Wednesday, October 22nd 'What If' Question

The 2014 Sprint Cup Series season was hyped around how much more winning was going to mean.

With NASCAR having announced a new Chase format along with new eligibility to make the Chase, it was all about winning. Wins would get you into the Chase and wins would advance you in the Chase. The thought process was that gone were the days of “good points day” from drivers in their post race interviews and how they raced on the track.

The Eliminator Round begins this weekend in Martinsville with eight remaining drivers in contention for the championship. Six of those drivers have won races while Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth have moved through the Chase on their performance and points.

Newman has been winless since Indianapolis in the summer of 2013 but has compiled 14 top-10 finishes this season and has an average finish of 13.3. Kenseth meanwhile has been winless since New Hampshire of last fall, yet continues to scratch and claw with his Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kenseth’s average finish in 32 races is 13.6 while he’s earned 19 top-10 finishes. He’s the 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion and whom many blame for the inception of the Chase.

Should one of the eight drivers win a race during the Eliminator Round it automatically moves them to Homestead-Miami. The final four will then go for the Sprint Cup Series championship in a winner take all event.

But …

What if we crown a winless Sprint Cup champion, how would that affect the perception that this season & NASCAR is now about winning?

@the DrakeKC another excuse for haters of the current system to express their displeasure at it. Though, think it would be a fluke, and hope NASCAR wouldn’t make any changes in response to it. Doubt they would

@CBWFAN if they win by the rules they are the champ. It has been done before and will happen again at some point.

@Tuck_Nation81 It would prove that regardless of pints format consistency still wins every time

@nascar7badger10 Odds don’t favor crowning winless Sprint Cup Champion since winners of next 3 races advance to final 4.

@poptart_31 we r going to make it happen!!!! P3 and haven’t won a race yet. #notbecausewehaventtried!!!!

@48GOAT Would not affect my perception; I read they used Dale Jr.’s 2013 stats to find he’d have won under this system.

@20goleft I guess we will see when Matt carries that trophy home!

@mattntonyfan No different than a Wild Card team winning Super Bowl.

@JoJo_6040 In this win and your in situation, hopefully fans will appreciate what it took for that driver to get there.

@RaceGirlAmanda They’d be the champion, it shows that being consistent does too play a favor much to France’s displeasure

Tuesday, May 6th 'What If' Question

Brad Keselowski is a Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series champion who makes more good moves than bad.

His peers will admit that, like Jeff Gordon did, and some of them did Sunday in Talladega. But only because they were left trying wonder about the move that Keselowski made to race with the leaders while six laps down in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

It was fine for nearly the entire event. Keselowski believing he just needed a few cautions and he could take his car that was certainly fast enough, back in to contention. And then with 51 laps to go he spun in front of the field and took out 12 cars behind him. The subsequent reaction was anything but friendly, with Matt Kenseth (whom Keselowski had a problem with racing a week ago in Richmond) saying that if roles were reversed, Keselowski would be lecturing others.

The accident since sparked a debate about whether Keselowski should have been running where he was. The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford was indeed one of the fastest cars in the field, however he found himself multiple laps down after he spun from earlier contact with Danica Patrick. While restrictor plate racing is known for its large and numerous wrecks, Keselowski was playing the hoping game of having just enough that he could get back on the lead lap.

And it was certainly possible. Jamie McMurray, who was also numerous laps down, did get about five laps back and finished 29^th after running dead laps for much of the event. Unfortunately for Keselowski, he didn’t have as quiet a day with the first big wreck, which many admitted they knew was coming, occurring because of a driver who was multiple laps down and was racing with the leaders.

But …

What if Brad Keselowski had only been a lap or two down when he spun in front of the field, does furious reaction towards him still hold?

@MooreNASCAR Don’t agree with it, but I say it’s definitely still highlighted by lots when expressing their opinion.

@88isDaleJr One lap I can see. But Not 6! It was shear stupidy!!

@jrm1219 If your one lap down you still only need to race any other cars one lap down & wait for a yellow 

@jackrlewis if he was battling for the free pass fine, otherwise he didn’t belong there

Saturday, November 30th 'What If' Question

Not since the championship battle of Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards in 2011 had two drivers gone into the Chase for the Sprint Cup so equally matched.

