Well Done For Turning Up, Dan!

[BootsOntheSide]

By turning a lap in practice at the Glen, Dan Wheldon has an unassailable lead in the championship, and clinches his first IRL title, beating his champion team-mate in the process. Congratulations Dan, but the way he's clinched it is not only very unsatisfying, but also calls into further question the entire validity of a systme when you get so many points just for turning up and consistantly finishing in the minor points. I'm sure any points system you could think of, from 10-6-4-3-2-1 to 20-16-14-12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1, would either make Dan champion already or leave him with a huge lead, but I'm sure those systems would give a more representative championship order.

[climb]

Understandable point Boots, but the problem is due to the fact of having a very speciale race, INDY500, where 33 entrants race, and the last gets one point.
Therefore the 20-22th of a regular round cannot get less than 13-14 points.

In any case it's true that not only does such a points system make it difficult to catch up, but also to conquer a large gap.
Thus, if Dan was in such a large advantage over the runner-up, it means he dominated the season much more than the standing say.
I mean, with a different point system his point lead would have been way stronger.

[Oaksnaf]

Well done Dan a pretty dominent season from him and he really deserved this championship. Well done Dan.

[youngoldy]

Dominated from the word go. Fully deserves the champ, shame not enough people kow what he has done and the record he has broke along the way.

Well done Danny boy!!

[BootsOntheSide]

But you shouldn't get points just for turning up. In any case, finishing from (I think) 21st down gives you the same number of points. I might try and work out the standings under an alternate system tomorrow if I get some time, but I'm sure climb is right. Congratulations on a fantastic championship Dan, and if you do get into F1 with Williams as has been rumoured, good luck.

[macdaddy]

Dan Wheldon:

The only way you know when a Formula 1 team is serious is when they ask your weight and your height because they want to know if you can fit in the same car as your teammate. One team has done that.

SpeedTV article.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I've been watching the IRL on and off this year and seeing Wheldon win the title just for turning up at Watkins Glen is a huge anti-climax.

Seems to me like they need two points systems, one for the 500 and another for the regular season.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I've been watching the IRL on and off this year and seeing Wheldon win the title just for turning up at Watkins Glen is a huge anti-climax.

Seems to me like they need two points systems, one for the 500 and another for the regular season.

That seems pretty sensible to me. After all there's only one race a year where they get a more competitve 33 car grid so why not give it a special points system. I'm sure Tony George could talk himself into introducing that.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

I've been watching the IRL on and off this year and seeing Wheldon win the title just for turning up at Watkins Glen is a huge anti-climax.

Seems to me like they need two points systems, one for the 500 and another for the regular season.

He still had to wait until the race was past the point of being declared an official race before he actually clinched it.

Also, one does not win titles by finishing far down the grid, so what the points payout far down the order looks like is a moot point IMHO.

[N I Tram]

How do you work that out Rusty? If the race had been called off there would only be one race left, so no chance of anyone overhauling his existing lead.

The full points schedule always makes a difference - flawless seasons like Kanaan's last year are very rare, and the difference between retiring early and retiring late can be a difference of several points - decisive in a close season.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by N I Tram

How do you work that out Rusty? If the race had been called off there would only be one race left, so no chance of anyone overhauling his existing lead.

Well, first off, even if the race had been cancelled for some strange reason I'm 100% sure the IRL would have rescheduled it for a later date.

And since the race did get underway, as I fully expected it to, he wouldn't officially clinch it until it got declared an official race. Silly nitpicking to the extreme, perhaps, but I just felt like posting something after Silk Cut Jaguar's complaint about the "anti-climax" when Wheldon had been firmly in command for quite some time and had all-but won it for several races before Watkins Glen.

[drewdawg727]

why did he have to wait til lap 31 to actually clinch the championship...?
I don't seem to remember a rule where they had to complete at least half the race to receive credit for starting the race...

[drdisque]

the race wasn't official until halfway through. If the race had to be stopped before lap 31 and they could never continue it, it wouldn't have counted.

[drewdawg727]

i knew that....i swear....i was just testing you all