Road Course Race Coming to The Chase? Nascar looking at it

Sports Illustrated is reporting that Nascar is considering adding a road course to Nascar's playoff The Chase. Currently The Chase has every style of track except a road course. The Chase has a plate race at Talladega, short track at Martinsville, concrete track at Dover, flat tracks at Phoenix and Loudon, and cookie cutters like Texas, Homestead, Kansas & Fontana. The most likely tracks to loose a date would be Loudon or Fontana. Loudon seems to be the most likely with TV market ratings favoring Fontana.

Nascar is also considering a "Elimination Style" format for The Chase. This style was used once in the All-Star race, but removed after fans didn't like the format.

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Permalink Reply by J.R. Sands on July 5, 2010 at 4:58pm

Top 5

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Permalink Reply by Blues on July 6, 2010 at 7:01pm

For sure.

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Permalink Reply by dastexan on July 5, 2010 at 5:27pm

adding a 3rd roadie makes way too much sense so it wont happen obviously.

what really sucks is how a track can only seemingly be added if its owned by one of the what? 2 or 3 corporations that already have dates on the circuit.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Cartwright on July 5, 2010 at 7:19pm

the chase format sucks, and I hate that NHRA basically does the same thing. It's ridiculous now and any changes that they make would just make it even more ridiculous.

Why not just keep it simple like before 2004? the driver who racks up the most points during the season is the champion. but noooooo, NASCAR has to make it "interesting" by turning it into a gimmick for ratings rather than deciding a real champion.

As far as a road course being into the chase.... I say good. Gives Robby another shot at a win plus chase drivers might be playing it safe so they won't mess around with him.

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Permalink Reply by dastexan on July 5, 2010 at 7:35pm

wouldnt the finishes have been closer in the majority of the seasons using the old format than with the chase?

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Permalink Reply by RG7FAN on July 5, 2010 at 8:55pm

As far as the COT, I have to agree w/ keith in the road courses are not as fun as in the past w/ the older style cars. my ideas of a road course were the CART / CHAMP CAR, as in they had enough power to seperate the men from the boys. The older style road couses such as Lime Rock, Laguna, Road America, now that was great action, also the old Riverside. But as mentioned before, seeing RG, Ambrose, (use to pull for Wally), watching those guys is a thing of fluid motion and great car control, and just plain fun to watch. This is one reason I like The Glen as compared to Sonoma, just a different style of action. That being said I, like most of us will always pay attention to the twisties when RG is in a car, Now on to Canada and lets get another banner for RGM's shop wall....

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Permalink Reply by MikeNIN7 on July 5, 2010 at 9:51pm

I hope they add the new F1 track in Austin TX and keep the other 2. I can beleave that track has not been talked about more on this site.

If they are making changes to the points the point leader should get 10-15 points going in to the chase. This would stop all the B.S. about it not mattering who is in 1st going into the chase.

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Permalink Reply by dastexan on July 6, 2010 at 10:21am

I cant wait for that track to be built. Right in my backyard. I'll have to find some excuse to take that hour long drive up to Austin once that place opens.

Hopefully NASCAR can find a way to bring the Cup Series there eventually.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on July 6, 2010 at 1:35pm

Here's a good excuse...."They built the track". As far as changes to the chase go maybe add 3 to make the total 15 and knock off the lowest 5 after 3 races and 5 more after the 5th race. Reset the points once again and have a 5 race dash for the cash between the remaining 5 drivers. I'm pretty sure this will be be in some form or another what NASCAR comes up with. To spend 2/3s' of the season in the top 10 and get bounced in a "bracket" system will never happen. Look for some sort of an elimination system. A bigger concern for NASCAR should be getting travel packages for fans to fill these empty seats. Hell, just over week ago my cousin got round trip flight, an over night room, and a 20 dollar food voucher for a hotel in Atlantic City, for just over 50 bucks.
What NASCAR is giving me this weekend is a 14 hour drive, a two day ticket that costs just over 200 bucks, a sleep in your seat race, a 14 hour drive back, plus camping site fee, beverages and food bill, swag expenses, and a free plastic MADE IN CHINA Nextel Cup pin.
Watkins Glen will run me a C-note and some change for 3 day ticket, a 40 dollar camping fee down at Randys' that lets me have all the safe fun I want, a less than 3 hour drive. "I love living close to a road course"
Hey France...don't blow any smoke signals up my arz about tweeking your damn foolish playoff system start getting some travel plans together so this going broke nation can have the vacation they more often than not can't afford. You need to get fans to the track. While i'm ranting the Indy cars did not fare much better, the Glen Was empty. Racing needs to get it's fans at the track or racing will die, one real freedom is racing and this "next generation" don't look like it's going to be a flag waving cash plopping NASCAR crowd.
Twist the chase all you want but show me some travel options to the great state of New Hampshire and i'm there. Until then i'll watch the tube and ignore the commercials that really pay the NASCAR tab.

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Permalink Reply by Turtle7 on July 6, 2010 at 2:21pm

Unfortunately, IMO the Glenn is an obsolete course. You have armco barriers all over the course. Few spectator friendly areas like you see at the Euro road courses and it is way off the interstates and no major accomadations near by. The town is just that and it is many miles to any city.

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Permalink Reply by MikeNIN7 on July 7, 2010 at 7:13am

Have you been to the Glen? You can see more of the track then what most people on this site think. The place is packed for the cup race all seats sold and fans on foot around the whole track. The track gets fans from Canada and all over N.E. As far a no Interstate road who the F cares I drive 65 from the Inter state there with no light. This is what a race in New York should be up in the hills of the beautiful Finger lake region. It shows there is more to New York then that City far off in the lower corner of the state. As far as the lay out of the couse the track is perfect for Nascars unlike %95 of road course in the world. I just don't get where you are coming from at all Turtle.