Will NASCAR ever do away with the chase format and/or the COT cars?

Question

How do you feel about these, and would they ever revert back to the way things were before, or continue to advance the sport without looking back? In my opinion, the chase format has cost NASCAR a lot of credibility as far as determining a champion goes. I'm kinda neutral about the COT cars but there defintely seems to be less passing on the track, and more on pit lane. Safety seems to be the best part of the COT cars.

Does anybody think that if NASCAR received enough negative feedback on the chase/COT that they'd ever revert back to the old format/cars?

I don't think so, but it's ok to hope.

Answer 1

I think NASCAR makes specific changes for a reason. I don't know how the evolution of the points system will change, but it does add excitement to the season. It's almost like two seasons in one. From a competitive standpoint it doesn't frighten me and I would just say "bring it on!". As far as the COT goes, I think they did a excellent job of it's introduction into the sport, and I think it's a fine piece of machinery, keeping our drivers safer than ever. I'm still amazed how some of these guys can just walk away from from some of these wrecks. I would not change that part of the evolution of the car. You have to look at the two points of view from the competitive aspect and the viewer/spectator aspect. I think NASCAR is more concerned about the spectator aspect, and that is very respectable, since racing is basically a spectator sport, based on exhibitionism. NASCAR is doing a pretty good job, trying not to let too much happen too fast in it's evolution. The rest is just based off of competition from the teams and drivers. That's why the "cheating" part is always needed. The rules and restrictions set by NASCAR are pretty tight leaving it harder to find performance gains. In racing "cheating" means "performance gain". since it's not a deviant act, meant to effect another human being. It's all about a competitive nature. You have to accept change. It's a constant struggle of what you have to work with as mandated by the regulations and rules.

Answer 2

I think the only chance of either happening is in the highly unlikely event that the France family were no longer in control of Nascar. I don't know how that would happen, short of a total sellout to someone else.

Nascar has never been real forthcoming with answers and apologies when it was wrong. Saying that the Chase or COT was a bad idea doesn't seem likely.

Answer 3

I love the COT. Best thing that NASCAR has done since they allowed teams go get away from stock appearing bodies. They used to do features during races comparing the street car version of a make to the racing version...They at one point were nearly identical beyond cutting out the wheel openings in the fenders.

The Chase...I am kind of indifferent on. It was added to help prevent a champion from winning the championship without winning a race, in my eyes. Now they have opened up a new can of worms, if you will. With 3 races left in the 'regular' season, Kyle Busch is locked as number one for the chase. So now he can sit out those races (know he will not but there is that option).

Answer 4

The COT is here to stay, at least for awhile.  I just wish they could be a little more flexible with it and find things to make it handle better (i.e. eliminating the bump stops and allowing Goodyear to make bigger tires on the tracks where they are needed).  It will never be like the "downforce" car but any improvements would help.  I don't see the chase format going away but I hope they can make changes to that also.  I would be in favor of going back to 10, instead of the 12 that currently make it, and go back to a seeding system that combines the win bonus but also rewards the drivers for their place in the standings before the chase.  At least 10 points between each position should be awarded and then add the wins bonus to set the points after they enter the chase.  I like the chase format, as far as the excitement it has added to basically the whole 2nd half of the season.  I know the traditionalists dislike it but there were several years where the last 5 or more races were pretty meaningless, in my opinion.

3 STR8 N 08!!!

Answer 5

i think that both are here to stay and that i like them both. what i like most about the cot, besides the obvious safety concerns, is that the front and back bumpers line up well and that they have the side panels on the back wing. with those two things, the drivers are more able to bump and bang more without necessarily spinning someone out. of course, it's always possible to spin someone out if you want to, but in the past (and in the nationwide and truck series still), lifting the back wheels up was too easy, and once that happened, someone was hitting the wall or the infield. now, the bump-and-run as well as bump-drafting are what they say - not the bump-and-crash.

as for the chase, it's improved since they first implemented it. back at the beginning it was ten cars, and they were separated by five points each to begin with. i like that they added a bonus not only to the regular season points for winning, but also the 10 bonus points in the chase. i think it should be a little higher and maybe it will be, depending upon how this chase turns out. as someone earlier said, if someone can get in the chase and even win it without ever winning a race, i think a little tinkering is in order. but to me, it beats the heck out of one driver running away with and clinching the championship three or four races before the end of the season.

they both have their drawbacks, but so did the things that came before. over time, however, those things evolved and became better. of course, some people - including myself - are often very change-resistant, but i think as long as "minor adjustments" are made to both the cot and the chase format, they will get better. the cot is performing much better this year than last, and if and when nascar starts listening to the competitors, it will continue to do so. and the chase format this year i think is better than when it began as well. finally, in my opinion, if those changes can be made between seasons, rather than mid-season, i think it will all come out ok.

in short, both are here to stay, both need some tinkering, and both will get it.

