I usually agree with you, but I have to say I totally disagree with your view of the current playoff system. Sports should be based on a meritocracy not entertainment. The goal of the current playoff system is for creating entertainment in the form of drama. NASCAR is a sport with way too many moving parts to have a system like this in place to determine a champion based on short 3 race seasons to determine who moves on to the next round. This format was purely created in response to an old car with less parity and an overwhelming dominant Jimmie Johnson in the 2000s and 2010s causing a snooze fest. It's time to focus on this being a sport and less of entertainment imo.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Any system in which one driver can win 35/36 races and lose the championship because they came in 2nd in the final race of the season is not a valid championship format.
Yeah that's why popularity was so high in the 80's and 90's and without any stage racing or playoff system. I am ok with the stage racing, I went to some races in the 90's and guys would just run away & make it a bore fest, but the playoff crap needs to go.
Why? That’s 10 weeks away. That’s a full 1/3 of the season. Larson has had 2 top 10s in 9 weeks of the playoffs. Why should he deserve a shot in the final?
Just go back to one of the first two chase formats, and hopefully if 23XI and Front Row get what they want out of the charter agreement, eventually the old Winston cup format.
Yeah. Toyota totally had a last lap planned and in progress for almost 20 laps with Chevy holding up the field that caught them. Blocking the field from advancing when they are clearly faster for around 20 laps is a lot different then what the was done by Toyota in the last couple laps then in other races where blocking is for a couple laps for the win
It’s a lot easier to prove manipulation from Chevy because of their radio, a lot harder to prove that for Toyota. I’m a bowman fan and love Byron but Bell should be let in because that’s just not racing the way the 3 and 1 blocked and very interesting seeing the 23 have a “flat tire”
@@the_real_beaker_They did in fact have com’s about the 20 car being 1 point out, and Bubbas car had no issues in post race, no broken parts, no flat tires so you be the judge. Do I think he was moving over for Bell? Yeah, maybe not as blatant as a Clint Bowyer spin but it was obvious considering 23XI has an alliance with JGR
I like you Eric, but I don't think "what aboutisms" are valid counter points when disagreeing with Bell's post. I think it's actually the worst form of argumentation you could have. Just because one person doesn't get the proper jail sentence for murder, doesn't mean that the next person should get a free pass. At some point, NASCAR needs to put their foot down, otherwise, as we have already seen, it will only get worse.
He is pointing out blatant hypocrisy that we have seen across similar situations. A lot of people get caught it the moment it’s good to remember previous history
Whats the difference with this and at plate tracks when they push there manufacturer to the win like at Dega when #5 spotter told Larson to Lay off don't push him and lay off so Stenhouse could win is that not racing at 100%
Eric, I feel there's a pretty big difference between a teammate not passing someone and three 'competing' teams to work together and make it impossible for anyone else to pass.
Business is business, and Nascar has a majority of leverage and will control the shots. That being said, this is a unique situation we find ourselves in with the lawsuit, and parties not involving Nascar have an opportunity for change. A team has taken legitimate actions against Nascar to change the course from what has been the norm. But if it goes Nascars way, we won't see a team taking Nascar to court anytime soon. How could they knowing MJ's team couldn't do it themselves and risked it all.
It’s sad that the championship this year is full of so much controversy. If the 45 wins the championship, the team who is currently suing NASCAR and could race without charters next year, has proved themselves champions. If the 24 wins, people will argue that he shouldn’t even be in the championship to begin with. If the 22 wins, people argue that this is a fluke season, considering how low he’s been in points the whole year. And if the 12 wins, it’ll be the first back to back championship since the 48 in the late 2000s. This is the one scenario not filled with controversy, hopefully, this is the one that wins out.
The 12 still has the issue of not even being a top 5 driver this year. If anything, the 45 is the most deserving of the lot. And Nascar could use a little humbling
If you want something for the 12. He'll be the first driver in the playoffs to go back to back, while in both seasons breaking the record for the lowest average finish for a champion. (14.1 last year and i think 15.6 right now)
I was a hard core NASCAR fan starting back in the 70's but when they switched to current format I have totally stopped going to races and watching races on TV. I believe that they should run a 500 mile race for 500 miles not in stages. NASCAR does what it wants as far as penalties and have not been very consistent at all.
Team mates from the same shop helping each other is one thing, but multiple teams from different shops helping out one car is another thing, in my opinion.
It's crazy that Lason missed a whole race and is still that far in the lead. Is this system counting stage points? It's also crazy that Logano, a final 4 driver, is behind 3 guys that missed the playoffs.
Thank you for posting this to show even in a full season format it can be close and the most deserving driver will win. I'm tired of "we need game 7 moments" and stick and ball sports. We are a RACING series, please stop trying to be like stick and ball sports
I've been a consistent follower of @NASCAR for more than 50 years, beginning with listening to the races on MRN, years before they became televised. I've witnessed all of the points systems, as well as their results. I still believe the winner of the most races, (that run their advertised distance, and finish under the green) should be crowned Champion! 🏆 This way you would eliminate most of the controversial finishes. 👍 🇺🇸 @NASCAR
I’m gonna be honest I think there’s a big difference between JGR telling 2 teammate not to pass each other and Chevy with 10+ cars telling multiple people not to pass
I admire how you look at all sides of the issue! My driver Kyle Larson not making the top 4 for championship run was disappointing to me! However thank you for being honest and pointing out Kyle and his team did make some mistakes towards the end that kept him out of the top 4!🏁
To be fair, he made a comment about THIS race, not 4 years ago. He’s speaking in reference to the last 500 laps, and in that frame, he has a valid point. It’s unfair to attach his statement to 4 years worth of issues when he’s clearly speaking about this specific race. During THIS race, at the time of his post, Hendrick got the longer end of the stick.
Brother Bubba slowed down to let him pass just like Dillon/Ross wouldn't pass Byron. So even if 4 years ago didn't happen what about the exact same race?
@ as far as what’s been proven so far, the only transmission from the 23 is that he felt a “tire going down”, not a clearly coordinated effort to block half the field. Now I’m not here to pick a side, if there is some kind of proof that bubba made that issue up, then I’m all good with calling foul. I’m not even a 23 fan to be honest. However right now the evidence is stacked much more strongly against Chevy than the 23 as of now. I’m absolutely open to more information as it’s released but I’m gonna put my gut where the proof is.
@@Triton54 the 20 rode the wall that was clear and obvious, which is breaking the rules. NASCAR isn’t gonna deep dive into radio communications which would probably be almost impossible to prove that the plan that they were taking about was to block for the 24.
@ I wholeheartedly agree. I still understand why he would feel slighted when he broke the rules (obviously) and got nailed, while for the time being the Chevys rolling road block was allowed. As I said, I’m putting myself in bells shoes at the time the post was made. Now tomorrow we could find out the Chevy guys are getting penalized, that would also be correct. But bell didn’t write the post tomorrow, wrote it knowing what he knew at the time he wrote it.
@Triton54 I'm a fan of bell but he can't be mad he had the opportunity and screwed it up. Bubba was going to let him by and bell stuck it in the fence and rode the wall.
I agree with Brett Griffin. 1. Jones not passing his teamate is NOT the same as 2 drivers creating an impassible blockade and 2. If Byron doesnt have blockers, he loses spots to the stacked cars behind him and the Bell penalty doesnt even matter.
@BrianIsTheGOAT594 it used to be a motorsport but now is entertainment. I've watched NASCAR over 25 years, the chase format got introduce they wanted to be different from Every other motorsport back then and you started losing fan's. It took away from being consistent every single day, every single week, and every single month, until the end. Every format after that has been a gimmick of entertainment and NASCAR themselves have sad and said that they are in the entertainment business. I hate it the ture and it here to stay.
The issue with NASCAR is NASCAR today isn't what made NASCAR popular. NASCAR has turned Rugby into football, but continues to call it Rugby. The format is confusing and hasn't brought in new fans, and continues to bleed fans that made NASCAR what it was.
