Motorsprts

Changes on tap for Chase format

By BRANT JAMES
Published November 6, 2006

FORT WORTH, Texas - NASCAR chairman Brian France said before the race Sunday that changes will be made to the Chase for the Championship format for 2007, likely including but not limited to adding more value for a victory.

Increasing the field from 10 is "not on the table," he said.

Drivers have openly advocated adding points for wins, especially those such as Jimmie Johnson, who through Sunday has seven wins in 28 races in the first three installments of the Chase - but no championship.

"I think the one thing we can all agree on is that we'll be looking to make the win more important," France said. "We'll look at other things, too, but making winning more important is something we always need to try to keep our eye on."

The way this Chase has played out has been somewhat responsible for the consideration of changes, which France said are likely to be made in December. The top 10 drivers in points and any within 400 of the leader after 26 races now qualify for the 10-race playoff. "We're not going to make radical changes at all," he said. "There'll be adjustments, but by definition those are minor changes."

BLOW UP: Jeff Burton's flickering championship hopes likely vanished in the trail of sparks behind his No. 31 Chevrolet when he had a tire go down quickly, shredding the sheet metal on right front fender on Lap 88.

He blamed "an unlucky tire" for a 38th-place finish.

Burton, who led the points standings for four weeks after winning at Dover, is now in seventh place, 184 behind, losing 100 points on the leader.

"We won't quit racing, I assure you that," he said, "(but) it makes it pretty tough unless everyone else has trouble."

SEE Y'ALL: It wasn't exactly George Washington's farewell address to his troops, but Terry Labonte's goodbye to his Nextel peers in the drivers meeting Sunday was heartfelt. The two-time champion is retiring after 29 seasons.

"I just wanted to say - I want to thank NASCAR for everything you guys have done through all the years with what you've done," he said. "You all have done a great job. I want to thank all the competitors. It was a real pleasure to compete against you guys.

"You guys are some of the best drivers in the world, and I am going to enjoy watching you all and wish you all a great amount of success and mostly, everybody just be safe."

Labonte, 49, finished 36th.

SPARK PLUGS: Max Jones has been promoted to general manager at Roush Racing after running the team's truck and Busch series programs the past two years, NASCAR.com reported. ... The race began after a 50-minute rain delay.

Other motorsports

Jeff Ward won the AMA Supermoto championship with a victory in the season finale on a temporary track at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif.

Ward won the championship in 2004 as well.

[Last modified November 6, 2006, 02:32:29]