4 of top 5 at Talladega

[302BOB]

Steveespo should be happy! I'll root for Blaney tomorrow..........

 

[TMSBOSS]

Brad has control of fourth spot. Drive smart and score a top ten and he is in.

 

[302BOB]

Kenseth wins Phoenix but Keselowski gets final playoff spot for showdown at Homestead next week. 2 Fords & 2 Toyotas will be going for the title

 

[JDee]

As a Kenseth fan since his Roush days, hell since his Busch days with Robbie Reiser, I could not have written a better ending than that one. Just perfect. Now for Harvick or Kez to close the deal.

 

[302BOB]

I'm not up with the latest rules...What if the four in the chase don't win? Does it go to the best finisher of the four? I liked the old days better............

 

[TMSBOSS]

I do t like when a champ is crowned 2-3 races before the end of the season.

And yes, the first of the four to take the checkered flag wins

 

[302BOB]

With this set up, a DNF would spell disaster for one of the four contenders (unless of course they all experience one, unlikely!) I expect them to run a safe race and if it comes down to the final laps then it's pedal to the metal.

 

[TMSBOSS]

You mean.....Like last year??

 

[302BOB]

I guess that's what it has come down to with the new format...At Homestead, Race careful and hope you're around at the end. In the old days, if you had a chance for the title you'd race your tires off (among other things) for a win.

 

[TMSBOSS]

And most had no chance by the last race. The title was sometimes decided two races before the end of the year.

The new program makes for interesting racing, an interested fan base and something to talk about. How can that be wrong??

 

[JDee]

Well, the only thing is that since about when they came out with the whole Chase/playoffs thing they've been bleeding fans, both at the track and at the TV. A couple of races didn't decline this year, but most continued the downward trend that's been going on since about when the Chase came out. Pretty much every track has taken out a lot of seating. Maybe that's got nothing to do with the format change, but it sure is suspicious!

I hope it stabilizes, I've enjoyed Nascar's series for a lot of years and it'd be a damn shame if it tanked.

 

[TMSBOSS]

The race in Phoenix was sold out. If the new format was the problem, explain why the final, playoff races, are so popular.
All live sports events are in decline. When your market declines, you can change or die. The NFL has issues since Before the latest brain fart.
The real issue is the young viewers watch everything on a fiat screen through streaming feeds. Getting them into a seat will not happen by doing the same thing they currently ignore. Segment racing Now has viewers interested three times a race, not just at the end. There are four possible champs with only one race remaining. Why are these things bad? Or are they just different?

 

[302BOB]

Hard to believe Matt Kenseth's NASCAR racing career is coming to an end. Sure sign the young guns are taking over. I still hold out hope he may be signed by some team for next season.

 

[TMSBOSS]

Matt is a great driver who usually keeps his emotions in check. I have to wonder how much damage he did to his career when he took Joey out.

 

[302BOB]

Nobody is a "Saint" when it comes to racing. If memory serves me right Logano had some pay back coming his way.If Matt had his roots in the south instead of Wisconsin maybe he would have been more "marketable"?

 

[TMSBOSS]

Have to agree to disagree on this one. Matt was several laps down and went out of his way to wreck Joey. In an earlier race Joey did move Matt when Matt was blocking. No wreck in that one. Matt’s action was serious enough that Nascar benched a former champ for four races. Had Joey sought criminal charges for assault, he likely would have won in court.

 

[302BOB]

Point well taken. Matt's retribution was very blatant and extreme. I believe that stems from the seething anger Matt felt from when Logano moved him previously and knocked him out of playoff contention. That will surely burn and fester after a while.

 

[TMSBOSS]

Agree. Matt's fans can claim foul as well as Joey's. Matt was blocking and Joey had the faster car. Matt got moved but not wrecked. He continued on. Matt took his revenge destroying Joey's car after he was 8 laps down. Hard to expect owners and sponsors to ignore that day.

 

[302BOB]

The past aside...Who's going to be the new Champ Sunday???...Harvick....Kyle Busch...Truex....or Kesolowski???...I'm still hoping Truex can pull it off.....after that it's the Pollock I'm rootin for after that I suppose Harvick would be better than Kyle.....Kyle is in his own world when it comes to racing and so are his fans. That's why I'm ducking while I type this............

 

[TMSBOSS]

Harvick. Then Truex.