From the September, 2006 issue of Stock Car Insider
Change the Chase! Please!!
The Chase for the Championship is upon us, and I can't wait! The last several weeks of racing have proven to be some of the most boring I've ever seen. While the new Chase format is sure to make the final 10 races of the season exciting, it's qualifying format leading up to the final 10 races forces teams to make conservative decisions that virtually erase the passion that has made NASCAR one of America's top sports.We NASCAR fans are conservative by nature. The last thing we want to see is our favorite driver being a courteous Boy Scout out on the track. We want to see him hang it out there, and drive on the brink of disaster. We want to see them, in the words of the great Charlie Daniels, "drive it like their hair's on fire and their asses a' catchin!"
In the good 'ole days, drivers drove to win races, not championships. To keep the competition level high, and the excitement unparalled, NASCAR needs to look at adding big incentives for winning races. The current format for the Chase is a step in the right direction at creating the season-ending drama that is present in every other major sport. However, some much needed tweaks are required to give the fans a reason to tune in to races leading to the Chase.
| See complete 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Race Schedule |
