the closest ever final race for nascar champ....

[Panther_99FS]

Just thinking....
After the last 2 races, will the crews for the #24 & #48 stay "as is" for next year or not :ques:

 

[redriver6]

Nix for Six!

i like it!!

Just thinking....
After the last 2 races, will the crews for the #24 & #48 stay "as is" for next year or not

i don't know...they (48 crew) bobbled a little again today but their driver overcame it..

when it really came down to it they performed well.

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

What a day! Where to start? I have no fingernails left!

Congratulations to the 48 team! :ernae: Winning five is huge as now only 2 men have more Championships than Jimmie Johnson - that it's five in a row is even huger (if that's a word)!

I think what we saw was Jimmie and Chad staying cool, calm and focused. I think it probably actually helped that they came into this race behind in the points. The 11 team on the other hand simply could not handle the pressure. It started last week when - I think but nobody has ever definitely said that I've seen - Mike Ford "blew it" on the pit box bringing Denny in for fuel late in the race when everybody else stayed out allowing Jimmie and Kevin to catch up a bunch of points. I think it simply blew away their confidence. From what I heard they had no clue what setup to use at homestead and finally simply put Kyle Busch's setup on the car - qualified poorly and then went racing. Then at least they had a car to work on but they simply showed no patience and tried to go to the front too fast. That's when Denny overdrove the car and hit the 16. He even said that he hit the 16. Maybe they should have done all they could to fix the car right then and gone down a lap or two or whatever it took. But once again they showed no forward thinking strategic patience. Whether it would of worked or not who knows so you really can't fault them too awful badly - anyway they decided to go with a wounded car that was still fast but not a true front-runner any more. As for the pit or not decision - Mike Ford gave Denny plenty of time to pit - Denny was at the entrance to pit road with Ford yelling over the radio pit pit pit. Right then it showed that Denny was afraid of Ford being wrong again and stayed out. That probably was a mistake and it was all Denny's mistake - he was holding the wheel. They never recovered from there. You saw a team that was inexperienced at coming back from adversity and handling real pressure and they simply fell apart. Next year they will either be great or they will go their separate ways - we'll see.

Harvick all year showed incredible resiliency always finding a way to be "up front" in most every race. He was amazing - even coming back for 3rd from a pit road speeding penalty. I have to admit I was scared to death to see Harvick right behind the 48 at the end of the race after he dumped Kyle - it was I think totally deliberate but I think he thought Kyle was "team racing" trying to slow him down! Luckily Jimmie was able to drive away from him.

Jimmie and Chad were simply Jimmie and Chad. No more needs to be said. Their teamwork is the reason Jimmie has either been 1st or 2nd in the points 7 of the 9 years he has driven cup. He has never been lower than 5th.

As for Toyota engine power - well I stand by that. Check the stats Toyota on the pole and watch the race - Fords and Toyotas up front the whole race - no Chevys. You have seen I've also said the FR9 Ford engine is now right there with the Toyota engine and to tell you the truth I think the Ford engine is the better of the two. Only Childress engines have been strong in the Chevy camp. Hendrick and chevy in general have fallen behind. They have serious work to do this winter or I think we will see Ford slaughtering everybody next year with Toyota hanging in as I think they handle better.

As for the pit crews well I think we'll see a lot of changes at Hendrick as this is one area they MUST straighten out.

Right now I think the 48 team IS the underdog next year unless they step up the engine program.

Caz in order for that Jinx to work you know you have to wear the 48 jacket and cap in public at all times. On the plus side you will be the sharpest dressed man in Danville and beatin the girls off with a stick! Also just to be sure it works you need bumper stickers and a 48 flag on your Honda! Oh an burn that chikin but don't breath any fumes - bad for your health!

-Ed-

 

[Panther_99FS]

Right now I think the 48 team IS the underdog next year unless they step up the engine program.

-Ed-

Wrong.
We've seen time and time again in motorsports that the fastest engine is not the key to victory. But rather the best team is.

Today, we saw the best driver/crew chief/team win a record 5th straight championship. 5 Time winners who have proven that collectively & individually, they are the best are NOT 'underdogs'...

Horsepower is nothing if you don't have the people to back it up...

