Media days in Charlotte, North Carolina is in full swing for the big names of NASCAR, and NASCAR’s big man Brian France dropped a bombshell move to start off the festivities. The big news coming out early in the media tour – the NASCAR Chase format is coming to the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
Now, some of this story had been previously leaked, as NASCAR asked its fan council earlier in the offseason about their opinion of the move. But today, Brian France has made the move official, outlining the structures for two of the sanctioning body’s developing series.
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— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) January 19, 2016
For the Xfinity Series, the Chase will kick off at their second Kentucky Speedway race in 2016. The eight-race Chase will be a battle between twelve drivers over three rounds. After the Round of 12 in the first three races, it is cut to six drivers. And following the subsequent three races, only four drivers will remain to race for the title at Homestead-Miami.
Meanwhile, the Camping World Truck Series will have a similar format. Three rounds of the Chase remain the same, with their championship playoff beginning at New Hampshire in September. However, only eight truckers will qualify for The Chase, cutting it to six after Round One, and down to four for the championship race.
In the end, however, what may be the biggest move on NASCAR’s part is this one limitation – no 2015 Chase drivers from the Sprint Cup Series are allowed to race in either series at Homestead. This change immediately caught the attention of many fans and writers, but only time will tell how the rest of the sport reacts to these changes.
What do you think of the changes by NASCAR to institute the Chase format in all three nationally touring series? Share your thoughts with us by tweeting us at @LWOSracing.
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