Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Charlotte Motor Speedway

  • Matt Kenseth Just Shy of First Win of the Season

    Matt Kenseth Just Shy of First Win of the Season

    The 2013 season was arguably the best season of Matt Kenseth’s career. Seven wins, 12 top-fives and 20 top-10s, very impressive stats by anyone’s standards. He also came up just short of a championship, finishing second to six-time series champion, Jimmie Johnson. Victory lane eluded him again Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600, finishing third, behind Johnson, and Kevin Harvick.

    Kenseth once again looked strong, leading 33 laps, many of those coming near the end of the race. He could not, however, hold off a hard charging, determined Jimmie Johnson. Harvick also made his way around the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the closing laps.

    With such a fantastic season last year, Kenseth was expected to come out of the box in 2014 just as strong. So far, he hasn’t quite made it. At this point last season, Kenseth had already visited victory lane three times. This season he has nine top-10s, but no wins.

    Given Kenseth’s strong performance last year, the media are constantly asking what the problem is this season. After the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, Kenseth again addressed those questions saying, “I feel like we’re gaining on it. I thought today all things being equal and nobody having trouble that we had at least a fifth-place car so we’re gaining on it. We’re not where we were last year yet, but I feel like certainly we’re gaining on it. Typically, this has been one of our best places and I was hoping we were going to be able to sneak up on a win there. We are just a little bit off and just need to get it a little better somehow.”

    Even without a win, Kenseth is still a very impressive second place in the series points standings, so don’t count him out yet. Though the new points system awards winning instead of consistency, Kenseth’s consistency will eventually land him in victory lane. He will be in the Chase; he is running too strong to not be.

     

     

  • Kyle Busch Unfulfilled With Outcome in Charlotte

    Kyle Busch Unfulfilled With Outcome in Charlotte

    Kyle Busch’s expectations of cruising to a 66th victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series were diminished after finishing third in the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

    Busch, who won last season’s Nationwide Series event at Charlotte, entered this weekend determined to duplicate, his driver, Sam Hornish Jr.’s win at Iowa Speedway last weekend.

    However, a loose racecar and glum track conditions prevented him from achieving the intended objective – winning.

    “A little disappointed,” Busch expressed post-race. “Thought we were better than that, but apparently we’re not. We need practice. Just wrecking loose all day out on the race track — no grip.”

    Busch, 29, also credited the dismal finish on the grip-level prohibiting competitors from passing and gaining positions.

    “You just can’t pass — you can’t go anywhere,” Busch explained. “The race today was just all around the bottom. There’s no speed anywhere else — you couldn’t get anything going on.”

    “Just a one-lane racetrack today. Unfortunately, with the sun (the track) didn’t levee itself to any options, the fastest way was around the bottom, you could never make any time up (when) on the outside. Frustrating when you can’t make anything happen.”

    Yet, the main reason for Busch’s gloomy attitude was one thing – he’s not competing for points in the Nationwide Series so he’s focusing his full attention on winning, making a third place result unacceptable.

    “We struggled real bad and come home with a third,” Busch commented. “All things considered, we should be happy, but we’re only here for wins — nothing else matters.”

    Busch, who wrecked in both Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice earlier this weekend, felt fortunate to complete the race due to the cars conditions, lap traffic and limited track-position.

    “Just (was) wrecking loose the whole race — just lucky to finish I guess,” Busch said. “The Monster Energy Camry was okay — fell back to sixth or seventh at one point, but was able to rally back.

    “And the (lap traffic) was a little more off the pace than usual. It was (especially) difficult when they were zig-zagging all over the place. I don’t know if it was, but it seemed like (lap traffic) was worse today.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch and the Nationwide Series horde travel into Delaware to compete at Dover International Raceway – a facility that Busch has dominated the past few seasons, giving him a chance for sweet redemption.

     

     

  • Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith, following a seventh place finish in the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, expressed disappointment with his JR Motorsports organization despite being the NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader entering the summer months.

