Will Kyle Busch Be Eligible To Win The 2015 Cup Championship

[CIRF]

Since the rain caused the Bristol Cup race to be broadcast in prime time Sunday evening we watched the whole race. During that broadcast I could have sworn I hear Mike Joy or Larry McReynolds say Kyle Busch will be given an exemption that would allow him to be eligible to win the 2015 Cup Championship, even if he comes back to the Cup Series in July.

Now, I might have heard wrong on Sunday evening but after further investigation I found that according to NASCAR the possibility actually does exist for Busch to be eligible for the championship even if it's July before he competes in his first points race of the Cup schedule.

I'm just curious as to whether this possible eventuality is fair to the guys who will have raced in all the points races or not according to the dyed in the wool NASCAR fanatics. Can a champion be legitimate after competing in just over half of the races or is this just one more silly gimmick conceived in a fertile mind of a NASCAR executive.

[Captain Happy]

Lol, you can't win the thing!!! It's given to select drivers. I'm sure they will all get a turn tho.

[Mittvok]

Since the rain caused the Bristol Cup race to be broadcast in prime time Sunday evening we watched the whole race. During that broadcast I could have sworn I hear Mike Joy or Larry McReynolds say Kyle Busch will be given an exemption that would allow him to be eligible to win the 2015 Cup Championship, even if he comes back to the Cup Series in July.

Now, I might have heard wrong on Sunday evening but after further investigation I found that according to NASCAR the possibility actually does exist for Busch to be eligible for the championship even if it's July before he competes in his first points race of the Cup schedule.

I'm just curious as to whether this possible eventuality is fair to the guys who will have raced in all the points races or not according to the dyed in the wool NASCAR fanatics. Can a champion be legitimate after competing in just over half of the races or is this just one more silly gimmick conceived in a fertile mind of a NASCAR executive.

I could be mistaken but back in the good ole days of NASCAR weren't there champions crowned that didn't run the whole series. I'm thinking 50's - 60's. I'm almost certain.

[RACEMAN]

We always assume that the champion (and the rest of the top 10-15) have competed in all the races in a season. It's just what has happened.

But I would guess that the rules say that a competitor doesn't have to compete in all the races. Just that he/she just needs to win one race to get into the chase.

Once the chase starts it's entirely possible for a racer to get crashed out the first lap of a race and still come back and win the championship. (In this scenario it would be the same as missing a race.) Could a racer miss 2 or more races in the chase and still be the champion? Unlikely but it could happen.

[plunks7]

He is out because of injury racing. I would say yes. And besides that if you win your in!!!!

[formercrewguy]

Why wouldn't he be? Win and you're in.....right?

[drano]

I am pretty sure you are right. That's why I look at Petty's 200+ wins as not the whole story because it was in a period of over 60 races a year.

I look at those wins as more that was when men had to drive the cars instead of aim and shoot, before cool suites power steering and all the aero. Has a driver in the last couple of years come along that is taller than 5' and weighs more than100 lbs they look more like horse jockies than race car drivers I really doubt any of these new guys could even drive one of those old race cars.

[CIRF]

Of all the seasons that The King raced for the championship NASCAR ran 60 or more races just ONCE. NASCAR ran seasons of 50 or more races just 4 times during the King's 34 year NASCAR career. Given those numbers The King ran seasons of 50 or more races just 14% of those 34 seasons. 23 of The King's 34 seasons the NASCAR schedule numbered 31 or less races. The argument that The King ran season after season of 50 or 60 races is bogus, pure an simple.

Since the inception of the Grand National/Cup series the champion has very rarely, if ever, ran less than the full schedule.

Just wanted to set that record straight.

On to the point at hand...........

Is it incorrect to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, being eligible to win the championship after competing in around 1/2 of the races, give or take a couple?

Is it also correct to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, winning just one of the races in which he competes prior to the start of the chase (or whatever they're calling it these days) and that gives him the exact same opportunity to win the Cup championship as all the drivers and teams that have busted their asses to compete in all the races and win one or more of them?

Interesting.

[CIRF]

I look at those wins as more that was when men had to drive the cars instead of aim and shoot, before cool suites power steering and all the aero. Has a driver in the last couple of years come along that is taller than 5' and weighs more than100 lbs they look more like horse jockies than race car drivers I really doubt any of these new guys could even drive one of those old race cars.

