NASCAR The Game 2011: Elimination Style

[fnz]

I figured I'd try something different here, with an elimination-style NASCAR bracket. First I'll start off with the 2010 season on NASCAR The Game 2011.

I've seeded the Drivers 1 to 11 (43 drivers divided by four). The seeding was based off of the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Point standings from 2010 Drivers seeded 8 to 11 (15 drivers total) will duke it out over the course of four races for the final four spots in the tournament. Over the course of these races the first 12 drivers (drivers who finished in the 2010 Chase) will be competing for seeds 1 to 3 (based on total points over the four races), with drivers 13 to 20 competing for 4 and 5 seeds, and drivers 21 to 28 competing for 6 and 7 seeds.

Once the final drivers to be included in the bracket, the pairings will be revealed.

Drivers will compete head to head with one another, with the higher finisher advancing in the bracket.

Right now I'm debating whether to have a driver eliminated after each race, or whether to make it the highest head-to-head points after two races causing an elimination. Having two-race elimination would allow for more tracks to be used and 13 races overall, single-race elimination would allow for 8 tracks overall.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Hope to have this thing started on Monday or Wednesday!

[fnz]

This will get underway on Monday.

Here are the official rules for the first Play-In/Seeding Round.
Drivers will race at the following tracks (and in the following order)

• Daytona
• Martinsville
• Watkins Glen
• Charlotte

The following drivers 12 will be competing for 1, 2, and 3 seeds

• 11 Denny Hamlin
• 29 Kevin Harvick
• 48 Jimmie Johnson
• 99 Carl Edwards
• 18 Kyle Busch
• 14 Tony Stewart*
• 16 Greg Biffle
• 17 Matt Kenseth*
• 2 Kurt Busch
• 24 Jeff Gordon
• 31 Jeff Burton
• 33 Clint Bowyer

The following 8 drivers will be competing for 4 and 5 seeds

• 1 Jamie McMurray
• 5 Mark Martin
• 20 Joey Logano
• 39 Ryan Newman
• 00 David Reutimann
• 9 Kasey Kahne
• 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
• 43 A.J. Allmendinger

The following 8 drivers will be competing for 6 and 7 seeds

• 6 David Ragan
• 56 Martin Truex Jr.
• 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• 98 Paul Menard
• 12 Brad Keselowski
• 19 Elliott Sadler
• 47 Marcos Ambrose
• 77 Sam Hornish Jr.

The following 15 drivers will be competing for 8 seeds, the final 4 spots in the tournament

• 34 Travis Kvapil
• 38 David Gilliland
• 71 Bobby Labonte
• 82 Scott Speed
• 07 Kevin Conway*
• 7a Robby Gordon
• 21 Bill Elliot
• 83 Brian Vickers
• 16a Trevor Bayne
• 30 Todd Bodine
• 51 Michael Waltrip*
• 51a Aric Almirola*
• 00a Ryan Truex
• 7 Danica Patrick
• 13 Jennifer Jo Cobb

After each of the first three races, three drivers from the final 15 will be eliminated (they will still be in races, just not competing for points).

[fnz]

Here's the Daytona results!

DAYTONA 500 Race Results
POS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	START	LED	PTS	BONUS
1	Juan Pablo Montoya					190
2	Denny Hamlin					170
3	Jimmie Johnson					175
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr.					160
5	Carl Edwards					155
6	Greg Biffle					150
7	Kurt Busch					146
8	Kevin Harvick					142
9	David Reutimann					138
10	Scott Speed					134
11	Bobby Labonte					130
12	Michael Waltrip					127
13	Brad Keselowski					124
14	Kevin Conway					121
15	Sam Hornish Jr.					118
16	Kyle Busch					120
17	Brian Vickers					112
18	Joey Logano					109
19	Paul Menard					106
20	David Ragan					103
21	Jamie McMurray					100
22	Jeff Gordon					102
23	Aric Almirola					94
24	Clint Bowyer					91
25	Kasey Kahne					88
26	Trevor Bayne					85
27	Elliott Sadler					82
28	Todd Bodine					79
29	Ryan Newman					76
30	AJ Allmendinger					73
31	Jeff Burton					70
32	Marcos Ambrose					67
33	Ryan Truex					64
34	Bill Elliott					61
35	Danica Patrick					58
36	David Gilliland					55
37	Jennifer Jo Cobb					52
38	Robby Gordon					49
39	Matt Kenseth					46
40	Martin Truex Jr.					43
41	Mark Martin					40
42	Travis Kvapil					37
43	Tony Stewart					34

I've decided not to eliminate anyone after the first race. But I will eliminate 3 after Martinsville and 3 after Watkins Glen.

