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| Credibility? We don't need no stinking credibility! |
"The goal for some time has been to create a points system that is easy to understand, easy to explain, easy to be talked about, but also be credible at the end of the season" Mafia Mike in an ESPN article
Hate to tell you this Mafia Mike but NASCAR started losing its credibility in 2003 when it went from NASCAR to NA$CAR with the ascension of Faux King Brian to the throne and it’s been going downhill ever since. Some fans have questioned whether or not NA$CAR has any credibility left after observing the WWE-like antics that have been happening, the promises that have been made that weren’t delivered on, the changes for change sake, and the absence of any real leadership down in the Ivory Towers. When two drivers get caught with cars out of tolerance and one driver gets a warning and the other is penalized 150 points for it, something is very wrong. When NA$CAR openly admits it throws Ms Terry DeBris cautions to “make things more exciting” or “to bunch them up”, that drops your credibility right down the toilet. When the sanctioning body takes money from a car manufacturer to get into the racer-tainment business and gets “favors to be named later”, you have the credibility of a DC politician with a bunch of angry taxpayers. And that’s where the sanctioning body sits right now.
New Points System
One of the things not addressed by this new points system is the penalty points issue. Although it is supposed to be proportional to the current points system, nothing was given as a firm number. The fans wanted more emphasis on winning. I’ve read a number of figures running from 25-100 points for a win over and above the regular points. Instead, it’s 3. The simplified points system does the exact same thing the old system did except with smaller numbers. It rewards consistency, even in the play-offs. NA$CAR did not listen to the fans.
The fans wanted the play-off system eliminated, depending on whose poll you used, anywhere from 55%-97% want it gone. It’s still here showing that once again, NA$CAR didn’t listen to the fans. The fans and manufacturers want the cars to resemble what’s on the street so that there’s a definite connection between the fans, cars, and brand identity. Nope, it’s till the same, generic looking vehicle with new decals and the splitter bars removed which shows that once again NA$CAR still isn’t listening.
And what’s the incentive for being 11th and 12th place? Based on what they showed on the graphics during the dog and pony show, 11th and 12th place cannot move up. So why even bother showing up at the track if you can’t move up in points? It’s back to being a Top 10 play-off system that fans don’t like or want. Even Bruton is doubting the wisdom of keeping it around and whether or not it’ll still be around in the next few years. At least he’s smart enough to know that if you don’t give the fans what they want they won’t be coming back.
Jules the Engine Guy’s Points Solution
This is what Jules the Engine Guy came up with:
Prior to the Chase
A) Everyone starts out with 10,000 points:
10,000
B) Anyone in top 35 in car owners points:
+ 1,000 + (35 minus your finishing position)
example, if you finished 20th in points, (10000+(1000+(35-20))) = 11,015
C) Anyone NOT in top 35 in car owners points:
- 1,000
D) If you are Jimmy Johnson, the current champ or Dale Earnhardt Jr
+ 2,000
E) If you are NOT Jimmy Johnson, the current champ or Dale Earnhardt Jr
- 1,000
F) If your car owner is Hendrick, Roush, Childress or Gibbs:
+5,000
G) If your car owner is NOT Hendrick, Roush, Childress or Gibbs:
-2,500
H) If you drive a Ford or a Dodge:
-1,000
I) If you drive a Chevrolet (and your car/team is related to Hendrick):
+2,000
J) If you drive a Chevrolet (and your car/team is NOT related to Hendrick):
+500
K) If you drive a Toyota:
+1,500
L) If you do NOT! My Space, Twitter, Twat, Tweet, Spit, or Speak ANYTHING NEGATIVE about NASCAR:
+2,500
M) If you DO My Space, Twitter, Twat, Tweet, Spit, or Speak ANYTHING NEGATIVE about NASCAR and your car owner is Hendrick, Roush, Childress or Gibbs:
-500
N) If you DO My Space, Twitter, Twat, Tweet, Spit, or Speak ANYTHING NEGATIVE about NASCAR and your car owner is NOT Hendrick, Roush, Childress or Gibbs:
-2,500
Now while this seems complicated. let me assure you it is not. This system guarantee's the status quo and consistency. This system insures that the top 12 will ALWAYS be the top 12.
