This was nothing compared to 1998 though, still it is pretty cool to see evernham AND Hendrick do something to the car they managed from afar. Props to them.
[My opinon has changed years ago, this reply is no longer valid] -Crowning champions before the season ends [because of a score so high that it's impossible to beat by the end of the final race] kinda devalues the championship itself.-
Yep, so they were just having a little fun. Mathematically, Jeff needed to finish in a certain position or higher to clinch, but there were already enough cars out of the race at that point that he clinched the Winston Cup. The 1995 season truly marked Jeff Gordon as one of the greatest of all time, because he dethroned The Intimidator. That's certainly no easy task. We probably would've gotten a part 2 of their Championship battle in 1996, but after Dale Earnhardt got injured at Talladega, he wasn't the same the rest of the year. Also, Terry Labonte's consistency in 1996 ultimately outdid Jeff Gordon.
this system is alot better now you have to have a good car at homestead not great cars and races and have the cup in the bag three months before the season ends drivers wanted it its not about best driver its about being good at the end of important races not locking a champion in mid august
Nicky D How the fuck is that a good thing? You can literally win every race in the season, come runner up at homestead, and you can still lose the championship. How the hell is this good? Champions aren't crowned by skill anymore, there crowned by luck. Honestly, Id be fine with the origanal chase format from 2004 if they just changed up the race schedule for the chase each year. 2014, Gordon and Brad are dominant all year long. Yet a years worth of work is thrown in the trash because newman dumps larson to make it to miami. Freaking newman, was a mediocre driver all year long and yet almost stole the fucking title from harvick, who also ran well all year long. Its beyond me why anybody thinks it's entertaining to watch a years worth of work thrown out the window because of something that wasn't even your fault. Oh, you've won 4 races this year, have had zero DNF's, and been dominant all year long? You're out because a mediocre driver run over somebody in the final turn of the race, and because of an incident the week before. By the way, he beat you by a single point. Opps Oh, you've also won 4 races this year? You came within inches of winning the 500? Out because you blew an engine at talladega. You miss half the regular season, but amass 4 wins and bare get into the top 30 in points to make it to the chase. You go on to win the title. Is this how we crown champions? Whats the point of running the first 12 races if you can just bounce back. Why even bother? Whats the point? You tell me the point of doing so, if you can just grab a few wins and make it into the top 30 in points. Ill wait.
I remember watching this live. Of all the useless things I remember, Jeff Gordon later said "I thought about the pit and said, wait, am I even safe out here?" Back when NASCAR was good.
I kinda think that since there's a Chase now, if NASCAR went back to this format there would be an uproar. I agree with you, the original Chase was fine, just needed to change the tracks up a little bit.
@@VGF80 the Chase just happened to be a ton of Jimmie's greatest tracks. I consider him having 3 championships at the most. Can't deny him his 84 wins, though.
It's hard to know what to call "Nascar" nowadays! With all the pacified crybabies out there, with their fancy "packages", car-wise, you could almost call it a nursery! I'm not saying that all the drivers fit into that category, but some of 'em do! They gotta cry about this, bawl about that, and whimper about something else! It's ridiculous!!!
The only way I can see this happening today is if three of the final four crash out early in Homestead and one guy just has to ride around for the rest of the race.
a system where the points are reset numerous times near the end of the season and the championship-eligible drivers are narrowed down from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4 then those 4 are the only ones who can win the cup at the final race. Everyone is still racing on track though.
Anyone else miss the better times? Not just in nascar, but in life. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how we will never get those times back.
This wouldn't go over well with people today. But they'd already clinched championship by starting the race and it was Rick Hendrick 1st title, so it was all done in good spirit.
K Ben24 I thought Jeff still had to finish in a certain position to clinch, though. It wasn't like he had to contend for the win, but like 34th or something.
I think there is still a rather large portion of NASCAR fans that would prefer this. And an even larger portion that would start watching again, if it was a true championship again, instead of the last race being the only one that matters all season long lol.
I think all sports should have moments like this, when amateurs have to do certain tasks/participate in a certain way. So we as fans can fully appreciate just how good the pros are!!
Back in the day when drivers realized that finishing the race was more important than winning it. I feel like we need a chase still just to give more motive for the first 26 race, but it should be off consistency. Top 5's/Top 10's should go just as far as wins do.
Dale Earnhardt won the race, but Jeff Gordon won the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship by 34 points over Earnhardt. Speaking of clinching championships with a race or two to go, if Martin Truex Jr. leaves Bristol on Saturday Night with a 121-point lead or more, he will be the 2017 regular season champion. The most points they give out in a race is 60 (if you manage to win both Stages 1 and 2, then win the race with 10-10-40). He currently has a 129-point lead over Larson. Truex Jr. will be the 2017 Regular Season champion and get those 15 playoff points.
Regular season champion is as good as saying the redskins are preseason champions. It means nothing. What's bullshit about it though, If there wasn't a chase and being forced to run close, he'd probably win the title this year.
