Fan's Eye View ~ So, Why Would We Still Have An All-Star Race?
3/18/2013
Jim Fitzgerald
Most of us are aware, now, that NASCAR has introduced a new
method for determining the eligibility to enter the Chase, and therefore give
the drivers the ability to fight for and earn a Championship. More of an emphasis is being put onto
winning, and the new phrase, “Win And You’re In” is
heard on almost a weekly basis. A driver
who wins a race is almost guaranteed a spot in the ten race playoff to
determine the annual Champion. In addition to almost having a Chase position locked up,
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Carl Edwards would
have now, if they had not before, earned the right to race in the All-Star Race
in Charlotte, eight days before the Memorial Day weekend tradition of the
Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. So, now that
every race is, for the most part, thought of as a “bring me the trophy or bring
me the steering wheel” type of event, why are we having an All-Star Race which
could be exactly the same as weekly race, except there are a lesser amount of
drivers, and winning the thing doesn’t give you the same benefit as winning any
other race during the season, save for the preliminary races at Daytona in
February each season. While there are many fans in favor of the new system as it
is supposed to make for more exciting racing and eventual finishes, some are
against it because it bucks the long time tradition of consistency as the major
determining factor. Whether it does
product better racing or not in the long run is yet to be seen, but what may
have happened in the process is that the All-Star Race, which, while
convoluted, inconsistent and strange, was a bit of a special event. Winners of the current season and previous
one, would battle alongside those who were previous winners of the event and
the skillful and lucky ones to transfer into the main event by winning or
finishing well enough in the preliminary race. Now, in the weekly seasonal races, points still matter, in
case there are not sixteen or more race winners. However, the emphasis is still on winning the
race, and we have seen, as recent as last week, that gambles for wins are being
made with little consideration given to actual finishing position earned,
unless of course, that position is first.
The All-Star Race, with its predetermined segments and forced pit stops
did not allow for many strategy gambles and it was usually the best car, or the
best car that finished, anyway, which would bring home the win and a place in
the record books. Money is still an
inspiring incentive, to be sure. Is it
enough, however, to
push the drivers to try to win the event with the great fervor, when the
ultimate goal of just winning each week now is the same? For more than a few regurgitations of the annual All-Star
spectacle, many have been calling for a complete overhaul, or even the
elimination of the race. Now, because
the emphasis of winning or more prevalent each week, perhaps the time has come, maybe even passed, to really blow up the event and make it something that matters once more. The probability of NASCAR cancelling the
event is so ridiculous just because of the amount of money involved. The two-week stay in the heart of NASCAR
draws in fans for extended vacations, and extended spending, so not having the
All-Star Race is probably at or near the top of the list of things NASCAR is
not interested in at this time. The All-Star Race, for everything that it is, is a tired
repetitive spewing out of the same thing every year. The only consistency the event usually sees
is that the way the race will be run, is inconsistent. We have seen, over the years, changes in
driver eligibility, length of the race, format of the race in segments and
laps, how the pole is determined, and who will start where in which
segment. Even that was based on things
such as previous segment winners and the ever popular jumbling of the
field. Then even THAT itself was
determined in multiple ways, such as a predetermined number or a fan vote, and
wasn’t the spinning of a wheel used as well? The All-Star Race used to be a breath of fresh air. It was
different, and the goal of the driver of each car was simple. Win, and do so at most any cost. We saw that unfold many times with the 1987
Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt “Pass in the Grass” (not even a pass, really), the
1989 Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip “I hope he chokes on that $200,000.00,” the
1994 Ernie Irvan and Geoff Bodine “Fail in the Grass” (that certainly was not a
pass), and of course, the 1992 version, “One Hot Night,” with Dale Earnhardt,
Kyle Petty, and Davey Allison. What does NASCAR have planned for the future of the All-Star
Race? At this point, who knows, but if
something is not drastically changed about the event, it will continue to be
stale, and could become a shorter version of each weekly race with fewer
participants.
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