    Smith, who won earlier this season in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, was irritated with his team’s failure to adjust the car’s tight-in condition, which loomed over him all race.

    “Our race today (at Charlotte) was relatively uneventful,” Smith explained during the post-race press conference. “We were tight-in all day long, I don’t think I’ve had a car (that was) tight-in in about five or six years. So, as good as it felt off my tongue to say tight into the corner, I got kind of aggravated with having to say tight-in.”

    Failure to adjust the tight-in problem wasn’t the only circumstance that aggravated Smith; he also was annoyed with the team’s continuous inability to make the car faster.

    “Every time we tried to work on it, it just kept getting the back out of the racetrack on exit and it would slow us down,” Smith added. “So, whatever it was, we’ll have to go back to the shop and look at it and decide what we can do different coming back here in the fall when the speeds are up a little bit more to fix that.”

    Smith, though, did give credit to his team on a solid run; however, he longed to have a better car on short runs as he lost the majority of his positions on fresh tires.

    “But, nonetheless, a solid day, if we could’ve started runs 20 laps in on tires and run from that point on I felt like we were  as good as anybody out there,” Smith further commented.  “We just gave up too much in the first 20-laps and that was pretty much the story of our day.”

    Chase Elliott, victor at Darlington Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway, felt his team (JR Motorsports) made little gains during the weekend, leading Smith to further remarks about his team’s performance.

    “Not really,” Smith said after being asked whether he thought his team gained upon their Charlotte program. “I thought we unloaded pretty good, I just felt like we fought the same stuff all weekend long, (especially) with corner entry.”

    “We struggled with all three cars,” he continued. “It just seemed like we were a bit off with all three cars and that’s rare, our cars have been unbelievable this season (though).”

    Smith ended his media center appearance with positive mentions, explaining the team needed to think about the good rather than the bad from this weekend.

    “I think we need to take the positive from this weekend, which is we know we have to work a little bit harder, we have to change some things up,” Smith said. “We are expanding our database, and I guarantee we won’t come back to (Charlotte) and have the same problem twice.”

  • The History 300 is History, Larson Comes Out on Top

    The History 300 is History, Larson Comes Out on Top

    Kyle Larson ran the entire 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season without a win but he now has two in 2014. Larson scored his first career win at California in March and he backed that up Saturday with an impressive win at Charlotte in the History 300.

    Though he now competes full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he also still competes in most of the Nationwide Series events. The 2014 season has been much better for Larson.

    Larson led 82 laps en route to victory. Larson only led 102 laps for the entire 2013 season. Saturday’s win also gave him nine top-10 finishes in just ten starts.

    “It was nice looking in the rear-view mirror and seeing them get smaller and smaller each lap. It’s not very often that you see the 22 and the 54 get smaller in your mirror. So it just shows how great of a car we had. The pit crew did an awesome job every stop we had. We had a great green-flag stop too, so hats off to everyone on the team for making this win possible,” Larson said.

    Kyle Busch, who often seems unbeatable in the Nationwide Series, dominated practices, qualifying and the early portion of the race leading the first 25 laps. After an early yellow for a spin in turn two, Busch’s car just was not the same. When the No. 54 was in dirty air, the handling just wasn’t the same.

    Busch was asked about the handling problem after the race, “Just been wrecking loose the whole race – just lucky to finish I guess. The Monster Energy Camry was okay – fell back to sixth or seventh at one point, but was able to rally back,” he said.

    After Busch faded, Matt Kenseth took his turn out front. Kenseth was the car to beat for the next 55 laps until Brad Keselowski challenged him for the top spot. Keselowski was at the helm for a 21 lap stint, then came Larson.

    Kenseth talked about how the handing of the car changed during the race, “I honestly have no idea. We were pretty comfortable and just got a little off. Then we just got real loose and not sure what happened or what we adjusted after that, but it seemed like we probably under-adjusted and the track got away from us.”