 

[Panther_99FS]

The 11 team on the other hand simply could not handle the pressure. It started last week when - I think but nobody has ever definitely said that I've seen - Mike Ford "blew it" on the pit box bringing Denny in for fuel late in the race when everybody else stayed out allowing Jimmie and Kevin to catch up a bunch of points. I think it simply blew away their confidence. From what I heard they had no clue what setup to use at homestead and finally simply put Kyle Busch's setup on the car - qualified poorly and then went racing. Then at least they had a car to work on but they simply showed no patience and tried to go to the front too fast. That's when Denny overdrove the car and hit the 16.
-Ed-

This, I agree with 100%....

 

[Terry]

I'm not a big fan of Harvick, he's got a nasty mouth upon occasion, but he still deserves the cup for being part of the best team this season.

[after Homestead, race 36 of 36....the OLD way]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #29-Kevin Harvick, 5274
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 4989, -285
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 4865, -409
4) #99-Carl Edwards, 4820, -454
5) #24-Jeff Gordon, 4669, -605
6) #18-Kyle Busch, 4647, -627
7) #17-Matt Kenseth, 4640, -634
8) #14-Tony Stewart, 4628, -646
9) #2-Kurt Busch, 4459, -815
10) #31-Jeff Burton, 4423, -851
11) #16-Greg Biffle, 4414, -860
12) #33-Clint Bowyer, 4376, -898

 

[stansdds]

2010 top 12 drivers using

the Chase format........................the old format
1 Jimmie Johnson 6622 ................Kevin Harvick 5274
2 Denny Hamlin 6583...................Jimmie Johnson 4989
3 Kevin Harvick 6581...................Denny Hamlin 4865
4 Carl Edwards 6393....................Carl Edwards 4820
5 Matt Kenseth 6294...................Jeff Gordon 4669
6 Greg Biffle 6247........................Kyle Busch 4647
7 Tony Stewart 6221...................Matt Kenseth 4640
8 Kyle Busch 6182.......................Tony Stewart, 4628
9 Jeff Gordon 6176......................Kurt Busch 4459
10 Clint Bowyer 6155...................Jeff Burton 4423
11 Kurt Busch 6142.....................Greg Biffle, 4414
12 Jeff Burton 6033.....................Clint Bowyer 4376

NASCAR wanted more excitement for the end of the season, I think the Chase, certainly this year's chase, gave the fans just that with 39 points separating first and second place versus an insurmountable 289 points. The top 12 drivers in the Chase format would still have been the top 12 in the old format. The chase prevents a runaway season by any one team, much like playoffs in professional football, baseball and basketball.

 

[Cazzie]

As much as I despise Harvick, I would have rather seen him win the Championship on the old format than had seen the Chase for the Chump. I have not been a fan of that set-up since its inception. I would rather see more points awarded for winning a race and it would not hurt to award the top 10 pole positions for each race with points also, with an extra given amount of points at the end of the season to the pole position points champion. I believe in "racing" for a championship, not playing pansy. The media dreamed up all the cow hockey, us fans that have followed this sport for over 50 years know better. Jimmie Johnson is a hellava driver and Chad Knaus is the best damn CC in NASCAR, but there are better drivers than JJ and they deserve a chance to "win" the Championship, not have it stolen through cow hockey media and racing politics. Sorry stansdds, at least for us Southern fans, we've never been excited about "The Chase for the Chump".

Caz

 

[Terry]

Well said Caz!

Another unfair and goofy policy coming next season is to change the qualifying procedure to that which the trucks are using in order to speed up the process and increase viewers and allow the talking heads in the booth to keep screaming "we have a new polesitter".

We all know that the track speeds normally increase as qualifying proceeds, so going out late is an advantage. With the new system the fastest cars qualify last giving them an advantage over the slower teams. I don't care if they want to qualify 10 cars at a time but the order should remain a random draw to keep it fair.

 

[Cazzie]

Well said Caz!

Another unfair and goofy policy coming next season is to change the qualifying procedure to that which the trucks are using in order to speed up the process and increase viewers and allow the talking heads in the booth to keep screaming "we have a new polesitter".

