Last Lap: Risk and Reward

The look of disgust on Tony Stewart's scruffy mug as he emerged from his mangled Home Depot Chevrolet Saturday night said it all. But, Tony being Tony, he opted to verbalize his distaste for The Winston, anyway.

	Marty Smith

His message was loud and clear like Bo Duke's CB radio: Dash for enough cash to purchase a third-world nation and you're begging for trouble.

"I think next year I'm going to take the weekend off and somebody else can drive this thing," said Stewart, who had the best car before being caught up in a wreck at the end of the second segment.

"I'll take the night off. It's starting to become not worth it. I want to be racing a long time, and I don't want to get wrecked on a non-points race that has turned out to be a hack-fest every year."

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A million-dollar hack-fest that has, of late, become far less about mashing the gas and more about strategy -- especially in the second of three segments. Only the top-14 finishers from the second segment moved on to the final 20-lap dash Saturday night. And everyone but your dentist knew the fans would vote for a 10-car inversion rather than four, six or eight cars.

Hence, some drivers are apt to race for eighth and ninth position, not first. That goes against the very definition of racing, and results in large bunches of cars midway through the pack.

In turn, we see what we saw -- six totaled cars, many capable of winning and most brand-spankin' new, and an injured driver. Bill Elliott broke three bones in his left foot during the same wreck that took out Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin.

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That raises this week's Last Lap question: Is the reward worth the risk of running in The Winston?

BamaJrFan: I don't think that the reward equals the risk. It's supposed to be an event that showcases the best in the business. To me, it looked like "playing possum" was the best strategy in the first two segments. What's that? That's no showcase...now, Kurt Busch, he drove for all it was worth and for what? No real monetary windfall, no points, and no real recognition. I guess he should have stayed back in the pack so that at the end he could have been on top, and that isn't rewarding the best.

Extremely well said, Coach Shula. Busch deserves mucho respect for not holding back, but when the checkers flew what did he have to show for it? No matter the profession, respect is what most seek more than anything else. But respect doesn't necessarily pay the bills.

Cwagno5: I love Winston Cup racing. I hate The Winston. I do not like the format, and the rewards do not outweigh the risks. With all the talk about safety, why a three-lap shootout? That's asking for exactly what happened -- damaged cars and a hurt driver, not seriously though, thankfully.

	Credit: Autostock

That's probably what it will take though for NASCAR to correct the farce. And why was Gordon not black-flagged? He certainly wasn't a contender but sure helped his teammate out by wrecking some. The Winston is not about survival of the fastest. It's more about the sneakiest and that certainly doesn't make you the best, just the richest for one night.

Clark W. Griswold isn't alone, here. The format could use an upgrade -- mainly the inversion aspect. As I said earlier, everyone knew that the fans would vote for a 10-car inversion. Here's my quick fix:

Keep the three-segment, 40-30-20 format. I'm cool with that. But get rid of the online vote (there went my Christmas bonus). Instead, choose 14 fans at random from a nationwide drawing to serve as an honorary pit crewmember for each team in the final segment. Before that final segment, each fan will draw a number out of a hat, and that's where their respective team will start the final segment.

That completely eliminates sandbagging while continuing to integrate the fans into the event. I thought this was genius. Then I talked to Kevin Harvick, who has an interesting idea of his own:

"I think you line the first race up how you qualify, then run 35, 40 laps for the first segment so qualifying means something," Harvick said. "Then have your mandatory four-tire stop. Then, take the second race, invert the way you qualified and you have to run the same amount of laps.

"Then you come in, make a four-tire stop and line the third race up by an average of your finishes in the first two races. If there's a tie, whoever qualified better starts in front of the other guy. Then go race, so that way all three -- qualifying and the first two segments mean something. Because the way it was the other night sucked."

Told you Clark W. wasn't alone. Speaking of Harvick...

