Its official- Chase changes

[Vegas39]

- A victory in the first 26 races all but guarantees a berth in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup a change that will put an unprecedented importance on winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race all season long
- Expanding the Chase field from 12 to 16 drivers, with those drivers advancing to what now will be known as the NASCAR Chase Grid
- The number of championship drivers in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship will decrease after every three Chase races, from 16 to start in the Chase Grid; 12 after Chase race No. 3; eight after Chase race No. 6; and four after Chase race No. 9
- The first three races of the Chase (27-29) will be known as the Challenger Round
- Races 30-32 will be known as the Contender Round
- Races 33-35 will be the Eliminator Round and race No. 36 will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship
- A win by a championship-eligible driver in any Chase race automatically clinches the winning driver a spot in the next Chase round
- Four drivers will enter the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship with a chance at the title, with the highest finisher among those four capturing the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

[5mike5]

I hate it. Absolutely hate it. Terrible, stupid, awful ect.

WAY Too many drivers start the chase. Worse than nba.

Dont care about the eliminations, but 4 guys having 1 race only to win the title is gay as it gets. Dominate the season and a flat tire and I have no chance? TERRIBLE

VERY disappointed

[Vegas39]

Yes this is gonna be a mess I fear.

Well Opti your boy should make chase

[uncle vinny]

should make picking the winner at homestead a easy one

[uncle vinny]

the only way i would support this is if the 27 guys not making the chase cant race the last 10. now you have to win

[Vegas39]

the only way i would support this is if the 27 guys not making the chase cant race the last 10. now you have to win

god no terrible idea, you'd lose sponsors left and right

[uncle vinny]

those 27 guys dont have any anyway...cant have reutty changeing the outcome of a race....or better yet team orders are now going to be on the rise

[hawk 5]

Yes this is gonna be a mess I fear.

Well Opti your boy should make chase

Don't know if I'd go that far........

[Vegas39]

You won't see any team orders after Bowyer fiasco last year. Teams learned from that as Napa bailing on MWR cost them Millions

[Vegas39]

Don't know if I'd go that far........

Ok he has a better shot that in past years.

Good to see you Hawk hope all is well

[5mike5]

those 27 guys dont have any anyway...cant have reutty changeing the outcome of a race....or better yet team orders are now going to be on the rise

That doesn't matter at all. Sponsors still get TV time. That's why that couldn't happen

[5mike5]

Don't know if I'd go that far........

Hahahahahaha. I agree

[Vegas39]

That doesn't matter at all. Sponsors still get TV time. That's why that couldn't happen

Yes agree 100%. Casey Mears a good example. How fast would Geico pull sponsorship dollars if that was case

[Optional]

Yes this is gonna be a mess I fear.

Well Opti your boy should make chase

About the only positive about this crappy idea.

[uncle vinny]

You won't see any team orders after Bowyer fiasco last year. Teams learned from that as Napa bailing on MWR cost them Millions

just wont be as obvious. still will happen, just like it has for years

[uncle vinny]

Yes agree 100%. Casey Mears a good example. How fast would Geico pull sponsorship dollars if that was case

im not an idiot, i know it wont happen, just saying thats the only way i would sign off on it

[5mike5]

Worst idea I may have ever heard in a sporting playoff. I'm just stunned still. I would have bet anything this wouldn't happen. At least not now or anytime soon. I'd like to hear what drivers think.

I mean talk about EVERY team pulling out any strategy to pull out a WIN. Good and bad teams. Lots of dumping to win gonna happen to if a driver in 2nd doesn't have a win I'll tell u that for a fact

[5mike5]

And it's just gonna make my job of picking winners that much tougher as well.

Glad as I didn't bet championship odds either. Talk about a pure and total crapshoot. Unbelievable.

I mean the chase has worked out GREAT the last 5 years for the most part imo. Several have came down to last 2-3 races. Hell Edwards and smoke had to go to a tiebreaker to see who won the title a few years ago!?!? And really if Jimmie had a problem 3 were in the mix last season @ homestead

i just don't understand

[5mike5]

RaceHub just came on FS1.

Lets see if we can bet some angry comment from these drivers and commentators tell the truth. How anybody could like this is beyond me.

Besides last east race will be exciting, but not fair and not worth the other 35 races

[5mike5]

And if u win a race during the chase u automatically make it to next round even if u wreck the other races of that block? Unreal.

