Keep The Points System Simple Stupid

If the rumours were to be believed then NASCAR was looking to introduce a simpler points system for the 2011 season as an attempt to help fans understand the points race more easily... Keep It Simple Stupid...

On the surface what NASCAR have announced sounds nice and simple, but I simply don't get it.

So - 

In each race the driver finishing 1st gets 43 points, 43 drivers in a Cup race remember. 2nd place gets 42 points, 3rd gets 41, and so on to 43rd place receiving 1 point. So far so simple...

If you lead a lap you get an extra point, lead the most and get another point. So far so simple...

If you win the race you get an additional 3 bonus points... Hang on... so actually you get 46 for first, 42 for second, and 41 for third blah blah blah. This is the points system for all three of NASCARs top touring series. So far, erm, getting a bit complicated...

But what of the Chase...

When NASCAR resets the points for the 12 driver "Chase" the top 10 in points will be in. So far so simple...

The last two Chase spots will be given to the drivers who have the most wins from the drivers who finish the regular season in positions 11 to 20. If none of the 11th to 20th place drivers win a race then the 11th and 12th place drivers in regular season points will get spots in the Chase. So far, erm, getting complicated... again...

NASCAR have not announced the base line points for the Chase (i.e. the amount of points the drivers are given to separate them from the remainder of the field), but each race win in the regular season will count for another 3 bonus points when the Chase starts... I think... but only if you finished in the top 10 in points... not for the "Wildcard" drivers in the 11th and 12th chase spots, if they won any races... So far, well, what's the opposite of simple...

Everybody is going to have an opinion whatever NASCAR do, and making the points system simpler is a good idea if you are trying to access more fans. I am simply not sure if what NASCAR has done is any simpler than the old system. If you are simply aiming to put more emphasis on race wins then the new system may achieve that, but not simply. 

The basics of 43 points for first, 42 for second and so on are great. Awarding a bonus point for leading a lap and another for leading the most laps is good. After that it just gets more and more complicated. If you are going to award 3 bonus points for a win, every time, then they are not bonus points, the winner simply gets 46 points, and second gets 42. This is fine, why not just say that? I get the feeling that the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series have got the better end of the bargain with the new points system.

So is the new system a case of "Keep It Simple Stupid", or "Keep It Complicated Stupid," or "Stupidly Complicated", or "Stupidly Complicate it"??

To Overtake or Not to Overtake, that is the Question!

One of the biggest developments in the history of the racing car has to be in the area of aerodynamics.

From the early wings stuck way up in the air in the late 60's, to the Lotus ground effects cars of the late 70's, to the first high nose car Tyrell of the 90's, to today's aero wonders, the art of aerodynamics has come a long way!

Unfortunately as cars have become more aero-dependant (this is becoming one of my most common topics) the racing has suffered. Today the cars create so much "dirty air" behind them that the drivers find it very hard to race closely together.

The following is the opening paragraph from an Autosport.com article dated 25-1-11...

"Formula 1 teams and its bosses should get together and invest serious time and resource into understanding better how much overtaking the sport really needs, in a bid to improve grand prix racing."

The article centres around the views of Former Renault Technical Director Pat Symonds...

"I've said it many times before, but overtaking should be like a goal in football and not a basket in basketball. That is the sort of level you want."

Autosport says...

"In particular, he thinks technical chiefs would be better able to come up with rules that did improve the racing - if they were told exactly how much overtaking the sport's chiefs felt was needed."

The brains and I use the word loosely, behind F1 need to sit down to work out what exactly they are sitting down to discuss; have a meeting to arrange when to have a meeting, if you will.

How much overtaking is needed in F1??

Well "any or some" would be a start!! They have even set up an "OWG" or "Overtaking Working Group" to research the issue!?!?!

F1 doesn't need gimmicks to ensure the drivers can overtake, it simply needs to start looking at its rule book in the same way as NASCAR.

Before you throw things at the computer screen let me explain. NASCAR has concentrated on creating a grid of cars that can race together, run closely together, pass, or / and OVERTAKE!! With the latest Nationwide cars, NASCAR has worked out how to have different designs of cars with very even down force and drag levels. Obviously a NASCAR stock car and an F1 single seater are very different cars, so I am not saying this is an easy fix for F1.

