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NASCAR attempts to drum up some artificial excitement for their junior series, but will it work?

Time is ticking down on major sports shortest off-season. A day short of three months is all that separates the last race at Homestead to the action coming up at Daytona. That is like Major League Baseball wrapping up the World Series in October, only to return in January. It is equivalent to the NFL’s Super Bowl in February wrapping up one season, only to return in May. That does not include any exhibition contests, like NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited, which arrives eight days before the 500, or any of the testing and training and manufacturing that needs to happen.

Yet, I am not about to suggest NASCAR reduce its schedule. I am way too selfish for that. I like knowing that NASCAR takes me to baseball season, which transfers to football season, and that takes me around to within a week of the Sprint Unlimited. Does that mean I am anxious at the bit to begin it all anew at the moment? Not really. I mean, we still have four NFL teams still in the hunt. In fact, I usually write very little about NASCAR in the off-season. Unlike some, by the time the season is over I am so done. I write something during the holidays, then await something to prod me out of my hibernation. That something just happened.

As much as the Cup guys have tried to kill off the XFINITY series, NASCAR has come up with something that might cause at least a spark of interest in the junior circuit. A Chase format has emerged for both it and the Camping World Truck series. At least, it is something.

As in Cup, XFINITY will have a 26-event qualifying round. A seven-race Chase will feature twelve drivers, with four eliminated after three races, another four gone after the following three, leaving four to battle it out for the title at Homestead. Again, as in Cup, win and you are in the Chase. If more than a dozen drivers have wins, just as in Cup, points will determine who advances. However, as long as the Cup guys are involved, what are the chances of a dozen XFINITY regulars each claiming a win in a season? How about, oh, none?

There is one more way to advance. Drivers get an automatic berth in the Chase if they happen to claim two of the four “Dash 4 Cash” bonuses, slated for Bristol, Richmond, Dover, and Indianapolis. That is the bonus, not actually win the race. As for those four events, a format change sees them divided into a pair of Heat Races, followed by a Main Event. The top two XFINITY regulars in each heat go into the main eligible for a $100,000 payout and the best finisher among those four gets the cash. At least, even if a Cup guy wins the damn thing, a XFINITY driver has something to cheer about. Win the bonus twice, and a Chase berth is theirs.

As for the trucks, they will have a 16 race qualifying round, a seven race Chase eligible to eight drivers, with two eliminated after each round. Sadly, that is not all. They have come out of the closet and instituted an artificial caution at least every twenty minutes. If nothing brings out a yellow beforehand, the clock will, and when the first truck crosses the line on the re-start, the clock starts ticking anew. Maybe that might mean other cautions won’t be flagged unless they are really necessary. Maybe, at least until the final laps when the clock is shut down over the final 20 or the final 10, in the case of Toronto and Pocono. Nor will it be used at all at Eldora Speedway. To be honest, I don’t know what in hell to think about that one. While some suspect that NASCAR throws a caution to artificially close up the field to create some excitement, with the trucks we no longer need to suspect, as we will know.

The Chase format, in itself, is an artificial element instituted to successfully create excitement and should provide a measure of relevance for the respective series drivers. The Dash 4 Cash brings a level of excitement only due to the chance of taking a Chase place by just winning the bonus, not necessarily the race, twice. The 20-minute clock would create some excitement if you believe it necessary to artificially close up the field regularly throughout the race.

Will it cause you to watch more of these other series? Me neither. Now, back to my hibernation.

January 19, 2016
Hot 20 – The Chase for the Championship Commences in Chicago

So it begins. Sixteen drivers, each trying to avoid being one of the four eliminated from contention for the championship after each round of three races.

The first round, Chicago, New Hampshire, and Dover, will see each running for the best finish amongst those qualified. A win in any of the three would guarantee them a spot in the next round of three events no matter how they might fair in the other two contests. History tells us that Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard will not do well this weekend.

For them, this would be a good time to rewrite history. For those outside the Top Sixteen, no time like the present to break a few hearts. A win now robs a contender of a free pass and could go a long way in getting sponsors thinking more of what is to come than what could have been.

That would be the goal of the bottom four amongst our hot 20 heading into Chicago this Sunday.

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2012 POINTS (4 Wins)
The firm of Petty and Earnhardt still has room for another name partner.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 2012 (4)
Having a leg up on the opposition was not a good thing in his case, but it matters not now.

