I've been reading a few opinion articles on the All-Star race, and there are quite a few writers who have issues with it. There are problems with it. So I will list the Good and the Bad stuff here.
The Good Stuff
This is racing as it is meant to be. Not settling for a top 5 finish because it is a good points day. There are no points, so everyone goes balls to the wall to win.
The Bad Stuff
Too many drivers. I'm not talking about the drivers who have won races, those guys deserve to be there. JPM is in this because he won. I think they should eliminate, or at least reduce the time for the past winners and past champions. If you haven't won a championship in the last 5 years, and haven't won a race for the last year and a third, well you probably aren't an All-Star anymore. No offense to Jarrett fans, but he hasn't been very good the last 3-4 years.
A fan vote? Are you kidding me? C'mon, if you want to get into the race there should only be two ways, win a freakin race, or win the Open.
Hmm, the Open, that brings up some other issues I have. I can understand the winner of the Open getting in, you have to be a winner to be in the All-Star race, and well you just won a race so you transfer in. Why in the name of pete does the guy that finishes 2nd get in? You might as well let anyone who has came in 2nd in the last year and a third in the race as well. I don't know why they made that change.
Another issue with the Open. Some of the drivers in the Open haven't even made a race this year. Chad McCumbee, Carl Long, Stanton Barrett? None of these drivers has been in a race in 2008, and only McCumbee was in a race in 07. Two of them. So between the 3, they have 2 starts in 07 and 08, a 25th place finish, and a 41st place finish. Do they really deserve the chance to be in the All-Star race? Not in my opinion, why doesn't the top 35 rule apply here? Maybe anyone in the top 35 in the current and previous year should be eligible.
It's at the same track every friggin year. Why can't it rotate to some other tracks? Can you imagine what the race would be like at a short track?
Hmm, looks like I really like the fact that drivers go all out for the win, but can't think of many other good things about it. Maybe someone can give me some things I missed. I must have missed something.
Oh, and one last bad thing. Why did they change the name of the first race from the "Open" to the "Showdown"? I will still call it the open.