I simply think F1 should spend more time solving the issue of getting the cars to drive nose to tail, than discussing what the issue is in the frst place, and how much overtaking F1 needs. If they can't answer that question maybe they should ask the TV audience, as they have know the answer for a while now!!

Cars that can drive inches apart will then be able to race and overtake each other on the right piece of tarmac. But that's another topic altogether... Now F1, stop talking and...

Get on with it!!

NASCAR Media Tour Answers Questions... Well sort of...

NASCAR Update -

• Drivers can race in any series but are only eligible for one championship... If a Nationwide only driver finishes a race in second, behind a Cup driver, they will receive the points and money for the second place finish...

This was rumoured, and is now confirmed. I am sure drivers like Harvick and Rowdy will still race in all series when they feel the need, but now they will not earn any points or money in the Nationwide and Truck Series. Hopefully this will put the emphasis on the new, younger drivers in the Nationwide and Truck series, while also allowing them to race against some of the top Cup series names!

• NASCAR wants simpler points system - but no announcement yet, rumours of 43 points for 1st, 42 for 2nd, 41 for 3rd etc with bonus points for wins, watch this space...

The current points system has been around since the dawn of time, and to be fair it isn't the easiest system to follow, but changing it would be another move away from tradition. Making the Championship points race easier to follow would be an attempt at making NASCAR more accessible for fans who maybe find it hard to follow at the moment. While I may like the tradition, this has to be a good thing...

• NASCAR is thinking about changing which drivers are eligible for the Chase... maybe to include top 10 in points plus top 2 race winners not already eligible...

Again only a rumour at the moment. It sounds like NASCAR are trying to put more of an emphasis on race wins. Not sure of the implication of this one yet. To an "old school" fan the Chase, in any format, is wrong, and to a new fan the Chase is what it is, so I am not sure what NASCAR is trying to achieve with this sort of restructuring.

• No fuel injection for 2011, maybe introduced for 2012...

At a time when sponsorship money is in short supply NASCAR were never going to rush a change as dramatic as moving from the prehistoric carbs to fuel injection. This year's change is the new fronts on the cars, next years may be the fuel injection, and 2013 may bring more wholesale changes to the bodies of the cars. Bit by bit NASCAR are upgrading the race cars as they learn what works, while also minimising the financial pressure on the teams.

• NASCAR are happy with the testing speeds of just under 200mph for the Daytona 500. Sounds good to me... can't wait!! 

The Daytona 500 could be a good un!! New tarmac, slightly higher speeds but still with the ability to draft and overtake! Bring it on...

• Is this years watch word CREDIBILITY or K.I.S.S!?

The question of...  "How do you credibly keep it simple stupid?" seems to be the one question facing NASCAR from the inside. While they are attempting to lure back fans and sponsors, the media seem to be questioning the credibility of late decisions and late announcements. As long as the show is good, then give NASCAR some space guys. As I have said before... you can't keep everybody happy all of the time... 

• New Sprint Cup Director - Position still open!!

Where do I apply...

The NASCAR IV Drip Continues

So the NASCAR pre-season rumours are still flying around. 

Changes to the Chase format? Changes to the points system? Changes to this, changes to that... Change for changes sake is not necessarily the answer.

Why make changes? Answer... the fans aren't happy and TV viewing figures and attendance figures have fallen.

So why are the fans unhappy? Do they not like the cars? Do they not like the drivers? Do they not like the racing? Do they not like the tracks? Do they not like the Chase? Do they not like the points system? Do they not like the TV coverage? Do they not like the ticket prices? Do they not like the 48 winning all of the time? Any or all or a combination of the above?

NASCAR used to be a very traditional style of racing.  The cars traditionally have pushrod V8's with carburettors, they still have 4 speed stick shift transmissions and 3 pedals, they still have live rear axles, and small wheels with balloon tyres. They used to hold on to traditional venues and traditional races, and a traditional points system. For traditional read old fashioned, and to a certain extent long may tradition continue!

Certain things in NASCAR should stay "traditional". Others however, have changed, and are continuing to change. Some change is good, some, maybe not so good.

I understand the theory behind changing the points system; to make it simpler for the fans to understand. Do not however, think that changing the points system will change the outcome of a Championship. The cream will still rise to the top!