Win Daytona 500 and what's the rest of the season even mean? Sucks. And this is gonna change who wants to win and who cars if ur already in with a win from first 26 races.

[5mike5]

And anybody that bets championship odds after this announcement is off their rocker imo. Talk about ZERO value. Wow. Only point would be to take a longshot I guess but still a waste of $ imo.

Even going ong into last race is a crapshoot. I hope nobody bet anything. Cause odds on them ALL should skyrocket. And I mean by a lot.

[Vegas39]

have a few small futures but yes this really screws those.

Could have a champion not win a chase race

[5mike5]

have a few small futures but yes this really screws those.

Could have a champion not win a chase race

. Yep.

Well nothing u can do if u already bet on them.

Jimmie s a odds to win are worthless to below 3-1. Hope no1 took anybody near those odds. I wouldn't bet anybody under 20-1. Dega being a cut off spot is totally brutal too

[Vegas39]

Yes the dega race will be insane . Imagine if ragan in chase and wins dega again ha ha

[5mike5]

I hope he does again ill have him. I owe taking him for the next 5 years min. Haha

at least on plate tracks

[uncle vinny]

Actually might make it easier..i think we would all agree that after 3 races the 12 left have a shot. After 6 most likely only 2 outsiders...3rd leg is martinsville texas and phoenix...martinsville is 3 guys to win...hambo jefe and jj. Texas can add happy and brad. Phoenix cand add carl...off to final will be jj, hambo, jeff and harvick...easy peezy.

Some one save this

[Vegas39]

ok was just reading under this new system had it been in place last year your champ would've been Dale jr

http://nascarnomics.com/appendix-points/

[JayHorne3]

It has taken me a while to post, after sounding off on facebook and twitter. This is the dumbest format I have ever seen in NASCAR. As a live long fan, I am disgusted. It may work 1-2 years, but it's going to blow up in NASCAR's face when you have someone like Jimmie, Kyle, or Matt that wins 10 races and dominates the season. Yet they lose the championship to someone like Dale Jr (who I pull for and finished just 1 spot outside the "Championship Round") at Homestead with a solid 3rd place finish. This is 10 times worse than what the BCS was to college football.

[shaunovery]

Whoever thought of this must of been crazy.championship bets no point at all unless youre betting kyle or matt

[5mike5]

Actually might make it easier..i think we would all agree that after 3 races the 12 left have a shot. After 6 most likely only 2 outsiders...3rd leg is martinsville texas and phoenix...martinsville is 3 guys to win...hambo jefe and jj. Texas can add happy and brad. Phoenix cand add carl...off to final will be jj, hambo, jeff and harvick...easy peezy.

Some one save this

I totally disagree but we shall see. But no way it's easier imo. Exact opposite.

picking winners at at every race will get tougher than ever.

Oh oh well I'll just have to adapt and see what happens. Guys that win early in season could care less to push it for wins after they get 1. Then every hobo will pull out any strategy no matter how risky to win. And gonna be a lot of pissed of drivers getting wrecked for wins

[Vegas39]

I totally disagree but we shall see. But no way it's easier imo. Exact opposite.

I agree we will see big name drivers miss chase. Will Gordon win a race

[uncle vinny]

I agree we will see big name drivers miss chase. Will Gordon win a race

Do you guys really think there will be 16 winners...come on. They still get bonus points for wins...in some cases would ensure advance to next round. Unless you think danica is a big name driver, none of the top guys will miss...baring injury of cousre

[Crony]

Bad format. Randomizes champion. Teams don't have to use the radio to execute team orders. NASCAR needs to work on a better car, forget about gimmicks, stop trying to sell out. NASCAR is doing a good job of becoming irrelevant.

[Vegas39]

Do you guys really think there will be 16 winners...come on. They still get bonus points for wins...in some cases would ensure advance to next round. Unless you think danica is a big name driver, none of the top guys will miss...baring injury of cousre

Not out of stretch at all. Brad went winless last year . Edwards had had years with zero wins. Bowyer also winless last year and add in new qualifying and yes we will see winless Drivers in top tier rides. Not a doubt in my mind

[Vegas39]

Plus at chase cutoff last year we had 13 different winners. Not a stitch that could be more this year with rule changes