The current points format is a catastrophic, broken mess that encourages race manipulation and punishes consistency over random single race happenings. I personally think you say how good the points format is just to stay in good graces of Nascar, so you keep getting special access. At least Hamlin is putting his neck out there to try to create positive change in this sport while you just sit back in your burning building of Nascar and keep thinking everything is fine.
And the fact that NASCAR, with the popularity it has, doesn't aknowledge that they have fans, is just unreasonable and unjustified. That should be jail time
@@Taylay7573 true yeah but still come on saying that NASCAR favors Hendrick Motorsports is like saying f1 favers red bull and Mercedes when clearly that's not true at all.
I'll never understand why some fans maintain this fantasy that Hendrick gets favored when NASCAR penalizes them all the time. They JUST took away Bowman's playoff spot 4 weeks ago. They could have let Hendrick put all 4 cars in the round of 8, but they penalized them instead. It's pretty obvious to non-biased fans that NASCAR doesn't favor them any more than anyone else.
Bell shouldn't of road the wall. Bell is not a good liar. You could see it in his face after the race. He knew he done wrong and was hoping they'd let it fly
But that's not what happened first?? I think you race fans just like complaining about Bubba like it pays you😅 Every chevy on the track was already slamming on there brakes to not pass Byron.. so talk about what happened first. I know it hurts lil buddy😅
Both should be called out, but let's not pretend like Bubba's thing wasn't just a reaction to the chevy bodyguards out there. Chevy definitely started the games.
Are there a lot of similarities between NASCAR and pro wrestling? Yes. Is NASCAR entertaining? Yes, yes, it is. Is pro wrestling entertaining? Yes, yes, it is. 'Nuff said.....😅
All 3 manufacturers have manipulated the end of a race during the playoffs in this format. Nobody's perfect, it's a product of the times.....and nascar still thinks this format is perfect
The chase is a stupid way to pick a champion, but great TV. Why not award a season champion with some version of Winston cup points and also have a chase style "tournament" at the end of the season and recognize both as winners?
There is a regular season champion based off points, he gets a trophy, prize money and 15 playoff points(equals three wins) its a fairly big deal with the playoff points.
Do a Chase format with 14 drivers. 10 get in because of raw points earned then 4 get it based in wins. Then do a 10 race Chase with 7 races. After 7 cut down to 4 for a 3 race points battle. Consistency would be needed and you would have 3 championship races to market.
Playoff solution. Points leader after 35 races automatically makes it to the title. The other 3 are wild card winners. Best driver always makes it. If the points leader wins a race, communicate that on the broadcast. I don’t have a favorite driver, but spend almost a year building equity in the best performing drivers just for them not to make it. It’s a turn off.
It’s one thing to not pass a so called “teammate” but it’s completely different to block everyone else from passing. Byron did nothing wrong but he also gained the most from others cheating on his behalf
If Nascar still valued performance and merit over entertainment and tv ratings, we wouldn't be having these discussions. The playoffs kill any legitimacy of the championship. This isn't football. At least the chase still encouraged the best overall driver. This format has to die. If Nascar wants to prioritize race wins, make the wins worth more points. Keep the stage points if they want, but no more playoffs. If they're worried about tv ratings, then instead of a 10 race clown show, make the marquee races worth double points. (Ex: Daytona 500, Southern 500, Bristol night race, Brickyard 400 etc)
Points need to be awarded by lap. 1st place gets 36 points. Last gets 1 point. Add all points for a race, the divide by 36, give your points for the race. No more sandbagging, or competing only on races you like. Greatest points at the end of the season, is the champ.
I think just giving a bonus amount of points for most laps lead similar to F1 giving an extra point for fastest lap would work in the same way where the top 5 at least would push to lead as many laps as they can
I think that this format would be great if we has a three race championship 4, one cookie cutter, one road corse and one super speedway, all race differently and would show who can handle the car in different disciplines
I'm definitely gonna have to disagree with your take on the playoffs, while yes the format allowed for Reddick and Blaney to have superstar moments, they are both completely overshadowed by the negatives of the format No one is going to remember the end of the 2024 season because Reddick made a cool pass for the win, or Blaney having an awesome charge for a win But people will remember the end of the 2024 season because of, Logano backing into the championship, for team orders deciding the final spot, and for arguably the 3 best drivers of the year not having a chance at the title
Yeah, but the Jones Don't pass Hamlin is different than having 3 Chevys being a road block on Brad K from passing Byron. Yes, a lapped Carson Hocevar car was on the outside racing the lead lap cars that held Brad down for many laps.
@@mikel.4885 how many cars did bubba affect in the last lap vs the road block for almost 20 laps? Which one do you think started it and affected other manufacturers and cars the most?
@@mikel.4885 why don't you hop in a cup car and let #6 know how you can pass in that situation. If veterans of the sport couldn't do it, and no one else was seen making a single pass up there, maybe just maybe, it was not possible to pass there
@@maxell3655 Why didn't Brad put the bumper to the car in front of him and move him up into Chastain and make the pass? Not like Brad has never done that before. Maybe it was because he didn't want to cause a wreck and bring out the caution while a Ford and former team mate was in the lead with his playoffs on the line. Maybe Ford was manipulating that as well.
Well William Byron had no problem calling out the "rule" for the wall ride. Whats so wrong with him calling out Chevy for the 100% rule.? William shouldn't even be in the final 4.
Did chevy manipulate the outcome of the race? Yes they did, not probably, they just did. Your "probably" was a bit irritating Eric. Too much fence sitting in this case from you.
@raymondhoffman4371 Ok yeah, I wouldn't doubt it, he's a bit too forgiving of the sport and is highly inconsistent with his opinions. I remember him preaching rules are rules when it came to Parker Kilgerman getting screwed at the roval by that horribly timed caution, but when there would've been another overtime at indy, he praised Nascar for swallowing the whistle and not calling the caution. Eric says what's convenient for him and the sport in the moment, and if he's actually on Nascar's dime, then it would make a whole lot of sense.
I made up my own “playoff” system it may be dumb but here it is: The top 16 points drivers automatically qualify for the playoffs. Anyone who wins a race also qualifies for the playoffs there isn’t a set number of contestants. Then the playoffs begin and the top 16 and race winners are all set at an even amount of points (with their playoff points from stage wins) and instead of doing 3 race rounds it’s instead split in half so the first half of races eliminate the entire bottom half of the playoff drivers and the second half of the playoffs is just the drivers who advanced and they don’t have any form of elimination they just race through the final races and try to maximize points
Eric Estepp…your comparison from the ‘20 Joe Gibbs team cars to the Chevrolet situation at Martinsville is apples to oranges. I see no problem if it was ONE Hendrick car behind Byron that just didn’t pass him, however, when there are two Team Chevrolet cars side-by-side, making a full two-lane blockade with obviously faster cars behind them (including Bell catching the blockade) is a completely different story. Bubba Wallace doesn’t slow down (note that the 23 moved high for the blockade group also) and Bell doesn’t make his desperate move if this blockade isn’t happening. I was watching the times and Byron was one of the slowest cars on the lead lap. There is absolutely no way he would’ve held onto his spot or probably even a top 10 without blatant Chevrolet manipulation….from ~3.5 seconds behind the leader to almost 12 seconds. Without it, the whole Christopher Bell desperation move never happens and would be a moot point. Put all three Chevrolet’s to the back of the lead lap, like they did with Bell one lap down and see how the points play out. Then put Chevrolet as a manufacturer on probation for ‘25. I welcome discussion below 👇 as replies.
Show me where another manufacturer used 2 cars to block all other cars on the track to prevent another car from losing a spot and I'll concede that Chevy isn't getting favoritism. Name me one time where NASCAR was hard on Chevy. They've come after all other manufacturers in nascar history, never Chevy.