Stewart and Edwards ended up tying for that title with Stewart earning his third crown because he had more wins. This past season history very well could have repeated itself with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. The two drivers who all season and all Chase long, proved they were the cream of the crop.

Kenseth opened the Chase with two straight wins and quickly took commanding control of the point lead. Johnson stalked the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and racked up top fives and wins of his own. During the second half of the Chase they traded the point lead back and forth, setting themselves up for a fantastic finale in Homestead.

But before Homestead comes Phoenix.

It was Johnson on the pole with Kenseth starting deep in the field. While the 48 Lowe’s team from Hendrick Motorsports had a solid top five day – escaping what could have been two major incidents – Kenseth struggled mightily. The No. 20 team never hit the setup and were only able to salvage a 23rd place finish.

Suddenly the exciting championship battle was out of reach. The point lead for Johnson heading into Homestead was an insurmountable 28. A top 25 finish in Homestead would (and did) seal his sixth Sprint Cup championship.

An anti-climatic ending to a Chase that had been shaping up as one of the best in its 10 year history.

But …

What if Johnson and Kenseth had gone into Homestead a lot closer in points, in a winner take all, who'd you put money on and why? 

@Revvin4Seven48 Johnson, been in championship situations more often that not. Plus Knaus would have been the X Factor. 

@kbr81911 Wow...thats a hard question. They are both great under pressure! I cant say Id even want to bet on either one! 

@MC412 Easily 48. They've been through this enough that the pressure wouldn't affect them. I think the JGR crew could choke. 

Josh Jones (via Facebook) Even though I am not a fan of his, I would still say Jimmie, just because Chad and him always know what to do during the chase races

Marshall Gabell (via Facebook) Jimmie, because he's Jimmie 

Brian Cullather (via Facebook) I'd say Jimmie too because of the Chad factor 

Tuesday, October 9th 'What If' Quesiton

Sometimes all it takes to ruin the perfect moment or the perfect race, is one split second decision. Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart found himself in that position when he came down the track to block Michael Waltrip's big run and caused a 25 car wreck.

Stewart, who was leading at the time, was trying to win the race. When he quickly found himself in the sucker-hole, the middle of the track with cars flying past on the outside and inside, he made the only decision he could: try to protect his position.

Stewart ended up getting turned by Waltrip who was being pushed by Casey Mears. When the dust settled and the checkered flag was shown, Matt Kenseth was declared the winner with only Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon making it through the carnage behind him. Stewart did apologize for starting the wreck and took responsibility, but many others weren't happy with the type of racing they had seen.

Most vocal was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who we learned later had suffered a concussion. He'll be sitting out the next two Sprint Cup Series races.

The wreck also shook up the point standings. Brad Keselowski extended his lead to 14 over Johnson, who wrecked while Keselowski was able to save his car and drive to a seventh place finish. Anything could have happened had the pack made to the finish line as they were, instead one mistake on the final lap, in the final corner changed everything.

Such is the life in NASCAR.

But ..

What if Stewart and Waltrip didn't get together and start last lap crash, of that big pack coming off turn four, take your pick: who wins Talladega?

@TheOrangeCone Josh Wise

@Anthony_Stuart Kenseth: not enough time was left for them to get by him

@FurnitureRow_78 Waltrip definitely would have won!

@NaScArFaN995 michael waltrip or casey mears

@Gman1439 Waltrip vs Kenseth, I say Waltrip would of won

@31SpazCat15 I think Mikey wins!!

@philenespanol Mikey. He had a full head of steam (hence getting into smoke) and probably would have settled it between him and Clint

@mattwoodruff29 Harvick he was right on Kenseth's and could had went for the win!

@NancyatStudioN Michael Waltrip

@chuckallen2 @mw55 was going to win, no doubt in my mind. His momentum, getting pushed in the perfect spot on track were just enough

@Rasenna Tony! He's the man!

@HarpAmyStabler I think that Mikey or Casey Mears would have duked it out for the win.

