Updated Oct. 30
"Merger Mania" in the land of NASCAR, changes to the Chase and NASCAR's policy when qualifying is rained out top this week's comments from our readers.
From: miikeyfan1599
It is reported that NASCAR told GEM they cannot field Toyotas next season, when did NASCAR start dictating what manufacturer a team could run?
Gillett-Evernham Motorsports (GEM) has been in talks with nearly every possible team in the garage area looking to merge including Bill Davis Racing, which is down to a one car, non-sponsored team since Caterpillar is leaving the No. 22 for Richard Childress Racing. From what I've been able to gather, the report that NASCAR vetoed a GEM-BDR merger and a complete switch to Toyota is false. The stumbling block in all of this is the status of Dodge and Chrysler and the future of the struggling company. If the manufacturer can't live up to its promise of supplying engines and support to GEM, its flagship Cup organization, the team needs to know that and make a move ASAP. But whether Toyota wants to support another team and a possible additional three cars is another question. Regardless, NASCAR has no say in what the teams and manufacturers decide to do.
From: farmpage
I agree with your assessment, Pete. This so-called playoff setup is a complete bust. Personally, I blame the new cars, chase schedule and NASCAR's lack of vision for the sport's continued decline. If NASCAR doesn't make drastic changes, this sport will be in jeopardy of losing the majority of their die-hard base. I've been a faithful supporter of NASCAR for the past 10 years, but it's becoming more difficult to stomach these boring races.
I think the Chase is still a good idea in concept but the execution could be tweaked. While I'm not in favor of Jack Roush's cry for a mulligan, I believe having the drivers in the Chase battling for points only against each other would generate a tighter battle and make the championship stretch more of a pure title run. I'm also in favor of changing the schedule and tracks within the Chase for a more diverse group that needs to definitely include at least one short track and not as many 1.5-mile speedways.
From: keough
NASCAR is killing interest in the Chase by starting the races so late. They should all start at 12 noon or 1 p.m. local time no exception. I cannot spend six hours of my day in front of the television and stick with races that end way past six or seven in the evening.
Blame the folks who run television networks for that problem, the same geniuses who start World Series games at 8:35 at night. By pushing back the start of races, television is hoping to lure more West Coast viewers. But that strategy hasn't seemed to work with television ratings flat or declining this season. There is something to be said for knowing each week -- with the exception of Saturday night or an occasional West Coast race, all green flags will come at 1 p.m. ET, just like the NFL does with its early game kickoff every week. It is appointment television.
From: timdf9
What was wrong with the old point system? The Chase hasn't done anything to ramp up excitement.
It doesn't matter what system NASCAR uses, some fans will find fault. I remember how many fans were upset that the pre-Chase system was boring, now all of sudden there's a great clamoring for that format. Everyone points to the exciting 1992 point championship between Alan Kulwicki and Bill Elliott, but in reality when you throw that one out, the old system rarely had a championship battle left alive heading into the final two or three races. The bottom line is when someone is as good as Jimmie Johnson and Co. are, no matter what the format or system for crowing a champion, things won't be close.
From: 7ees
Ten times qualifying has been rained out this year and NASCAR has never tried to reschedule it over the course of a weekend. Why?
NASCAR's current policy is to line the field up based on owner points if qualifying is rained out, and as you point out, that has happened 10 times this season. I think the sanctioning body owes it to fans and competitors to make one attempt at rescheduling qualifying over the course of a weekend, and an early Saturday morning window should be built into the timeline to do just that. If weather doesn't allow that to happen again, then use the points. But at least tinker with the schedule and try.