Eric, you are wrong to compare Danny Hamlin and Christopher bell. Don't pass him to what happened at Martinsville. Chevy's were blocking all other vehicles from making attempts to be 100%. That is not the same thing as do not pass the 11.
There' so much bias in Nascar it's dumb. They let Chevy get away with manipulation but kick Bell out. Good grief, fix this by putting Larson in it or just have 3 drivers in the championship. I agree with Bell's post. We know for a fact Nascar wanted a Hendrick in the top 4. Chevy made Bubba do what he did. Toyota saw Chevy was manipulating the race. So they acted in the way that they did.😑
It's not a conspiracy that NASCAR wanted a Chevy/HMS car in the final 4. Both of those entities combined, makes up majority of the fan base. If it was a Ford vs Toyota finale, alot of people wouldn't watch. Your average casual NASCAR fan cares about manufacturers more than drivers and teams. NASCAR coming down on HMS in the past was to slang their big dick to show who's boss more than anything.
I want Tyler Reddick to win the championship because then it’s more likely 23xi will get charters. You really want the defending champion to not be racing next year?
I half expect the 45 to be DQ'd or penalized out of a championship. His team owners are SUING NASCAR, why would they allow their driver to win the Cup?
@@griffinconaway732 You really think Toyota is innocent? They don’t have the best reputation when it comes to winning without cheating. They will never be at Chevrolet’s level, not without cheating of course.
Christopher Bell is why Christopher Bell isn't in the championship 4. All he had to do was get by the 23 who was already letting him go. He overdrove the corner, got loose and up into the wall almost wrecking himself and the 23 both instead, then panicked and just legged the throttle. NASCAR made themselves clear after Ross rode the wall that there is a crossover gate on the exit of 4 and that because of that it would be deemed a safety violation there and everywhere else for that reason. Had Bell lifted and got off the wall and then finished his corner, or even maybe just float entry let it turn and never risk hitting the wall to begin with, it's quite possible NONE of what occurred, comes to light in the manner it did. I really like Christopher, but in Game 7 critical moments, he has a history of just flat out stepping on it. He did it at the Chili Bowl, He's done it in Xfinity, and now he's doing it in Cup. If he cleans this one detail up, he probably wins a lot more races and championships. It's his only downfall.
The playoffs format is horse shit. The one race finale is stupid, it doesn't reward consistency AT ALL. I'm a fan from the 90s forward that is desperately trying to remain a fan, go to a race every year and try to tune in on Sundays but it's really hard to care with this dumbass finish every year.
@@JustinRichter You're absolutely right. And trust me, I've ripped into Eric in these comments for multiple videos this year. He's out of touch to say the least.
The Supercars series in Australia just came out with a version of the playoffs that I think we all could enjoy and would be more fair. Let's check that out for Nascar.
Don't like the argument you made here Eric, saying "Bell shouldn't be angry because Joe Gibbs did this in 2020". It's precedent, but it shouldn't necessarily detract from the call for change in the here and now, especially since Bell wasn't involved in 2020. Agree that he should be more gracious though in defeat, given he raced terribly at Martinsville. But strongly dislike the main argument you made about Bell needing to "shut up and dribble" since Joe Gibbs benefitted 4 years ago.
C Bell was very gracious . He congratulated Bryon. Bryon and Jeff Gordon weren’t gracius to anyone. They just assumed they deserved the spot . They got the spot but they didn’t earn the spot.
not even close to true, they want to sue nascar for operating as a monopoly and arguing in bad faith but nascar includes a clause that says “if you sign the agreement you can’t sue us”, knowing 23xi and front row can’t operate without charters so they need to *temporarily* race without a charter until the lawsuit is settled or decided
What Chevrolet did at the end of the race was wrong, but also what Toyota did at the end of the race was wrong. I’d also argue that if the whole 20 team performed better, they wouldn’t have even been in that situation. It’s like when a football team blames the refs for throwing a flag. If you perform better, you won’t be in that situation at all. I’m not blaming Bell or JGR for being upset, but let’s keep it a buck
@@alexspitznaugle6387 if Chevy accepted that Byron's car was fading away from being a winning or top 3 car to a pylon. Things would have been different. Bell and Toyota did not alter the whole race for multiple laps after realizing that they needed to alter the race to get him in. They played lap frog with bubba affecting only them. Chevy decided that obviously faster Chastain and Dillion needed to take up the lanes behind Byron to hold Byron there. Keselowski really wanted to pass, logano wanted to pass. Pretty sure gragson would have liked a top 10, maybe svg could have got one as well. Easy to say Toyota should not have done what they did but I am sure that it would not have happened if Byron's car didn't slow down and what happened behind him for the coming laps
@phippy6227 hahaha... ah yes, everything that happened was Chevy's fault. Didn't know they control Bell's and Wallace's actions. Sorry but Bell is being a hypocrite and being called out as one. Sorry if that hurts your feelings so bad that you need a box full of tissues.
@@randrews7036remember the roval 3 weeks ago when bubba cuts the front chaicane and gets a penalty Byron does the same and gets nothing bell has right to call out Chevy bell is right
I had a thought a while back watching Argentina’s Turismo Carretera recently. - Top 8 Drivers from the Regular Season directly enter the “Playoffs.” - 2 Races in (of 10), the 4 drivers with the best average position of those two races get added to the Playoffs as the “Last minute wildcards”. - From then on, they have their own mini championship where being consistent and fast matters most. - “Win & You’re in” format gets thrown out of the window since it’s useless and wastes spots.
My only 2 tweaks to the playoffs would be: -Top 16 in points make the bracket -Expand it to 12 races to have 4 rounds of 3 races. I'd like to see the last 3 races be the deciding factor instead of just 1 race.
Bell fashioned his post that way because the Gestapo, sorry I mean NASCAR, would have fined him. NASCAR has painted themselves into a corner with a garbage car, a garbage playoff, and pathetic officiating. The Playoffs need to go, it's the ultimate Championship manipulation
Bell is coming off as petty and sour grapes. I have no issue with a driver choosing NOT to pass someone. Happens all the time at super speedways when a driver has a car to pass the field but hangs back to avoid wrecks. They are choosing not to pass ppl. I really don’t have an issue with a driver slowing down to let someone else pass them. Again, it does happen all the time. The ONE clear major rule violation was Bell getting into the wall, turning the wheel right and hitting the gas clearly wall riding ! The call was correct. Stop crying. This is why the points system is broken anyway. Who finishes ahead of the other should advance. Get rid of points accumulated in playoffs or u get manipulation
There's a difference between tactics and throwing that you're neglecting to acknowledge here in the first sentence. Hanging back or letting someone obviously faster by is done with the expectation that the race that you're currently engaged in will fall in your favor, be it through a later place advantage from equipment conservation or a wreck that's bound to happen. Dillon, Chastain and arguably Bubba (the raw radio is more ambiguous on Bubba compared to the others), don't fall into the "tactics done for the betterment of your race finish position" category
My pick christopher bell ended up not in the final 4 NOOOOO I'm so mad that I'm not watching the championship race next week or TV until the clash next February
Oh man so much to say. I’ve been watching nascar since 97 season. I’ve enjoyed all the formats. At some point you just have to accept the format that’s is current and race to that to perform. So idk why people keep complaining about it. It’s not gonna change in the near future just accept it , prepare and adapt. As for your comment about 35th in points winning your way in. I’m totally fine with that. If we want teams to keep showing up and remaining healthy you have to let them have a chance to steal a win and potentially knock out the top teams from the playoffs. This was a big year for a small but legendary team like the Wood bros. I’m happy to see them win and take a spot in the playoffs. Hopefully the financial increase this year can help their program grow and continue to stay in our sport. Lastly I’m gonna disagree on your CBell take. I’m all for it. For almost watching for 30 years Chevy has always received favortism from nascar especially HMS. I think it’s good people put a spotlight on it and call them out. You understand the optics if Chevy was not to be running for the championship. They why they couldn’t allow that even tho CBell was on the fence from getting loose. Still no one has said what they wanted him to do in that situation. Just stop and park it? I mean really anytime anyone gets in the wall they drive away unless the car is damaged mechanically and hung up on the wall. Anyways always enjoy the videos 🫡
I think if nascar wants to do a championship race. They need to make a chase with no eliminations. The classic chase, 9 races, 10-12 drivers, most points make final 4 plus stage points and bonus points in reg season. To fix the playoffs. Idk
Idk, why is it a surprise, that drivers could leave. Bubba Wallace said in an interview like 6 weeks ago, that he is free if they don't have a chartered car for him.
