Playoffs or majors? Changes for the championship format

[NaBUru38]

AP says:

the IRL will make an announcement in the next two weeks about adding excitement to races outside of the Indianapolis 500 [...] the open-wheel circuit will do something to put emphasis on a handful of events to gain more national attention

What format do you expect for 2011? What would you choose? Playoffs with points resetting as in Nascar Cup's Chase? Special races with bonus points as in Argentine TC2000? Both, none?

I'd like extra points for the pole (10 points) and top 5 finishers (100-70-55-45-35 points) at Long Beach, Indianapolis, Texas, Independence Day (now Watkins Glen), Labour Day (now Kentucky), one short oval (now Iowa) and the Grand Finale.

[ptclaus98]

Majors is a fantastic idea.

[Yannick]

I'd like to see a team championship. Playoffs are limiting the total worth of the points scored at the beginning of the season so I'm against them. Extra points on holidays sounds awkwardly strange, too.

A point for "best mover" (from worst grid position to highest finish) would be something good, though. And how about running 3 additional tables for an oval championship, a roadcourse championship and a street course championship? That could attract more part time entrants.

[marcostraz]

I like the actual championship format...maybe the worst thing is the point scoring system...I like 50-40-35-...-20 for the top ten, but I'd diversify points from 11 to 29: 19-18-17-...-1...for Indy, 30-31-32-33 can take 1 point too...especially with a full grid and few retirements that we have now, I think it is right to reward a driver who finish eigtheen more than a driver who finish twentysecond...this is my opinion...and I'd like to see extra point for all drivers who lead the race, like in NASCAR...but I don'like playoff, Chase or some races are heavier in points than other races...

[icemachine]

I could maybe get behind the idea of "majors", but the season is too short to have a playoff format. Beyond Indy, I'm not sure if any of the tracks currently on the schedule deserve a "major" status

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by icemachine

I could maybe get behind the idea of "majors", but the season is too short to have a playoff format. Beyond Indy, I'm not sure if any of the tracks currently on the schedule deserve a "major" status

Long Beach? Watkins Glen? Mid Ohio?

[icemachine]

Watkins Glen yes, not sure why I forgot that, I don't think Long Beach provides enough "racing opportunity" to be worthy, and Mid-Ohio I could see if they lengthened it to a 300 miler. If they went back to Michigan I could see adding that, and then adding in the season ender

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Yannick

And how about running 3 additional tables for an oval championship, a roadcourse championship and a street course championship? That could attract more part time entrants.

They already award a prize for the drivers with most oval and non-oval points, but I'd like the IRL to publish those charts when the stages end (I'll do it for them). But I disagree with the part time thin: the series need more full-time entries. For example, Rahal and Fisher may end up running opposite, but it would be better is Rahal raced the full season.

Originally Posted by marcostraz

I like 50-40-35-...-20 for the top ten, but I'd diversify points from 11 to 29: 19-18-17-...-1...for Indy [ ...] I'd like to see extra point for all drivers who lead the race, like in NASCAR

I only agree with the second thing. If the winner gets 50 points, then the second should get about 35 and the third about 25. Bonus points for drivers who lead just one lap isn't fair.

Originally Posted by Yannick

I'd like to see a team championship.

I did a 2010 chart for you (actually no, but I did it). I agree, so teams get better recognised.

Originally Posted by icemachine

the season is too short to have a playoff format

If I'm not mistaken, the Argentine TC2000 has 3 special races out of 12. 3 is too little for IndyCar, 4 to 6 are better. My original list is too long. The short oval thing and Texas won't go, since Indy and Watkins Glen are too close to each other to have one special race between them. So it's Long Beach, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, perhaps Baltimore, Kentucky (Chicagoland's night race would be way better) and the grand finale.

