Wednesday, October 22nd 'What If' Question

The 2014 Sprint Cup Series season was hyped around how much more winning was going to mean.

With NASCAR having announced a new Chase format along with new eligibility to make the Chase, it was all about winning. Wins would get you into the Chase and wins would advance you in the Chase. The thought process was that gone were the days of “good points day” from drivers in their post race interviews and how they raced on the track.

The Eliminator Round begins this weekend in Martinsville with eight remaining drivers in contention for the championship. Six of those drivers have won races while Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth have moved through the Chase on their performance and points.

Newman has been winless since Indianapolis in the summer of 2013 but has compiled 14 top-10 finishes this season and has an average finish of 13.3. Kenseth meanwhile has been winless since New Hampshire of last fall, yet continues to scratch and claw with his Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kenseth’s average finish in 32 races is 13.6 while he’s earned 19 top-10 finishes. He’s the 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion and whom many blame for the inception of the Chase.

Should one of the eight drivers win a race during the Eliminator Round it automatically moves them to Homestead-Miami. The final four will then go for the Sprint Cup Series championship in a winner take all event.

But …

What if we crown a winless Sprint Cup champion, how would that affect the perception that this season & NASCAR is now about winning?

@the DrakeKC another excuse for haters of the current system to express their displeasure at it. Though, think it would be a fluke, and hope NASCAR wouldn’t make any changes in response to it. Doubt they would

@CBWFAN if they win by the rules they are the champ. It has been done before and will happen again at some point.

@Tuck_Nation81 It would prove that regardless of pints format consistency still wins every time

@nascar7badger10 Odds don’t favor crowning winless Sprint Cup Champion since winners of next 3 races advance to final 4.

@poptart_31 we r going to make it happen!!!! P3 and haven’t won a race yet. #notbecausewehaventtried!!!!

@48GOAT Would not affect my perception; I read they used Dale Jr.’s 2013 stats to find he’d have won under this system.

@20goleft I guess we will see when Matt carries that trophy home!

@mattntonyfan No different than a Wild Card team winning Super Bowl.

@JoJo_6040 In this win and your in situation, hopefully fans will appreciate what it took for that driver to get there.

@RaceGirlAmanda They’d be the champion, it shows that being consistent does too play a favor much to France’s displeasure