I’m like you Eric, I liked the old format and I like this format, but like you say we can pick it apart. The only ones crying are the ones that didn’t make the final 4. Always love out of the GROVE!!
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 85 | คู่เอก "ยอดเหล็กเพชร vs ผึ้งหลวง"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qq_19bnnxEo/mqdefault.jpg)
The way Bell was acting right when he got out the car, he knew he did something shady.
So was Byron and Gordon
@@raymondhoffman4371correct Byron wasn’t even exited when they put him in
Bell didn’t do anything shady
He sure did. Wish he would've just turned down.
He just knew he didn't have Rick hendrick backing him up. That's why hendrick drivers are confident no matter what. They know hendrick runs the sport
I usually agree with you, but I have to say I totally disagree with your view of the current playoff system. Sports should be based on a meritocracy not entertainment. The goal of the current playoff system is for creating entertainment in the form of drama. NASCAR is a sport with way too many moving parts to have a system like this in place to determine a champion based on short 3 race seasons to determine who moves on to the next round. This format was purely created in response to an old car with less parity and an overwhelming dominant Jimmie Johnson in the 2000s and 2010s causing a snooze fest. It's time to focus on this being a sport and less of entertainment imo.
Yeah agree 100%
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Any system in which one driver can win 35/36 races and lose the championship because they came in 2nd in the final race of the season is not a valid championship format.
Yeah that's why popularity was so high in the 80's and 90's and without any stage racing or playoff system.
I am ok with the stage racing, I went to some races in the 90's and guys would just run away & make it a bore fest, but the playoff crap needs to go.
Once money gets involved it's only a matter of time before they start focusing on that 🤷🏾♂️
“Am I out of touch? No, the fans are bots.”
I like the format Kevin Harvick mentioned: Seasonal Champion gets the first guaranteed spot in the final 4.
Solid idea.
Why? That’s 10 weeks away. That’s a full 1/3 of the season. Larson has had 2 top 10s in 9 weeks of the playoffs. Why should he deserve a shot in the final?
@@ScottXC91Larson wasn't the regular season champ.
Just go back to one of the first two chase formats, and hopefully if 23XI and Front Row get what they want out of the charter agreement, eventually the old Winston cup format.
Just like the winner of the Daytona 500 locking into the playoffs which is 25 weeks away smh.
Both Chevy and Toyota should be called. Toyota is just as much at fault like Chevy for manipulating the results of that race
Yeah. Toyota totally had a last lap planned and in progress for almost 20 laps with Chevy holding up the field that caught them. Blocking the field from advancing when they are clearly faster for around 20 laps is a lot different then what the was done by Toyota in the last couple laps then in other races where blocking is for a couple laps for the win
How?…. Was Bubbas car ok? Was there radio transmissions from the 23 team telling him to let the 29 by?
It’s a lot easier to prove manipulation from Chevy because of their radio, a lot harder to prove that for Toyota. I’m a bowman fan and love Byron but Bell should be let in because that’s just not racing the way the 3 and 1 blocked and very interesting seeing the 23 have a “flat tire”
@@the_real_beaker_They did in fact have com’s about the 20 car being 1 point out, and Bubbas car had no issues in post race, no broken parts, no flat tires so you be the judge. Do I think he was moving over for Bell? Yeah, maybe not as blatant as a Clint Bowyer spin but it was obvious considering 23XI has an alliance with JGR
Na I feel the 23 deal is just Bubba not on the team.
I like you Eric, but I don't think "what aboutisms" are valid counter points when disagreeing with Bell's post. I think it's actually the worst form of argumentation you could have. Just because one person doesn't get the proper jail sentence for murder, doesn't mean that the next person should get a free pass. At some point, NASCAR needs to put their foot down, otherwise, as we have already seen, it will only get worse.
He is pointing out blatant hypocrisy that we have seen across similar situations. A lot of people get caught it the moment it’s good to remember previous history
“Jones dont pass him” thats all i gotta say
Yeah, what about the 3 Chevys that kept Brad K to get by to challenge Byron? One of them is a lapped Hocevar.
@ they knew the deal 😉
Whats the difference with this and at plate tracks when they push there manufacturer to the win like at Dega when #5 spotter told Larson to Lay off don't push him and lay off so Stenhouse could win is that not racing at 100%
Teamates are different than manufacturers working together
Exactly, nothing happened to Jones or Hamlin in 2020. That’s as blatant as it gets.
Eric, I feel there's a pretty big difference between a teammate not passing someone and three 'competing' teams to work together and make it impossible for anyone else to pass.
That is exactly right, PO!!
Cup Series Points Standings (Chase Format)(Current points system
1. Christopher Bell 2363
2. William Byron 2361
3. Kyle Larson 2327
4. Ryan Blaney 2307
5. Chase Elliott 2304
6. Alex Bowman 2295
7. Denny Hamlin 2293
8. Joey Logano 2263
9. Tyler Reddick 2239
10. Martin Truex Jr. 2226
11. Austin Cindric 2221
12. Daniel Suarez 2199
13. Brad Keselowski 2186
14. Chase Briscoe 2176
15. Ty Gibbs 2168
16. Harrison Burton 2101
Anyone who has 6 or more wins in my eyes shouldn't be eliminated. Im not a fan of the playoffs, but i do like the dramatic part of it
Chase format would be cooking with this years playoffs
Don't cry like a baby 🍼🐥
Don't cry like a baby 🍼🍼🍼
Michael Jordan Danny Joe Gibbs going to have bad luck this weekend in Arizona it came true 2024
Could've had 6 drivers that are mathematically eligible to win the championship in Phoenix
Hello
It is I, BOT
Beep boop beep
You’ll scare Denny 😂.
😂
Good one 😂😂😂😂
Wait dont you mean “Boop beep Boop”? Nah you’re a Bot Bot bro. Thats even worst lol😂
Brad Keslowski was pissed
Rightfully so, he knew what was going on? Wouldn’t you be?
wasn't allowed to force the issue.. Blaney was in the lead.
Keslowski should have started bumping and turning those guys!
If Denny Hamlin hadn't found a way to choke down the stretch every year, maybe he'd be rewarded as being one of the top four drivers.
Yes.. That’s Denny Hamlin whole career
He chocks in big races under pressure
20 years of failing
Nascar is really a petty ass sport to the point where they can evict drivers from their team just cause teams disagree with the sanctioning body
Business is business, and Nascar has a majority of leverage and will control the shots.
That being said, this is a unique situation we find ourselves in with the lawsuit, and parties not involving Nascar have an opportunity for change. A team has taken legitimate actions against Nascar to change the course from what has been the norm. But if it goes Nascars way, we won't see a team taking Nascar to court anytime soon. How could they knowing MJ's team couldn't do it themselves and risked it all.
It’s sad that the championship this year is full of so much controversy.
If the 45 wins the championship, the team who is currently suing NASCAR and could race without charters next year, has proved themselves champions.
If the 24 wins, people will argue that he shouldn’t even be in the championship to begin with.
If the 22 wins, people argue that this is a fluke season, considering how low he’s been in points the whole year.