    Larson put his No. 42 ENEOS Chevrolet out front for the next 26 laps. A late race yellow gave veterans, Keselowski and Busch, a chance to catch Larson. Larson, however, was too strong. He held the lead and didn’t look back. Keselowski, when asked about Larson responded, “He had a fast car. That’s the reality of it. He had a fast car that was very versatile and could run the top and the bottom. That’s what you dream of as a driver.”

    Keselowski ended up second, with Busch in third place. Kevin Harvick and Brian Scott rounded out the top-five.

    Chase Elliott came into the History 300 with the series points lead. A broken right front suspension part sent him into the outside retaining wall and to the garage for repairs. Elliott ended the day 26 laps down in 37th position. He now sits third in the points, 28 points out of the lead.

    Regan Smith, who finished seventh, now leads the series points standings, followed by Elliott Sadler.

    The Nationwide series now heads to Dover International Speedway on Saturday May 31, for the Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket.

  • Kyle Busch on the Pole for the History 300

    Kyle Busch on the Pole for the History 300

    Concord, NC – (May 24, 2014)  Kyle Busch continues his domination of the NASCAR Nationwide Series by scoring the pole for the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch turned in a lap of 183.094 mph to secure the top spot.  Saturday’s pole was the 38th career pole for Busch, and his second of the season with the other coming at Darlington.

    Busch will be driving the No. 54 Monster Energy Drink Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He shares that ride with other drivers throughout the season, most notable of which is, Sam Hornish, who drove it to victory lane last week at Iowa Speedway. Busch has two wins and eight top-10’s in just eight starts this season.

    Brad Keselowski will start second on Saturday, with Kyle Larson, Dylan Kwasniewski and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five.

    Other notables:

    Series points leader, Chase Elliott, led final practice and turned in a lap of 179.892 mph and will start ninth. Elliott Sadler qualified in the tenth position. Rookie contender, Ty Dillon, will take the green in eleventh.

    The green flag falls on the History 300 at 2:45 local time.

     

  • Elliott’s Impressive Season Continues at Charlotte

    Elliott’s Impressive Season Continues at Charlotte

    NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie contender, Chase Elliott, continues to impress at Charlotte Motor Speedway for this weekend’s History 300. Elliott, who drives the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, turned in a lap of 178.330 mph to lead final practice for the Nationwide Series on Thursday.

    The second generation Georgia driver is in the midst of one of the most impressive rookie seasons in quite some time. In just ten starts, Elliott has accumulated two wins, five top-five’s and eight top-10’s, stats that even a seasoned series veteran would envy. To cap off his impressive season stats, he is also the current series points leader. Not a bad start for a driver who is seeing most of these tracks for the first time in a Nationwide Series car.

    Elliott’s first win came at Texas Motor Speedway. He followed that up the very next week at one of NASCAR’s toughest and most difficult tracks – Darlington Raceway, where he waged a fantastic battle with Kyle Larson, who is currently competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The two battled hard and tight, with Larson bouncing off the wall several times as he tried to hold off a hard charging Elliott.

    In a late race yellow, Elliott lost several spots in the pits relegating him to sixth place for the restart, giving him a seemingly insurmountable task with only a green – white – checkered finish left to settle the race to victory lane. Elliott did not waiver. He charged to the front passing Elliott Sadler to score his second victory of the season.

    The Elliott family has plenty to be proud of this week. In addition to the fantastic season Chase has had, it was announced earlier this week that his Father, Bill Elliott, will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A fitting honor to a great competitor and ambassador for the sport.

    It appears that Chase is following in his father’s footsteps both on track and off. He has a great personality and positive attitude. Those traits coupled with his obvious talent, is a recipe for long term success in NASCAR.