We all know that the track speeds normally increase as qualifying proceeds, so going out late is an advantage. With the new system the fastest cars qualify last giving them an advantage over the slower teams. I don't care if they want to qualify 10 cars at a time but the order should remain a random draw to keep it fair.

What a heap of horse hockey!

Is NASCAR ever gonna really listen to its fanbase?

Caz

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

The season is over - the 48 is the Champion for the 5th time in a row - end of story. These totally bogus analyses that attempt to prove Kevin Harvick the "real" champion are just that - bogus. They make the basic assumption that teams would prepare for and race for the chase and old system in the same way. A totally bogus assumption. Many of the top teams use some of the first 26 race tracks as "tests" for the final 10 races. Chad and Jimmie been doing this for years. That fact completely invalidates the analysis. Chad and Jimmie would try harder to win individual races if it were worthwhile - as it is they win 6 a year. Even Hamlin pointed out during the chase that in one race he would like to have been trying for the win but you have to protect your points position. NASCAR has made it more important to win the war (Championship) than to win battles (races). Their choice and they have told you how it's gonna be. You can always go watch follow the leader F1 where drivers are told to pull over and park to let their teammate by - and when they cheat are not punished (Lewis Hamilton). With NASCAR you at least get to watch exciting racing and history being made by a man who I think right now could probably be argued as the greatest driver in NASCAR history - 5 in a row in only 9 years and he lost to Kenseth in 2004 by only 8 points and a crash at Homestead gave a championship to Stewart in 2005. With some luck (and Martin not deliberately blowing an engine) Jimmie could easy be a 7 time in a row champion. In only 9 years Jimmie has 5 and chances are pretty good he'll get more but even if he doesn't who's gonna match 5 in a row?

Panther - lets assume equal pit crews, CCs and drivers - I'll take the team with horsepower - I don't understand why you wouldn't. If you know NASCAR you know horsepower wins - check the record of an engine called the 426 hemi sometime. What your saying is Jimmie and Chad won with an inferior car because they had a better team - I agree - this year they did but I'd never count on it next year. To wit Denny said his team had the best cars and they did. Jimmie said his team was not as sharp as it was in the last 2 years and probably not as sharp as in any of the last 4 years. If they don't fix their problems and have the horses next year I think they lose. Without the horses they are the underdog. Also as I have said I do not think in terms of 1 on 1 driver against driver to figure what I think are the odds of Jimmie wining next year. I see it as 42 against 1 - in Vegas next year would you bet on Jimmie or take the entire rest of the competitors with the idea that one of them will beat the 48? Also I take the postion that the past is done and gone and only look at likely/possible developments that will/could occur next year. Jimmie is the underdog - I stand by that.

I do not have a problem with the chase format - I think it is fine. I see lots of people grumbling about this and they never present any rationale about why the chase shouldn't exist. Absolutely none - other than - I like the way it was. I do think NASCAR should think about some changes in the points system to perhaps reward wins a bit more and should definitely bring in more tracks especially including some of the old ones. That said NASCAR has the right to do what they believe best.

-Ed-

PS I also notice a lot of those people who don't like what NASCAR has done also think that Rick Hendrick doesn't deserve to have won more championships than any other owner since they think he should have gone to prison for mail fraud to which he plead guilty instead of house arrest and an eventual full pardon from Bill Clinton the President of the United States of America. People just need to get over it.

 

[Terry]

To follow that logic one would have to assume that Harvick wasn't really trying to be the point leader during the first 26 races, it was just an unfortunate accident!

 

[Cazzie]

I see lots of people grumbling about this and they never present any rationale about why the chase shouldn't exist.

"I believe in "racing" for a championship, not playing pansy."

For me that is rationale enough.

Caz

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Terry - A team can use any strategy they want to try to win a championship. You can try the I'm gonna win every race I can to keep the team sharp. Or you can choose to prepare for the final 10 races during the first 26 and if wins happen they happen. Many ways to get to that championship but the bottom line is nobody will ever give a rats patootie about who won at Kansas in 2010 but everybody will remember it was Jimmie Johnson's 5th in a row Championship. It's all about making history as the goal - not about going through life focused on day to day races with the idea that if history happens it happens. You think Tiger Woods gives a rats patootie about what his fans think? Does Roger Federer? Their financial well-being in no way is tied to fans or even their performance once they win the first big event which sets them up for life - they want history. Their egos are that big.

