Tuesday, November 15th 'What If' Question

It seems like just yesterday the NASCAR garage was buzzing about the start of the 2011 season and the Daytona 500. Here we are though heading in the final race of the season with the championship yet to be decided.

For the first time in five years Jimmie Johnson will not be among the drivers contending for it. Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart head to Homestead-Miami separated by only three points as they fight to be the new Sprint Cup Series champion. The title would be the first for Edwards, the third for Stewart.

While Stewart is the hottest driver on the circuit, winning four of nine Chase races, it is Edwards who holds the point lead. Having only won one race in 2011 along with the non-points Sprint All-Star race, he's maintained a steady and consistent pace to stay ahead of the competition. When it seems that he's going to have a bad finish, like Talladega or Martinsville, his contenders fall by the wayside and suddenly he's in the top 10.

Should Edwards win the championship this Sunday he would join an elusive club of drivers who have done so with only one win on the season. The last to do it was Edwards teammate Matt Kenseth in 2003. He would also join those who have a Nationwide Series championship and a Sprint Cup Series title. And Edwards would also be just the fourth driver to win under the Chase system since its conception in 2004.

But ...

What if Carl Edwards wins the championship Sunday after only winning 1 race this year, would you want #NASCAR to change point system again?

@RBleakley no! First time in years I've given a damn about racing after about the sixth chase race!

@Talon64 I'd like to see them change back to no Chase. Doesn't matter what system, you'll get runaways, 1 wins and/or "game 7's".

@DarthHendrick YES!!! They need to make it so anybody who's Father won 7 championships gets a 200pt bonus! Except the Petty's #Nascar

@ampdalejr89 No I would be happy with Carl Edwards. Wins aren't everything. Consistency is just as important.

@bfellin i dont think they will...this points system created drama at Richmond for the wild card, created a "game 7" scenario. exactly what NASCAR wanted

@AnnTRoberts No...Its like a side pot.

@twittmitch nope. Just ban Edwards from the sport. I hate that dude.

@Harvichick29 No...but I will want to puke. #GOSMOKE

@HotDog388 I say yes, overall point system is fine but still need to put more emphasis on winning need to award 5 to 10 points for the race winner instead of 3 points

@rcracer20 op 5 and top10 is what your after,win 5 crash in 20?if #nascar wonts to change something,all races a night race #yeabuddy

@smokinace88 yes the winner should get more points

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) I've been wanting to change the point system since 2004; a 36 race Chase with 43 drivers.

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) No, because the new system is simpler to understand. 43 for 1st, 42 for 2nd, etc. Way I see it, the system gave us exactly what fans wanted all year long. Carl ran well all year long, and wins don't always translate to championships (hence 2008 when he won the most races all year and still finished 2nd in the title hunt). Consistency will ALWAYS win championships.

Kyle Rickey (via Facebook) The 47-1 system is fine. Chase needs to go. Without it makes years like 1990 and 1992 more special with fans feeling it wasn't fabricated....or sorts

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) hell to the no-drivers have to be penalized for bad finishes-we award victories as wildcards plus extra points-edwards, as kenseth did in 03 deserves the position he is in.

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Following a 'What If' question I hardly ever throw anything else out about it. But after reading many responses and opinions following Sunday's race in Phoenix I wrote that many believe winning "should mean more" and that NASCAR intended for their new point system to show that. Compared to the run that Stewart has been on in the Chase, some have said that Edawrds has been mearly point racing and riding around, something that no one wants to see a potential champion do.

After posting that, many more responses came through...

@mbauerherzog I think winning should be rewarded more but consistency should be rewarded too. Maybe they should get rid of resetting points

@mrnascar2488 No riding around is finishing like 15th or so Carl is at least in the top 3

@denver2u I don't like that u can win a cup championship w/o winning a race in the chase.Maybe change the points just for the chase

@jlaracefan14 I say that @NASCAR should just change it to where the driver with the most wins is champion!

@SD80MAC Regardless of who wins, I think there needs to be a bigger points bonus for wins. Maybe 5 points? Not sure, but I want to see drivers racing for the win every race. Hanging in the back for a safe points day like at Talladega IS NOT RACING!

@NickBrincks No, an average finish under 5 over 9 races is impressive enough. If winners limit mistakes, they'll win. Leave it alone.

@LLH713 No, consistency pays off. Not a last minute dash to finish line. Tortoise & Hare. Plus this is a great chase finish

@JohnBarlak t's all good. He was consistent the year so there are no issues for me.

Jose L Acero (via Facebook) yes he has! #teamsmoke2011

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Well, think about this...when Edwards was struggling at Martinsville, he wasn't just riding around to collect points...he went out, had the team get the car running better, and finished strong. The last two weeks he's been doing everything he can to get around Tony, and Tony has raced him very hard for position, but did so clean. If that's riding around, where your adversary is just as good as you, I'll take it. Still, I think even though the Chase is 10 races, you can't help but look at how well he did in the other 25 races that he ran before the Chase. I just really think the Chase determines the champion, but the entire season determines the champion-caliber drivers. They may want winning to mean more, but just like anything else, when you're not winning, you need to be running strong. CONSISTENCY wins championships

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) Best driver wins.

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) if you count multiple 2nd and 3rd place finishes, a win in vegas, an all star victory, and a worse finish of 11th since Bristol in August riding around then so be it-if any other driver can do that be my guest. remember his 3 point lead is the bonus points from his regular season win-something tony didnt have-if he did he would be tied or leading right now. honestly I think its a silly arguement-everyone plays under the same system-whoever does it best deserves to win-theyve each taken different paths to end up where they are at-and honestly both will deserve it if they win

William Hildebrand (via Facebook) They went with this new points system because nobody knew how it worked before (of adding points etc), in other words, it was confusing as hell. THAT and they wanted a close battle for the championship, not running away with it like JJ did in 2007, 2008, & 2009.

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Even a representative of NASCAR had come across the question and the opinion of Edwards riding around. The following is the conversation between NASCAR's Josh Hamilton and myself on the topic (thanks for the time Josh!):

@joshahamilton absolutley not!!!!!! the dude has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 races, including 6 top 5s!!!! how is that riding around??

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton I'm just throwing out there what some have said to me

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall obviously strongly strongly disagree

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton I disagree to a point LOL. But was looking to spark a discussion, which it has :-)

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall again, sorry, but no discussion. to claim that a guy w/6 top 5s (3 runner ups) in 9 races is 'riding' around, then well....

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton Well, there are still those who don't feel winning means or is worth enough

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall now that is a discussion, i will give you that. but completely different than saying carl is riding. guy is digging.