NASCAR's new 2011 Chase format will have a new twist

[KIDWCKED]

c/p from foxsports by Tom Jensen
Twelve NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will make the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2011 — the top 10 in points and the two drivers not in the top 10 who have the most race victories in NASCAR’s 26-race regular season.

When NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France goes on SPEED live at 7 p.m. ET, he is expected to confirm that arrangement, along with a points system that gives 43 points to race winners and then one-point increments down to just one point for the last-place finisher, sources have told SPEED.com. Each driver who leads a lap will get one bonus point, and regular-season race winners are expected to get two or three Chase bonus points for each victory.

There will be no knockout rounds in the Chase, as NASCAR had hinted at earlier.

FOXSports.com is reporting that the qualifying order for Sprint Cup will be set by practice speeds. The slowest car in the field will be first in time trials until the fastest car on the practice speed chart completes its qualifying run. The Truck Series implemented the same procedure last season. If qualifying is rained out, the lineup will be set by the top practice speeds. In the past, the field has been set by points.

SPEED.com will have much more detail on this story as it develops today and tonight.

[Night Prowler]

I like the idea of using prctice speeds.....as some with try to set up for qualifying and some set up for long runs......but......lets throw a monkey wrench into it......use the practice speeds to get into the show......then.....each driver draws a number to set the field........make the strong runners week in week out earn the win........:D

[KIDWCKED]

I like the idea of using prctice speeds.....as some with try to set up for qualifying and some set up for long runs......but......lets throw a monkey wrench into it......use the practice speeds to get into the show......then.....each driver draws a number to set the field........make the strong runners week in week out earn the win........:D

Definately make for a better show,and much more competitive.Ecspecially at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega.Cheers:D

[Night Prowler]

Definately make for a better show,and much more competitive.Ecspecially at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega.Cheers:D

i think even the small tracks........not as easy to pass.....make them work for it......cause some more wrecks....:lol:

[KIDWCKED]

i think even the small tracks........not as easy to pass.....make them work for it......cause some more wrecks....:lol:

Certainly not going to help us with our weekly pool piks thou...:noidea:

[Night Prowler]

Certainly not going to help us with our weekly pool piks thou...:noidea:

that's the luck of the draw......:D

[KIDWCKED]

that's the luck of the draw......:D

Sounds like more fun as well.Like a crap shoot!Do you pick the person on the front row or the #48 or 18 car starting further back??Hmmmm

[marlo803]

:thumbsup:definitly makes it different,thus more exiciting..and as np said more wrecks...nobody getting hurt of course!!!

[oak]

We were discussing this at the local watering hole yesterday and the thought came up that at a given track on a day when the temps are cooler and going to be warming up as the day goes on making the track slicker.....will some teams opt to not make a qualifying run during parctice? Meaning they could go out first when there could be more grip? I believe this could end up in some teams strategy.