  • The Final Word – Wide open fan vote to make Josh an all-star was not all that Wise

    The Final Word – Wide open fan vote to make Josh an all-star was not all that Wise

    Vote early, vote often, or so it seems when it comes to selecting the driver the fans want to see. I am talking about the driver more individual fans want to see than anyone else get a free pass to Saturday night’s feature race. If that is not good enough, how about selecting the one who can get more people to vote for him, hundreds or thousands of times each. Such great fans these voters, most of whom are all about voting but know zip about NASCAR. Many would not know the difference between Lee Petty, Leroy Van Dyke, or the Dutchman with the paint brush. Josh Wise got in the Sprint All-Star race, and at least managed to still be running at the end. His sponsor, Dogecoin, got all sorts of publicity, and Danica Patrick, Kyle Larson, and Austin Dillon got screwed.

    Jamie McMurray is not the winningest driver who has ever come down the pike, but he wins those that matter. Not only has he won such name events as the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, and now the Sprint All-Star race, all of his wins have come on tracks that matter. All seven points race victories, as well as the million dollar exhibition win last Saturday night, came either at Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis, or Talladega. You know, tracks that attract spectators, be they in the stands or watching from home. His wins have value…probably worth at least a gazillion Dogecoins.

    Sam Hornish Jr won the Nationwide race over the weekend. How sweet it was to see a junior circuit contest featuring not a single Cup guy. What I do not get is how Hornish, a three time IndyCar champion with 19 victories, has not done better driving these sedans. No wins in 131 Cup starts leaves him in Danica country, but she got the sponsor, the fans, and all he has is three Nationwide victories and a Sprint Showdown win in 2009. I’m guessing he needs longer hair.

    Next weekend is truly the big one in motorsports. Kurt Busch will not be attempting the triple, thus he will not be running in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. He will leave that to Lewis Hamilton, who will be seeking his fifth consecutive win of the season. As for Busch, he will be starting 12th in the 98th Indianapolis 500, then winging it to Charlotte for the 65th World 600.

    As we return to racing for wins and points and a place in the Chase, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick lead the parade with two wins each, but a spot is open to any of more than thirty drivers who can take the checkered flag in Charlotte. Even Josh Wise can do it…but I wouldn’t bet a whole lot of Dogecoins on it.

    1 Joey Logano 2 wins,  346 pts
    2 Kevin Harvick 2 wins,  302
    3 Jeff Gordon 1 win,  394
    4 Kyle Busch 1 win, 373
    5 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1 win,  368
    6 Carl Edwards 1 win, 367
    7 Brad Keselowski 1 win, 326
    8 Denny Hamlin 1 win, 318
    9 Kurt Busch 1 win, 211
    10 Matt Kenseth 379 pts
    11 Jimmie Johnson  340
    12 Ryan Newman  332
    13 Greg Biffle  328
    14 Brian Vickers  327
    15 Kyle Larson  318
    16 Austin Dillon  306
    17 Kasey Kahne  294 pts
    18 A.J. Allmendinger  293
    19 Paul Menard  292
    20 Marcos Ambrose  288
    21 Clint Bowyer  282
    22 Aric Almirola  278
    23 Tony Stewart  268
    24 Casey Mears  262
    25 Jamie McMurray  246
    26 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.  240
    27 Martin Truex, Jr.  232
    28 Danica Patrick  213
    29 Justin Allgaier  198
    30 Michael Annett  163
    31 David Gilliland  159 pts
    32 Cole Whitt  147
    33 Reed Sorenson  143
    34 Alex Bowman  141
    35 David Ragan  137
    36 Josh Wise  130

     

  • The All-Star Hot 20 is led by its hottest driver; Mr. Johnson, I presume

    The All-Star Hot 20 is led by its hottest driver; Mr. Johnson, I presume

    When it comes to driving for a championship, nobody has done it better this past decade than Jimmie Johnson. Collecting six of the past eight season titles gives a fellow a certain reputation. Add to that four All-Star race victories, and eight Top Fives in just a dozen events, and I think we have discovered our favorite for Saturday night.

