Playoffs should open on Chase's grandest stage (cont'd)

There is a way to rectify that. NASCAR likes opening the Chase in the Northeast, which allows it to hype its drivers in New York before the New Hampshire race weekend, and target the most media-frenzied region of the country in the playoff's first week. That's completely understandable, even though it runs the risk of being eclipsed by other events. But if NASCAR wants to truly open the Chase with a big bang, if it wants to heighten the suspense and drama, if it wants to create the kind of buzz that will keep people talking well after the event weekend has ended, then there's only one place to go -- that big, bad racetrack in Alabama.

Talladega Superspeedway is the one track in the Chase capable of producing everything the first event in NASCAR's playoff deserves, from a massive stage to a massive crowd to the kind of race that will have drivers, fans, and reporters talking weeks afterward. Talladega is one of those places on the Nextel Cup tour capable of producing an atmosphere as electric as an NFL playoff game, with a snarling presence that stands on its own even if Alabama played the day before. Everything about it is big, from the length of the main grandstand to the 2.66 circumference of the racetrack to the size of the wrecks that inevitably happen. Love it or hate it, Talladega is not just another race. Talladega is a huge event on the NASCAR calendar, a place where demolition derby meets the Super Bowl, a track that can give the Chase the swift opening kick it needs.

That's not to say the people at New Hampshire have done anything wrong; conversely, they've built NASCAR a superb niche in a part of the world where the sport demands such a presence. But last weekend, with so much else attracting so much attention, the race felt lost. Talladega would provide a grander stage, a more captive audience, and a perfect bookend to the season finale outside Homestead. And Mount Washington, Lake Winnipesaukee, and all of the other wonders of the Granite State will still be there to welcome NASCAR fans, just one week later than they do now.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.