NASCAR has dramatically altered its product in the hopes of retaining fan interest, but it has to live with the consequences of the changes it has wrought.
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Did you hear about the great national event last week that was rigged? No, I don’t mean the presidential election. I mean the NASCAR championship.
OK, that characterization might exaggerate things slightly. But several controversies in the NASCAR Cup Series’ penultimate race of the season, held Nov. 3 in Martinsville, Virginia, carried over to Sunday’s race in Phoenix used to crown a Cup champion. The controversies left questions about whether a playoff format contrived to increase drama is leading to not just dramatic finishes but choreographed ones.
