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Chase schedule needs a facelift

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004 by Lee Spencer

What's the first rule of real estate? Location, location, location.

The same could be said for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule. It's the halfway point in the Chase, and it just hasn't packed the punch it promised.

Fans might assume plenty of thought went into constructing the schedule for the final 10 races--but was there any thought at all? With the exception of the Southern 500--one of NASCAR's all-time classic races but soon to be extinct--this year's lineup looks similar to the way it did before Kansas got a big-time track and a fall Cup race.

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So is it any surprise that during the 24 hours of Charlotte, the second of three 1.5-milers in a four-race stretch of the Nextel Cup schedule, I was already fumbling for my Stacker 2 and Starbucks before the first 100 laps were in the record books?

If NASCAR was going to go to the Chase format, why didn't it pick its most entertaining tracks for the final 10 races to juice the excitement? Or at least offer enough variety so there was less vanilla and more Rocky Road?

As much as I enjoy the high speeds and uncertainty of Texas Motor Speedway, the thought of five 1.5-mile speedways on the 2005 Chase schedule makes me cringe. Give me a road course. Give me another short track. Just please don't make me sit through another boring race on a cookie-cutter track.

Yes, the argument can be made that the term cookie cutter is overused when describing the seven 1.5-mile speedways on the Cup tour. Each has different characteristics, and many vary in banking. A car that is raced at night, as was the case last Saturday at Charlotte, takes a completely different setup from what would be used in daylight. But I guarantee the same cast of characters that ran up front at Charlotte will be the same guys we see leading on Halloween at Atlanta.

So what tracks should be included to add entertainment value to the Chase?

NBC producer Sam Flood knows what it takes to tantalize a TV audience, but he wasn't consulted when the Chase schedule was devised.

"When this deal was brought to us, we had no idea it was even happening" Flood says. "The 10 races were already established. NASCAR has always done a good job of setting up the schedule, so we try to stay out of that. But in a fantasy world, you love Richmond. You love Bristol. Those are the two races that somehow ought to be in there."

Flood does not advocate moving a Daytona race to the season finale. He says the improvements made to Homestead last season created "one of the great tracks" for NASCAR racing, whereas at a track such as Daytona, drivers are unable "to control their own destiny."

Well, I like Richmond where it is. Talk about drivers not being able to control their destinies--the Chase wasn't determined until the final lap of the September race at Richmond. The anticipation throughout the race was worth more than the price of admission.

You can find my schedule elsewhere on this page. But if Darlington were available, something would have to give in the Chase. Let's just be glad Brian France doesn't have control over Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.

Lee Spencer lays out the final 10

1. Infineon Raceway. Separate the boys from the men early.

2. Dover. The Monster will deliver migraines.

3. Kansas. One cookie cutter down, three to go.

4. Bristol. More thunder, less boredom.

5. Charlotte. Let Jimmie Johnson mail in this one.

6. Martinsville. Never can have enough short tracks.

7. Texas. Trumps Atlanta, which moves to August under the lights.

8. Phoenix. Dreams are dashed in the desert.

9. Homestead. One last wild card before the season finale.

10. Daytona. The element of surprise should not be taken lightly.

SPEED READ

* Joe Nemechek is proving that a driver not in the Chase still can draw attention. Nemechek scored two poles and four top 10s in the first five races in the Chase, including a win at Kansas. Props to crew chief Ryan Pemberton for leading this team from 25th to 19th in the standings since the Chase began.

INSIDE DISH

By LEE SPENCER

Kasey Kahne is the heartbreak kid. No other driver has come so close so many times this season without winning. After leading a race-high 207 laps Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Kahne's No. 9 Dodge blew a right front tire and slammed into the wall in Turn 1 on Lap 268.... One factor that will help Kahne and teammate Jeremy Mayfield in 2005 is the return of Bill Elliott in the No. 91 car. Elliott will run four races--at California, Texas, Indianapolis and Charlotte. Team owner Ray Evernham would like to see Elliott run 10 to 12 races. Evernham says Elliott's ability to test for the organization has been invaluable.... There was a slew of personnel changes last week. Slugger Labbe is out as Michael Waltrip's crew chief/cheerleader. Labbe, a savvy leader, will add expertise throughout Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s race programs for the rest of the year. Pete Rondeau will be Waltrip's crew chief for the remainder of the season.... When the music stopped at Richard Childress Racing last week, Gil Martin and Kirk Almquist found their toolboxes at the No. 31 shop, trying to right Bobby Gordon's ride. Martin will share crew chief duties with Chris Andrews; Almquist replaced car chief Todd Osborne. Expect Richard Childress to make more changes before the start of the 2005 season. An announcement the last week of October at Atlanta should clarify the situation, at least partially. Jeff Burton could move from the No. 30 car to the No. 31. Burton has been the brightest light at RCR since he joined the organization in August at Michigan.... Ganassi Racing announced Texaco/Havoline has signed a "long-term" contract extension with Jamie McMurray's No. 42 Dodge. But the bigger news at Ganassi was the move of Lee McCall, who had been Sterling Marlin's crew chief, to shop foreman. The McCall-Marlin relationship became stale over the past year. Considering that none of the Ganassi cars made it into the Chase, it's obvious that action needed to be taken. Tony Glover will return to the crew chief spot until a replacement can be found.... Pink slips were handed out to several crew members at Joe Gibbs Racing last week, leading some to wonder where the manpower to run three teams in 2005 will come from.... To commemorate Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s success in the No. 8 car, Budweiser is introducing eight-packs in Nextel Cup race markets. Not a bad plan--if the price is right.... Jimmie Johnson's victory Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway gave Chevrolet the manufacturers championship in Nextel Cup. Chevrolet has won 18 of 31 races, twice as many as Ford. Johnson, whose main sponsor is Lowe's stores, swept the races at the track, prompting him to refer to it as "my house."

Chase schedule needs a facelift

Sporting News, The, Oct 25, 2004 by Lee Spencer

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