Tuesday, July 10th 'What If' Question

Before the green flag in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona there had already been plenty of headlines made.

There was Austin Dillon defending his Kentucky win after a failed inspection, Brian France delivering his state of the sport address and saying there would be no mandatory cautions as Bruton Smith suggested. There was Danica Patrick in a way calling her shot to win before Dillon won the pole and again failed inspection.

Matt Kenseth, going for the Daytona sweep, started it off right by winning the Cup pole. While eventual winner Tony Stewart failed post qualifying because of the same reason Dillon did. Kurt Busch went out and won a wild Nationwide Series race for James Finch and Joey Logano became the latest driver to fail inspection.

On Saturday, in what is normally a lazy day before the Cup race that evening, was anything but. Kevin Harvick flew wife DeLana back home to NC in order to rest before the birth of their first child. Son Keelan would be born the next morning. Austin Dillon thought he might get behind the wheel of the No. 29 until NASCAR nixed that idea, so Kenny Wallace was put on standby.

Bobby Bowden came into the media centered and entertained everyone, while Train rocked out on the frontstretch for the fans. Then came the biggest news of the entire weekend, seemingly out of nowhere.

At 6:00 p.m. ET NASCAR's senior vice president of racing, Steve O'Donnell, walked into the media center to announce that Penske Racing driver AJ Allmendinger had been suspended because of a failed drug test. He had been chosen as the random driver a week before in Kentucky and his "A" sample came back positive.

Sam Hornish Jr. flew back to Daytona from Charlotte, NC to pilot the No. 22 in the race. And since then the talk has been all about Allmendinger. Even though there was Stewart winning his fourth Daytona race in the last eight attempt, as well as the numerous penalties handed down on Tuesday after the infractions found in inspection.

Dillon will now be without his crew chief and car chief for two weeks and lost another six points in the owner and driver standings, Adam Stevens and the car chief of the No. 18 in the NNS was fine and put on probation as well as lost six owner points. And Stewart lost six driver/owner points while his crew chief and car chief were both placed on probation.

Yet, it all went in one ear and out the other. It's all about Allmendinger right now. Speculation has run wild from what caused the failed test, to whether he intentionally  took something, and of course, whether he'll ever be back behind the wheel.

As of Wednesday, Allmendinger was waiting on the results of his "B" sample while he camp released a statement that he had tested positive for a stimulant. What the stimulant was is still a guess, but Allmendinger was said to be going through all his medications and supplements to determine what could have caused the failed test.

With Allmendinger working with NASCAR to determine what has gone on while waiting on the results of his "B" sample, Hornish will again drive the No. 22 this weekend at New Hampshire. Everyone else is left offering their own opinions and theories.

But ...

What if there were no AJ Allmendinger suspension, what would be the big story and have us all talking after Daytona?


@mattwoodruff29 The Harvick's having there first child and the penalties from Daytona.

@HarpAmyStabler 2 complete green flag pit cycles and the outside line not being able to go. No pack drafting excitement 4 passing ... My dad, son, and I were all at the NNS and cup race. NNS race was exciting and fun all the way through .... The cup race was boring and we struggled to stay awake there until lap 120. Shouldn't be that way ... Dad and I have been going to Daytona since 2004 and loved it. We'll go again, but the racing has gotten progressively worse with the exception of the tandem racing. I remember the 1st to 30th & back to 1st in a few laps back in 2004-2008. That was fun for the pack drafting. Bring back tandems if it's not going 2 improve ... I thought that it was sad how sparse the midway & souvie trailer area was. Econ=bad. :(

@NancyatStudioN The big story would be the Army leaving SHR. It could open a whole can of worms. Will the National Guard leave Jr? And why are they paying so much more than Army paid SHR? If Ryan can't get a sponsor to stay there, where will he go? He can't go back to Penske  and can't go to Roush without a sponsor. In fact, can he go anywhere if he can't bring a sponsor? And, will Kurt get a sponsor and take it to SHR? After all, Tony said he'd hire him in a heartbeat.