3. MATT KENSETH – 2012 (4)
If his 2003 title started this Chase business, now he can start eliminating his critics four at a time.

4. JOEY LOGANO – 2009 (3)
Had the pole at Richmond, but Kenseth only allowed him to lead 25 of the 400 laps.

5. KEVIN HARVICK – 2006 (2)
His points standing just went from a 30 point lead to a six-point deficit.

6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2006 (2)
He and his buddy Greg Ives come in with four straight Top Tens. Three more would be nice.

7. KURT BUSCH – 2006 (2)
First Chase champion would like to be the next one, too.

8. CARL EDWARDS – 2006 (2)
I am not sure if he misses Jack Roush at all, considering how his season with Joe Gibbs has gone.

9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2003 (1)
One of six in the Chase who already knows how it feels to be crowned a champion.

10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2003 (1)
Team-mates? We ain’t got no teammates. We don’t need no team-mates.

11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2003 (1)
Adversity is racing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his throttle leg’s knee.

12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2000
So…this is the Chase, eh?

13. JEFF GORDON – 2000
What better way to ride off into the sunset than with a fifth title?

14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2000
Winless in 2015. Runner-up to Harvick in 2014.

15. PAUL MENARD – 2000
Chicago has not been his kind of town.

16. CLINT BOWYER – 2000
Like his team owner, he is out of a job after this season. Both could use a little good news.

17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 693
Fourth at Richmond was like being a groomsman at your sweetheart’s wedding.

18. KASEY KAHNE – 677
Only Hendrick driver to miss the party this year, needs some positive results heading into 2016.

19. KYLE LARSON – 618
Sophomore jinx bit him hard this season.

20. GREG BIFFLE – 611
Limping along in his worst season ever, as Jack Roush has his worst as an owner.

September 16, 2015
Hot 20 – The Elimination Format was Good, but an Actual Five Race Post-Season Even Better

Over the course of the season, Jeff Gordon was the top driver of 2014. However, NASCAR has not determined its champion using the results of the entire campaign for more than a decade. They want excitement, drama, unpredictability. They want what the other big boy sports have, and when they waved the flag to start the season finale, four drivers had an even shot to claim the prize. Unfortunately, 39 we knew who would not, also were out there.

Regular season and then the playoffs. That is what you get with the NFL, MLB, NBA, and the NHL. You play to entertain and to position yourself into earning a shot at the championship. Since 2004, NASCAR has also done this, except for allowing the non-contenders to remain out on the field of play getting in the way of those who matter.

What if NASCAR had a real playoff? It has been brought up that the season is too long, that there needs to be a reduction in the schedule. Realistically, there is no way anyone is going to say adios to the big dollars that comes with putting on a 36 event schedule, not including the extras at Daytona in February and Charlotte in May. However, NASCAR could shorten its regular season to 31 races, as it was in some seasons in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, for its 43 car fields. Then they could reduce it to the top 20 drivers and teams over the course of a five-race championship playoff, resetting the points to zero for the post-season, and allowing the best of the best to settle it among themselves.

The point system would remain the same, other than instead of “win and you are in,” winners are given credit for their victory with 25 bonus points, instead of the three they are presently given. In that way, a race winner would claim as much as 70 points, compared to the 43 for the runner-up. During the playoffs, points would range from one to 20, with the winner’s bonus reduced to three points in recognition of the smaller field and the impact of a win over the shorter “season.” So, in the playoffs, a race win could earn up to 25 points, compared to the runner-up’s 20. Yes, a driver sweeping the first four races of the playoff would have enough to win the title before they run Homestead but, let’s be honest, if they were that dominant they should win it.

The playoff teams would be expanded from 16 to 20, with those not making the cut sent home, their season over. Considering there are really no more than 25 quality entries in any given race, all we would be doing is exchanging quantity for quality, with Charlotte being the final race of the regular season.

Using 2014 as a guide for illustrative purposes, neither A.J. Allmendinger or Aric Almirola would make the playoffs as, despite each picking up a win, neither would have made it on points in our Top 20. Along with the other 14 Chasers from this season we would have included Austin Dillon, Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson and Paul Menard. A pretty fair exchange.

TALLADEGA

Twenty drivers hit the track all even as the opening round of the playoff Chase begins on the super speedway in Alabama. Kyle Busch once again got snake bit come go time when he gets caught up in a crash that left him dead last. Of course, those cars that got him in reality would have been home watching television under this format. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski responded from the less than loving embraces Denny Hamlin wanted to put on him at Charlotte, and Matt Kenseth did, by claiming 24 points in winning at Talladega. Kenseth, ironically enough, pushed Bad Brad to the front and finished just behind him on the track.

