So Saturday's Bristol race was duller than the time you had to judge the geriatric polka contest at the Jackson County Fair. There are greater tragedies. (Such as the rumored death of the Morgan-McClure race team at the end of the season. We kid because the 4 car sucks, but that doesn't mean it isn't a shame that a Daytona 500 winner is downgrading into Morgan-Shepherd-like relevancy.)
With the 10-driver playoff field all but locked up with two races to go in the regular season, NASCAR's first instinct will be to tinker with the points for next year in order to fix an unusual happenstance. The Race to the Chase worked fine in 2004 and 2005; Just because it sucks ass in 2006, doesn't mean it needs to be changed.
If NASCAR starts messing around with its formula every year, sooner or later NASCAR will end up with two Daytona 500 winners, an extra "plus one" race that nobody understands and a race in Canada. Basically, if you want to know what happens when you screw around with your championship every year, ask this guy.
With the entrance of Toyota, the debut of the Car of Tomorrow, and the three-ring circus of Michael Waltrip's team next year, there will be plenty of changes to NASCAR. There will be more quality teams fighting for the same 10 playoff spots, and that will certainly increase the excitement.
This dull windup to the playoffs doesn't necessarily mean the Chase is broken. Give it time NASCAR. If Bristol sucks again next year, overhaul the system. But until then, don't touch.
With the 10-driver playoff field all but locked up with two races to go in the regular season, NASCAR's first instinct will be to tinker with the points for next year in order to fix an unusual happenstance. The Race to the Chase worked fine in 2004 and 2005; Just because it sucks ass in 2006, doesn't mean it needs to be changed.
If NASCAR starts messing around with its formula every year, sooner or later NASCAR will end up with two Daytona 500 winners, an extra "plus one" race that nobody understands and a race in Canada. Basically, if you want to know what happens when you screw around with your championship every year, ask this guy.
With the entrance of Toyota, the debut of the Car of Tomorrow, and the three-ring circus of Michael Waltrip's team next year, there will be plenty of changes to NASCAR. There will be more quality teams fighting for the same 10 playoff spots, and that will certainly increase the excitement.
This dull windup to the playoffs doesn't necessarily mean the Chase is broken. Give it time NASCAR. If Bristol sucks again next year, overhaul the system. But until then, don't touch.