@DonRohr reason the midway is sparse is because of the heat, the cost, and the ROI in July. overflowing in February ... I thought the race itself was just fine. decent beginning, filling in the middle and balls out at the end

@JoJo_6040 The pack v tandem or Sprint v Nationwide races. I kinda like the combo of pack and tandem. :)

Monday, May 21st 'What If' Question

With all the hype and advertising that comes with the Sprint All-Star race, no holds barred and full of wrecks, it was anything but on Saturday night. 

There were no fireworks, except for the ones released post race, nor were there wrecks and angry words exchanged. There was hard racing and smart strategy used and then a familiar face in victory lane. 

The 2012 format of the All-Star race consisted of five segments. The first four were 20 laps each and the final segment a 10 lap dash for the cash. That coming after a mandatory pit stop where as long as all four tires came to a stop in the box, it was considered OK and the driver could continue.

Another new wrinkle was that the drivers who won a segment would be lined up 1-4 coming to pit road for those final stops and that's where things got interesting.  

Jimmie Johnson won the first segment and then disappeared for the remainder of the All-Star. Literally. He restarted in the back of the pack and then let the field drive away as he stayed far behind what could have been potential carnage. 

Then segment two winner Matt Kenseth did the same thing. As did segment three winner Brad Keselowski, all playing possum until the final segment.

After Dale Earnhardt Jr. won segment four, he along with Johnson, Kenseth and Keselowski lined up for the mandatory stop and then exited pit road in the same order. When the green flag flew for the final segment Johnson drove away from the field for his third All-Star win.

Many were left shaking their heads in confusion, disappointment and anger at how the race played out. There seemed to be no racing involved or at least not what the All-Star race is accustomed to. Besides Johnson fans, what happend in the All-Star race wasn't what fans wanted, although Johnson and company simply took the rules and manipulated them to their advantage. 

Clint Bowyer seemed a bit shocked after the checkered flag flew saying, "He ran 30 laps, 30 damn laps and won $1 millon." 

But ... 


What if segment winners weren't allowed to 'sandbag,' how different would All-Star race have played out and does Johnson still win?


@kartracer3886 Lol If JJ didnt sandbag then he would have won every segment. I liked the format. Needs 1-2 slight tweaks


@Race_Girl24_7 idk but I would b good with a system that sends the last place driver to the garage after each segment even if they had won a segment earlier


@JoJo_6040 Each segmt would make 'em have to race. It's a short race, why sandbag? With that scenario, not sure who would've won. 

Wednesday, May 9th 'What If' Question

Leave it to Brad Keselowski to throw out all the logic that comes with racing and winning at the Talladega Superspeedway.

After much anticipation and tweaking by NASCAR, it was back to pack racing at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. Last weekend drivers went door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper around Talladega for over 180 laps before setting themselves up for a tandem pairing at the end.

On a green-white-checkered finish the driver who had dominated all day, Matt Kenseth, hooked with teammate Greg Biffle and started to pull away from the field. Behind them Kyle Busch started pushing Brad Keselowski and the two began to make headway.

Kenseth though took his eyes off the prize for just a split second and it caused him to become unhooked with Biffle. That lead to Keselowski and Busch blowing by and the win going with them. Keselowski took the white flag as the leader and logic said he wouldn't be the leader when they came back for the checkered flag.

Except just as there's logic which says you can't race and certainly can't win with a broken ankle, Keselowski proved everyone wrong. Coming out of turn four Keselowski took his No. 2 blue deuce and pulled himself off of Busch by moving from the middle lane down to the bottom.

Busch wasn't expecting it and the move gave Keselowski just enough steam to head back to the finish line untouched. Afterwards he said it was a move he had in mind for a while and was saving for the right occasion and that didn't help Busch or Kenseth feeling any better about what had happened.

But ...

What if the Kenseth/Biffle tandem hadn't come apart, would the Keselowski/Busch tandem still have caught them and who wins Talladega? 

@cruetten I'm sure they would've caught them, but I doubt they would've passed them--Kenseth and Biffle would've held tight as a team.

