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The NASCAR Nextel Media tour kicks off Monday morning but the long-waited announcement regarding changes to the Chase will be the showstopper of the week. NASCAR sources have confirmed that the Chase field will increase from 10 drivers to 12 and that 10 additional points will be awarded for wins.
NASCAR introduced the Chase for the Nextel Cup format three years ago, after Matt Kenseth smoked the field in 2003. Kenseth led the point standing for 33 consecutive weeks. Kenseth established a 418-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr., entering the final 10 races, clinched the title in the next-to-last race and finished the season 90 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson.
Despite introducing the Chase in 2004, NASCAR didn't change the way points were awarded in the first 26 races. Instead, the sanctioning body created what amounts to a playoff system by cutting the championship-eligible field to the top-10 drivers (and those within 400 points of the lead) for the final 10 races. The 10 title contenders were bunched within 45 points for the Chase, but scoring for the individual races remained essentially unchanged from the system Bob Latford had introduced 29 years earlier.
During the last three Chases, the championships have all been decided in the season finale. Despite the intensity generated by the Chase, TV ratings started to slide over the past year. The slump and pressure from team sponsors whose drivers were on the cusp of the Chase have prompted NASCAR officials to review the current program. Certainly, offering a 10-point incentive to drivers for wins should help eliminate teams' willingness to settle for top-five finishes when a little additional risk might result in victory.
NASCAR also will announce the seven winning drivers in its Drive for Diversity talent search. The finalists were selected from more than 300 minority applicants.
NASCAR introduced the Chase for the Nextel Cup format three years ago, after Matt Kenseth smoked the field in 2003. Kenseth led the point standing for 33 consecutive weeks. Kenseth established a 418-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr., entering the final 10 races, clinched the title in the next-to-last race and finished the season 90 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson.
Despite introducing the Chase in 2004, NASCAR didn't change the way points were awarded in the first 26 races. Instead, the sanctioning body created what amounts to a playoff system by cutting the championship-eligible field to the top-10 drivers (and those within 400 points of the lead) for the final 10 races. The 10 title contenders were bunched within 45 points for the Chase, but scoring for the individual races remained essentially unchanged from the system Bob Latford had introduced 29 years earlier.
During the last three Chases, the championships have all been decided in the season finale. Despite the intensity generated by the Chase, TV ratings started to slide over the past year. The slump and pressure from team sponsors whose drivers were on the cusp of the Chase have prompted NASCAR officials to review the current program. Certainly, offering a 10-point incentive to drivers for wins should help eliminate teams' willingness to settle for top-five finishes when a little additional risk might result in victory.
NASCAR also will announce the seven winning drivers in its Drive for Diversity talent search. The finalists were selected from more than 300 minority applicants.