NASCAR revised the format for the Chase this year supposedly to put a premium on winning races. Brad Kesalowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson all have at least 5 wins this season. Jeff Gordon even won the pole for the season finale race at Homestead. None of them will win the Sprint Cup. In fact, none of these multiple race winning drivers are even eligible to win the Cup. No! The have all been eliminated under the Chase format that eliminates drivers every few races during the Chase. Meanwhile, Ryan Newman is still one of the four drivers who can win the Cup tomorrow. Newman hasn't won a race all year. In fact, Newman has only led for 41 laps the entire racing season. This year 16 drivers made the Chase. Up from 12 the previous season and 10 before that. The problem is that only 13 drivers won races this year. Any driver winning a race who started all of the 26 Sprint Cup races leading up to the Chase were automatically in. Newman, as a non winner made the Chase because he was one of the three non winning drivers who got in because they had enough points during the season. Newman doesn't even have to win the Homestead race to be crowned Champion of NASCAR's top series. All he has to do is to finish ahead of the other three drivers still eligible. Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, all multiple race winners this year could lose out. Theoretically, Newman could finish as low as 39th and still be the Cup Champ. Look for a total restructuring of the Chase format once again for 2015. Especially if Newman wins.