1 Brad Keselowski 24 Pts
2 Matt Kenseth 20
3 Ryan Newman 18
4 Clint Bowyer 18
5 Kevin Harvick 16
6 Kurt Busch 16
7 Joey Logano 14
8 Kasey Kahne 14
9 Austin Dillon 12
10 Denny Hamlin 11
11 Kyle Larson 11
12 Jimmie Johnson 9
13 Brian Vickers 9
14 Carl Edwards 8
15 Greg Biffle 7
16 Jeff Gordon 6
17 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 5
18 Jamie McMurray 4
19 Paul Menard 2
20 Kyle Busch 1

MARTINSVILLE

Keselowski takes his four point lead over Kenseth to Martinsville, where more than a few need to come up big to make amends for the previous week. After finishing 17th at Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among them. In winning, he added 24 points to the five he picked up the previous week, but he remained deep in the standings. Kenseth, Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano all had a second strong playoff result, Keselowski was 16th to drop like a stone, as Jimmie Johnson slipped well out of contention with yet another less than stellar result.

1 Matt Kenseth 37 Pts
2 Ryan Newman 36
3 Clint Bowyer 34
4 Joey Logano 32
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 29
5 Brad Keselowski 29
8 Jeff Gordon 26
7 Denny Hamlin 26
9 Austin Dillon 24
11 Kurt Busch 19
10 Kevin Harvick 19
12 Greg Biffle 18
13 Kyle Larson 17
15 Carl Edwards 16
14 Brian Vickers 16
16 Kasey Kahne 15
18 Kyle Busch 14
17 Jamie McMurray 14
19 Jimmie Johnson 13
20 Paul Menard 12

TEXAS

Kenseth heads into the Lone Star State a point ahead of Newman, with Bowyer three away. When it came time to fire off the six guns, Gordon was seeking his own version of High Noon after Keselowski’s bid to take the lead left him with a cut tire and a good day that went for nought. To make matters worse, his rival returned atop the leader board. Johnson’s win at least moved him back into territory where he might yet see light at the end of the long tunnel he is trying to emerge from.

1 Brad Keselowski 48 Pts
2 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 44
3 Ryan Newman 44
4 Matt Kenseth 42
5 Joey Logano 42
6 Kevin Harvick 39
7 Denny Hamlin 38
8 Jimmie Johnson 38
9 Clint Bowyer 37
10 Kurt Busch 33
11 Kyle Larson 31
12 Kyle Busch 31
13 Jamie McMurray 30
14 Jeff Gordon 29
15 Austin Dillon 29
16 Carl Edwards 28
17 Greg Biffle 27
18 Brian Vickers 23
19 Paul Menard 18
20 Kasey Kahne 16

PHOENIX

After the events at Texas, Keselowski takes a four point lead over both Earnhardt and Newman heading out to the desert, with Gordon’s dreams pretty much shattered by that torn tire. Kevin Harvick came up with a race most can only dream about, absolutely dominating most laps and pretty much all of the re-starts to win. He now sits just behind Keselowski, who finished fourth behind Gordon and Kenseth. Bowyer was dead last on this day, taking him from contender to pretender, while Johnson erased even a glimmer of good tidings by finishing 19th.

1 Brad Keselowski 65 Pts
2 Kevin Harvick 64
3 Matt Kenseth 60
4 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 58
5 Joey Logano 58
6 Ryan Newman 55
7 Denny Hamlin 55
8 Jeff Gordon 48
9 Kurt Busch 47
10 Kyle Larson 41
11 Jimmie Johnson 40
12 Jamie McMurray 39
13 Greg Biffle 39
14 Clint Bowyer 38
15 Carl Edwards 36
16 Kyle Busch 35
17 Austin Dillon 32
18 Brian Vickers 30
19 Paul Menard 23
20 Kasey Kahne 22

HOMESTEAD

Heading for Miami and the final showdown, 10 drivers remain mathematically alive with seven still with a legitimate shot at the title. Kenseth and Harvick, in fact, could claim it with a victory, no matter what Keselowski did. That is just what Happy Harvick did, leaving Keselowski’s third place result at Homestead just not good enough. A five race playoff, only 20 cars on the track and, in this scenario, the same Sprint Cup champion as provided by the elimination series.