Answer 6

I could do without the chase but its probably not going anywhere.  Even the NHRA has copied them and has a chase now.

The COT isn't going away either.  They spent 7 years and hundreds of millions to develop it.  They just need to tweak it so it handles a little better.  They got the safety part correct which was very important.  Its been through some huge wrecks and had guys walk away which wasn't going to happen in the old car.  It took 25 years for the old car to get to where it was last season.  I'm sure when they switched to that one everybody cried about how it was different and didn't race like the ones before.  They had all that time to perfect it and it showed.  They just couldn't make it much safer without starting over.

Answer 7

It seems whatever is current sucks to nascar fans. Without the chase we could have Clint Boyer leading like he is in Nationwide, running 7th every week with no chance of dropping out of first place. Even Rowdy admitted he couldn't beat him when he stopped trying for the Nationwide title. If Nationwide had the chase Busch would still be in it along with several others.

The chase isn't perfect but neither was the old system.

I blame the poor racing at times with the COT on the vast differences in teams ability to adapt to it.  With Busch and Carl running away with 12 or 13 races that eliminates a lot of competition, close racing and 85% of the fan favorites. This will correct itself as other teams get a handle on the car.

Answer 8

The COT cars will be around for a long time because they were built for safety.  

The chase format will probably be around for a while, but they will be doing modifications to it pretty often.  If Kenseth wins the championship this year with no wins, and barely getting into the chase, they might do something.  I'm hoping that is the case.  Matt won with the old format, then they change it to the chase, and he might barely make it into the chase and has a good chance at contending for the title.  

Answer 9

The Chase format's here to stay.

I like the COT because it's safe, and that's about it. I wish they made the COT more racy like the old car.

Answer 10

I think that the chase format is here to say, and for good reason.  Auto racing poses the unique format challenges since we're dealing with more than just two teams where there can be only one winner and one loser.  Golf has faced this situation as well since it's inception...and now we have the FedEx Cup modeled after the chase format as well.  THere is more two winning a championship than just outscoring everyone for the year as a whole.  It rewards consistency, and that is what resetting things with 10 to go does for those 12 drivers.  The system needs to reward overall performance which I belive it does.  When you look at a series like Formua1 for example, the other extreme is in play where the majority of the field really has no importance to the FIA once they finish out of the only 8 point slots available.

As for the COT...well, it's the new car.  It bigger, it's heavier, it's taller.  That's everything that's new about it.  I'm not saying it's safer yet, because I am still not too happy about it's performance if the car turns backwards and continues moving forward...look at McDowell's mammoth hit, and look at what nearly happened to Blaney this last weekend had the catch fence not stopped him.  But, we've got a lot of parts on this bigger, heavier, taller car that were designed for the car of yesterday.  THis simply has to change...and it will.  We're going to have wider tired, better shocks, and ultimately some aero work that will come into play eventually just like we see with the IRL teams.  That rear wing and end caps will start being something developed out of each team's stable instead of in the oval office.

As fans, we have to accept the fact that we're not going to always like what we see on the track.  We also have to accept that NASCAR constantly is working on making the series more competitive without taking in the direction that IRL went with standardizing on just about everything in the car.  Even engines??  Sorry Honda, try again.  And that rear wing?  Belive it or not... TOny George could take a queue from NASCAR on that one, and develop a wing that is proportionate to the car that is being raced.  

Answer 11

The COT is here to stay...they won't comprimise safety for more fun and excitement.  The Chase stinks.  Always had. Always will.  They should do away with it.  One could only hope there too.

The rules and regulations...c'mon...they make most of them up as they go along it seems.

Answer 12

I'm a bit torn on the COT cars, I like the fact that they are designed for increased driver safety, and that should always be top priority, but they really don't seem to have much of an entertainment value watching them. They'll be around for a while.

The Chase, I hated it when they first put it in, my opinion hasn't changed. Even after hearing all the pro's and con's, I still think it's ridiculous..

Answer 13

The COT cars are probably here to stay I agree with you that there seems to be alot less passing and more time on pit road but they are built for safety and that should be the # 1 priority! On the chase set up I've never liked it since they went to it this away and I wish they'd do something else change it back or improve it!

Answer 14

NASCAR for the most part is 1 that doesn't revert many of their decisions, so I don't see it happening.

Answer 15

They have too much invested in the COT. I think their reasoning for the chase is so that nobody can just walk away with the championship. It's been done before and would be this year too.