A Nationwide Chase?
According to confirmed sources, NASCAR officials are considering the possibility of a Chase playoff format for the second tier Nationwide Series in 2011. The Sprint for the Chase Cup is the most watched NASCAR races, and if a Chase were added to the Nationwide Series it would bring publicity and keep Sprint Cup drivers out of Nationwide championship.
On Monday in Concord N.C. Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, met with Nationwide Series team owners, drivers, and crew chiefs to discuss this possibility. Cost containment, locations, and such changes as only allowing Nationwide drivers to contend were also discussed.
If it were implemented, the Nationwide Chase would likely have fewer races and drivers than the Chase for the Sprint Cup currently does. After the regular season ends the 12 fastest drivers enter a 10 race play-off for the championship title.
Many Nationwide drivers have been vocal about their dislike of Sprint Cup drivers coming into their races to get points towards the Chase. A Chase of their own would mean Nationwide drivers would contend against each other in a fairer assessment of skill.
NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France, however, doesn’t think the Nationwide Chase is going to get a pass.“I don't think so. It's a shorter season, for starters with 10 fewer races or so. That would create some issues," France said. "We have four national divisions, so we've got to distinguish them and doing too many things wouldn't do that. I don't think you'll see that."
But don’t let your hopes completely die, France said that desire for a Chase is to insure that a Nationwide regular wins the series instead of a Sprint Cup regular, so recreating a structure where this can happen remains an important goal, even if it doesn’t result in a Chase.
"What we've got to have is it has to be a place where we can create new talent. They are completely submerged on a stage where there are so many Cup drivers," France explained. "That's been evolving in the last six or seven years where there are so many more drivers competing on Saturday from Sunday and we have to make that series work better than it is. It's working fine, but it can work better."
A Nationwide driver hasn’t won the series championship since the back-to-back wins of Martin Truex in 2004-5. Since then, a full time Sprint Cup driver has won the title four years in a row, and this year it looks like that number will be rounded off to five with Brad Keselowski holding a commanding lead over fellow Cup drivers Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.Last year Busch won, in 2008 it was Clint Bower, 2007 Edwards and in 2006 Kevin Havrick.
Officials have already discussed what actions can be taken, such as limiting the amount of points a Sprint Cup driver can be awarded in a Nationwide race. They have even suggested that no points be award to a Spring Cup driver outside of their series.
Another suggestion was to allow Cup drivers to compete in Nationwide races but not contend for the championship title. A team could collect owner's points and would conceivably be able to win the owner's championship, but the driver’s championship would remain closed to non-Nationwide regulars.
Appeasing the team owners, drivers and officials is only half the battle: there is still getting the sponsors on board.If NASCAR were to implement the owner’s-championship-only rule to Sprint Cup drivers, this could still appease sponsors, who could still win a championship as the primary sponsor of a car.
The Monday meeting was also called to discuss cutting cost in the Nationwide series. In the 2010 season there was a decrease in attendance at the tracks, with only a small number of circuits making a profit off of the races. NASCAR is looking to cut about 20 percent next season, which could mean limiting travelling crews for each team and/or limiting the number of engines a team is given each season.
While none of these cost-saving measures have been confirmed yet, changes will be made to the 2011 season. And the fact remains the NASCAR wants to bring more attention to the Nationwide Series drivers who don’t contend full time in the Sprint Cup.
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