200 laps of racing at Chicagoland Speedway to set the field for the Xfinity Series’ inaugural Chase. Ho hum. I don’t really see where the Chase is going to add excitement to the series, but okay. Maybe, somehow, a different format will negate the boredom inspired by Cup drivers winning almost every Xfinity series race every week. I can’t see how, but maybe I lack imagination in this area. Since Kyle Busch is leading them to green, its really hard to imagine, but I do believe in miracles and wish for the best for this series. Barring a catastrophe of some sort we’ll likely see KyBu in the winner’s circle – again.<\/p>\n
Hmmm, what about bonus races. The claim is that the Truck and Xfinity series drivers learn from the Cup drivers participating in races. How about a system in which they Xfinity drivers do the first half of the season without Cup drivers in the races. Then the Dash for Cash goes to the Xfinity series driver who finishes the highest ahead of the Cup drivers at specified races. That way if the sponsors have to have the Cup guys in Xfinity, they get that, and the Xfinity series drivers are required to show their stuff as leaders – as good as Cup drivers – not just as not as good, but the best they have. The determination of who goes for the Dash would be the top five in the standings from the first half of the season, plus any drivers in the top twenty who won a race in the first part of the season. With the way the money isn’t evenly distributed, it seems, in Xfinity that should result in 6 or 8 drivers competing for the Dash.<\/p>\n
The drivers who get to compete in the Xfinity chase would then be the drivers who finish ahead of Cup drivers in races -that should be a requirement of competing in the Chase to remove the appearance of the Xfinity drivers being the best of the rest, so to speak.<\/p>\n
That seems to be one of the problems with the series. The racing is generally boring, because the outcome is typically known when Kyle Busch is in the field. To have teams with more money, better tech, routing teams without just isn’t that interesting to me as a fan. I know KyBu is a wonderful driver. Watching him beat those his owner can buy and sell many times over is boring and feels like bad sportsmanship. I’ve watched several drivers, talented drivers, without rich parents, or deep insider connections who struggle to get a decent ride, though they are obviously better drivers than those who know the right people. Since they aren’t in quality cars they don’t show as well and their careers seems to wither, while those less talented, but better connected go on the wreck the field week after week. It leaves me certain that the drivers I see in Cup aren’t the best the sport have to offer – just the ones who know the right people. Maybe I’m naive and its like that in every corner of our world, but I’d like to believe talent counts for something somewhere publicly.<\/p>\n
My real desire is to let the Cup drivers compete in the series and really teach the Xfinity drivers by driving the Xfinity series drivers’ cars and letting the Xfinity guys drive their cars. The big money teams, have bigger money Cup teams behind them and put in r and d the small teams can’t dream of. So, since those drivers want to teach and love to race, let them get in cars that need their expertise and feedback and elevate the level of the teams with less money and the teams with less expertise. A weekly car swap determined by drawing numbers or straws – determined randomly. The better the overall field, the better the racing, the more fans will be drawn to the series, and the more drivers who will actually be ready for Cup racing in their future. Win-win-win!<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 5 of 200 for Derricke Cope getting into the outside wall.<\/p>\n
Competition caution on lap 25 of 200.<\/p>\n
Clint Bowyer in the 88 caused a bit of a kerfuffle on pit road running into Daniel Suarez and another car and running Ty Dillon into the grass. Come on ‘Drunk Daddy’ – you’re a Cup driver – drive like one.<\/p>\n
Caution is out during green flag pit stops for a spin by Ryan Reed on lap 83 of 200. He appeared to be trying to get onto pit road.<\/p>\n
Caution on the restart on lap 89 of 200 for Travis Kvapil in the 15 laying down fluid around the track.<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 101 of 200 for another visit to the wall by Ryan Reed after getting together with ‘Kutey’ Kyle Larson. Reed was trying to clear Kutey Kyle and didn’t quite have him cleared when RR’s right rear met Larson’s left front and Ryan met the wall.<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 112 of 200 for possible fluid in turn two.<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 160 of 200 for Jordan Anderson stalled on the backstretch.<\/p>\n
Caution on lap 182 of 200 for a spin by KyBu due to a flat right rear tire – it appears. He was leading when he went around.<\/p>\n
Restarting with 14 laps to go.<\/p>\n
KyBu also got a penalty for ‘too many men over the wall’ so he starts at the tail end of the lead lap.<\/p>\n
Erik Jones wins. <\/p>\n
Kyle Larson ended up scraping the wall and scraping off speed to finish second.<\/p>\n
Elliott Sadler finished third and Justin Allgaier finished fifth. Congrats guys.<\/p>\n
2016 Xfinity Series Chase Field:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n NASCAR News:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 200 laps of racing at Chicagoland Speedway to set the field for the Xfinity Series’ inaugural Chase. Ho hum. I don’t really see where the Chase is going to add excitement to the series, but okay. Maybe, somehow, a different format will negate the boredom inspired by Cup drivers winning almost every Xfinity series race … <\/p>\n\n
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Next Race: Kentucky<\/h3>\n
GO 48!!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"