And if the 12 wins, it’ll be the first back to back championship since the 48 in the late 2000s. This is the one scenario not filled with controversy, hopefully, this is the one that wins out.
The 12 still has the issue of not even being a top 5 driver this year. If anything, the 45 is the most deserving of the lot. And Nascar could use a little humbling
It'll still be controversy if the 12 wins. RB hasn't had a great season overall either.
If you want something for the 12. He'll be the first driver in the playoffs to go back to back, while in both seasons breaking the record for the lowest average finish for a champion. (14.1 last year and i think 15.6 right now)
Don't count Joey out.. He's had 3 weeks to focus on one race...
And if you take away a playoff platform that a lot (if not most) people don't like, none of the above would even be in the championship conversation.
I was a hard core NASCAR fan starting back in the 70's but when they switched to current format I have totally stopped going to races and watching races on TV. I believe that they should run a 500 mile race for 500 miles not in stages. NASCAR does what it wants as far as penalties and have not been very consistent at all.
Team mates from the same shop helping each other is one thing, but multiple teams from different shops helping out one car is another thing, in my opinion.
Denny Hamlin has every right to call out these Playoffs dude. They're so flawed in every word imaginable.
Denny Hamlin needs to go to NASCAR headquarters and just tell them to get rid of the playoffs.
Dennys just mad he'll never win a championship even WITH the format 😅
Denny has the right to keep quiet.
Denny couldn't win a championship if he was the only car on the track all year.
@@BA-xj9ewHahahaha 😂
Cup Series Points Standings (Full season points)(Current points system)
1. Kyle Larson 1146 (6 wins)
2. Chase Elliott 1121 (1 win)
3. Christopher Bell 1114 (3 wins)
4. William Byron 1099 (3 wins)
5. Tyler Reddick 1071 (3 wins)
6. Ryan Blaney 1045 (3 wins)
7. Denny Hamlin 1033 (3 wins)
8. Alex Bowman 956 (1 win)
9. Brad Keselowski 921 (1 win)
10. Martin Truex Jr. 918
11. Bubba Wallace 898
12. Chris Buescher 897 (1 win)
13. Ross Chastain 884 (1 win)
14. Joey Logano 871 (3 win)
15. Ty Gibbs 866
16. Kyle Busch 750
17. Chase Briscoe 742 (1 win)
18. Daniel Suarez 739 (1 win)
19. Austin Cindric 724 (1 win)
20. Carson Hocevar 667
21. Michael McDowell 618
22. Todd Gilliland 613
23. Noah Gragson 587
24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr 586 (1 win)
25. Ryan Preece 583
26. Josh Berry 566
27. Austin Dillon 533 (1 win)
28. Zane Smith 504
29. Erik Jones 501
29. Daniel Hemric 501
31. Justin Haley 494
32. Corey LaJoie 484
33. John Hunter Nemechek 440
34. Harrison Burton 418 (1 win)
35. Aj Allmendinger 289
36. Shane Van Gisbergen 205
37. Kaz Grala 203
38. Cody Ware 146
39. Ty Dillon 92
40. BJ McLeod 65
41. Anthony Alfredo 54
42. Jimmie Johnson 49
43. Joey Hand 43
44. Corey Heim 35
45. Parker Retzlaff 32
46. Derek Kraus 32
47. JJ Yeley 32
48. Justin Allgaier 24
49. Austin Hill 23
50. Josh Bilicki 21
51. Riley Herbst 20
52. David Ragan 17
52. Joey Gase 17
54. Josh Williams 11
55. Kamui Kobayashi 8
56. Will Brown 6
57. Juan Pablo Montoya 5
58. Timmy Hill 3
59. Cam Waters 2
59. Chad Finchum 2
61. David Starr 1
I wonder why Chris Buescher is the only hyperlinked name
And of course the real champion won’t win it because of the current bs system.
It's crazy that Lason missed a whole race and is still that far in the lead. Is this system counting stage points? It's also crazy that Logano, a final 4 driver, is behind 3 guys that missed the playoffs.
Thank you for posting this to show even in a full season format it can be close and the most deserving driver will win. I'm tired of "we need game 7 moments" and stick and ball sports. We are a RACING series, please stop trying to be like stick and ball sports
@@ZVPieGuy Yes stage points are included. Playoff points are not.
I've been a consistent follower of @NASCAR for more than 50 years, beginning with listening to the races on MRN, years before they became televised.
I've witnessed all of the points systems, as well as their results.
I still believe the winner of the most races, (that run their advertised distance, and finish under the green) should be crowned Champion! 🏆
This way you would eliminate most of the controversial finishes. 👍 🇺🇸
@NASCAR
And yet even under the Winston points system the drivers with the most wins didn’t win a championship.
Ty for all the news keep up the great work
No one is making nascar bots on social media. They’re too focused on making po** bots and political bots.
I’m gonna be honest I think there’s a big difference between JGR telling 2 teammate not to pass each other and Chevy with 10+ cars telling multiple people not to pass
I admire how you look at all sides of the issue! My driver Kyle Larson not making the top 4 for championship run was disappointing to me! However thank you for being honest and pointing out Kyle and his team did make some mistakes towards the end that kept him out of the top 4!🏁
To be fair, he made a comment about THIS race, not 4 years ago. He’s speaking in reference to the last 500 laps, and in that frame, he has a valid point.
It’s unfair to attach his statement to 4 years worth of issues when he’s clearly speaking about this specific race. During THIS race, at the time of his post, Hendrick got the longer end of the stick.
Brother Bubba slowed down to let him pass just like Dillon/Ross wouldn't pass Byron. So even if 4 years ago didn't happen what about the exact same race?
@ as far as what’s been proven so far, the only transmission from the 23 is that he felt a “tire going down”, not a clearly coordinated effort to block half the field.
Now I’m not here to pick a side, if there is some kind of proof that bubba made that issue up, then I’m all good with calling foul. I’m not even a 23 fan to be honest. However right now the evidence is stacked much more strongly against Chevy than the 23 as of now. I’m absolutely open to more information as it’s released but I’m gonna put my gut where the proof is.
@@Triton54 the 20 rode the wall that was clear and obvious, which is breaking the rules. NASCAR isn’t gonna deep dive into radio communications which would probably be almost impossible to prove that the plan that they were taking about was to block for the 24.
@ I wholeheartedly agree. I still understand why he would feel slighted when he broke the rules (obviously) and got nailed, while for the time being the Chevys rolling road block was allowed. As I said, I’m putting myself in bells shoes at the time the post was made.
Now tomorrow we could find out the Chevy guys are getting penalized, that would also be correct. But bell didn’t write the post tomorrow, wrote it knowing what he knew at the time he wrote it.
@Triton54 I'm a fan of bell but he can't be mad he had the opportunity and screwed it up. Bubba was going to let him by and bell stuck it in the fence and rode the wall.
Playoffs are over im not watching phoenix cup race just feels illegitimate
I agree with Brett Griffin. 1. Jones not passing his teamate is NOT the same as 2 drivers creating an impassible blockade and 2. If Byron doesnt have blockers, he loses spots to the stacked cars behind him and the Bell penalty doesnt even matter.
People need to understand the NASCAR IS ENTERTAINMENT AND NOT A MOTORSPORT. NASCAR is not going to change the format.
@@theunknown9998 it is a motorsport, just like IndyCar and F1.
@BrianIsTheGOAT594 it used to be a motorsport but now is entertainment. I've watched NASCAR over 25 years, the chase format got introduce they wanted to be different from Every other motorsport back then and you started losing fan's. It took away from being consistent every single day, every single week, and every single month, until the end. Every format after that has been a gimmick of entertainment and NASCAR themselves have sad and said that they are in the entertainment business. I hate it the ture and it here to stay.
Agreed.
I’ve been watching since 1991. It’s a total clown show compared to what it used to be.
Guess I should probably start watching a motorsport instead. 😥
Oh, I get it, NASCAR using the WWE model.
