the playoff format, the Cup champion was often determined mathematically long before the end of the NASCAR season; a situation that still exists in the NASCAR Busch Series, which does not have a playoff system.
By reseting and compressing the scoring of top 10 drivers, the chances of each of those ten drivers winning the championship was increased, while not precluding anyone with a legitimate chance of winning (based on the historical analysis that no driver outside the top 10, with 10 races remaining in the season, has ever gone on to win the Championship). [1][citation needed] Short track racing, the grassroots of NASCAR, began experimenting with ideas to help the entry-level racer. In 2001, the United Speed Alliance Racing organization, sanctioning body of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, a short-track stock car touring series, devised a five-race playoff system where the top teams in their Hooters ProCup North and Hooters ProCup South divisions would participate in a five-race playoff, the Four Champions, named for the four Hooters Racing staff members (including 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki) and pilot killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash in Blountville, Tennessee. The system organized the teams with starting points based on the team's performance in their division (division champions earn a bonus), and the teams would participate in a five-race playoff. The five races, added to the team's seeding points, would determine the winner. The 2001 version was four races, as one was canceled because of the September 11th terrorist attacks; however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides. The idea was to give NASCAR, which was becoming in many areas the fourth-largest sport (after Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA and surpassing in some regions the NHL) attention during baseball's road to the World Series and the outset of the pro and college football, NHL and NBA seasons.
[edit] "The Matt Kenseth Rule"
The Chase has been referred to as "the Matt Kenseth Rule" as a result of Kenseth's controversial championship in the final Winston Cup in 2003, the year prior to NASCAR adopting the Chase system and NEXTEL becoming the namesake sponsor. In 2003, Kenseth won the then-Winston Cup series championship despite winning only one race but ending the season with 25 top-ten finishes. In contrast, Ryan Newman won eight races that year (22% of the 36 races run in 2003), but finished sixth in points. In truth, "the Matt Kenseth Rule" more properly refers to the NASCAR numerical scoring system also implemented for the 2004 season, which increased the points awarded to race winners, thus emphasizing winning in addition to consistency. NASCAR acknowledged that the 2003 championship outcome was not the driving factor in establishment of The Chase, as NASCAR had been researching methods to adjust the points system to put more emphasis on winning races since 2000. However, the coincidence of the commencement of the new format in 2004 and Kenseth's 2003 championship linked the issues, and were even referred to by NASCAR officials in the interviews and press releases following the announcement of the new format.
[edit] Sprint for the Cup Tracks
The following are the ten race tracks at which the 10 NASCAR Sprint for the Cup races are run. Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas) was added in 2005 as a result of outcome of the Ferko lawsuit. Prior to this suit, the final three races of the NASCAR season, and thus, the final three race tracks for The Chase, were held at Phoenix International Raceway (Avondale, Arizona), Darlington Raceway (Darlington, South Carolina, eliminated by NASCAR as a result of the lawsuit), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Homestead, Florida).
[edit] Comparisons of Formats of The Chase
[edit] 2006 Chase Contenders and Seedings in 2006 and 2007 Systems
The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup was created in 2004 by NASCAR when NEXTEL started to sponsor the series. In original version of the Chase, following the 26th race of the season, all drivers in the top 10 and any others within 400 points of the leader got a spot in the 10-race playoff. Like the current system, drivers in the Chase had their point totals adjusted. However, it was based on the number of points at the conclusion of the 26th race. The first-place driver in the standings led with 5,050 points; the second-place driver started with 5,045. Incremental five-point drops continued through 10th place with 5,005 points). In addition, drivers received 180 points for winning a race, 5 bonus points for leading the most laps, and 5 bonus for leading a single lap.
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Old Points System - 2006 results
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Old Points System - 2006 results, using 2007 format
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The most evident shift in the Chase seeding which reflects the emphasis on winning of the 2007 format, is Kasey Kahne who, under the 2006 system entered the Chase in 10th place, with 5000 points. Had the 2007 format been in place in 2006, Kahne's 5 wins would have placed him first in the Chase seeding.
