So much can go wrong it's hard to count anyone out

What a wild ride for the guys in the Chase for the Nextel Cup at Dover. It was enough to drive a fan to drink. Is it OK to open my eyes now? No matter who you are pulling for in the Chase, that thought had to be running through your mind this past Sunday. Jeff Gordon had the best post-race reaction when he said, "... and somehow we came out of it with the points lead." Then he smiled like he just got the "Get out of Jail Free" card in Monopoly.

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While the race at Dover may be over, I don't think that's the end of the emotion, either. I certainly hope not. There are eight races remaining and as the season counts down, the tension builds up. We have seen it in the past and we have already seen it this year. The new wrinkle in the Chase is that now there are 12 guys trying to win it, so if you slip to the back of the pack, it's not just the points you need to make up, it's the number of people you need to pass.

"You have to make the most of the bad days and take advantage of the good days," Gordon said. "When the race started at Dover, the car was awesome and I thought we were going to have a great day. But we lost the handle on the car and it was a struggle from that point on. While a lot of the Chase contenders encountered some problems, we were able to get a respectable finish and the points lead. But there's still eight races to go and many more points to be gained and lost."

There are two ways to look at every race: how many points gained; or how many lost. Is your glass half-full or is it half-empty? Did you use up your mulligan at Dover?

"Mulligans are in golf. This is racing," said two-time series champion Tony Stewart.

"We don't have mulligans here. You have what you have. A mulligan is when you don't have to count what you did. If Dover was a mulligan, then we don't have to count that week's points, right? So there are no such things as mulligans in auto racing."

The Chase creates a different atmosphere in the garage. For the 12 teams that are in it, this may be the opportunity of a lifetime. They fought through 26 races to earn the chance to win the championship. Then the field is trimmed to just 12 teams. They no longer have to beat everyone, just 12 other teams. Problem is, they are the 12 best teams.

When they unlock the garage on Friday morning and the crews walk to the rigs that have already been properly parked by NASCAR, there is hope in your head that nothing goes wrong this weekend, and not just Sunday. From the moment the lift gate begins it's descent carrying the car that is carrying their dream, the hope has to be that from the moment it hits the ground to the time it goes back on the truck, everything goes perfectly. That rarely happens. When it does, it is the reward for preparation and execution. When it does not, it is the test of you teamwork and temper.