He called us bots. Dam
In my mind (yes, that is a scary place). The winner of the regular season championship, IS the champion.
The issue with NASCAR is NASCAR today isn't what made NASCAR popular. NASCAR has turned Rugby into football, but continues to call it Rugby. The format is confusing and hasn't brought in new fans, and continues to bleed fans that made NASCAR what it was.
Has anyone else noticed that the performance at Frontrow Motorsports has fell off significantly recently with the ongoing Charter and lawsuits?
The current points format is a catastrophic, broken mess that encourages race manipulation and punishes consistency over random single race happenings. I personally think you say how good the points format is just to stay in good graces of Nascar, so you keep getting special access. At least Hamlin is putting his neck out there to try to create positive change in this sport while you just sit back in your burning building of Nascar and keep thinking everything is fine.
He is a Danielle Trotta drama diva with a beard and mustache.
You can't argue that Nascar doesn't favour Chevrolet
23XI trying to cheat for JGR in the midst of their charter dispute is pretty funny
And the fact that NASCAR, with the popularity it has, doesn't aknowledge that they have fans, is just unreasonable and unjustified. That should be jail time
In F1, team directives are allowed look at Piastri and Lando this year. But have chevys just block everyone… that’s rough.
Chevy does have some favoritism and I think that is because of Hendrick
You don't know that
@@KidLatin27400 penalty, Byron spinning Hamlin at Texas under the yellow just a fine in the end
@@Taylay7573 true yeah but still come on saying that NASCAR favors Hendrick Motorsports is like saying f1 favers red bull and Mercedes when clearly that's not true at all.
I'll never understand why some fans maintain this fantasy that Hendrick gets favored when NASCAR penalizes them all the time. They JUST took away Bowman's playoff spot 4 weeks ago. They could have let Hendrick put all 4 cars in the round of 8, but they penalized them instead. It's pretty obvious to non-biased fans that NASCAR doesn't favor them any more than anyone else.
Fnaf pfp lol. Can’t take this comment seriously.
Bell shouldn't of road the wall. Bell is not a good liar. You could see it in his face after the race. He knew he done wrong and was hoping they'd let it fly
Call out Bubba for purposely slowing down and giving you the spot first 😂
🦓
But that's not what happened first?? I think you race fans just like complaining about Bubba like it pays you😅 Every chevy on the track was already slamming on there brakes to not pass Byron.. so talk about what happened first. I know it hurts lil buddy😅
Both should be called out, but let's not pretend like Bubba's thing wasn't just a reaction to the chevy bodyguards out there. Chevy definitely started the games.
All 3 should be penalized for attempting to change the outcome of the race/playoff transfer spot
@xBlackHawkxBlackHawk hendrick does this every race and you people always seem to shift conversation to bubba wallace... Wonder why....
Are there a lot of similarities between NASCAR and pro wrestling? Yes. Is NASCAR entertaining? Yes, yes, it is. Is pro wrestling entertaining? Yes, yes, it is. 'Nuff said.....😅
NASCAR is rapidly becoming “entertainment” not competition
All 3 manufacturers have manipulated the end of a race during the playoffs in this format. Nobody's perfect, it's a product of the times.....and nascar still thinks this format is perfect
The chase is a stupid way to pick a champion, but great TV.
Why not award a season champion with some version of Winston cup points and also have a chase style "tournament" at the end of the season and recognize both as winners?
There is a regular season champion based off points, he gets a trophy, prize money and 15 playoff points(equals three wins) its a fairly big deal with the playoff points.
Do a Chase format with 14 drivers. 10 get in because of raw points earned then 4 get it based in wins. Then do a 10 race Chase with 7 races. After 7 cut down to 4 for a 3 race points battle. Consistency would be needed and you would have 3 championship races to market.
That sounds like an amazing hybrid that would make both sides of the argument happy.
Playoff solution. Points leader after 35 races automatically makes it to the title. The other 3 are wild card winners. Best driver always makes it. If the points leader wins a race, communicate that on the broadcast.
I don’t have a favorite driver, but spend almost a year building equity in the best performing drivers just for them not to make it. It’s a turn off.
i’ll always say a 3 race championship round will be completely perfect
perfect? Nope. A whole season should determine a champ at the end of said full season
It’s one thing to not pass a so called “teammate” but it’s completely different to block everyone else from passing. Byron did nothing wrong but he also gained the most from others cheating on his behalf
If Nascar still valued performance and merit over entertainment and tv ratings, we wouldn't be having these discussions.
The playoffs kill any legitimacy of the championship. This isn't football. At least the chase still encouraged the best overall driver. This format has to die.
If Nascar wants to prioritize race wins, make the wins worth more points. Keep the stage points if they want, but no more playoffs. If they're worried about tv ratings, then instead of a 10 race clown show, make the marquee races worth double points. (Ex: Daytona 500, Southern 500, Bristol night race, Brickyard 400 etc)
I'm just totally stoked that TWO Fords are in the final 4. Shame both can't win lol
Points need to be awarded by lap. 1st place gets 36 points. Last gets 1 point. Add all points for a race, the divide by 36, give your points for the race. No more sandbagging, or competing only on races you like.
Greatest points at the end of the season, is the champ.
Damn, that’s a LOT of points come down to season’s end, but that’s an interesting idea nonetheless.
I think just giving a bonus amount of points for most laps lead similar to F1 giving an extra point for fastest lap would work in the same way where the top 5 at least would push to lead as many laps as they can
@@joemoules6960like nascar use to do.
NASCAR thinks the stage breaks will do that, the trouble is they know when cautions will come.
I think that this format would be great if we has a three race championship 4, one cookie cutter, one road corse and one super speedway, all race differently and would show who can handle the car in different disciplines
Are we so sure NASCAR themselves aren't run by bots? Cause it sure seems that way!
Hendrick always rigging nascar like dems rigging to keep Doland Tremp down. TREMP 2024
Easy their buddy, Rick is a "Tremp" supporter.
Bell put himself in the situation he found himself
Oh yeah? Chastain and Dillon rolling around behind Byron at half throttle was Bell's fault?
@@PaintballBoomer bell’s fault. scrubba’s too.
@@Crussell04 Sorry that you can't look beyond your dislike of Bubba at the big picture.
@@PaintballBoomerbell wall riding was bells fault, he doesn’t do that and he’s in the final four
@@chrisbranch2526 Chastain and Dillon actually pass Byron and Bell isn't desperate to make a move like that.
I'm definitely gonna have to disagree with your take on the playoffs, while yes the format allowed for Reddick and Blaney to have superstar moments, they are both completely overshadowed by the negatives of the format
No one is going to remember the end of the 2024 season because Reddick made a cool pass for the win, or Blaney having an awesome charge for a win
But people will remember the end of the 2024 season because of, Logano backing into the championship, for team orders deciding the final spot, and for arguably the 3 best drivers of the year not having a chance at the title
Yeah, but the Jones Don't pass Hamlin is different than having 3 Chevys being a road block on Brad K from passing Byron. Yes, a lapped Carson Hocevar car was on the outside racing the lead lap cars that held Brad down for many laps.
How is it different toyota manipulated the out come of the race
@@mikel.4885 how many cars did bubba affect in the last lap vs the road block for almost 20 laps? Which one do you think started it and affected other manufacturers and cars the most?
@maxell3655 bubba he almost stopped on track to let bell pass him ...the six car seemed fine to ride behind than1 and 3 cars
@@mikel.4885 why don't you hop in a cup car and let #6 know how you can pass in that situation. If veterans of the sport couldn't do it, and no one else was seen making a single pass up there, maybe just maybe, it was not possible to pass there
@@maxell3655 Why didn't Brad put the bumper to the car in front of him and move him up into Chastain and make the pass? Not like Brad has never done that before. Maybe it was because he didn't want to cause a wreck and bring out the caution while a Ford and former team mate was in the lead with his playoffs on the line. Maybe Ford was manipulating that as well.