[fnz]

Martinsville Results

MARTINSVILLE Race Results
POS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	START	LED	PTS	BONUS
1	Brian Vickers					185
2	Martin Truex Jr.					170
3	Kyle Busch					170
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr.					160
5	Denny Hamlin					155
6	Sam Hornish Jr.					150
7	Jeff Gordon					156
8	Jamie McMurray					142
9	Kevin Harvick					138
10	Greg Biffle					139
11	Marcos Ambrose					130
12	Mark Martin					127
13	Kasey Kahne					124
14	Juan Pablo Montoya					126
15	Danica Patrick					118
16	Ryan Truex					115
17	Bobby Labonte					112
18	Travis Kvapil					109
19	Jimmie Johnson					106
20	Scott Speed					103
21	Brad Keselowski					100
22	Paul Menard					97
23	Kurt Busch					94
24	Elliott Sadler					91
25	Bill Elliott					88
26	Todd Bodine					85
27	Clint Bowyer					82
28	Robby Gordon					79
29	David Ragan					76
30	AJ Allmendinger					73
31	Jeff Burton					70
32	Matt Kenseth					67
33	David Gilliland					64
34	Michael Waltrip					61
35	Tony Stewart					63
36	Aric Almirola					55
37	David Reutimann					52
38	Ryan Newman					49
39	Trevor Bayne					46
40	Kevin Conway					43
41	Joey Logano					40
42	Carl Edwards					37
43	Jennifer Jo Cobb					34

[fnz]

Here's the Post-Martinsville Standings for all seeding groups
1 to 3 seeds

1. 11 Denny Hamlin 325
2. 18 Kyle Busch 290
3. 16 Greg Biffle 289
4. 48 Jimmie Johnson281
5. 29 Kevin Harvick 280
6. 24 Jeff Gordon 258
7. 2 Kurt Busch 240
8. 99 Carl Edwards 192
9. 33 Clint Bowyer 173
10. 31 Jeff Burton 140
11. 17 Matt Kenseth* 113
12. 14 Tony Stewart* 97

4 and 5 seeds

• 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 311
• 1 Jamie McMurray 242
• 9 Kasey Kahne 212
• 00 David Reutimann 190
• 5 Mark Martin 167
• 20 Joey Logano 149
• 43 A.J. Allmendinger 146
• 39 Ryan Newman 125

6 and 7 seeds

1. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 320
2. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. 268
3. 12 Brad Keselowski 224
4. 56 Martin Truex Jr. 213
5. 98 Paul Menard 203
6. 47 Marcos Ambrose 197
7. 6 David Ragan 179
8. 19 Elliott Sadler 173

8 seeds

• 83 Brian Vickers 297
• 71 Bobby Labonte 242
• 82 Scott Speed 237
• 51 Michael Waltrip* 188
• 00a Ryan Truex 179
• 7 Danica Patrick 176
• 07 Kevin Conway* 164
• 30 Todd Bodine 164
• 21 Bill Elliott 149
• 51a Aric Almirola* 149
• 34 Travis Kvapil 146
• 16a Trevor Bayne 131
• 7a Robby Gordon 128
• 38 David Gilliland 119
• 13 Jennifer Jo Cobb 86

The following drivers have been eliminated:

• Robby Gordon
• David Gilliland
• Jennifer Jo Cobb

[fnz]

WATKINS GLEN RESULTS
1 Marcos Ambrose 185
2 Jeff Gordon 180
3 Tony Stewart* 165
4 Kurt Busch 160
5 Kevin Harvick 155
6 Jimmie Johnson 150
7 Kyle Busch 146
8 Juan Pablo Montoya 142
9 Jamie McMurray 138
10 Matt Kenseth* 134
11 Carl Edwards 130
12 Joey Logano 127
13 Jeff Burton 124
14 Denny Hamlin 121
15 Michael Waltrip* 118
16 Ryan Newman 115
17 Trevor Bayne 112
18 Robby Gordon 109
19 Scott Speed 106
20 Brian Vickers 103
21 Martin Truex Jr. 100
22 Kasey Kahne 97
23 Paul Menard 94
24 A.J. Allmendinger 91
25 Sam Hornish Jr. 88
26 Travis Kvapil 85
27 Jennifer Jo Cobb 82
28 Mark Martin 79
29 Clint Bowyer 76
30 Brad Keselowski 73
31 Greg Biffle 70
32 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 67
33 Aric Almirola* 64
34 Kevin Conway* 61
35 Bill Elliot 58
36 Danica Patrick 55
37 David Gilliland 52
38 Elliott Sadler 49
39 Bobby Labonte 46
40 David Reutimann 43
41 David Ragan 40
42 Todd Bodine 37
43 Ryan Truex 34

[fnz]

After a Charlotte Night Race won by Joey Logano I know present:
The 2010 NASCAR Championship Bracket!
There are four "regional" brackets: The O'Reilly Auto Parts Bracket, The Mobil 1 Bracket, The Goodyear Bracket, and The Sunoco Bracket.

Here's what is looks like the start out (with the locations of each two-race round listed as well).