1 Kevin Harvick 88 Pts
2 Brad Keselowski 83
3 Matt Kenseth 75
4 Ryan Newman 74
5 Denny Hamlin 70
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 65
7 Joey Logano 64
8 Jeff Gordon 61
9 Kurt Busch 58
10 Jamie McMurray 55
11 Jimmie Johnson 52
12 Clint Bowyer 51
13 Kyle Larson 49
14 Paul Menard 40
15 Greg Biffle 40
16 Carl Edwards 39
17 Kyle Busch 37
18 Austin Dillon 36
19 Brian Vickers 35
20 Kasey Kahne 31

November 20, 2014
The New Chase Format – What Do You Think?

The 2014 NASCAR season is officially over with the notable exception of the Championship Banquet. What kind of year was it? With the multitudes on talk radio praising the new format for determining a champion, what does the rest of NASCAR Nation think? This reporter has a “wait and see” attitude on the format, but that comes later.

The season saw some of the hardest racing we’ve seen in some time. For the first time in ages, we saw some real competition between brands and teams. Hendrick Motorsports did not dominate the sport because it had company with Team Penske. If you will notice, just like in olden times, it was Chevrolet versus Ford. HMS came through with 13 wins, most in the season, as usual. Team Penske was second with 11 wins; Stewart-Haas Racing had six, two each for Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing, and one each for Richard Petty Motorsports and JTG Daugherty Racing. That left the score at 20 wins for Chevrolet, 14 for Ford, and two lonely wins for Toyota. It’s almost strange that the final four to go for the championship kind of looked like that with Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman representing Chevrolet, Joey Logano representing Ford and Denny Hamlin representing Toyota. Good competition among brands is always good for NASCAR.

The new format had its detractors, though. Fans of certain drivers and even the drivers themselves were critical when the favored driver didn’t make the cut. The loudest were Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, Jimmie Johnson fans and Jeff Gordon fans. Even Gordon got into the act by proposing changes to the format that would have put him in the Final Four. Apparently Gordon forgot that his failure to pass Earnhardt at Martinsville just might have had something to do with that one-point deficit.

Tempers flared and we had a couple of pretty good post-race skirmishes. Out came the hatred for Brad Keselowski. Fans will boo him and maybe they will leave Kyle Busch alone for awhile. Drivers say they don’t like his attitude. Having been around this sport for a long time, I wonder if this young bunch could even fathom the fallout from drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough or Bobby Allison. They raced like Keselowski, but boys will be boys. I doubt it’s a long time before anyone hits anyone in a melee with a closed fist again. Of course when the team owner pays your fine we may see more of these post-race antics.

After all of this, I say leave it alone for next year. The first attempt had its moments and it seemed to get fans fired up about something. My opinion from the start has been a true champion is exemplary over the entire season. It’s one of the main reasons that I don’t watch the baseball playoffs or the NFL playoffs. How about the Super Bowl? I haven’t watched it in years. Sometimes teams who have done nothing get hot for the playoffs. When they end up in the World Series or the Super Bowl, I lose interest, but for some strange reason since two of the Final Four had won nine races during the season, it held my interest. I’m sure it won’t always be that way, but I’m willing to see what happens next year.

In the end, it came down to who made the least mistakes. Logano and Hamlin lost because their teams let them down. Newman was just overmatched all season and that left Harvick. Sort of like those baseball and football playoffs, but with a worthy team winning. I hate the Chase and I don’t like this format, but the people have spoken and we will see what happens in 2015.

November 20, 2014
Hot 20 – How happy will you be after the smoke clears at Homestead?

As the final four prepare to thunder to their fate at Homestead, not everyone is thrilled with the new format to determine the Cup champion. Again and again I read how appreciative some are for NASCAR allowing them to do other things on a Sunday afternoon than watch a sport they have abandoned. It would seem more than a few do not see the elimination format as one that might determine a true champion, or promote a style of racing they can support.

Some might argue that Denny Hamlin should not even be in the mix considering his season long points total. The thing is, a win and an automatic berth into the Chase allowed him to take a couple of races off to mend, and he took advantage of it. You can’t fault a man for using the rules to his own advantage.

You might find some fault in Joey Logano. Sure, he is not universally loved, but you cannot fault with what he has done on the track this season. Pick any format you like and Logano is a contender. No Chase, and Logano would trail Jeff Gordon by 29 points. The old Chase format has Logano ahead of Kevin Harvick by the same amount. Even my own format in setting up my Hot 20 all season, awarding a 25 point bonus for a win rather than just 3, has Logano within seven of Gordon over the course of the season.