[edit] 2004 through 2007 Chase Champions Under (Pre-Chase) System
A comparison of the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Chase results for the top three drivers, if those seasons had been run using the (Pre Chase) points format. Actual Winner in Bold. In 2004 Kurt Busch would place 4th in the overall standings, 247 points behind Jeff Gordon
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2004:
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2005:
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2006:
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2007:
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[edit] Criticism
| It has been suggested that some of the information in this article's "Criticism" or "Controversy" section(s) be merged into other sections to achieve a more neutral presentation. (Discuss) |
| This section does not cite any references or sources. Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
The format is widely derided by NASCAR fans for locking out all but 12 drivers from any possibility of a top-ten points finish in the final ten races and for concurrently locking in drivers not strong enough to finish in the top ten over the season's final ten races. The 2004 Chase is often cited in defense of the concept because the final points margin was eight, but this ignores that champion Kurt Busch was under no realistic threat of losing the championship and raced accordingly; a closer title chase entering the final race would have been raced accordingly by Busch.
Originally criticized was also the fact that the season leader, in terms of races won, has yet to win a Chase and carried no points advantage under original format - Jimmie Johnson outwon Kurt Busch eight wins to three in 2004, Tony Stewart was outwon by Greg Biffle six to five in 2005, and Kasey Kahne outwon Johnson six to five in 2006. Some observers note, as a point out of comparison, that other major sports such as American football, baseball, provide no advantage to teams with superior win-loss records.
The revised format for 2007 and beyond addresses the issue of increased emphasis on winning. NASCAR officials are optimistic the new emphasis on wins (during the regular season, the "seeding" for the Chase, and during the 10-race Chase) will be received more warmly by drivers/crews/owners and fans alike.
Another criticism of the playoff is that it lacks a road course event. Currently, two races on the regular season Sprint Cup schedule are run at road courses: Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International Raceway. Advocates of a road course in the final 10 races say it would highlight the best all-around driver in the series and force those teams in the Chase to put balanced time and effort into road-course racing and the subsequent car setup, in addition to the oval and speedway courses that dominate the final 10 races.
Moreover, The Chase continues to be "tweaked", almost on an annual basis. It shows a lack of consistincy on NASCAR's part in determining champions. It has already showed signs of back pedaling, widening the chase from 10 drivers to 12. Now awarding 10 bonus points per win (and rumored to be going through yet another change of rewarding the points leader after the first 26 races) this may have an adverse effect on the consistency of champions being compared to champions through out the course of history. For instance a large array of nascar fans have expressed an interest for sometime in comparing Jeff Gordon's championship legacy to that of Dale Earnhardt's. The statistics have been grossly scewd with the Chase system. The Chase is not a small change like that of the 1997 change in rewarding the drive 5 more point for a win. Witch has proved to be rather insignificant and understandable in comparison. The Chase, a format strictly derived souly on the basis of making racing more exiting, has many wondering. Jeff Gordon Has earned the most points 6 times in his career. Will this be overlooked statisticly because he is only credited for 4 championships?. All 7 of Dale Earnhardt's championships were based on "The most points earned". In it's 4th full year, the only Driver to have earned the most points and failed to win the championship has been Jeff Gordon (2004, 2007). As long as people continue to keep track of the "old points system" it will continues to loom in the background. having fans of all drivers saying..."what if".
Many NASCAR fans believe had Clint Bowyer won the championship, having won only one race in 2007, it would have had NASCAR shaking thier heads in failure. That being said, It shows a vital flaw in the chase on principal. A few bad races for Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon could have exposed this flaw, however it was overshadowed by a string of 4 staight wins in the last 5 races by Johnson. For Bowyer to come so close to winning the championship should call for changes. The idea of handing a crown to a driver with 1 win 5 top fives and 17 top tens while a driver with 6 wins, 21 top 5's and 30 top 10's looks on, would have been shamefull and embarrassing on NASCARS part. The Idea of a system that allows this, makes it hard to take seriously.
[edit] See also
Chase for the NEXTEL Cup : 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- NEXTEL Cup Series Official Site
- (2004-06) Point system explained - NASCAR.com
- It's a little complicated, but it just might work - NASCAR.com
- (2007) Changes announced to points system and Chase - NASCAR.com
- New points would have affected some title races - NASCAR.com