    Before they just hand over the million bucks, there will be challengers. The 42-year old Jeff Gordon has been in this thing for half of his life. He will be in his 21st event, a competition he has won three times to tie him with Dale Earnhardt for the second most decisions. Eight others taking the auto out for a spin know what it is like to win this Charlotte exhibition once. Carl Edwards has a win in eight attempts, while Matt Kenseth has a single win but has been in the Top Ten in ten of his 13 attempts. Dale Earnhardt Jr won it his first time out in 2000, with his dad by his side in Victory Lane. Since then, he has rang up an additional ten Top Tens himself, to go with the 2012 Showdown to get into the Saturday night feature.

    As for the Friday night Showdown this year, Clint Bowyer could well get in to Saturday’s fun by finishing amongst the top two. The fan vote selection could go to Danica Patrick, though rookies Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson should get some well deserved consideration. I would expect one of them to make it by finishing alongside Bowyer at the finish line, if both do not actually find themselves ahead of the veteran at the end.

    If you like what you see each and every week, you are in luck. Those very same faces will be under the helmets this weekend, but points matter not and winning means a million reasons to celebrate. History tells us the winner will be a name we might already know, and destined to be one we shall always remember. Let the fun begin.

     

    1. Jimmie Johnson 12 races, 4 wins, 8 top fives, 8 top tens
    2. Jeff Gordon 20 races, 3 wins, 6 top fives, 9 top tens
    3. Tony Stewart 15 races, 1 win, 8 top fives, 9 top tens
    4. Kurt Busch 12 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 7 top tens
    5. Matt Kenseth 13 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 10 top tens
    6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 14 races, 1 win, 4 top fives, 11 top tens
    7. Carl Edwards 8 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 5 top tens
    8. Ryan Newman 12 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 7 top tens
    9. Kasey Kahne 10 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 4 top tens
    10. Kevin Harvick 13 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 7 top tens
    11. Kyle Busch 8 races, 3 top fives, 4 top tens
    12. Joey Logano 3 races, 2 top fives, 3 top tens
    13. Denny Hamlin 7 races, 2 top fives, 4 top tens
    14. Greg Biffle 10 races, 2 top fives, 3 top tens
    15. Brian Vickers 3 races, 1 top five, 1 top ten
    16. Martin Truex, Jr. 4 races, 1 top five, 2 top tens
    17. Brad Keselowski 5 races, 1 top five, 2 top tens
    18. David Ragan 3 races 1 top ten
    19. Jamie McMurray 7 races, 2 top tens
    20. Danica Patrick 1 race

     

  • The Final Word – A NASCAR Supernova stars in Kansas

    The Final Word – A NASCAR Supernova stars in Kansas

    There are three major stars in NASCAR’s constellation of drivers. They are simply called Jimmie, Junior, and Jeff, and few could argue that this trio has shone the brightest. Jimmie Johnson has six championships, including five in a row. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the legacy of the legend, with 15 wins in his first five full seasons and four straight at Talladega. His track success might have cooled, but Junior Nation’s fervor has not. Jeff Gordon, the four time champion, won his third at Kansas, but his first since 2002, to all but lock his place in the Chase.

    Gordon led in points, even without a win, but Saturday night he put a lock on a race he dominated. Well, for all but one other entry, he was the undisputed leader of the pack. Kevin Harvick had designs to add to his win total, only to fall just short. While both drivers have been stellar thus far in the season, only the wreck at Talladega mars Gordon’s record in 2014. Harvick has been a factor in every race, winning two, but he has been up front only until misfortune bit him hard at Las Vegas, Bristol, California, and Texas.

    Winning is important, but it sure comes in handy to also be relevant week in and week out. Danica Patrick was just that the entire race, finishing seventh, while Tony Stewart was for a time before coming home 20th. One has a great track record, one does not, but both have driven SHR autos that have been providing sub-par results much of the year. Other than Harvick, one wonders how much are their woes car based. Just ask the fourth member of that stable, as Kurt Busch finished outside the Top Twenty for the ninth time in eleven attempts. If not for his win at Martinsville, which this season makes him relevant, being 28th in points would have otherwise left him an also ran a couple of points beyond the total of even Ms. Patrick.

