Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Changes ahead as series gains speed
DAYTONA BEACH — Cue the late great David Bowie. There are lots of “Ch-ch-changes” in NASCAR for 2017.
Look around, and grab a hard hat, because there’s a lot of construction dust around: A new playoff format. Old faces out, and new faces in the mix. A new-fangled inspection process to avoid the usual shenanigans. And oh, by the way, a new series sponsor for the highest level of racing.
All this and much more in the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Series.
“I know it’s a lot of change and we don’t like change,” said Larry McReynolds, a former championship crew chief and now an analyst for Fox Sports. “But if you don’t embrace change, you’ll be like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. You’re just going to fade away and go away.”
That said, a quick primer on NASCAR’s three-ring circus that kicked off with the Advance Auto Parts Clash on Saturday, a 75-lap exhibition race that does not pay points. PLAYOFFS! The Chase format is gone — including the word — and replaced by a playoffs format. Races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series now will consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage. The new format will award a playoff point to the winners of the first two stages, and the race winner will receive 5 points.
Those points will be accrued through the first 26 races and count toward any driver who makes the 10-race playoffs. The number of drivers qualifying for the playoffs is still 16, a number that will be whittled down to the Final Four in Homestead in November.
“If we created motorsports from scratch today, this is exactly how we would have done it,” said Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion and a man who had a voice in the restructuring process. “It is something I’m very proud of.” HOW DOES THE NEW SYSTEM IMPACT THE DAYTONA 500? The Great American Race will feature two 60-lap stages followed by an 80-lap showdown to determine a winner. INSPECTOR GADGET: NASCAR announced sweeping changes to its inspection process and rules enforcement. It’s complicated and convoluted, but the upshot is that teams won’t be able to return clunker cars that have crashed back onto the track, and the inspection process has been beefed up to avoid any possible shenanigans by crew chiefs and crews. WHO’S OUT? Veteran Tony Stewart hung up his firesuit, as previously announced, but the stunning proclamation involved Carl Edwards, who unexpectedly walked away from the sport and his Joe Gibbs Racing team in January. Greg Biffle, another veteran, ended his 19-year career at Roush Fenway Racing last November when he chose not to re-sign. He announced Friday on Twitter that he has no plans to race full-time in 2017. He does, however, have a TV gig. “I’ve accepted a great opportunity @NBCSports as a recurring guest analyst on their show #NASCARAmerica, my first appearance is March 1,” Biffle tweeted. WHO’S IN? Daniel Suarez, 25, will become the first Mexican-born competitor to race full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He replaces Edwards at Joe Gibbs. And although he’s the Xfinity Series champ, he’s never raced on the Cup level. Among the fun personal facts: He learned English while watching TV. WHO’S BACK: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Let’s pause a moment to let the applause simmer down. NASCAR’s Favorite Son missed half the season dealing with concussion-related issues. He’s cleared all protocols and, most importantly, the one in his head. He’s ready to roll.
“I’m really anxious and curious about where we shake up early in the season, how competitive we can be and what — if any — learning curve there is for me,” he said. “We’ll figure all that out.”
Let’s do this, people.