[Quintin03]

What I'd like? I've thought about an oval and a roadcourse championship before. Also a return of a "triple crown of endurance" consisting of the Indy 500, the Texas 600k (yes, another 50 km extra to the current race) and a 500 km race at a roadcourse, preferably Road America but untill that's on the schedule Watkins Glen would be good enough. The idea of extra points for certain races sounds good aswell. Let's say Indy and Long Beach each year and two random other races which change each year, one a road race and one an oval race.

[marcostraz]

I'd like to see a great name like "Vanderbilt Cup" associated to a existing race, like it happened in late '90s at Michigan...or a return of "triple crown" in the great superspeedways...but not with extra point...

[JagtechOhio]

There's a lot being read into Mr. Bernerd's words about changes, particularly if he intends to start making them this year. Tinkering with the Indy points and format are indications that they aren't afraid to make some bold moves.

Here's an idea for another to shake things up:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-lets-play-two

[Jacques Rabbit]

I'm really not a fan of either. They just seem like gimmicks.

Having bigger events would be fun, but I don't see the need to make some events worth more points than others.

What I want to see, really, is competitive racing, which I hope will be accomplished by allowing more than one chassis and engine (though I don't imagine there's much interest on that front beyond Honda) in 2012. It's not going to solve every problem with getting fans interested, but it solves the big one, in my mind. Things start to fall in place once you create good racing. You get more interest, and that leads to more sponsors, which leads to more rides open to quality drivers, which leads to more interest, which leads to more sponsors, which leads to more rides open to quality drivers, etc.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

There's a lot being read into Mr. Bernerd's words about changes, particularly if he intends to start making them this year. Tinkering with the Indy points and format are indications that they aren't afraid to make some bold moves.

Here's an idea for another to shake things up:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...-lets-play-two

The only problem with two races per event - and this is a general criticism of the two race per event format (wherever it's used) is that you generally get a system where an event doesn't have a clear winner. One way that can be mitigated is to run it as a sprint and feature race, with the feature race run last, or to go down the Superleague Formula route of having a very short superfinal thing with only six cars. GP2 and F3 Euroseries have that problem in that they run the two races the wrong way round, but that's a matter for another thread.

Instead of Ernie Banks' two ballgames, I raise you three. Could it be considered to have two short (25 minute on the clock?) semi-final races to determine the starting grid, like the system that NASCAR use for the Daytona 500? The other option for a qualifying system that I am thinking of could be quite "interesting", and could be quite exciting, but tactical.

[JagtechOhio]

Duke, I gotta chew on that for a while but it is a very innovative suggestion and one that is much appreciated.

[NaBUru38]

Off-topic! This thread was about the championship format, not about race formats. I'd love to discuss that too, of course. New thread?

[JagtechOhio]

Sorry, didn't mean to throw it off track.

I think Bernard is talking about changes for this season.

If so, there aren't any majors other than Indy.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I'd rather things were left as they are. Elevating the status of some events over others could badly effect those events that are doing perectly well, because they will now be perceived as, to use an English soccer term, 2nd Division.

[Birddog07]

None. Just dropped ovals replaced with more road/street circuits, standing starts, and engine/chasis/tire competition. Alright that's too myuch of a dream, but just traditional points are fine. Hell, use something simalar to the FIA's new system. Engine/chasis/tire competion would be amazing though, thats 3 more championships inside of the drivers and teams (not sure if they have a teams now, but they need one).

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

None. Just dropped ovals replaced with more road/street circuits, standing starts, and engine/chasis/tire competition. Alright that's too myuch of a dream, but just traditional points are fine. Hell, use something simalar to the FIA's new system. Engine/chasis/tire competion would be amazing though, thats 3 more championships inside of the drivers and teams (not sure if they have a teams now, but they need one).

You might as well ditch the whole IRL, which wouldn't be a bad thing as it's pretty much on its last legs along with the Dallara and start again.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Elevating the status of some events over others could badly effect those events that are doing perectly well, because they will now be perceived as, to use an English soccer term, 2nd Division.

If the special races are few, that wouldn't happen. With 7 out of 17 as I wrote in the first post, I agree that it would.