I'm glad I called Penske 2 drivers in the 4 . And another Penske cup, so we will see Sunday. But the playoffs are messed up
Well William Byron had no problem calling out the "rule" for the wall ride. Whats so wrong with him calling out Chevy for the 100% rule.? William shouldn't even be in the final 4.
How you site 2 times Hendricks was at odds with NASCAR but both went in favor of Hendricks? That proves Bells point.
Did chevy manipulate the outcome of the race? Yes they did, not probably, they just did. Your "probably" was a bit irritating Eric. Too much fence sitting in this case from you.
He paid by Nascar
@raymondhoffman4371 Ok yeah, I wouldn't doubt it, he's a bit too forgiving of the sport and is highly inconsistent with his opinions. I remember him preaching rules are rules when it came to Parker Kilgerman getting screwed at the roval by that horribly timed caution, but when there would've been another overtime at indy, he praised Nascar for swallowing the whistle and not calling the caution. Eric says what's convenient for him and the sport in the moment, and if he's actually on Nascar's dime, then it would make a whole lot of sense.
I made up my own “playoff” system it may be dumb but here it is:
The top 16 points drivers automatically qualify for the playoffs. Anyone who wins a race also qualifies for the playoffs there isn’t a set number of contestants. Then the playoffs begin and the top 16 and race winners are all set at an even amount of points (with their playoff points from stage wins) and instead of doing 3 race rounds it’s instead split in half so the first half of races eliminate the entire bottom half of the playoff drivers and the second half of the playoffs is just the drivers who advanced and they don’t have any form of elimination they just race through the final races and try to maximize points
And no playoff points are brought into the second round so everyone is completely even
Eric Estepp…your comparison from the ‘20 Joe Gibbs team cars to the Chevrolet situation at Martinsville is apples to oranges.
I see no problem if it was ONE Hendrick car behind Byron that just didn’t pass him, however, when there are two Team Chevrolet cars side-by-side, making a full two-lane blockade with obviously faster cars behind them (including Bell catching the blockade) is a completely different story. Bubba Wallace doesn’t slow down (note that the 23 moved high for the blockade group also) and Bell doesn’t make his desperate move if this blockade isn’t happening. I was watching the times and Byron was one of the slowest cars on the lead lap. There is absolutely no way he would’ve held onto his spot or probably even a top 10 without blatant Chevrolet manipulation….from ~3.5 seconds behind the leader to almost 12 seconds. Without it, the whole Christopher Bell desperation move never happens and would be a moot point. Put all three Chevrolet’s to the back of the lead lap, like they did with Bell one lap down and see how the points play out. Then put Chevrolet as a manufacturer on probation for ‘25. I welcome discussion below 👇 as replies.
I thought the same thing. Also don't come at me that 2 wrongs don't make a right. It never would have happened.
Show me where another manufacturer used 2 cars to block all other cars on the track to prevent another car from losing a spot and I'll concede that Chevy isn't getting favoritism. Name me one time where NASCAR was hard on Chevy. They've come after all other manufacturers in nascar history, never Chevy.
Eric literally named one in this video
Eric, you are wrong to compare Danny Hamlin and Christopher bell. Don't pass him to what happened at Martinsville. Chevy's were blocking all other vehicles from making attempts to be 100%. That is not the same thing as do not pass the 11.
Yes, it's still manipulation. But the 3 and the one we're preventing the entire field behind them from doing any passing on the 24.
I don't know much but I do know that NASCAR is somehow responsible for all this...
Guarantee it.
There' so much bias in Nascar it's dumb. They let Chevy get away with manipulation but kick Bell out. Good grief, fix this by putting Larson in it or just have 3 drivers in the championship. I agree with Bell's post. We know for a fact Nascar wanted a Hendrick in the top 4. Chevy made Bubba do what he did. Toyota saw Chevy was manipulating the race. So they acted in the way that they did.😑
It's not a conspiracy that NASCAR wanted a Chevy/HMS car in the final 4. Both of those entities combined, makes up majority of the fan base. If it was a Ford vs Toyota finale, alot of people wouldn't watch. Your average casual NASCAR fan cares about manufacturers more than drivers and teams. NASCAR coming down on HMS in the past was to slang their big dick to show who's boss more than anything.
So, Tom Brady rule?
@T.N.D.88 Sure
I want Tyler Reddick to win the championship because then it’s more likely 23xi will get charters. You really want the defending champion to not be racing next year?
I half expect the 45 to be DQ'd or penalized out of a championship. His team owners are SUING NASCAR, why would they allow their driver to win the Cup?
Honestly I think NASCAR wouldn’t care. They’re vindictive little sh!ts up there running the show.
Sure, I'd be cool with that. Can't stand Reddick.
That would have no impact on the charter situation.
@chrismorey6592 don't you get it? If NASCAR abuses them in ANY way, that strengthens 23XI's case.
“Miss me with the vague conspiracy bait” is a fire line hahaha 😂 did not expect that one
Toyota did the same thing last night, the 23 slowed down the give Bell the point he needed to tie
Wouldn’t have happened if Chevy didn’t do it first
@@griffinconaway732 You really think Toyota is innocent? They don’t have the best reputation when it comes to winning without cheating. They will never be at Chevrolet’s level, not without cheating of course.
Chevy made Bubba do that. Toyota saw Chevy was manipulating the race. So they acted in the way that they did.
Don't forget Toyota manipulated the race as well with bubbas " tire problem"
Eric Jones being told "not to pass" is quite different from forming a blockade behind a driver and not allowing anyone to pass.
No sport with playoffs specifically rewards the best team. The #1 can be taken out any time in the playoffs.
Christopher Bell is why Christopher Bell isn't in the championship 4.
All he had to do was get by the 23 who was already letting him go. He overdrove the corner, got loose and up into the wall almost wrecking himself and the 23 both instead, then panicked and just legged the throttle.
NASCAR made themselves clear after Ross rode the wall that there is a crossover gate on the exit of 4 and that because of that it would be deemed a safety violation there and everywhere else for that reason.
Had Bell lifted and got off the wall and then finished his corner, or even maybe just float entry let it turn and never risk hitting the wall to begin with, it's quite possible NONE of what occurred, comes to light in the manner it did.
I really like Christopher, but in Game 7 critical moments, he has a history of just flat out stepping on it.
He did it at the Chili Bowl, He's done it in Xfinity, and now he's doing it in Cup.
If he cleans this one detail up, he probably wins a lot more races and championships. It's his only downfall.
Full season points with bonus points for stage wins and race wins.
This election I'm voting for removing the phony playoffs from NASCAR.
Literally the race to 270 LOL
Sure to win that election if you throw in eliminating changing of the clocks twice each year as a bonus.
Good point about Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin from 2020.
The playoffs format is horse shit. The one race finale is stupid, it doesn't reward consistency AT ALL. I'm a fan from the 90s forward that is desperately trying to remain a fan, go to a race every year and try to tune in on Sundays but it's really hard to care with this dumbass finish every year.
You'll never get this guy on your side. He professionally says whatever is convenient for himself and Nascar in the moment.
@@whalesequence yeah but if you don't say it out loud, it's easy for them to ignore it and just think "this is exciting yay every one clap"
@@JustinRichter You're absolutely right. And trust me, I've ripped into Eric in these comments for multiple videos this year. He's out of touch to say the least.
ChArTeR mE tHiS !@!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
It's real people nascar mafia.
The Supercars series in Australia just came out with a version of the playoffs that I think we all could enjoy and would be more fair.
Let's check that out for Nascar.
Don't like the argument you made here Eric, saying "Bell shouldn't be angry because Joe Gibbs did this in 2020". It's precedent, but it shouldn't necessarily detract from the call for change in the here and now, especially since Bell wasn't involved in 2020.