Hell, I even put together some stats for if we had a 31 race regular season, followed by a five race playoff format that was restricted to only the top 20 contenders. Logano, along with Harvick, Hamlin, and Ryan Newman, would still have their shot, but so would three others. The good news is that Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would still be realistically in contention. The bad news is that with the results from Talladega and Texas, Jeff Gordon would not.

No format would satisfy everybody. There is no question the present system, from the win and in method of making the Chase, to the elimination rounds, to the final dash, has caused some excitement. While season long challengers like Gordon, Keselowski, and Earnhardt are no longer eligible, the loss of playoff favorites has not reduced the legitimacy of eventual champions in other sports. If Major League Baseball was truer to his roots, with its playoffs restricted to the champions of 4 eight team divisions, the San Francisco Giants would not have even been a contender. They would have finished behind the Dodgers and Cardinals in an expanded NL West, never mind becoming the World Series champions.

As they say, it is what it is. Logano, Harvick, Newman, and Hamlin will each be driving to claim their first Cup championship. All are worthy, all are talented, and each should be acceptable as the 2014 champion as they would have claimed the prize under the rules of the day.

That said, Jeff Gordon remains our hottest of the hot over the course of the entire season.

BOLD = A contender for the championship

Hot 20

1 – Jeff Gordon – 4 Wins – 1305 Pts
2 – Joey Logano – 5 Wins – 1298 Pts
3 – Brad Keselowski – 5 Wins – 1248 Pts
4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr – 4 Wins – 1233 Pts
5 – Kevin Harvick – 4 Wins – 1214 Pts
6 – Jimmie Johnson – 4 Wins – 1120 Pts
7 – Carl Edwards – 2 Wins – 1093 Pts
8 – Matt Kenseth – 0 Wins – 1093 Pts
9 – Ryan Newman – 0 Wins – 1093 Pts
10 – Kyle Larson – 0 Wins – 1049 Pts
11 – Greg Biffle – 0 Wins – 997 Pts
12 – Kyle Busch – 1 Win – 986 Pts
13 – Jamie McMurray – 0 Wins – 975 Pts
14 – Denny Hamlin – 1 Win – 971 Pts
15 – Kasey Kahne – 1 Win – 956 Pts
16 – Clint Bowyer – 0 Wins – 943 Pts
17 – Austin Dillon – 0 Wins – 939 Pts
18 – Paul Menard – 0 Wins – 904 Pts
19 – Brian Vickers – 0 Wins – 900 Pts
20 – Kurt Busch – 1 Win – 899 Pts

November 13, 2014
The Final Word – Kansas May Have Been a Hendrick Waterloo

Well, boys, you are not in Kansas anymore. Thank God, at least for the gents from Hendrick. If not for a blown tire by Brad Keselowski to allow a Penske driver in on some of the fun, the bottom four would consist entirely of drivers working for Rick Hendrick. However, unlike Napoleon at Waterloo, Hendrick’s boys will have a shot at redemption.

Jimmie Johnson started near the back of the pack after a qualifying miscue, and he would end there. After Greg Biffle sent Johnson for a long slide into the infield wall, the Lowe’s Chevrolet was looking pretty low for a 40th place result.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was looking mighty fine setting the pace. Then his right front failed, causing the car to take a very unhealthy bounce off the fence to leave him 39th.

While teammate Joey Logano had the strongest car at the end of the day to take the win, Keselowski appeared to be a contender. At least, for a while he did. Running fifth, his failed rubber introduced him to the fence to leave him 36th.

That trio had horrid days that only a win at Charlotte or Talladega might be able to fix, unless those races bring big problems for some of their rivals. For Kasey Kahne, an earlier tire issue got him behind, causing him to try to do too much. That resulted in a little wall time, a 22nd place finish, and left him eight points in the weeds behind Jeff Gordon. Gordon stayed in the top dozen coming home 14th after some penalty time for a tire that rolled away in the pits. Still, if not for Keselowski’s misfortune, the entire Hendrick organization would be at the bottom. That was the big story at Kansas, but not quite the entire story.

At the end, it became obvious no one was going to catch Logano. That win, his fifth of the season, means he will remain a Chase contender for the next five events. There were others who we thought had something, such as Earnhardt and Keselowski. Kevin Harvick once again was a major factor, at least until he thought he had a tire going down and came to the pits. It was not. His handling issues cost him a shot at the win, and left him sixth.

