Chase kind to Busch rough on Gordon

NASCAR.com

There is no doubt that the Chase for the Championship was a success for NASCAR. Never has a championship come down to the last lap of a race. Sunday's race was in a word, tantalizing. As a Gordon fan I went from "Okay, he is toast" to "Hey, there is still a chance" numerous times during the laps winding down to the finish. The "Green-White-Checkered" finish only added to the drama.

I can't help but think that in the back of his mind Gordon is wishing for the old points system. Had it still been in effect he would have claimed his fifth championship. There is no disputing that the new system was kind to Busch and rough on Gordon. Instead of Busch as the leader with Gordon finishing in third, the old system would have had Gordon finishing as the leader with a 47 point lead over second place Jimmie Johnson. Third place Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be 173 points back and Kurt Busch would have followed by a larger margin of 247 points!

Rounding out the top ten: Tony Stewart (341), Mark Martin (445), Jamie McMurray (445), Matt Kenseth (666), Ryan Newman (681) and Elliott Sadler (727). Chase driver Jeremy Mayfield would have finished in 13th, 859 points behind the leader. As it is, Mayfield gets to go to New York as a top ten driver while Jamie McMurray, who could be on the stage as the seventh place driver, will be there as the "eleventh man". At least he has the consolation of picking up an extra million bucks.

Bottom line is though I wish Gordon had won it all this year and though it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to know who could be the champion, I still think the Chase for the Championship made this one of the most exciting seasons ever - as a whole.

Wait till next year!