NASCAR: 10 Things NASCAR Got Right Or Wrong In 2016

Bad: Relief Driver Rule.

What were they thinking! That is the only question that should come to fans minds when thinking about the fact that a relief driver can help another driver qualify for the Chase. The rule in question, which allows for a driver to make the Chase if they start a race and their relief driver later wins it, was a huge lapse in judgment on NASCAR’s part and really showed just how incompetent the leaders of the sport can be.

Seriously though, can anyone think of a reason that this rule wasn’t changed when NASCAR introduced the new Chase format in 2016? Sure, they might have figured that the rule would never be utilized or that they would face negative backlash from the drivers for keeping it, but one could argue that NASCAR will face even more backlash if a driver is somehow able to make the Chase by using this rule.

For those that think that is a overly dramatic statement, take a moment to consider the backlash that Kyle Busch faced last year after becoming the sports first ever waiver champion. Yes, he won multiple races and rehabbed a major injury that could have left him out of action for a lot longer than it did, but fans still felt justified in calling his championship illegitimate. In fact, some fans thought it was handed to him.

Those criticism would just become louder if a driver was somehow able to make the Chase after using a relief driver to get a win. Not only that, it would open the door to even more fans losing interest in the sport and ultimately stop watching it altogether. With that in mind, NASCAR needs to fix the loophole before it has a negative impact on a sport that is struggling right now to even survive in ratings and attendance.

Next: Getting rescheduled