What can make the Chase great? A change of scenery (cont'd)

4. New Hampshire -- Presently the first race in the Chase, it deserves to stay in but could be moved to No. 4 and still be held in mid-September to prevent weather from being an issue.

5. Kansas -- Currently the third race in the Chase, it would move to No. 5 without even requiring a date switch. Why leave such a new track in the sport's spotlight? Because this is one new venue that got it right from the start. With a seating capacity of 81,687, it wasn't overbuilt and has yet to see an empty seat; there should be some reward for that.

6. Sonoma -- If road-course races are going to be part of a Sprint Cup season, then one of the road courses ought to be included in the Chase that determines the series champion. And early October in California is less a weather risk than early October in Watkins Glen, N.Y., although one thought might be to rotate which road course gets the Chase spot each year.

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7. Talladega -- Right now it's the only restrictor-plate race in the Chase. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are part of the sport and they sure are fun for the fans to watch. So leave this one alone pretty much right where it is on the calendar.

8. Charlotte -- Lowe's Motor Speedway is perhaps the most storied 1.5-mile track on the circuit and has been home to some fantastic racing through the years. As with Talladega, leave it alone.

9. Martinsville -- What it may lack in infield amenities for teams, media and fans, it more than makes up for in the short-track racing it produces. Along with Bristol and Richmond, this would be the third short track in the Chase -- which needs more short-track racing and less of the generic mile-and-a-halves.

10. Texas -- How can you go wrong with putting a facility run by the creative Eddie Gossage in the Chase? Of course NASCAR officials already know this and that's why it's on the current schedule, located exactly two spots from the finish.

11. Phoenix/California/Las Vegas -- Rotate it until one proves that it truly deserves a second date -- and one in the Chase -- the most. The bet here is that if this was done, it would be a two-race rotation between Phoenix and Las Vegas before long, and that doesn't sound like too bad an idea.

12. Daytona -- Here is the kicker. While holding two major events in a three-month span at Daytona International Speedway might be a tough sell in the Florida market, this would be a way for NASCAR to have its Super Bowl twice a year, in the first race and the last. Sure, the race over Fourth of July weekend has been a tradition, but this could begin a new one and let someone else celebrate over the Fourth (if not take that weekend off).

Would you really want a wild, restrictor-plate shootout to determine the season's champion? Well, it is NASCAR's crown jewel racetrack -- and the drivers would have the rest of the 11 races in the Chase to put themselves in the most favorable positions possible. So the answer is yes. It would be exciting and unpredictable, something new mixed with something old.

The only track conspicuously missing from the list -- which under the aforementioned structure would include three short tracks, six intermediates, one road course and two superspeedway restrictor-plate affairs -- would be Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But frankly, while the pageantry and atmosphere surrounding the race there is fantastic, the racing isn't. Plus it could serve as a mid-season anchor as one of the biggest "regular-season" events.

Listen, it's all fantasy. Don't think for a minute that this, or anything even remotely close to it, is expected to happen. But it would be neat if it did.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.