That left Kyle Larson, who missed the Chase, but he has been one of the best since Richmond. At least he gave Logano somebody to look at in the rear view. With finishes of third, second, sixth, and now second at Kansas, the 22-year old has become part of the conversation, if only as a preview as to what we might expect in 2015.

If someone new among the Chasers falters at Charlotte, Kahne could get back in it. As far as Keselowski, Earnhardt, and Johnson are concerned, their performances over the next couple of weeks can not be anything short of awesome. Maybe even winning awesome. That, or they must hope a few other drivers have a day in North Carolina just like the one they had out on the plains.

Great to rate amongst the eight…

1 – Joey Logano – 1 Win – 3048 Points
2 – Kyle Busch – 0 – 3042
3 – Carl Edwards – 0 – 3039
4 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 3039
5 – Denny Hamlin – 0 – 3037
6 – Kevin Harvick – 0 – 3033
7 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 3031
8 – Jeff Gordon – 0 – 3031

Four at the door…

9 – Kasey Kahne – 0 Wins – 3023 Points
10 – Brad Keselowski – 0 – 3009
11 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 0 – 3006
12 – Jimmie Johnson – 0 – 3004

October 6, 2014
Issue with Helmet Cooling System to Blame for Jimmie Johnson’s Dehydration at Richmond

Jimmie Johnson’s team found a problem with his helmet’s cooling system that led to his dehydration following the race at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night. After an eighth place finish, as Johnson exited his car, he began experiencing leg cramps and dizziness. He was assisted to the infield care center where he received five liters of intravenous fluids.

“This afternoon just before I left for New York for my media obligations for NASCAR, the team found an issue with the cooling system for my helmet,” Johnson explained. “Basically, it was blowing warm air. It’s nice to have a good idea as to what went wrong and why I got so hot in the race car. It’s a newer system that we’ve implemented, so we’re just going back to our old faithful system that’s worked for years and years. We should have the problem rectified.”

The six-time champion is considered one of the fittest drivers in the garage, incorporating exercise and proper nutrition into his training regimen to stay at the top of his game.

“I’m always looking at different ways to adjust my routine and nutrition going into a race and coming out of a race,” he said. “I really felt like everything was in line (at Richmond) and still do after reviewing everything. Now after finding the helmet cooling issue, I’m confident in my plan going into races. We found the issue.”

“I feel much better,” Johnson continued. “I felt a lot better Saturday evening after the infield care center. I attended the triathlon that my foundation put on Sunday morning and then headed down to Charleston for a buddy’s wedding. But I’m doing much better and feeling good.”

He’s already looking ahead to the Chase and the media tour promoting it including appearances on NBC’s “Today” show and NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

“I’m excited to get started with the Chase and head to New York to do all the appearances that I have up there and make my way to Chicagoland for more appearances and media on Thursday,” he stated. “It’s an exciting time for our sport and an exciting time for the Lowe’s team.”

His primary focus, however, appears to be on the upcoming race as Johnson ended his remarks by saying, “I’m hoping to get started this weekend in Chicago with a win.”

September 9, 2014
Hot 20 – Atlanta’s Final Fall Race as it Springs to the Spring…er…Winter…in 2015

In 2015, the Atlanta 500 makes its return. Well, sort of. That was the name of the early season race in Atlanta before they pimped out the brand to the sponsors. In 2010, they lost that date, while what once was the season finale in Cup got moved to where we find it today. Next year, it shall be the second race of the season, immediately following the Daytona 500. That would be good news for anyone seeking a southern racing holiday to start the year.

Kasey Kahne won the early race there in 2006 and the late one of 2009. He could sure use another one this weekend. Among those seeking a Chase place, he is one of two former Atlanta winners who have yet to win in 2014. Tony Stewart is the other.

Like all fans, I sure wish the Stewart situation will be soon resolved. I know that it never will be for the Ward family and for Stewart the emotional trauma will be felt for a long time. It is good to hear he will return to racing this weekend.

After a dozen years, NASCAR has done good and returned the Southern 500 to its traditional Labor Day weekend at Darlington. You do not mess with tradition, especially when it involves one of your signature races. Maybe they learned their lesson, though I doubt it. If we ever, ever see a Chick-fil-A 500 at Daytona, I am so gone. Maybe there is a BaseballDiamond.com site that could use a writer.