He'll actually secure the regular season championship with 119 points as Truex will guarantee himself one point in each race just for starting the race. Truex is almost set to make the championship 4 regardless but my money is on Larson winning it all.
NewscasterNews4 true.i am no fan of the chase but trex did race hard for those stage points right off the bat and I won't be surprised if they make the difference come homestead.
Anyone else miss the better times? Not just in nascar, but in life. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how we will never get those times back.
@@terryparrish8477 🙏 the letting go part has been super difficult. Fighting the anger has been even harder. Keeping my head up and spending more time out in nature has helped, but things will never again be as good as they were.
Had watched since the mid 70’s. By the time the COT’s came I was losing interest. I still watch the flag drop at Daytona like I have since 1979 but that’s about it. It sure as hell ain’t the same. The only way they could bring me back would be a retro body style circuit.
Wow even though they won the championship haha why not have a little fun on the last race of the season. They knew they already had the championship locked up and they weren't really going for the win I think so yea why not haha. But Jeff when he won his 4 championships he didn't really secure the championship until what 3 races or 2 races remaining? I know I read that his first championship he wasn't able to clinch it but still won it by about 30 points to mark Martin and then in 2001 he was able to secure it with 1 race remaining but we all know why though for that race. Then what 97 and 98 3 races remaining I believe? Then in 04 idk how quickly he could of secured it but I know in 07 everyone was saying he pretty much had it locked up by about the middle of summer. I think he fully secured it under the old points system with about maybe 5 races remaining maybe 4 he was running extremely well in 07 especially during the chase had Jimmy not of won 4 races in a row during the chase he might of won the championship but I feel it's because of that, that's what cost Gordon the championship.
When Richard petty step out of his car for the last time. Everyone would eventually turn their attention to Jeff Gordon. They believed Jeff would become the new master of Nascar. But when the chase came Jeff lost 3 potential championships and the crown would be snatched off him by the ferocious Pandora's box that is Jimmie Johnson. Little did Jeff know that Jimmie would over throw him and THE next superstar of Nascar by winning a total of 7 championships under the despised "chase for the cup". To this day, fans believe Jeff is the true 7 time champion and that Jimmie is nothing more than a lucky hoax who is really a 3 time champion incapable of performing 5 in a row without a points reset. And that's the story of the downfall of Jeff Gordon.
I think it was awesome. Ray Evernham will really put you to work if you work for him, so it was nice to see them have a little fun and blow off some steam.
Its auto racing.... manners extent to not spinning people out. Who cares if someone takes a long Pitstop? A long pitstop is considered *awful* in any autosport. If anything it *is* manners because they are letting people pass them.
Comments from three years ago: "Nascar was so much better back then. They didn't have all these stupid new rules." Me today, thinking about Nascar from 3 years ago: "Nascar was so much better back then when you only complained about the stupid rule changes. Now they throw literal parades and worship a driver for faking a hate crime."
that's was when nascar was awesome... and I watched it every week... now it suck and I don't watch it anymore.. trump please make nascar great again!!😂
Basically, Gordon just needed to avoid finishing last and lead no laps to ensure that he would win the title. If he led even ONE lap, he would clinch the championship no matter what happened. When Ken Schrader dropped out with a faulty engine on lap 92, it was over. Since they would win the championship guaranteed, they had a little fun allowing Ray Everham the CREW chief to change a tire on Jeff Gordon's car. Sometimes, when you know you've won, it's fun to win in style. :D
I'd like to see the chase cut out. there'd be a lot less points racing and a lot more going fast. maybe you'd get a mark martin type points racing but everyone else would just want to win the actual race. and stop doing cautions at stages, just give out the points if you're gonna do them at all.
You mean where the last 3 races mean absolutely nothing when someone dominates a season? Where else does that happen in any organization with a season format, and has any significance? So you'd like it if the MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA did that?
@@brianschaffer9220 Motorsports are not ball sports. Stop trying to compare completely different sports. What ball sport has the worst players compete in a playoff? None. The chase sucks, always has.
People criticizing the chase show me a season since the newest model where the chase winner didn't have 3 or more wins....yeah exactly then shut the fuck up. It's not a "crap shoot" or a "lottery" you just don't like it because you still think it's 1984 and North Wilkseboro is the best track ever.
@@brianschaffer9220 maybe people dont care about those sports kid. And yes, it IS better than having a "Race for the chase" bullshit that literally resets progress. Thats like going 8-0 all season. Then getting reset to 0-0, losing your first match back and now you're ineligible for playoffs 😂 its fucking stupid, yet here you are championing it like a butthurt child.
Back when Nascar was the way it shoulda stayed. Gordon would have won more championships amd Jimmie Johnson would have never got 7. This was when racing was best
So why aren't you bitching about the 4 major American sports that do the same thing? Where in baseball, you can be 15 games better but still not win a championship. Or where an NFL team can be 19-1, 6 games better than anyone else...and not win a championship. We all know why...
I was just imagining the driver hitting the gas as the put crew was trying to put the wheel on causing it to spin uncontrollably and break every bone in his hand and arm. I thought that's what they meant by the title as I was watching this long session.