@JoJo_6040 Yes. And BK wouldn't be able to use his shake on KB. Four car run to the finish and Kenseth wins :)

@HD388 still think Keselowski/Busch tandem would of caught Kenseth/Biffle tandem & pulled away from them with Keselowski winning

Thursday, March 15th 'What If' Question

For all those "Did you see that?" moments look no further than the Daytona 500.

In its 54 year running there's been a little bit of everything: there was 'the fight', rain shortened events, rained out events, potholes, animals demolished by machines, tragedy, triumph, and now not only a Monday night race but a jet dryer explosion. Of course we all should have known we were in for some excitement when this year's race, for the first time in history, had to be postponed until Monday.

Then more rain pushed the race to Monday night, primetime and the excitement was notched up another level. The action started right away with a major crash that collected Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and others on lap two. From there the Roush Fenway Racing drivers of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle dominated the field.

And then as the race started to wind down it happened. Fire!

One of the jet dryers used to clean the race track during cautions began burning in turn three. A massive fire broke out as the gasoline from the jet dryer burned down the track. Upon further review it was found that something on Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42 Target machine broke as he was trying to get up to speed and catch the field.

The car snapped away from him and spun into the jet dryer and chaos ensued from there. The race was red flagged for two hours as the track was cleaned and repaired. During that time Brad Keselowski tweeted from his car, drivers hung out on the backstretch and some raced each other to the porta potty.

When the race finally restarted it was Kenseth scoring his second 500 win over Dale Earnhardt Jr. Once the post race interviews and press conferences were over it was nearly 2:00 Tuesday morning. As the rest of the world woke up that Tuesday the Daytona 500 was national news, first because it was a primetime event and because of the amazing video of the jet dryer fire.

Keselowski tweeting from inside his race car didn't hurt either. NASCAR was already off to a roaring start in 2012 and the Daytona 500 got to add another historic page to its history book.

But ...

What if the jet dryer explosion hadn't happened, what would have been the most memorable moment of the 2012 Daytona 500 & would the race still have made national news?

@WickedJ8 No, it wouldnt have made news. But the story wouldve been not fully sponsored 17 winning the biggest race of the year..again

@Tradertoms Fact is that we will never forget that incident but considering it WAS a Night race, it was sure to make National News

@rcracer20 prime time and @DanicaPatrick ,had to think about who won

@StrokerAce90 Most memorable moment woulda been Danica's first Cup start. She made the Daytona 500 bigger National news by just being in it

Tuesday, August 9th 'What If' Question

David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, that's the current lineup for Roush Fenway Racing. At least for the next few years.

Right now those four drivers are under the watchful eye of Jack Roush, or the Cat in the Hat as he's known. Edwards, who is currently leading the Sprint Cup Series points, is often said to be the face of the organization with Kenseth being the veteran and champion. Three of the four drivers have won races this year and all four still have a shot at making the Chase one way or another.

While Roush is still working on sponsorships for some of the teams, things are set at the Cup level with those drivers in place. On the Nationwide Series side there are two other drivers waiting in the wings, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Bayne might for all intents and purposes be set with the Wood Brothers should he ever decide to come to Cup full-time. He won the season opening Daytona 500 with the team but he races for Roush in the NNS where he has yet to win.

Stenhouse Jr. on the other hand is having a dream season, at least so far. He's won two races and is leading the points. Coming off a year where he was taken out of the car but then came back to win Rookie of the Year, Stenhouse is making the most of every opportunity that's sent his way. This week both Bayne and Stenhouse said they are set for 2012 by most likely staying where they are.

Except, it's never too soon to start thinking about the future. Not just for Bayne and Stenhouse Jr. but for the entire RFR organization. Yes, with the four still signed for years to come it's always fun to wonder what RFR will one day become. Stenhouse and Bayne could very much move up with the company and become Cup stars or they could move to other teams and curve their own path that way.

After winning his first career race earlier this year in Daytona, the driver of the No. 6, David Ragan, is still trying to show people that he belongs in the Cup Series. When Biffle, Edwards and Kenseth move on he could become the face and future of the organization. Will he be teammates with young drivers who make their way into the series or with whoever becomes the biggest free agents in years to come?