Of course, they did manage to turf another tradition, if only for a season, in moving the Firecracker 400, or whatever they want to call it now, from Saturday night to Sunday in 2015. Not 2016, just for next year. It would make NBC happy, we are told. Well, if it makes NBC happy. Maybe they are not that big on fireworks over there. As for those fans who will have one less day to get home from the track, too damn bad, I guess.

I think, in looking at these standings, that the days of the season’s best being awarded the championship are long over. Twenty-four races in and it is a two driver race at present. Sure, with a win or two others might be able to challenge, but there is not much drama here. Now, a 31 race regular season and a five race playoff, featuring only the best 20, might be a possibility. Still, I would not hold my breathe on it, especially if you supercharged the winner’s bonus from 3 to 25, as I have done here. Win two, especially the first two in the playoff, and it might wind up being a coronation.

Maybe the best method might be to keep things as they are, with winners getting a free pass, but reducing it to a five race Chase and eliminating the eliminations. Only the 20 best, those with a playoff spot earned during the regular season, hitting the track those five events. Just like the playoffs in all those other sports.

In seeking out a method of determining a champion, combining a valid winner with the drama of a close race, is NASCAR’s new elimination series the way to go, my alternative, or is there a better method? What are your thoughts?

*Winners awarded a bonus of 25 points, rather than 3

Hot 20
1 – Jeff Gordon – 3 Wins – 881 Points
2 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 – 879
3 – Brad Keselowski – 3 – 799
4 – Joey Logano – 3 – 780
5 – Jimmie Johnson – 3 – 752
6 – Kevin Harvick – 2 – 731
7 – Carl Edwards – 2 – 723
8 – Matt Kenseth – 0 – 709
9 – Ryan Newman – 0 – 679
10 – Clint Bowyer – 0 – 672
11 – Greg Biffle – 0 – 660
12 – Kasey Kahne – 0 – 651
13 – Kyle Busch – 1 – 642
14 – Austin Dillon – 0 – 638
15 – Kyle Larson – 0 – 636
16 – Marcos Ambrose – 0 – 616
17 – Paul Menard – 0 – 614
18 – Denny Hamlin – 1 – 611
19 – Brian Vickers – 0 – 598
20 – Jamie McMurray – 0 – 596

The Not So Hot
21 – Aric Almirola – 1 Wins – 578 Points
22 – A.J. Allmendinger – 1 – 578
23 – Kurt Busch – 1 – 575
24 – Casey Mears – 0 – 543
25 – Tony Stewart – 0 – 537
26 – Martin Truex, Jr. – 0 – 516
27 – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 0 – 476
28 – Danica Patrick – 0 – 445
29 – Justin Allgaier – 0 – 400
30 – Michael Annett – 0 – 364

August 28, 2014
Hot 20 – Chase Races Should be Reserved for Only Championship Contenders

On the track, everything is just hunky dory for Dale Earnhardt Jr. For our money, he sits as the best on the season to this point, but there are a couple of storm clouds just over the horizon. Steve Letarte moves from crew chief to a pretty face on television next season, and the National Guard might be heading into the sunset with him. To be honest, we have long known about one, and have had suspicions about the other. Still, for you and I, these questions marks do not need to bother us until next year. We got a championship run to cheer on.

The championship. Once, the best at the end of the year was given the crown. Then we got the Chase, and it was a race between ten to a dozen contenders as it evolved, with more than 30 without a ghost of a shot still out there over the final ten weeks. Now, we go with 16 drivers, whittle them down by four every three weeks, until only four of the 43 who will take to the track at Homestead are still in contention, with winner (or the best of the four that day) take all.

We have not quite reached perfection just yet, though the change in the points system itself is about as close as it gets. Start, you get a point, and win you get 43 plus one for leading the last lap, one for leading the most laps and three as an extra bonus for winning. Not bad, but as I suggest in these rankings I would bump that bonus from three to 25.

As we have seen, a win and you are in gives teams an immunity for bad behavior as long as they retain credit for the victory and stay amongst the Top 30 in the standings. This season, that means compiling an average of just 16.5 points per race, or being somewhere between 26th and 27th each week. Teams that can not do that simply do not matter. A win has put Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, and Kurt Busch into a shot at contention, even though all sit outside the Top 20 in points. They would slip in, forcing the likes of Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon, and Paul Menard out into the cold. Personally, I would rather give a larger points bonus, and not a free pass to single race winners, so I might see real contenders vie for the title rather than pretenders who had good fortune just for one day.

