Chase coming to nationwide and truck series?

[MTruex56]

Chasing down a dream; nightmare in the waiting

Pros, cons of playoff format in Nationwide, Truck series

By NASCAR.COM
November 17, 2009
02:36 PM EST

This weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, three champions are supposed to be crowned. But Ron Hornaday won his Camping World Truck championship last week at Phoenix and Kyle Busch just has to start to win the Nationwide title.
In several instances, drivers have run away with the championship in the Nationwide and Truck series, leaving some fans and drivers wanting more. Six seasons into the Cup verison of the Chase, the title has been decided on the track in the final race, so should NASCAR put a version of the Chase in all of its national series?
Bill Kimm and Jason Schoellen are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this one. Read their thoughts and then weigh in with yours in the Comments section at the bottom of the page. And don't forget to vote for whom you agree with more in the poll at the right.
Should NASCAR implement a Chase format in the Nationwide and Truck series?


YES

are you excited to watch the final Truck and Nationwide races of the season this weekend at Homestead? Yeah, me neither -- because there is nothing to watch.

In what is dubbed "Ford Championship Weekend," the Truck title already has been given to Ron Hornaday and Kyle Busch just has to show up to win the Nationwide championship. Basically, the final race of the season has turned into an exhibition.

And unfortunately, this has become the norm more than the exception and why both of these series need to add some version of the Chase to their schedules.

Since 2000, six of the nine Nationwide championships were decided before the final race, and in half of those, well before that. The Nationwide Series has become boring. With titles decided in August, there isn't a lot for fans to get excited about -- why do you think there is so much hype on this Denny Hamlin-Brad Keselowski feud?

When the champion is crowned early -- no one wins. Implementing a Chase format in both series would make every race relevant again, benefiting both the tracks and the television partners. Fans would win because the drama would be on the title battle, not media-created stories. And the drivers would embrace it because they are out there to compete.

I think a seven-race Chase in the Nationwide Series and a five-race Chase for the Trucks would take both to a new level, provide nail-biters until the very end and make both series relevant until the final checkered flag of the season.

• Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

No

Just because Ron Hornaday clinched his championship already is no reason to change the format.

Historically, title battles in the Truck Series have been close. Last year, Johnny Benson won the championship by a mere seven points. In 2007, 54 points was the difference. In 2004 and '05, the second- and third-place drivers finished within 73 points of the champion.

The Nationwide Series had a pair of "runaways" in 2006 and '07, but 2005 came down to 68 points and 2008 was decided by 21.

Numbers aside, the Chase was created to increase drama and TV ratings. I question if it accomplished either. TV ratings are down and Jimme Johnson had a decent shot to clinch Cup titles at Phoenix the past two years.

The Chase format has flaws and until they are fixed, I wouldn't use it elsewhere.

Currently, Chasers are being scored against non-Chasers. Since the other 32 drivers aren't going anywhere, championship contenders should be scored based on where they finish relative
to each other.

There also needs to be a better "seeding" system. In this case, tiered points for performance in the first 26 races; otherwise, it's essentially an exhibition.

Finally, "home-field advantage" (i.e. first pit selection in every Chase race) for the "regular-season leader" would be a nice perk.

I have no beef against a playoff system in NASCAR ... but let's improve it before we apply it anywhere else.

• Jason Schoellen, NASCAR.COM

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

[taterracing]

Why ruin one series when you can ruin three?

[M&M's18]

LOL...the ignorance of NASCAR is almost impressive. Tv Ratings down, track attendance down, one team dominating the chase for 4 straight years. HEY, here's an idea, let's create the same mess in our other 2 top tiers of racing. Our fans are so stupid they'll keep watching anyway, no matter how much we ignore what they want!!

F&#^ YOU in advance to whomever implements this in the NNS and the NCWTS!!

[Avi24]

I'd be in support of this IF all Sprint Cup drivers are barred from the lower level chases.

[thunder_alley1984]

Originally Posted by Avi24

I'd be in support of this IF all Sprint Cup drivers are barred from the lower level chases.

Which they won't do. If they change the trucks and nationwide I am done. No more Nascar. It will be worthless and not worth watching. I like how they bitch about Hornaday winning the Champ. with one race to go yet he didn't clinch until the final lap and crossing the finish line. That doesn't take shit away from the series they still have a lot of room to move in 3-10th.

[Avi24]

Originally Posted by thunder_alley1984

Which they won't do. If they change the trucks and nationwide I am done. No more Nascar. It will be worthless and not worth watching. I like how they bitch about Hornaday winning the Champ. with one race to go yet he didn't clinch until the final lap and crossing the finish line. That doesn't take shit away from the series they still have a lot of room to move in 3-10th.

Maybe if they barred Sprint Cup drivers (Busch, Bowyer, Edwards, Ragan) from running full season or placing them in points, they wouldn't need this crap to just crown them as champs anyways. Nationwide just became less enjoyable because we all know who will win the championship just like Sprint Cup.

[Lego]

i dont want to see this happen. i hated the chase from day 1... and if it goes to nationwide and trucks... NASCAR wont be worth watching no more.

[thunder_alley1984]

Originally Posted by Avi24

Maybe if they barred Sprint Cup drivers (Busch, Bowyer, Edwards, Ragan) from running full season or placing them in points, they wouldn't need this crap to just crown them as champs anyways. Nationwide just became less enjoyable because we all know who will win the championship just like Sprint Cup.

Ooops I goofed up my reply Avi. My initial comment was referring to that. I doubt Nascar will ban the "ticket" sellers from the other series. They don't understand they are helping kill those series.

[kspool]

Did they point out that the Cup race at Homestead isn't worth watching either?

[JPM42]

You guys have it all wrong. The Truck series has been consistently been getting more ratings each week so Nascar needed to take care of that. This way all of the series can be ruined equally. I can't believe you guys think this is a bad thing.