I think it was 1998 when jeff gordon had to just show up to the penultimate race to win the cup. The restrictor plate races have made points races closer, but mostly late in the year. Talladega would knock contenders out of the running.
@yes-it-is-i If we’re going back to all of history then it’s 1967 Richard Petty, who clinched it with 9 races left, if we’re just talking the modern era it’s 1975, who only needed to start the 5th to last race to clinch the championship, basically winning 5 races in advance. Morale of the story: Richard Petty is the GOAT
The worst part to me is how in all of the updated formats none of them would have given Ryan Newman the championship anyway, Jimmie Johnson would have with a hot streak in the final 10 races. Their solution was to not fix the problem
I feel like what people seem to forget is that Matt Kenseth won the most races year prior in 2002 and finished 8th in the standings. So I feel like NASCAR forgot that it was common.
No different than when Terry won the championship win 2 wins and Jeff finished second with 10 wins. No matter the format consistency wins championships.
And this is why they went to the playoff format. May have taken almost 20 years to get to where they are now with it, but it definitely emphasizes wins a lot more.
And 11 years later Ryan Newman almost broke it again in 2014 by almost beating Kevin Harvick for the title. Just another reason why the chase format sucks.
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whats the earliest a nascar season has ended? and with restrictor plate racing does that cause closer seasons?
I think it was 1998 when jeff gordon had to just show up to the penultimate race to win the cup. The restrictor plate races have made points races closer, but mostly late in the year. Talladega would knock contenders out of the running.
@yes-it-is-i If we’re going back to all of history then it’s 1967 Richard Petty, who clinched it with 9 races left, if we’re just talking the modern era it’s 1975, who only needed to start the 5th to last race to clinch the championship, basically winning 5 races in advance. Morale of the story: Richard Petty is the GOAT
@@BrandonA1That ‘67 season is the closest NASCAR came to resembling a F1 season. Petty went god mode on the field.
The worst part to me is how in all of the updated formats none of them would have given Ryan Newman the championship anyway, Jimmie Johnson would have with a hot streak in the final 10 races. Their solution was to not fix the problem
Yea thats stupid u cant have 8 wins and u tell me u cant seal the championship okay.
If you cant finish the other races then you dont deserve to be champion
And it makes people question the legitmacy of the sport for the past 20 years.
But if you ask me Brian France was high on oxycodone.
I feel like what people seem to forget is that Matt Kenseth won the most races year prior in 2002 and finished 8th in the standings. So I feel like NASCAR forgot that it was common.
Stop this stupid narrative. Nascar broke Nascat, not Matt
No different than when Terry won the championship win 2 wins and Jeff finished second with 10 wins. No matter the format consistency wins championships.
Even with the changes it got broken again by another Matt in 2019, Matt Crafton literally went winless and won the championship with consistency
And this is why they went to the playoff format. May have taken almost 20 years to get to where they are now with it, but it definitely emphasizes wins a lot more.
Its a terrible system and has done more harm to NASCAR than fox, COT, cookie-cutter tracks, and over-priced tickets have combined.
Worst decision NASCAR ever made. They havent had a real champion since, all contrived. Then they wonder why the are irrelevant today.
While 100% unfair to him, it is the reason the original “Chase for the Cup” got dubbed “The Matt Kenseth Rule”!
Not to mention, when Matt Kenseth won the championship in 2003, he finished DEAD LAST at Homestead.
Ironic lmao
And 11 years later Ryan Newman almost broke it again in 2014 by almost beating Kevin Harvick for the title. Just another reason why the chase format sucks.
The 1 St year of the play off Tony Stewart should have been the champ and embarrassed NASCAR but they are alright with stupid decision’s
I’m sorry but there is no correct way to decide a championship in motorsports other than based on who has the most points at the end of the season