But ...

What if Roush Fenway's lineup one day was Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Trevor Bayne, David Ragan & Ross Kenseth, top performer/driver is? #NASCAR

@HendrickGuy Ricky Stenhouse Jr. probably.

@JJohnson51Fan David ragan. He has the most expierance and would be a veteran by then

@mikegieseler Stenhouse Jr or Trevor Bayne....they're both hot new talent and getting better...edge to Stenhouse

Tim Kaufman (via Facebook) Big $$ @ Ross Kenseth! :)

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) Stenhouse.

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Hmmm, I'd say I'd give the advantage to Bayne as far as top performer. If you think about it, his toughness to come back from illness after having the biggest win of his life, coupled with Roush's constant commitment, he'd be hard not to bet against.

Andy Marquis (replying) Toughness doesn't win races. Talent does. Stenhouse has had less time in Nationwide than Bayne and has won more races. Bayne has one NASCAR win in a race that pretty much anyone in the field can win.

Tim Kaufman (replying) Bayne's pretty smart, though. He's earned the respect of Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon and other stars, while Stenhouse is already rattling cages w/ his teammate, Carl Edwards. I think we all know Sunday is the "BIG SHOW" and if ur not good @ give/take, you'll get taken alot more (See: Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, numerous others).

Andy Marquis (replying) I've seen lots of drivers come and go who have "earned the respect" of veteran drivers early on in their career... very rarely have those guys put up wins or championships. Drivers giving and taking and not racing hard is the reason the racing in the Sprint Cup Series generally sucks just about every race. I seem to remember veteran drivers not liking Gordon, Stewart, Kurt Busch and even Jimmie Johnson in their early careers. Those guys all have championships. How many YEARS did it take David Ragan, David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray (excluding Charlotte 2002) and Regan Smith to win races? And how many wins to those guys have a piece?

Tim Kaufman (replying) Jamie had his first win in his 2nd start @ Charlotte, subbing for the injured Sterling Marlin.

Andy Marquis ‎(replying) "excluding Charlotte 2002". How many years did it take for him to get a win after Charlotte? Answer: Five years.

Tim Kaufman (replying) Only time will tell..

Wednesday, November 10th 'What If' Question

According to some NASCAR fans and media, there will be no topping what happened at the Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday night. There were fights, fingers and words flown toward NASCAR, a pit crew swap in the middle of the event, a new points leader and an exciting race to the finish.

Denny Hamlin made it clear that when there were three races left in the Chase for the Championship he was going to put his No. 11 FedEx Toyota in high gear. The first stop was Texas where he won earlier this year just a week removed from knee surgery. Sunday he would need to again come from the back of the field and do his best to keep Jimmie Johnson in his rear view mirror if he wanted to close the point gap.

Mission accomplished and much more.

Hamlin started 30th and spent the night tuning on his machine and making sure he didn't panic. Call it experience from past Chase years. Soon, he was the one to beat and was running away from the field with 10 laps remaining as Johnson tried to hang onto a top 10 finish.

With seven laps remaining the dreaded caution came out and Hamlin would have to fight one more time. During the green-white-checkered finish Matt Kenseth got a great restart and drove past Hamlin coming off turn two. Kenseth got back in the throttle too quick and slide up the track which allowed Hamlin to get back around and get to the checkered flag first. For Hamlin it was his eighth win of the 2010 season and second in the Chase. More importantly, he's also the new point leader with two races to go.

But ...

What if Matt Kenseth didn't get loose off turn two on last lap ... who gets to the checkered flag: him or does Hamlin run him down?

@lydiascats Denny'd still win.

@Matt_Kacar kenseth because he was on the outside and the car on outside always gets the run on the backstretch

@cruetten I think @dennyhamlin would've still passed him for the win

@RoushGirl17 Kenseth! I was watching the times and he was catching him before the caution. I think he could have out run him.

@StrokerAce90 I would say Matt Kenseth would have won, he had the speed in the end. It's too bad he got loose.

@nascarjaj i think denny would have won, because he had more than enough momentum to at least get inside of matt

@dhammis @dennyhamlin runs him down for sure. He had a strong car, esp after that last pit stop.

