NASCAR officials were hoping their media-created Chase for the Championship would keep sports fans from watching professional and college football on fall weekends.
The truth of the matter is NASCAR can’t compete with the NFL on any given Sunday and watching the Chase this year is about as exciting as watching a Colorado family trying to land a reality television contract with a hoax. Ratings are down from last year for every Chase race this year, and the numbers are likely to continue to slide before there is any turnaround.
Internet posters following the race on the Jayski Web site were posting comments like “NASCAR sucks and the racing is boring.”
That’s been the case ever since the Car of Tomorrow (Today) was introduced. Cookie cutter cars on cookie cutter race tracks. The 1.5-mile tracks have no character, no uniqueness that will draw fans’ interest.
Granted there are still five races remaining before NASCAR crowns a champion, but the reality is the hunt for the title could all be over when the checkered flag waves at Martinsville.
Jimmie Johnson has won three of the first five Chase races and has opened up a 90-point lead over teammate Mark Martin. Another Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon is third, 135 points back.
Johnson has won two races in a row and now heads to Martinsville, where he has visited the winner’s circle five times in the past six races.
If Johnson leaves Martinsville with a third consecutive win, the fat lady better start tuning up her pipes because the championship will all but be decided.
Five races into the Chase and the field of 12 championship contenders has been whittled down to six drivers with no chance of hoisting the trophy and three pretenders in the Chase.
It certainly seems logical at this point that the champion will be a driver with Hendrick Motorsports, either Johnson, Martin or Gordon. Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch can still be considered long shots, but both teams have to turn things up more than a notch or two.
Fans and media have to recognize that when it comes to the Chase, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have it figured out.
Consistency is the name of the game and winning three races sure does wonders for your average finish.
The only real stumbling block for Johnson is Talladega. After that comes three more cookie cutter 1.5-mile tracks that the team has mastered.
Juan Pablo Montoya, who took a hit at Charlotte over the weekend, was finishing in the top and still falling further behind the Lowe’s Chevrolet every week.
NASCAR recently announced the first five inductees into its Hall of Fame. It had better be leaving a spot for Johnson, who is cruising to a fourth consecutive title.
In other racing news
Kyle Busch had high praise for the Champion Racing Association regulars that he has been competing with
during the 2009 season. Busch has raced with the series at Lanier, Berlin, Anderson and Winchester this year.
Following his win in the Winchester 400, Busch said it was tough competition, mechanical problems and on-track incidents that knocked out several contenders for the win.
Like him or not, Busch is one of the Cup drivers that supports short-track late model racing with more than lip service. I for one hope he continues to compete with the CRA teams in 2010.
Contact Ken de la Bastide at 454-8580 or ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com.
Auto Racing
Ken de la Bastide: Chase for title loses its allure
- Auto Racing
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Ken de la Bastide: Barrichello might move to IndyCar
Although the IZOD IndyCar Series lost its most identifiable driver with the move of Danica Patrick to NASCAR, possible changes could raise the level of competition to new heights. The IZOD IndyCar season starts on March 25 and there is a chance a veteran Formula One driver could be in the mix.
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Ken de la Bastide: Stewart could aid Danica
With the Daytona 500 less than a month away, one of the big unknowns is will Danica Patrick have to race her way into the starting field or will car owner Tony Stewart buy her way in?
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Danica ditches Indy
Danica Patrick became a worldwide sensation as a rookie at the Indianapolis 500, challenging for victory and becoming the first woman to lead laps in the showcase race.
Those Indy days are fading fast.
Patrick’s shift to stock cars is long under way, and her ties to IndyCar were cut even further Monday — she said she won’t run in this year’s Indy 500. -
Ken de la Bastide: Changes looming in July
The race schedule around the Brickyard 400 this coming July will look different than in years past, but there will still be plenty of short track racing action.
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Ken de la Bastide: IndyCar back to the Mile?
Last week I received several comments regarding the lack of oval races on the 2012 IZOD IndyCar schedule.
One reader noted, correctly, that a factor for scheduling races on oval tracks has been a lack of attendance. Another reader also correctly stated that the oval races need to be promoted better to attract fans, and of course sponsorship dollars are a necessity. -
Kirby opens 2012 with Street Stock win
Tight racing through the first half of the EDCO Welding Street Stock feature gave way to leaders mixing it up in Turn 2, with Jimmy Kirby emerging as the leader.
Above normal temperatures and sunny skies on Saturday brought out more than 80 race teams and a healthy crowd of fans for the Aqua System New Year’s Bash presented by EDCO Welding. -
Ken de la Bastide: Indy 500 is top race of 2011
There should be little doubt that the 100th anniversary race of the Indianapolis 500 was the best event of 2011. One could almost make the case that the race has vaulted the “500” back to the top of all motorsports.
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‘Limitless’ racing factor in fatal Vegas wreck
Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s “limitless” racing surface was singled out Thursday as a significant factor in a “perfect storm” of conditions that led to the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.
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Ken de la Bastide: Schmidt receives well-deserved honor
It was heartening to see last week that IZOD IndyCar team owner Sam Schmidt was presented with the 2011 Achievement Award at the International Motorsports Industry Show.
Schmidt was paralyzed in 2000 during testing at the Walt Disney World Speedway and the next year formed Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
The team has found success in Indy Car racing, having won five Indy Lights championships with 46 race wins, and also has fielded cars in the IZOD IndyCar series for the past nine years. -
Ken de la Bastide: Give fans of racing a nice gift
It’s that time of the year for people to scramble to find that perfect Christmas gift for everyone on their shopping list.
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