The Chase is NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series version of the playoffs. It was started back in 2008 to bring more excitement to the closing races of the year and close the gap between the drivers that had built a substantial lead over the course of the season. Many times the racer that was out in front had such a point lead over the second place competitor that he only needed to finish the last few events of the year to win the championship. That scenario was boring for NASCAR enthusiasts and reduced the excitement of bumper to bumper, all out racing for the title.
Since the induction of the Chase format, the excitement has returned for the last ten races of the season. Drivers are re-set on how they performed race by race which determines if they move on to the next round. When all is said and done, the last race of the year has the top four drivers that advanced in a winner take all scenario.
The one set back to all of the changes made in 2008 was the confusion it brought to the racing world. In this article I fully hope to inform my readers on how the format is configured and how it works itself out to determine a NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.
The first thing that fans need to know is that The Chase is structured to put winning at a premium. The top 15 drivers that raced to the most wins from the first race at Daytona to the 26th regular season race at Richmond will earn a chance to compete in the last ten Chase races of the year to determine the Sprint Cup champion. Some stipulations come with that.
First, they have to finish with in the top 30 in points and at least tried to qualify for every event the series offers. If by chance there is 16 or more different victors throughout the first 26 contests, the only driver without a win that can receive a spot in The Chase has to finish first in the regular season point standings.
After the field of sixteen drivers is set, they will will compete in three different elimination rounds that culminate in the winner take all event in the last showdown of the season at Homestead Raceway. The three rounds are labeled as follows.
The first round is the Challenger Round: 16 different drivers that earned their way into The Chase will battle it out in races at Chicagoland Speedway, New Hampshire and Dover. Four of the lowest pointed drivers will be eliminated and 12 remaining spots will be doled out in the next round.
Taking the checkered flag in any of the three events automatically advances the winning racer into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be decided by order of total points gained after the first three races. Every driver that found a way to race on through will be reset to 3,000 points with no bonuses for the wins they had.
The next round is the Contender round: The 12 competitors that advanced in the Challenger round will be driving their hearts out at Charlotte Motor Speedway, then on to Kansas Speedway and then to the longest track on the circuit, Talladega, Alabama. There will be eight spots available in the round to follow. The exact same rules apply for advancement as in the Challenger round. When The Chase Contender round is complete every driver that advanced will be reset to 4,000 points, and bonus points for any of the victories in the round.
The Eliminator: round is the third round where the progressing Eight drivers will again race it out at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix. They will compete for the four remaining slots in the final round. The same rules will be used for advancing as in previous rounds. The Chase Points for the four speedsters racing for the title we be reset to 5,000 and again there will be no bonus points for wins.
The Championship round and final race to settle it all: The Chase championship driver will be crowned when he tallies the best finish among the top four drivers at Homestead. No Bonus points for any circuits that were led apply in the final event, so the official finishing position alone will decide the Chase and NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series’s new champion.
Hopefully this explanation of The Chase and how it is structured will shed some light on NASCAR fans who have yet to wrap their brain around the new format that was implemented in 2008. In writing this article I wanted to inform fans why the final races leading up to The Chase are so important and how competitive The Chase becomes.
