Like any good partner, NASCAR keeps trying to made amends in a relationship in which passion is waning. It wants to make nice with fans. You know who you are. You are tired of NASCAR going corporate more and more each year, squeezing out the small-town tracks steeped in tradition. You are frustrated with the playoff format that has turned into Dudsville, courtesy of Jimmie Johnson's four consecutive titles.
There's hope. We think.
CEO Brian France recently said NASCAR is considering a significant overhaul to its championship Chase.
"If we have the perfect Chase that we would love to see, it would be just like every commissioner would tell you," he told reporters before Sunday's Brickyard 400. "They'd like to see great playoff events … action-packed, close games, great storylines. That's what anybody's after. We're no different."
France didn't delve into a lot of details, but he likes the idea of a system that would eliminate drivers from the playoffs. One idea involves eliminating drivers halfway through the Chase, trying to replicate the drama of the fall race at Richmond, which sets the 12-car field for the Chase. Under that scenario, five drivers could be eliminated after the first four races and five more four or five races later.
"It comes with some version as you go along where certain races in the Chase, you have to win or do very, very well, to move on," France said. "When you peel that back and look at it, it's not that different."
The possible tweaking of the Chase format — much like the Chase format itself — is a reactionary move by NASCAR to continue to manufacture drama.
In attempts to think bigger, NASCAR has shrunk with TV ratings that are stagnant and attendance that is sagging.
It's understandable France and company want to look for ways to spark interest. But it's also fair to suggest they have a hand in the decline because they have shifted the dynamics so drastically that many fans have walked away.
"I don't really have a problem with the way it's structured," driver David Reutimann said. "Obviously, there could be some little tweaks here and there, but I don't think we need to go in and overhaul it either. It's not perfect. Nothing is … but if NASCAR can continue to make it better and add more excitement, I think it will be a win-win."
France said he will attend focus groups with fans in a few weeks to gather perspective. He will also gauge reaction from insiders in the garage.
gdiaz@tribune.com