Agree that he should be more gracious though in defeat, given he raced terribly at Martinsville. But strongly dislike the main argument you made about Bell needing to "shut up and dribble" since Joe Gibbs benefitted 4 years ago.
C Bell was very gracious . He congratulated Bryon. Bryon and Jeff Gordon weren’t gracius to anyone. They just assumed they deserved the spot . They got the spot but they didn’t earn the spot.
Harvick is definitely right about what NASCAR should do for the playoffs.
So 23XL wants the perks of owning a charter but don't wanna sign it 🤣
Exactly 😂
Nascar always gets the last laugh. Especially now with how much money gets fire hosed.
not even close to true, they want to sue nascar for operating as a monopoly and arguing in bad faith but nascar includes a clause that says “if you sign the agreement you can’t sue us”, knowing 23xi and front row can’t operate without charters
so they need to *temporarily* race without a charter until the lawsuit is settled or decided
What an uneducated comment
They want their team to not be shutdown while the lawsuit makes it's way through the court.
What Chevrolet did at the end of the race was wrong, but also what Toyota did at the end of the race was wrong. I’d also argue that if the whole 20 team performed better, they wouldn’t have even been in that situation. It’s like when a football team blames the refs for throwing a flag. If you perform better, you won’t be in that situation at all. I’m not blaming Bell or JGR for being upset, but let’s keep it a buck
@@alexspitznaugle6387 if Chevy accepted that Byron's car was fading away from being a winning or top 3 car to a pylon. Things would have been different. Bell and Toyota did not alter the whole race for multiple laps after realizing that they needed to alter the race to get him in. They played lap frog with bubba affecting only them. Chevy decided that obviously faster Chastain and Dillion needed to take up the lanes behind Byron to hold Byron there. Keselowski really wanted to pass, logano wanted to pass. Pretty sure gragson would have liked a top 10, maybe svg could have got one as well.
Easy to say Toyota should not have done what they did but I am sure that it would not have happened if Byron's car didn't slow down and what happened behind him for the coming laps
Bell has a lot of room to talk considering that Wallace laid over at the end of the Martinsville race for him.
Which wouldn't of happened if Chevy blockade didn't happen during the last 12 laps.
@phippy6227 hahaha... ah yes, everything that happened was Chevy's fault. Didn't know they control Bell's and Wallace's actions. Sorry but Bell is being a hypocrite and being called out as one. Sorry if that hurts your feelings so bad that you need a box full of tissues.
@@randrews7036remember the roval 3 weeks ago when bubba cuts the front chaicane and gets a penalty Byron does the same and gets nothing bell has right to call out Chevy bell is right
@Christopherbellfan20theoffical your handle tells me all I need to know. This is about the Martinsville race. Try to stay in the present.
@@randrews7036 I know the present
I had a thought a while back watching Argentina’s Turismo Carretera recently.
- Top 8 Drivers from the Regular Season directly enter the “Playoffs.”
- 2 Races in (of 10), the 4 drivers with the best average position of those two races get added to the Playoffs as the “Last minute wildcards”.
- From then on, they have their own mini championship where being consistent and fast matters most.
- “Win & You’re in” format gets thrown out of the window since it’s useless and wastes spots.
First Hi Eric Estepp I never miss a single episode
Hey marcus i feel bad for your driver Cbell not making the final four.
But you cant wallride
@@shaheerahmed5134yeah I know my friend ❤
wall ride is only considered a wall ride because it would have eliminated a Hendrick driver
@@Hobie_Kourtneygood point
@@Hobie_Kourtneyit was obviously a wall ride
My only 2 tweaks to the playoffs would be:
-Top 16 in points make the bracket
-Expand it to 12 races to have 4 rounds of 3 races.
I'd like to see the last 3 races be the deciding factor instead of just 1 race.
Bell fashioned his post that way because the Gestapo, sorry I mean NASCAR, would have fined him. NASCAR has painted themselves into a corner with a garbage car, a garbage playoff, and pathetic officiating. The Playoffs need to go, it's the ultimate Championship manipulation
I've been anti-gimmick since the Chase. The current format combined with stages is why I don't watch the races anymore, just videos like Eric's.
Bell is coming off as petty and sour grapes. I have no issue with a driver choosing NOT to pass someone. Happens all the time at super speedways when a driver has a car to pass the field but hangs back to avoid wrecks. They are choosing not to pass ppl. I really don’t have an issue with a driver slowing down to let someone else pass them. Again, it does happen all the time. The ONE clear major rule violation was Bell getting into the wall, turning the wheel right and hitting the gas clearly wall riding ! The call was correct. Stop crying. This is why the points system is broken anyway. Who finishes ahead of the other should advance. Get rid of points accumulated in playoffs or u get manipulation
There's a difference between tactics and throwing that you're neglecting to acknowledge here in the first sentence.
Hanging back or letting someone obviously faster by is done with the expectation that the race that you're currently engaged in will fall in your favor, be it through a later place advantage from equipment conservation or a wreck that's bound to happen. Dillon, Chastain and arguably Bubba (the raw radio is more ambiguous on Bubba compared to the others), don't fall into the "tactics done for the betterment of your race finish position" category
(I'll rescind the comment about Bubba being more ambiguous, but the overall point stays the same)
☑️ I am not a bot
I’m glad someone finally had the guts to call out the Chevy favoritism
Bell broke the rules so he has himself to blame
@ so did Chevy
Bell broke two rules, Byron broke one. @@davids5006
“chevy favoritism” another crybaby toyota fan lol
@@Crussell04it is favoritism
Hamlin and Jordan need to just cut their losses and start up their own series.
Yes, and take the sh!tty childress team too. All the clown teams should start their own circus..yup I agree with you. They can go.
My pick christopher bell ended up not in the final 4 NOOOOO I'm so mad that I'm not watching the championship race next week or TV until the clash next February
Good morning Marcus 😊
@@jacksonrobison1901good morning that makes me feel better
I hope bell wins phoenix at least
@@nascarguynaiI hope you're right
Damn Marcus!!
Oh man so much to say. I’ve been watching nascar since 97 season. I’ve enjoyed all the formats. At some point you just have to accept the format that’s is current and race to that to perform. So idk why people keep complaining about it. It’s not gonna change in the near future just accept it , prepare and adapt. As for your comment about 35th in points winning your way in. I’m totally fine with that. If we want teams to keep showing up and remaining healthy you have to let them have a chance to steal a win and potentially knock out the top teams from the playoffs. This was a big year for a small but legendary team like the Wood bros. I’m happy to see them win and take a spot in the playoffs. Hopefully the financial increase this year can help their program grow and continue to stay in our sport. Lastly I’m gonna disagree on your CBell take. I’m all for it. For almost watching for 30 years Chevy has always received favortism from nascar especially HMS. I think it’s good people put a spotlight on it and call them out. You understand the optics if Chevy was not to be running for the championship. They why they couldn’t allow that even tho CBell was on the fence from getting loose. Still no one has said what they wanted him to do in that situation. Just stop and park it? I mean really anytime anyone gets in the wall they drive away unless the car is damaged mechanically and hung up on the wall. Anyways always enjoy the videos 🫡
I think if nascar wants to do a championship race. They need to make a chase with no eliminations. The classic chase, 9 races, 10-12 drivers, most points make final 4 plus stage points and bonus points in reg season. To fix the playoffs. Idk
Idk, why is it a surprise, that drivers could leave. Bubba Wallace said in an interview like 6 weeks ago, that he is free if they don't have a chartered car for him.
No way he leaves, he’s got the gravy train at 2311
@GHarris218 Not that he wants, he just not bound by the contract anymore
Shout out to Caitlin Clark!
She’s talented.
I’m like you Eric, I liked the old format and I like this format, but like you say we can pick it apart. The only ones crying are the ones that didn’t make the final 4. Always love out of the GROVE!!