Kudo's drano. You laid things out pretty clearly and correctly, sir!

[Nasty55]

Of all the seasons that The King raced for the championship NASCAR ran 60 or more races just ONCE. NASCAR ran seasons of 50 or more races just 4 times during the King's 34 year NASCAR career. Given those numbers The King ran seasons of 50 or more races just 14% of those 34 seasons. 23 of The King's 34 seasons the NASCAR schedule numbered 31 or less races. The argument that The King ran season after season of 50 or 60 races is bogus, pure an simple.

Since the inception of the Grand National/Cup series the champion has very rarely, if ever, ran less than the full schedule.

Just wanted to set that record straight.

On to the point at hand...........

Is it incorrect to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, being eligible to win the championship after competing in around 1/2 of the races, give or take a couple?

Is it also correct to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, winning just one of the races in which he competes prior to the start of the chase (or whatever they're calling it these days) and that gives him the exact same opportunity to win the Cup championship as all the drivers and teams that have busted their asses to compete in all the races and win one or more of them?

Interesting.

I personally dont think that he should be able to compete in the chase even if he does make it back and wins a race.... he has been out since the beginning of the season even though on medical and has missed what so far 7 races? And i agree with cirf on the teams that have busted their butts to race hard all season long to fight to get into the chase and if kyle comes back with 2-3 races left before the chase starts and happens to pop off a win then he is in i dont think is right but thats just my opinion...

[drano]

In my opinion IF he comes back and makes the chase that my friends will be proof of how screwed up nascar really is.

[CIRF]

I personally dont think that he should be able to compete in the chase even if he does make it back and wins a race.... he has been out since the beginning of the season even though on medical and has missed what so far 7 races? And i agree with cirf on the teams that have busted their butts to race hard all season long to fight to get into the chase and if kyle comes back with 2-3 races left before the chase starts and happens to pop off a win then he is in i dont think is right but thats just my opinion...

My opinion is the same as yours, Nasty.

In my opinion IF he comes back and makes the chase that my friends will be proof of how screwed up nascar really is.

I remember when the fear was a guy would win the championship without a victory, which never happened. Now, I have to think NASCAR's credibility would be further diminished (if that's possible!!) if a guy who didn't run all the races won the championship.

Gotta' believe there would have to be an asterisk involved if that ever happens.

[mudslinger47]

Well, he can't just win and your in, he also has to be in the top 30 in points....but what your over looking is the fact that the car and the team have been there every week and have abided by all the rules necessary, in my humble opinion.. One other deal to look at is he was out on medical issues pretty much "BECAUSE" of negligent of Daytona and NASCAR... there is zero excuse for not having safer barriers everywhere.... if the track can't afford to put the barriers in, NASCAR can afford it and should at the very least loan the funds to get it done...

[mudslinger47]

Of all the seasons that The King raced for the championship NASCAR ran 60 or more races just ONCE. NASCAR ran seasons of 50 or more races just 4 times during the King's 34 year NASCAR career. Given those numbers The King ran seasons of 50 or more races just 14% of those 34 seasons. 23 of The King's 34 seasons the NASCAR schedule numbered 31 or less races. The argument that The King ran season after season of 50 or 60 races is bogus, pure an simple.

Since the inception of the Grand National/Cup series the champion has very rarely, if ever, ran less than the full schedule.

Just wanted to set that record straight.

On to the point at hand...........

Is it incorrect to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, being eligible to win the championship after competing in around 1/2 of the races, give or take a couple?

Is it also correct to assume most everyone is perfectly fine with a guy, Busch in particular, winning just one of the races in which he competes prior to the start of the chase (or whatever they're calling it these days) and that gives him the exact same opportunity to win the Cup championship as all the drivers and teams that have busted their asses to compete in all the races and win one or more of them?

Interesting.

Still has to be in the top 30 in points...no easy feet in half a season, even for Kyle....

[drano]

My opinion is the same as yours, Nasty.


I remember when the fear was a guy would win the championship without a victory, which never happened. Now, I have to think NASCAR's credibility would be further diminished (if that's possible!!) if a guy who didn't run all the races won the championship.

Gotta' believe there would have to be an asterisk involved if that ever happens.

I remember that also CIRF in 73 when Benny Parsons won the championship won one race at Bristol with help from John A. Utsman there was a lot of talk about he may win the championship without winning a race but he did late in the season.