I am at a loss to understand the reason behind changing the "Chase", maybe as I am not sure of what the Chase was supposed to do in the first place. If it was introduced to help boost the TV figures once the NFL season started then that's one thing; if it was introduced to help the racing and keep the points race close then I am not so sure. Is changing the points system, to put more emphasis on winning in the regular system, fighting against the very existence of the Chase, which puts the emphasis on winning once the Chase has begun?

NASCAR has always been about the "show", and unlike wrestling NASCAR is a real sport. Maintaining the balance between "show" and "racing" is a hard one. I just hope the powers that be in Daytona are playing the long game, doing what they believe is for long term good and not attempting to answer the whims of those playing the short the game.

Good luck Messrs France, Pemberton and Helton, whatever you do somebody won't like it.

Speed... I Am Speed

Cars started out slow... they went slow, they stopped slow. Early vehicles used to follow a man on foot holding a flag... but that didn't last! Evolution and technical revolution has increased speeds!

In racing chassis designers, teams, engine builders, tyre specialists, engineers, drivers all spend a lot of time and money making cars faster, and brake manufacturers make the cars stop better than ever before. Each generation of race car becomes faster, changes gear quicker and stops quicker than the last.

Some forms of racing attempt to limit the constant advances by introducing restrictors, or by banning technological advancements, or by making the engines smaller. 

The question is... Can a race car be too fast??

 

I raise the question after reading a quote from Alan Gow, the British Touring Car Championship chief at this year's Autosport International show. Talking about the "Next Generation Touring Car" he said... (taken from Autosport.com)

"Very basic explanation behind it - it will be cheaper, faster and better looking,"

"How we have achieved that - basically you don't have to go through an expensive homologation process."

"The championship going forward will be cheaper to compete in, better for spectators to look at, and the cars will be nicer to drive and faster."

"We are not trying to make a race car out of a production car, it is a proper race car underneath,"

"There is no reason why it should not have been quicker, and this is just a beginning of development - there will be five cars on the grid to full NGTC spec – and the cars will get quicker and quicker all the time."

I like some of the ideas behind the NGTC (lower costs, standard mechanical parts, more saloon bodies, less emphasis on manufacturers to build cars), and dislike others (still front wheel drive, wings, wide arches, sequential 'boxes, big brakes) but I couldn't help but wonder... Can a race car go too fast to produce good racing?

I am generally of the opinion that the faster race cars go and the better they brake, the more aerodynamically efficient they are, the harder it is to overtake. So will starting with the premise that the new spec cars will be faster help the racing or hinder the racing?

The only time I can think of a championship slowing a new generation of race car was with the introduction of the NASCAR "COT" which slowed the speeds in the turns allowing for more side by side racing through those turns, but even the boxy COT is now quick again.

Is there a vehicle size, to speed, to tyre size and grip, to braking power, to engine power, to aero grip and drag ratio which makes for good racing, and does changing this ratio hurt the racing?

On one hand you have F1... huge cars with huge amounts of grip, huge power levels, huge amounts of technology, hugely aerodynamic cars, and very little "good" racing!

On the other hand you had the first generation of Ginetta Junior race car in the UK. 1.4 litre engines, no technology, no aerodynamics to speak of, long braking distances, and rear wheel drive made for some really good racing with lots of drafting and overtaking!

Ok, two very different series which you can't really compare, but you get the idea.

I genuinely hope the NGTC kick starts the BTCC as I want to like the series again but find it hard to at the moment. More cars on the grid, more types of cars on the grid can only be a good thing! I am looking forward to an interesting couple of years!

The NASCAR Intravenous Drip Kicks In

BIGGER SHOOTOUT AT THE BUDWEISER CORRAL!

Historically the Budweiser Shootout was the pre-season, crowd pleasing event for all drivers who earned a pole position in the past season. It was a bit of high speed fun, a good way to get fans interested in NASCAR again, a week before the season opener, the Daytona 500. 

This year NASCAR has opened the Shootout field to include the drivers that made it into the 2010 Chase, past Cup Series champions and past Bud Shootout champions, past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 champions and all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year drivers from 2001 to the present day. This means that 30 drivers will be racing in the Bud Shootout.

Do we care? On one hand it is another step away from tradition for NASCAR, on the other hand it is only the Budweiser Shootout. Did drivers want to get a pole as it gave them the chance to race in the next years Shootout, or did they want to start tomorrow's race from the front of the pack? It's still a short race, still a crowd pleaser, still a pre-season warm up. It gives NASCAR the chance to see how the track / plate / tyre / aero package works before the 500, with the chance to tweak it before the big race. 

