Autos Feud Contributors

Thanks for the update. I was unaware.

Also, what happened to mikeyfan? He deserted me the past few weeks.

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He missed one week to visit family and got home to find out his Mom ended up in the hospital and might not make it so he went to be with her.

Hey Brian.

I was wondering about the Poll Position.

Mikey's mom has been having some health problems, could be why he's not been here.

Here is the thread he started about it a week or so ago.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messag
es/chrono/25813885

Note to all. Don't know if anybody would check back here, but if you're looking for this week's Poll Position on the site, it will be posted Wednesday, Nov. 24.

Also, what happened to mikeyfan? He deserted me the past few weeks.

Brian, thank you for allowing us this forum during the racing season.  I couldn't always get to a computer to answer, but I always read the posts from others and the final product you put together.  Enjoyed Pete's and your comments.  Thanks once again and hopefully we'll get to do this again in 2011.

Despite one of the most enthralling title battles in its history, NASCAR is considering making changes to the Chase. Should officials leave it alone, make minor tweaks or would you prefer an upheaval?


NASCAR fans love to do one thing that fans in other sports seem reluctant to do, change the sport year to year.  There are so many fans with so many different views of how The Cup Series should be run.  If Brian France and company try to please everyone, they will end up pleasing no one.  So, now I'll put in my two cents worth and be just as bad as the folks I'm complaining about.

The Chase.  The run for NASCAR's Cup championship.  After this wild and highly successful season on the track, leave it alone,  Step away from the format change mode for at least one more year.  Do not change a bloody thing as of this moment.  2010 saw some absolutely great racing during The Chase.  Jimmie actually had to come from behind to win this Championship.  It worked great.  It was exciting.  We had three drivers with a realistic chance to win the Cup on Sunday.  Couldn't ask for more than that as a fan.  And now the Fords are coming on too.  2011 might be even better.  It will be very competitive.  Yet the cry goes forth to change the darn Chase.  My guy didn't win so change it so my driver can win.   

Please Brian, don't fix what isn't broken.  Don't listen to the gloom and doomers.  Remember how country clubs tried to "Tigerproof" their courses but only made it more difficult for the other golfers to beat him.  Don't listen to those who want to 'Jimmieproof" The Chase.  Make the other teams do better to beat him.  Don't slip down the abyss of mediocrity.  At least for 2011, do what worked in 2010.  Leave The Chase alone.

Thanks for the poll question and allowing us to participate Brian. I haven't participated as much towards the end because of real life interferring but i've enjoyed it.

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Before this year I would have said a major upheaval basically because it hasn't been as interesting before this year. This year with the chase being closer than it has been in the past few years has changed my opinion slightly.

I still think there needs to be a few changes just not as many. The main change I would like to see is different tracks as part of the chase. I would set up a rotating schedule that would be a 4 or 5 year rotation. That way fans and tracks would know years in advance and fix their schedules accordingly. The mixture of different tracks would give more fans a chance to experience a chase race live and bring the excitement to different parts of the country just not the usual tracks.

There could be a few more tweeks but that would be the way I would choose to change it.

It's obvious that NASCAR is not going to do away with the Chase even though it has done nothing to improve ratings during Football season. People have clamored for years that the chase drivers should have their own points structure, but no other sport changes their scoring system in the playoffs, and I don't think it should happen in NASCAR. Many say they should go back to the season long points to crown a champion, something I agree with, but isn't in the cards. So going on the assumption that it will still be here in some form here is my recommendations to improve things.

First, combine the two seeding ideals. Go back to the original plan where the points leader is ahead of 2nd, which is ahead of 3rd. Separate them by 10 point increments. After that, apply the 10 points per win. If the guy in 12th didn't win any races then he has his work cut out for him to win the championship.

The second thing I would do is change up the tracks. I think a third road race would fit in, and another short track less than a mile in lenghth. This would bring the number of mile and a halfers to three. This would go a long way to eliminate the complaints that the Chase tracks are suited well to a particular driver. Two short tracks, three mile long tracks, three mile and a halfers, a Superspeedway, and a road race would give enough variety of tracks that would ensure that the champion can do well at a good representation of the tracks used throughout the season.

NASCAR is in the unenviable position of trying to please millions of race fans. No matter what they do fans are going to complain. One change they can implement that would improve the ratings is to make winning each race more important. Increasing the points for winning, and taking some of the championship funds and increasing the weekly purses will help since it would give the drivers a reason to go for the win all season long. Drivers used to go for the win every week because the winner got the most money, and it helped put food on the table. Drivers now make so much money so that motivation is no longer there.

I am not going to participate in the last poll question this week, I dont write very well and havent been picked all year to prove that point.

But I would like to thank Brian and Pete for letting us participate in the Poll Position this year as some tweaks maybe needed in the Poll just like the Chase. But that said I have enjoyed the Poll this year and have made it a point to read it every week.
The thing I hate about the chase is it messed with history, Jimmie is a 5-time champ, But the way Dale Sr. and RP won there 7 titles was totally different as the whole season counted, under that scenario Jimmie Johnson would only have two titles as Harvick would have won by almost 300 points this year. So with that said is Jimmie really all that special just because he can put together 10 races better than anyone else. Just my bias opinion.

Thanks Brian, have a great off season and looking forward to 2011 and Daytona. Spikes.