    However, a win is the golden ticket this season to challenge for the championship. Joey Logano and Harvick have a couple, with Gordon, Junior, and the Brothers Busch among the seven with one to their credit. Seven more are within the Top 16 in points, but a single win and a spot in the Top 30 vaults one up the ladder. Who will be next?

    Before the World 600, the boys and girl have the All-Star race on their schedule this Saturday night at Charlotte. Nineteen are in, having won since the 2013 Daytona 500, by winning this race in the past, or by having been a Cup series champion. Three more will be added, with two coming from the top finishers from among the 23 car field that will run in the Showdown on Friday night. The other will come via a fan vote. If that goes the way I think it will, I would expect the All-Star race to include every driver mentioned above. Yes, even her.

    Who will win on Saturday night? That is easy. Every driver who has ever won the All-Star race since Darrell Waltrip claimed the Winston back in 1985 has or will be either a Cup champion, the winner of the Daytona 500, the World 600 or the night race at Bristol. No exceptions.

    A star won last Saturday night, and another should claim the prize in Charlotte this Saturday evening.

    Darrell Waltrip – All-Star 1985 – Daytona 500 1989 – World 600 1978-79, 1985, 1988-89 – Bristol 1979, 1981-83, 1986, 1989, 1992 – Champion 1981-82, 1985

    Bill Elliott – All-Star 1986 – Daytona 500 1985, 1987 – Champion 1988

    Dale Earnhardt – All-Star 1987, 1990, 1993 – Daytona 500 1998 – World 600 1986, 1992-93 – Champion 1980, 1986-87, 1990-91, 1993-94

    Terry Labonte – All-Star 1988, 1999 – Bristol 1984, 1995 – Champion 1984, 1996

    Rusty Wallace – All-Star 1989 – World 600 1990 – Bristol 1994, 1996, 2000 – Champion 1989

    Davey Allison – All-Star 1991-92 – Daytona 500 1992 – World 600 1991

    Geoffrey Bodine – All-Star 1994 – Daytona 500 1986

    Jeff Gordon – All-Star 1995, 1997, 2001 – Daytona 500 1997, 1999, 2005 – World 600 1994, 1997-98 – Bristol 2002 – Champion 1995, 1997-98, 2001

    Michael Waltrip – All-Star 1996 – Daytona 500 2001, 2003

    Mark Martin – All-Star 1998, 2005 – World 600 2002 – Bristol 1993, 1998

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – All-Star 2000 – Daytona 500 2004, 2014 – Bristol 2004

    Ryan Newman – All-Star 2002- Daytona 500 2008

    Jimmie Johnson – All-Star 2003, 2006, 2012-13 – Daytona 500  2006, 2013 – World 600 2003-05 – Champion 2006-10, 2013

    Matt Kenseth – All-Star 2004 – Daytona 500 2009, 2012 – World 600 2000 – Bristol 2005-06, 2013 – Champion 2003

    Kevin Harvick – All-Star 2007 – Daytona 500 2007 – World 600 2011, 2013

    Kasey Kahne – All-Star 2008 – World 600 2006, 2008, 2012

    Tony Stewart  All-Star 2009 – Bristol 2001 – Champion 2002, 2005, 2011

    Kurt Busch – All-Star 2010 – World 600 2010 – Bristol 2003 – Champion 2004

    Carl Edwards – All-Star 2011 – Bristol 2007-08

    Casey Mears – World 600 2007

    David Reutimann – World 600 2009

    Kyle Busch – Bristol 2009-10

    Jamie McMurray – Daytona 500 2010

    Trevor Bayne – Daytona 500 2011

    Brad Keselowski – Bristol 2011 – Champion 2012

    Denny Hamlin – Bristol 2012

     

     

  • Sprint Media Tour Recap — Changes and the New Chase Format

    Sprint Media Tour Recap — Changes and the New Chase Format

    It has been a week since I headed for Charlotte and the 2014 edition of the Sprint Media Tour Presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway. I’ve waited until now to digest all of it and come away with an opinion of the events. In other words, as the closing song of Craig Ferguson’s Late Show says, what did we learn on last week’s show? You may be surprised.