To me the Budweiser Shootout is a bit of fun, nothing more, nothing less! As long as the Shootout remains a bit of fun, then the more the merrier!

WHATS YOUR POINT?

Rumours have it that from 2011 NASCAR drivers must choose which series in which they wish to earn championship points. No longer can a driver race in all three championships and earn drivers points in all three, from now you can only earn points in one. What effect will this have? Will it put Cup drivers off racing in the Nationwide or Truck series? Will it encourage the Nationwide only drivers, and put them at the top of the points charts, and back in in the limelight? I hope it does! Until NASCAR make an official announcment we can only speculate... and speculate we will!!

LOST AND FOUND!

Lost - Auto Club Speeday have lost 100 miles off of their only 2011 Cup Series race, making it 400 miles long. Found - New enthusiasm towards the Californian race?

You would hope that with a shorter race length would come a new sense of urgency in the race. Less laps means less time to sort your car out, less time to get to the front, and hopefully more excitement for the fans!

I think 400 miles should be the average NASCAR Cup Series race length. In my world I would have a few 500 mile races, including say Daytona, Darlington and Talladega, a few 500 lap races, Bristol and Martinsville for example, a 600 miler at Charlotte, and even a few 350's at some of the mile-and-a-half tracks, Pocono, and maybe even the second Martinsville race. The rest would be 400 miles long.

Shortening the Auto Club race is the first hint of the changes to come, and to keep us interested NASCAR will keep drip feeding the changes to us for as long as they can.

So NASCAR... if 2010 was "Have at it boys"... What's 2011... Bring it on!?

Missing That Feeling in the Pit of Your Stomach

I have always loved the Indy 500. Not just for the speed and drama of the race itself but also for the traditional off track activities... and long may those traditions continue!

From the drivers walking down the pit lane to their cars, Jim Nabors singing "Back Home Again In Indiana", the National Anthem and the flypast (flyover), to the "Ladies and Gentlemen Start Your Engines", the 3-wide rolling start and on to the race winners drink of milk in Victory Lane; the off track activities create a great feeling of tradition and occasion.

Watching the Indy 500 build-up I can't help but get that feeling in the pit of my stomach that something exciting, something that matters, no more than that... something important is about to happen!

The same thing happens when I watch a NASCAR restrictor plate race and especially the Daytona 500. It must be hard for NASCAR to build the excitement in the pre-race show as by the time race day rolls around we have already enjoyed the Truck race, the Nationwide race, and have seen the Cup drivers in a couple of races in these cars at this track, but THE DAYTONA 500 creates its own excitement!

For me the "stomach" moment usually occurs with about 75 laps to go as the race shifts up a gear and gets serious! No more rolling round, keeping out of trouble, being nice. It's time to pull the pin, deal your cards and just plain get on with it! Suddenly the cars close up, all the good guys are up front and the race is on!

The moment you find yourself hovering on the edge of your seat on the verge of falling off, or the moment you are unable to sit down any longer are what make great events and great races truly memorable!

Hurry up racing season... I miss that moment!

On a separate topic - 

You have got to read this! It is brilliant! 

http://www.grandprix.com/columns/maurice-hamilton/old-mos-almanac.html

ONLY 33 DAYS TO THE 2011 SHOOTOUT!!
Ok I am counting

Favourite Race Car - Another Updated Gallery (More Scans)

Over the Christmas break I had the chance to play with my scanner and found the following pictures which I wanted to preserve for prosperity. Once again, please forgive the picture quality as I am working with very basic equipment and software.

INDY 500

1992 Indy 500 winning Galmer as driven by Al Unser Jr. These were taken from the Autosport "Indy 500" preview magazine, and review article.
 

1993 Lola T93-00 again driven by Little Al, and again from the Autosport "Indy 500" preview magazine.

 

EUROCAR V6

Photos I took in the 1994 season at Birmingham Wheels.

More 1994 photos this time from Mallory Park.

A photo taken at the Formula Ford festival at Brand Hatch, in 1995 I think.

 

EUROCAR V8

Photos fro the 1996 Autosport International show. This was the first V8, Mike Jordans, as found on the BRSCC stand.

 







Other V8 photos taken at Mallory Park from the 1996 and 1997 seasons.