It is also much more like the NFL and MLB where as there are always the same teams (and number of teams) playing. No new or different teams making a showing is much less confusing.
No longer will you have to drudge through those boring, don't matter much (just as DW), first 26 races. You can wait till the chase.
During the chase
A) All 12 cars will be painted exactly the same. No names or lettering will be on the cars.
B) The crews and drivers will be dressed that same and disguised to all look the same.
C) The points will be awarded based on finishing position. But who will know who finished where? NASCAR will tell you.
Dave’s Points Solution
Dave, my old racing buddy from Texas, came up with this solution:
Gee.......why don't they award points for the amount of advertising dollars a car's sponsor kicks in for mention money? The more money, the more points. The little guys don't get anything, even if they somehow win and will eventually go away. The Roto-Rooter car crossed the line 14th, but sent the most money to NA$CRAP and Fox, so they get most of the points. The Booth Comedy Team (tm) will wet themselves over how wonderful the new system is and pound it into the fad fans (who won't know the difference anyway). Win-win-win situation, eh?
Or should we not give them the idea?
Granted, these aren’t real points systems but do you get the idea that the fans who have been around a while like both Jules and Dave won’t be thrilled with the new points program and will find yet another reason not to show up at the track or watch the racer-tainment on TV?
North Wilkesboro Speedway Receives Award
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| L to R: George Marsden, Rob Marsden, Terry Parsons, Steve Wilson, Ann Marie Wilson |
Not widely mentioned by the lamestream media or the Kool Aid drinkers was the fact that North Wilkesboro Speedway received an award from The North Carolina Motorsports Association. North Wilkesboro Speedway received the Motorsports Industry Award for Track Management at the annual banquet. The award recognizes tracks, educational institutions, media, suppliers and manufacturers for their contributions to the motorsports industry in North Carolina. When you consider that the only thing keeping North Wilkesboro in the public eye a couple of years ago was the Save the Speedway group, it’s come a long ways towards regaining some of its former glory day in the past 2 years.
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| Bill Lester's Rolex Camaro (pic taken by unknown fan) |
Bill Lester Returning?
Based on some of what Bill Lester has written on Facebook and Twitter, there’s a possibility we could see him in a part-time Cup ride if everything works out with his sponsorship. Right now, Bill is driving a Camaro in the Rolex Series. If you haven’t met Bill, he’s a pretty decent guy and very fan friendly.
David Hill Wants Shorter Races
David Hill, the same wonderful person who brought us that damnable gopher, wants to shorten the races to 3 hours. I see this as yet another attempt to appease the Short Attention Span Crowd and because Focks, who does a terrible job presenting the races, is supposedly losing money even though they run tons of commercials, plug and shill for everything possible, run so many sponsored graphics it takes up about 1/3 to ½ the TV screen, gladly accept all the “mention money” they can get from any team, sponsor, or manufacturer who is willing to fork it over, and get paid by both the cable and satellite providers for their broadcasts.
If Focks really wanted to broadcast timed races, they’d be broadcasting F-1 or some sports car or sedan racing series so they could have the 2-3 hours of timed racing and then move on to the next program. If time is that critical to Focks and David Hill, then maybe they should move the Cup Series races over to Speed and broadcast the F-1 and sports car series races on Focks. That way Focks will have their timed races, David Hill is happy, the Short Attention Span Crowd is happy, and the F-1 and sports car series folks can be aggravated by the tons of commercials, plugs, shilling, inane babble, and Goopher the Gopher that have plagued the folks watching NA$CAR.
The real solution? Eliminate the pre-race show. It’s a combination of what happened during the week (which most fans have already heard or read), fluff, hype, and shilling. That cuts off a wasted 1-1.5 hours. Just go straight to the Invocation, National Anthem, a driver run down during the pace laps, and you’re off and running. Eliminate the Ms Terry DeBris Cautions. That’ll shave 15-30 minutes off the broadcast and the race. Show the driver in Victory Lane, give a finishing running order, and boom, you’re off the air. No need to recap the race. We already saw it.
