What we learned this weekend is how the game is set up dictates how we play. Let's remember that going forward. There was some thrilling on-track action from across the globe as the motorsports season is coming to a close. Here is a run down of what got me thinking.
Crowdfunding
Caterham F1 is trying to make the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the help of donors as they have opened up a crowdfunding campaign to fund their return. You can donate as little as £1 or as much as £45,000 with different perks at each level. For £6 you can get a pair of earplug, while the top end gets you a corporate hospitality pass for Abu Dhabi in a fortnight with other perks such as caps, t-shirts, carbon fiber brakes, a dinner with a driver, your name on a car, heck even your own logo for donations in-between.
To be honest, I am thinking about opening a crowdfunding effort to get For The Love of Indy's logo on the cars for Abu Dhabi because there is no way I can't afford that type of money out of my own back pocket.
From Will Buxton to Bernie Ecclestone have questioned the teams crowdfunding decision and I am understanding where they are coming from. The only reason Caterham is trying to make it to Abu Dhabi is to finish tenth in the constructors' championship since Marussia have folded and won't be able to pick up the $17 million for tenth, leaving it open for Caterham. Once they get that money, Caterham is going to pay off their debts with no guarantee they will be on the grid in 2015. If you fund the project, you are basically helping bail out Caterham.
The difference between what Caterham and Project Brabham, the LMP2 effort David Brabham is working on to make the grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and hopefully turn the program into a full-time FIA World Endurance Championship team, is Brabham is looking to create the foundation for a team that will compete long-term. Caterham simply is trying to get to Abu Dhabi for a larger check, which will save them for administration.
Despite the reality of Caterham's crowdfunding, people are still helping them. At the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix over 2000 backers have raised £1,073,306, forty-five percent of their £2,350,000 goal. Which makes me wonder, how badly do people want to say they "own" or "fund" a Formula One car? Don't get me wrong, it is enticing to say you had something to do with getting a car on the Formula One grid. That's not something many people can say but the reasons why Caterham are trying to make it to the season finale are despicable. Why would you want to support a team who's only reason for crowdfunding is to earn a check to pay off their debt? It would be one thing if Caterham had done this at the start of 2014 and wanted to be a crowdfunded team to create some type of fan engagement but this isn't the case.
Crowdfunding has exploded with the Internet and with motorsports becoming more and more expensive, could we see more of it? A crowdfunded Indianapolis 500 effort was attempted for 2014 but that fell short of being their own team and rather funded part of Alex Tagliani's entry. Speaking of which, it looks like they might have some involvement in the Bryan Herta-Jay Howard entry as their website includes both "Team BHA" and Green1, the sponsor that was announced to be on Howard's car come May. Josh Wise was funded by Dogecoin for a few races this year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
It has worked for one-off opportunities for teams middle and toward the back of the pack but could we see a successful team in the near future relying heavily on crowdfunding? And if we do, could that significantly change the tides of motorsports funding?
Let's wait and see.
(As of 6:33 a.m. ET, Caterham have raised £1,095,836 with just over four and a half days to go).
Points Systems
With NASCAR and Formula One both heading into their final races of 2014, I thought we'd explore their championship scenarios after both made changes to their points systems.
Let's start with Formula One where Lewis Hamilton leads Nico Rosberg by 17 points after the German won the Brazilian Grand Prix with the Brit finishing second. Formula One decided to make the season finale double points to increase the likelihood of the title being decided at the final race. Guess what? The title would have come down to the final race if it was regular points as it pays 25 points to win.
Ultimately, double points in Formula One has made it more difficult to clinch the title. If Abu Dhabi was regular points, Hamilton could clinch with a sixth-place finish. Because of double points, Hamilton has to finish second to clinch the title.
NASCAR changed their points system and as we have seen over the past few weeks, it definitely has made blood boil at times.
Kevin Harvick advanced to the championship race with his sixth career win at Phoenix while Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman all advanced on points. Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards go no further. Newman made a bold pass on Kyle Larson for eleventh as he needed that one point to advance to Homestead with a chance at the championship. It's amazing how the change in the system has altered who and who is not eligible for the title heading into the season finale.
Had the Chase format not changed, meaning the top twelve after Richmond would have made the Chase and there wouldn't be four drivers eliminated after every three races, Denny Hamlin would not have even made the Chase. He was 19th in the championship after Richmond and here he is, with one win to his name, alive for the championship and the only of the final four to win at Homestead in the Cup series. If the format stayed the same from 2013, only two drivers would be eligible for the title at Homestead. It would have been between Logano and Harvick with Logano having a 26-point advantage. Brad Keselowski would be third with Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson tied for fourth and Newman a point back of those two.
If this was under a pre-Chase format, it would still only be a two-horse race except Jeff Gordon would be leading Logano by 29 points with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in third, Keselowski fourth and Harvick.
Meanwhile, in Super Formula, seven drivers entered the season finale with a shot at the title this weekend. Of course they run fewer races than Formula One and NASCAR but they are doing something right and did't need to manipulate the system to make sure more drivers are eligible at the final race.
Champions From the Weekend
Kazuki Nakajima won his second career Super Formula championship after finishing second and winning race two from Suzuka. João Paulo de Oliveria won race one.
Álex Márquez won the 2014 Moto3 championship after finishing third at Valencia. Jack Miller won the race, his sixth of the season but the Australian fell two points shy of the championship. Álex and Marc Márquez become the first set of brother to win world championships in the same season.
Chase Elliott clinched the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series title with a fifth-place finish at Phoenix. Elliott became the youngest champion in NASCAR history at 18 years, 11 months and 15 days old.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Marc Márquez, Nico Rosberg, Kevin Harvick Kazuki Nakajima, João Paulo de Oliveira and Jack Miller but did you know...
Thomas Lüthi won the Moto2 season finale from Valencia. This year's Moto2 champion Esteve Rabat finished second.
Brad Keselowski won the Nationwide race from Phoenix. Erik Jones won the Truck race.
Coming Up This Weekend
Season finales galore:
NASCAR ends at Homestead.
WTCC returns to the streets of Macau for their final round.
WRC wraps up in Wales
Super GT ends at Motegi.
And then there are penultimate rounds:
FIA WEC will run into twilight at Bahrain.
V8 Supercars head to Phillip Island.
Stock Car Brasil will run around the streets of Salvador.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