    This year’s tour was divided up into manufacturers. There was a Ford day, a Toyota day, and two Chevrolet days. At each stop, something new was announced. For example, at the Richard Childress stop, we learned of a new oil sponsor—Lucas Oil and the hiring of some new engineers. At the Front Row Motorsports gala, it was that Eric McClure will have a ride for the Daytona 500 in their No. 35 car. Shockingly, neither Jack Roush nor Martin Truex, Jr., attended their sessions. Both were on vacation, but Truex showed up via Skype on the big screen. The Wood Brothers reported that they had four brand new cars for 2014, but without some sponsorship other than Quick Lane, they would only attempt 12 races this year. Brian Vickers was at the Michael Waltrip Racing show, looking fit and ready for the new season, having finally gotten his blood clot problem under control. None of that is earth shattering, but the big news happened on the last day and has been debated everywhere. My take on the big announcement may surprise you, but maybe it won’t.

    There is no need to rehash the new Chase format. It has been cussed and discussed on NASCAR Radio, in nearly everyone’s column, and on the street. Some like it and others do not. I don’t like it. I couldn’t figure out why until I sat down and suffered through the Super bowl tonight, and then it hit me.

    Regardless of how good the final teams are, you cannot guarantee the best will win. That’s not saying that the Denver Broncos are the better team, but everyone expected a tight finish, or as Brian France says, “a seventh game finish.” The Super Bowl didn’t and instead we saw a blowout. It took me back to the 2011 baseball playoffs. In that series, the St. Louis Cardinals go into the playoffs on a wild card. They had finished six games behind the division winners, but used the playoffs to gain the crown. A full brilliant season by the Texas Rangers didn’t get them a World Series Championship. Just three months later, my team (New York Giants) gained a championship the same way. The Giants were a mediocre 9-7 in the regular season, but the playoffs got Big Blue another championship. Such is the way stick and ball sports roll. I don’t think stock car racing should follow the lead of stick and ball sports. Being unique was what fascinated me about NASCAR back some forty years ago. The championship was based on a whole season and not just someone or some team who got hot toward the end. Unfortunately, that ended in 2004.

    Since the big announcement, I’ve talked to several fans, both old and new, and though a few support the winner take all four car rule, I find twice as many hate it. The main argument is that the “final four” would likely be the same teams who always win—Hendrick and Gibbs (who won 55% of the races in 2013 and 60% of the Chase races), and most likely the two teams would populate the final four. Many expressed a concern that Chevrolet and Toyota seem to be the only brands competitive week-in and week-out. In other words, this new gimmick will not bring old fans back or new fans heading for the turnstiles. NASCAR claims they have a fan group that tells them that more excitement was needed, and the new winning rule might actually bring back some excitement, but not if the same seven cars win most of the races and one of them is so superior that they dominate each race.

    Many times, in these pages, I have expressed the way it used to be. All that was important was who won on Sunday. The championship was an afterthought. I still remember when David Pearson won the 1969 championship, but I only was reminded of it after a Ford advertisement in a car magazine. Today, the sanctioning body, aided by the media, has built up the championship to make it the level of the World Series Championship and the Super Bowl win. There’s no turning back. It’s going to be that way for a long while.

    Hopefully, the new rules will do some good. Since winning is going to be important, maybe someone will push a little harder during the race. There will be no more “good points days.” Maybe the new rules will put a fire under some teams who, let’s face it, weren’t in the same league as Hendrick and Gibbs. There is hope here, but I do not see the fans swarming back to NASCAR anytime soon. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s the way I see it now.