NASCAR Loves Chase Results Despite Critics

Despite much criticism from fans and experts alike, the results of the 2015 Chase have been exactly what NASCAR wants.

The 2015 Chase has provided us with many different forms of entertainment. Between the storylines, the rivalries, and the wrecks, the Chase has not failed to reel in fans around the nation.

NASCAR made a bold move a couple of years ago when they announced that they were going to change to Chase from a points-based system to an elimination-based system, with points still in the mix.  Fans had really gotten used to the “most points wins it” style of the postseason that NASCAR had and it worked out great for a few drivers. Though that is still the way it works within the current format, there are certain drivers who might end up with the most points in the Chase but be eliminated due to a wreck or car issue.

The new format features four rounds. The Chase starts with 16 drivers and four are eliminated in every round until there is only a total of four left.

In 2014, fans saw a Chase like no other Chase they had seen before. Wins meant so much more than just points because it automatically clinched a spot in the next round. Drivers were angry at each other and there was tension on and off the track that spilled over into the following weeks after a race.

Someone like Ryan Newman, who never won a race in 2014, was able to get to the final race. If a driver never won a race in a selected year, there was no way they would be competing for a title in the previous format.

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All of this and more added to the drama that NASCAR created with their newest invention and in 2015, things got a lot crazier.

The discussions really picked up when Joey Logano spun Matt Kenseth late at Kansas, ultimately causing him to be eliminated from the Chase. Then, just two weeks later, Matt Kenseth took Joey Logano hard into the wall at Martinsville. The only difference to these two situations is that Logano was in 2nd when he made his move and Kenseth was not even on the lead lap.

Many argued whether or not Kenseth deserved his two-race suspension. The majority of fans didn’t think so but NASCAR had to make an attempt to create order and show that they wouldn’t stand for things like that, although they had happened in the past (Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer in 2012) and only resulted in a fine.

In between these events, we witnessed Kevin Harvick intentionally wreck Trevor Bayne on a green-white-checkered attempt at Talladega. His car was not capable of keeping up with the pack and he would’ve been eliminated had he not acted accordingly. NASCAR seemed to turn their cheek at this notion and Harvick eventually made it to the final round of the Chase.

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Another thing that bothers some people is the fact that drivers who look so good throughout the season, like Matt Kenseth (5 wins) or Jimmie Johnson (5 wins), can be eliminated just because of one bad race.

All of these different characteristics of the Chase have caused a lot of discussion this season and that’s exactly what NASCAR wants. Though they have had to dish out some discipline at times, they love the fact that the Chase has the fans more engaged than ever before.

The goal, whenever the new format was implemented, was to make the stakes higher so that each week would bring a new plot and a new level of intensity.

Another change involves what was mentioned above about Ryan Newman. Drivers like Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Gordon were not exactly favorites when the Chase started but the found a way to make it to the Championship 4. It creates a uncertainty when, in the past, you could take a few guesses at who would be contending for most of the Chase and who would end up winning it.

Next: Five Memorable Sprint Cup Moments In 2015

Although there are lots of things that could be improved, NASCAR made the right move by changing the Chase format to the way it is. It’s not popular among fans right now but it is everything NASCAR wanted and more and it will continue to entertain the fans by providing plenty of things for them to talk about week in and week out.