On Wednesday, Jeff Gluck of USA Today tweeted an interesting tidbit that was forwarded to him by an anonymous member of the NASCAR Fan Council. Contained in the tweet was the outline of a potential playoff format that NASCAR claims to be considering for use in the XFINITY Series. In short, it’s very similar to the one employed by the Sprint Cup Series, but also has the added feature of preventing Cup regulars from dropping down and stealing wins from tour regulars. The concept as presented to the Fan Council goes as follows:
“¢ Full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers would not be able to race in any of the NASCAR XFINITY Series races
“¢ The XFINITY Series championship field consists of 12 XFINITY drivers
“¢ Drivers eligible for the playoffs are determined by the greatest number of wins after 26 events, then drivers without a win who have the most points will take the remaining spots
“¢ The championship format would consist of seven races; six races and one final championship race
“¢ The number of championship drivers in contention decreases after every three XFINITY races, from 12 to start; eight after race three and four after race six
“¢ A win at any of the three races within a round equals advancement into the next round
“¢ Four drivers enter the NASCAR XFINITY Championship race in Miami with a chance to win, with the highest finisher amongst those four capturing the NASCAR XFINITY Series title.
But if there is something fans dislike more than the Chase, it’s Cup Series drivers dipping down into the lower divisions and taking rides and victories away from younger drivers. It’s a complaint that predates the Chase for the Championship with fans lamenting Winston Cup drivers who participated in Busch Series races, an act still known to this day as Buschwacking. Unfortunately for fans who want to see the XFINITY Series roster stand on its own, the economics just don’t make sense without a radical overhaul of the status quo. Race teams, even at the XFINITY Series level, require a tremendous amount of money to participate, and for the time being, that has meant bringing in Sprint Cup drivers to come in and sell advertising. Some of the top teams in the garage have been able to allocate resources to support up-and-coming talent, but it’s not the easiest endeavor in the world.(Popular Speed)(11-11-2015)