Wednesday, October 13th "What If" Question

Tracks like the Kansas Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California are used to seeing Roush Fenway Racing drivers in victory lane. Two weeks ago Greg Biffle kept up his end of the bargain when he took the checkered flag at Kansas for his second win of the 2010 season.

The win was significant not only for the fact that Ford would be giving his No. 16 team an extra $100,000 for winning a Chase race, but earning the maximum amount of points helped keep Biffle in the championship hunt. Last weekend in California it looked like RFR was picking right up where they left off in Kansas as Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth each had contending cars for the Pepsi Max 400.

Then one by one they each went up in smoke ... literally. Biffle was the first to go on lap 40. Edwards came next at lap 60 when his car was pushed to the garage. He later returned but 14 laps down. Kenseth remained on track and up front, swapping the lead with numerous drivers over the course of the event.

Then over the final 10 laps his engine started to smoke and he limped to the finish line. Now the three drivers sit outside the top five in points, Edwards over 100 markers out of first and Biffle and Kenseth over 200 out. It's not impossible but it'll be a longshot for them to get back in title contender.

But ...

What if Greg Biffle's engine did not go 'boom' on Sunday at California. Would he have ended up being a factor for the championship?

@Talon64 He probably would've finished top 5, and would still be within 100 points of the lead. Definitely a factor.

@MisanAkuya He would have snagged a top ten maybe top five, run well at Texas and Homestead but ultimately not be a factor

@Spacie_Stacie I think he really would have been ending up being a factor, you never know what will happen this weekend!

@Ol_Man_Winter Didn't watch Cup race Sun., just going on hearing about it. I say no, JJ & Harvick will be factors, Gordon & Hamlin will drop

Sunday, August 29th "What If" Question

Some, OK many, blame Matt Kenseth for NASCAR implementing the Chase system. After winning the 2003 championship after only having won one race, NASCAR felt things needed to be shook up. It wouldn't do the sport any good if a driver had a 200-300 point lead with five or 10 races left in the season, fans would tune into something else because they already knew who was going to win the championship.

In 2004 the Chase debuted. At the time only 10 drivers qualified for the Chase that consisted of the final 10 races of the season. Their points would be reset in order to put the drivers on a level playing field as they each chased the title. The format worked as the champion was decided at the final race of the season, Homestead-Miami, as Kurt Busch beat Jimmie Johnson by eight points.

Since then the Chase has been reformatted to include 12 drivers who are seeded in the Chase by the wins they accumulated over the first 26 races, pre-Chase. Drivers have come to understand and some even like the new point system and make it priority number one of qualifying for it. As Greg Biffle once said, if you don't qualify for the Chase, "you feel like a second class citizen."

But ...

What if NASCAR never implemented Chase. If point leader had over 300 point lead with 10-15 races left, would you watch rest of the season?

@spunk72 I'd absolutely still watch. Championship aside, each individual race is unique and fun for me.

@Emily_988 Yes. I watch for each race. I've never really cared about the big picture.

@nathanmedic I definitely would watch much less, just like '03. I'm in favor of the Chase.

@phathead Of course, then there's even more of a point to go all out for a race win

@nascarjaj Yes, I try to watch every race, the Chase makes it more exciting though.

@Jrocket10 Sure because that might not be my driver leading the points. I watch because I love racing. Yeah knowing who wins the title is boring, but not knowing who wins the race is another story!

@dougthethird Of course.

@NASCARinstig8r I still watch the NW series, why wouldn't I watch Cup? I could care less who wins the championship if the racing's good.

@racecrazy I'd watch it if they told me who the champ was even before the season started-its about each race

@SD80MAC I would still watch all races. Knowing who would be the champion is not a big deal. Love racing!

@Ol_Man_Winter Yes, I would still watch the weekly #Nascar races. I don't follow chase

@NASCAR_Outsider I watch the races & think the Chase is Bull Poo. I doubt if 10% of fans attending the last 10 races do it because of Chase!

@KYTAB Less points racing if the title is already won, which means better racing!!!