New NASCAR race format?

[Darkanion]

This is a bigger clusterf*k than I could have imagined

 

[Dartboy]

OK, the come back from the red flag, wave the green checker (?) to signal the end of segment 1 on lap 31. Why they didn't call it at lap 30 when the crossed the line after the wreck, I dunno, but I can only assume now they're going to have the 10 minute segment break?

Whole red flag period was just the booth guys saying "this wasn't the fault of the segment rule"

 

[Darkanion]

Whole red flag period was just the booth guys saying "this wasn't the fault of the segment rule"

 

[Dartboy]

They brought up the Talladega race in 2002 where ~30 cars wrecked on lap 15. Only difference is back then most of those cars got fixed and came back to finish the race, now they're out for good.

25 cars left with 26 laps to go.

 

[Darkanion]

They brought up the Talladega race in 2002 where ~30 cars wrecked on lap 15. Only difference is back then most of those cars got fixed and came back to finish the race, now they're out for good.

25 cars left with 26 laps to go.

I'm actually for the "if you can't fix it in 5 minutes, you finish where you were f'n running" rule. I have always thought it was stupid for NASCAR to let cars that were 30 frikkin' laps down to get out there, run around in circles, throwing off debris, having blow outs and crashing into other cars, etc.

Leave the guys (and gals) out there who actually have a shot of WINNING the damn thing. Park everyone else if they're wrecked and can't fix their stuff in 5 minutes.

It never SHOULD have been "about points racing." It should've ALWAYS been about WINNING. If you're shit's smashed up and you're 10 laps down, PARK IT.

Or at least that's my opinion.

 

[Dartboy]

20 cars left in the race and they're wrecking across the finish line.

Attrition is part of the race, if you can fix it and get out there to finish ahead of the guys who can't, that's good for you. It used to be about the money, and finishing higher got you paid more. Now it's about points and keeping your days from being too bad.

I see a lot of TV's getting shut off when the popular drivers are parked early in the race. Half the field finishing a race isn't a good thing IMHO.

 

[Darkanion]

I see a lot of TV's getting shut off when the popular drivers are parked early in the race. Half the field finishing a race isn't a good thing IMHO.

I can see your point, but I've always thought it was bullshit that cars with dangling fenders and tape and crap are out there causing debris cautions, flats for other drivers, etc... Too banged up to be competitive TO WIN? Park your car!

Attrition is part of the race, if you can fix it and get out there to finish ahead of the guys who can't, that's good for you.

Learn to race harder in the other races to make up for the points you shouldn't have made up in the race you wrecked / got wrecked in.

"Points racing" (running around, trying to get one or two more stupid points because you wrecked early) shouldn't be a part of the equation and it DAMN sure shouldn't have ever come up in post-race interviews. "We salvaged a good points day!" BULLSHIT! You bored people because you weren't competitive! Park your shit!

I really think anyone who wins a race during the regular season should be in the Chase. If only 5 guys win? Only 5 guys are in. If TWENTY win? You have 20 competing. And get rid of the stupid "elimination rounds." This isn't frikkin' FOOTBALL.

"Have at it boys" for 10 races or 5 races or whatever and let the chips fall where they may. If you have a couple of boring races because Kyle Busch ran away with it? OH! F'n! Well! If he was the best driver out there, he should win it.

All this elimination stuff is doing is "creating fake drama to put on TV." It's not about THE RACING anymore. It's about "the product they can deliver to the networks."

F!

THAT!

And while I'm suggesting changes, SHORTEN THE DAMN SEASON! There are too many "cookie cutter tracks" on the schedule and the season is too long. Maybe have 2 or 3 tracks with two races per year, bring back some of the "old, more interesting tracks that sure, can't seat 100,000 people in the stands.. but 100k fans aren't showing up every week anyway, so reduce the # of races those tracks have!"

Not selling out for 3 seasons in a row? You lose your 2nd race!

Let the track owners figure out how to support their damn tracks and get butts in the seats!

 

[Dartboy]

At the heart of it, it's a bunch of cars driving in circles for four hours which is inherently boring. Cookie cutter cars on cookie cutter tracks are making it even more so. The more they monkey with the car design, it seems to make "clean air" more important, so it's harder to catch and pass the leader unless you can jump him at the start. Now the leader has lane choice which makes that harder too.

I think the new low downforce aero is a step in the right direction. I think all these new rules are steps in the wrong direction. I don't care for the increase in Saturday night races either- I have a life, I'm going out on the weekends. Catch me on the couch Sunday nursing a hangover.

Couple all this with the cultural shift away from automotive enthusiasm in general and NASCAR has a tough road ahead of them.

 

[OldCracker29]

At the heart of it, it's a bunch of cars driving in circles for four hours which is inherently boring. Cookie cutter cars on cookie cutter tracks are making it even more so. The more they monkey with the car design, it seems to make "clean air" more important, so it's harder to catch and pass the leader unless you can jump him at the start. Now the leader has lane choice which makes that harder too.

I think the new low downforce aero is a step in the right direction. I think all these new rules are steps in the wrong direction. I don't care for the increase in Saturday night races either- I have a life, I'm going out on the weekends. Catch me on the couch Sunday nursing a hangover.

Couple all this with the cultural shift away from automotive enthusiasm in general and NASCAR has a tough road ahead of them.

I agree. They've managed to lose another fan...me.
I had been a diehard fan since I was about 11 years old back in '71. It has completely gone downhill since the death of Dale Earnhardt and Winston as the primary sponsor. It's all politically correct bullshit anymore.

 

[Darkanion]