Lovesracin: I think this is a ridiculous race. The drivers already make a lot of money. Why have an owner risk wrecking a perfectly good car for money that would have to be dumped into building another car! I don't like the field inversion either.

I don't think it's fair that if a driver was racing well in the first two segments with a good, fast car has to go to the back of the pack on an inversion (I'm thinking of Kevin Harvick here). No, I think instead of the Winston, maybe they could use this weekend for a track that wants a second race!

What's that noise? Oh, the raucous applause from the Lone Star State.

	Credit: Autostock

jayro38mm: Are you stupid? It's a million bucks. Hell yeah it's worth it!!

Sometimes, the simplest of explanations carry the most validity. Many responders voiced the opinion that, to guys that are already multi-millionaires, another million doesn't mean much. I understand the point, but beg to differ on one count: Despite their current tax bracket, many of these boys came from nothing. So to some of them Ben Franklin still signifies high-rollin'.

Joe466: This has become like every other all-star event. The participants, although speaking to the contrary, don't really care about winning, but view it as more of an obligation. The fans don't really care, especially if their driver has been eliminated during the first or second segment. I say that along with the million, give 'em some points for competing and winning.

Make it a small amount, say, 25 points for the winner, and drop it in two-point increments for the rest of the top 10. Anyone out of the top 10 gets nothing. Forget the inversions and segmented format. Make the race about 25 laps longer than a full tire run and let them go. Then you will see guys racing, instead of working on their 600 set-ups.

Joe's got a point -- points would offer far more incentive. Look at last year's championship chase. Had Mark Martin not been penalized for an illegal spring in the next-to-last race of the year, Stewart only wins the title by 13 points. Hence, even if The Winston offered only a few points, they could potentially be huge ones.

That said, it should remain a non-points event. For some reason it adds to the event's urgency, in my opinion.

3man: Drivers have always said the biggest thrill is winning. They'd race if it didn't pay anything, and in the early stages of their career would race anywhere they could get a ride. So now that they made it to the big time they're going to get picky? Race formats don't cause wrecks, drivers do.

I like Tony, but he made the mistake. It was the last lap, he was already in the top 14, he didn't need to pass another car, and he couldn't win the stage on the last lap. It was a pointless move! It was also a wreck that could've just as easily happened in the 600 this weekend. Who's to say where the cap on "dangerous" is? Racing is dangerous...if that is profession you choose, then you've answered the question. The risk is worth the reward, format doesn't matter.

	Credit: Autostock

This is an intriguing response, though I somewhat disagree. Sure, drivers know the inherent danger of their profession and choose to do it anyway. Shut up and race? Nope. When you get to the Winston Cup level, it's about the long haul, running up front for championships.

As we said earlier, The Winston pays no points. Wadding up a car isn't nearly as costly as it would be in the Coca-Cola 600 -- and I'm not talking about monetarily or physically, either.

Wreck in The Winston, you're out a good car that could potentially be used in future events. That sucks, but it's part of the game that must be accepted. Wreck in the 600, you're not only out a car, but the 100 points difference between 10th and 14th in the final standings come November are far more costly. No sponsor mentions on television. No big time point fund cash.

It's nearly apples and oranges. Much like this guy:

Deifan333: This race was supposed to be for fun. ya know -- no pressure for points and all that. yeah, it's worth a million dollars but so is any of the no bull races....so why is this raced any different. guys like johnson need to race and quit being a punk and hanging in the back till the end......that's not winning, that's being a redneck.

I wanted to leave this alone, but this response is so ludicrous I can't help but call this cat out. First of all, the No Bull 5 program no longer exists. Second, when it did, the extra million was awarded for winning a points race. Third, a redneck? Nevermind.

The Winston purse grows exponentially every season, and to us regular folk the mere opportunity to win $1 million is nothing more than a pipe dream. You hear it every day: "I'd do anything for a million bucks."

But come time to put up or shut up, would you risk your life for it?