We interrupt this year’s Chase by pausing to
reflect on the race.
Once again 12 drivers this weekend will
begin their quest for the Sprint Cup Series championship with Sunday’s kickoff
of the 10-race sprint to the title.
And once again, the other 31 drivers in the
field will take a back seat for the rest of the season to the media attention,
whether it’s TV, radio or print.
There is an argument to be made that those
who don’t perform well enough to make the Chase haven’t earned the right to
such exposure.
In general there is merit to that argument,
but it assumes a fact not in evidence: Race fans are fans of their particular
driver all season – all 38 points and non-points races – not just the first 26
races of the season.
In other words, fans of Carl Edwards and are
still looking to follow Edwards the same way in the final 10 races as they did in
the first 26 points races, regardless of whether he made the Chase.
This has always been struggle of the Chase
format.
Indeed, it creates multiple new storylines
at the end of the season, but those new storylines overshadow many of the ones
that typically covered when the Chase is not underway.
NASCAR veteran Mark Martin has been outspoken
in his career about how winning individual races was once held in far more
reference than it is today.
In large part that is because winning the
Chase – and the issues affecting its participants – become the focus of
attention in the final 10 races.
Martin, who is running a partial schedule
and not in the Chase, reiterated his stance again this week.
“We race for the same reasons that we raced
before the Chase started and that’s to win. The Chase does a lot of wonderful
things, but it isn't the only thing going on. The event is about winning,”
Martin said.
“Clint Bowyer won Richmond. That to me is
more important than points. The championship, the points and the Chase all do
add to what we do. I am not degrading it. But I also think in today’s age that
winning a race is underrated.”
You can’t say it better than that.