Why quit there? The Cup series has run 36 points races per season only since 2001. It was between 28 and 33 events between 1972 and 1998. So, let us cut it off at 31, then let the top 20 vie for the championship in a five race playoff. A real post-season, just like all those other big boy leagues, with just twenty contenders on the track and the rest stay home. So, what happens if one driver runs away with it over the final five? Give him or her the damn title and celebrate. Sometimes those other kids see their championships decided in four game sweeps. They seem to survive it.

*Win bonus expanded from 3 to 25

1 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 806 Points – 3 Wins
2 – Jeff Gordon – 801 – 2
3 – Brad Keselowski – 753 – 3
4 – Jimmie Johnson – 699 – 3
5 – Joey Logano – 677 – 2
6 – Matt Kenseth – 668 – 0
7 – Carl Edwards – 662 – 2
8 – Kevin Harvick – 652 – 2
9 – Ryan Newman – 642 – 0
10 – Kyle Busch – 633 – 1
11 – Clint Bowyer – 617 – 0
12 – Kyle Larson – 595 – 0
13 – Greg Biffle – 590 – 0
14 – Kasey Kahne – 589 – 0
15 – Austin Dillon – 588 – 0
16 – Paul Menard – 562 – 0
17 – Denny Hamlin – 554 – 1
18 – Marcos Ambrose – 541 – 0
19 – Brian Vickers – 539 – 0
20 – Tony Stewart – 537 – 0

August 8, 2014
Hot 20 – NASCAR Still Needs to Award More Points to Race Winners

There is no doubt about it; winning is big in the Cup series this year. Race enough to be deemed a regular, sit among the top 30 in points, and a win pretty much gives one a pass to the promised land. It is exciting and has that all-important unpredictability factor we love. Just as we celebrate the possibility of a Buster Douglas knocking out a Mike Tyson for the heavyweight boxing title, we relish in the hope that just maybe a Danica Patrick, Justin Allgaier, or Michael Annett might steal one at Talladega and wind up with a berth to challenge for a championship.

Kurt Busch has no problem with that. As long as the list of winners remains no higher than sixteen as they leave Richmond, Busch would be in. This is despite the fact he currently sits 26th in points, 15 behind Martin Truex Jr. Still, to be honest, I rather like this “win and you’re in” concept, but are race winners given their just due for taking the checkered flag and being consistently up front, where it matters?

I cannot see how anyone could fail to see that Jimmie Johnson is currently having the best season in Cup to date. He has run consistent and has won three times. Yet, he ranks second in points, 15 behind Jeff Gordon. Do not get me wrong, Gordon is having a great season. I just argue that Johnson has been better.

Throughout this season, we have seen what the standings would have been like had we left the points system as it is, with one change. Instead of just awarding a race winner with a bonus three points, we give him 25. No automatic free pass, but a significant points recognition for the accomplishment. The only change among the Sweet Sixteen for the Chase at this time would see Kurt out and his boss Tony Stewart in, via points.

The whole idea behind the Chase, and the institution this year of having wins trump points, an expanded Chase, and elimination rounds are all geared to keeping the possible championship outcome unpredictable until the final laps at Homestead. This could still happen with just one more tinker to the tabulations. I guess it all comes down to who do you think is the most deserving of a Chase place, Kurt Busch or Tony Stewart (or those closely behind him), and who you think has been the best thus far this season, Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson.

(Points reflect race winners receiving 25 bonus points, rather than 3)

Pos – Driver – Points – Wins
1 – Jimmie Johnson – 588 – 3
2 – Jeff Gordon – 559 – 1
3 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 558 – 2
4 – Matt Kenseth – 513 – 0
5 – Brad Keselowski – 512 – 1
6 – Joey Logano – 498 – 2
7 – Kevin Harvick – 491 – 2
8 – Carl Edwards – 484 – 1
9 – Kyle Busch – 468 – 1
10 – Denny Hamlin – 457 – 1
11 – Kyle Larson – 454
12 – Ryan Newman – 440
13 – Paul Menard – 420
14 – Clint Bowyer – 417
15 – Greg Biffle – 409
16 – Tony Stewart – 402
17 – Austin Dillon – 400
18 – Brian Vickers – 394
19 – Kasey Kahne – 391
20 – Jamie McMurray – 384

June 19, 2014