Caz - They do race for the Championship. Don't have any idea where you get the pansy part from.

-Ed-

 

[Terry]

Are you also a fan of NHRA bracket racing where he who hits the brake at the right time wins. It's all phony, not racing at all. But if the masses like it, so be it.

 

[wombat666]

Are you also a fan of NHRA bracket racing where he who hits the brake at the right time wins. It's all phony, not racing at all. But if the masses like it, so be it.

Sadly NASCAR seem to have come up with another 'Bums on Seats' set of regulations with the 'Chase' rubbish.
Every championship I know of is decided over a full season, not the best of five or ten or twenty, and if the title is decided before the end of the season then that's the way it goes.

Look at EffWun this year, 'Little Sebastian' NEVER lead the Drivers Championship until the end of the final round, and that is the one that counts.
FWIW, I hear his home town has re-named itself after Sebbie, odd name for a town 'Bastardstein' but them Chermans are a weird lot!!

Back to NASCAR, " With some luck (and Martin not deliberately blowing an engine) Jimmie could easy be a 7 time in a row champion." ............. you're good for a giggle Ed!!
Let's face it, NASCAR is a domestic series peculiar to the US, mainly for the purpose of making as much money as possible and by any method, who could care less for the audience except for their wallets!!

We appear to be cursed with an 'entrepreneur' who seems to regard himself as a cross between Ecclestone and France (or whoever runs NASCAR today!) and is following the same route, spec chassis, spec rubber, enforced pit stops (needed or not!) and the liberal use of safety cars and yellow flags just in case a talented driver gets away.
The ONLY differences between our V8 Supercars are the power plant (both US models BTW) and the silhouette body shell.
'Fords' use GMH suspension parts and 'Commodores' run Ford rear ends, both 'Manufacturers' run the same wheels, brakes and sundry items...... if 'Cockhead' goes much further the cars will be like the NASCAR 'variations' with stick-on lights and different engines but not much else.

Like so many 'Sporting' series today both NASCAR and our Aussie V8 series are being dumbed down to appeal to the bottom of the food chain.

My 2c worth!
PS: our $ is worth more than yours at the moment so that would be worth 3c in our money1

 

[Cazzie]

Sadly NASCAR seem to have come up with another 'Bums on Seats' set of regulations with the 'Chase' rubbish.
Every championship I know of is decided over a full season, not the best of five or ten or twenty, and if the title is decided before the end of the season then that's the way it goes.

Look at EffWun this year, 'Little Sebastian' NEVER lead the Drivers Championship until the end of the final round, and that is the one that counts.
FWIW, I hear his home town has re-named itself after Sebbie, odd name for a town 'Bastardstein' but them Chermans are a weird lot!!

Back to NASCAR, " With some luck (and Martin not deliberately blowing an engine) Jimmie could easy be a 7 time in a row champion." ............. you're good for a giggle Ed!!
Let's face it, NASCAR is a domestic series peculiar to the US, mainly for the purpose of making as much money as possible and by any method, who could care less for the audience except for their wallets!!

We appear to be cursed with an 'entrepreneur' who seems to regard himself as a cross between Ecclestone and France (or whoever runs NASCAR today!) and is following the same route, spec chassis, spec rubber, enforced pit stops (needed or not!) and the liberal use of safety cars and yellow flags just in case a talented driver gets away.
The ONLY differences between our V8 Supercars are the power plant (both US models BTW) and the silhouette body shell.
'Fords' use GMH suspension parts and 'Commodores' run Ford rear ends, both 'Manufacturers' run the same wheels, brakes and sundry items...... if 'Cockhead' goes much further the cars will be like the NASCAR 'variations' with stick-on lights and different engines but not much else.

Like so many 'Sporting' series today both NASCAR and our Aussie V8 series are being dumbed down to appeal to the bottom of the food chain.

My 2c worth!
PS: our $ is worth more than yours at the moment so that would be worth 3c in our money1

Well wombat, you put in a pretty good 2 pense worth, all of which I agree with.

'Bastardstein'

ROTFLMAO!