Dislike the Chase, but it adds needed excitement

That some people still don't -- and may never -- like NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff format is fully acceptable, though after last Sunday's fifth annual Chase opener in New Hampshire it's hard to understand.

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Look at it this way -- and qualifying it by telling you it's an ardent traditionalist telling the tale. If this was back in the day, Kyle Busch's LEAD in the championship would only be 103 points now.

When you consider that, we might have to wait until this championship is all over to determine which format would "win" the argument, but at least at the front, you could make a pretty good argument that either format would create some drama.

In just one race, Carl Edwards -- who coincidentally currently leads the championship -- would have cut Busch's advantage in half.

And proving, although in Jimmie Johnson's case he's already taught us that sheer excellence can overcome a lot in a short-range series, Johnson would have cut Busch's erstwhile 369-point edge in half -- yes, in half -- in only two races.

But as it is in Chaseland, young Mr. Busch plummeted to eighth in the standings, 74 points behind Edwards, after a part failure and an apparent driver error as he strained to catch back up relegated him to 34th in the Sylvania 300.

That creates drama for the next nine races, maybe, as Busch tries to renegotiate his way to the front. And it WILL create excitement as Busch tries to exercise his considerable will, via his considerable talent, in getting to the front of these races, and the standings.

But what the Chase does, which the previous format could never do, is allow a hot team to contend for -- and win a championship.

The question wasn't posed correctly to Greg Biffle following his stunning victory over Johnson at New Hampshire, so his answer didn't do justice to the fact that his win was certainly a statement that what was formerly a three-man race in certain crooked-eyed quarters was most definitely not.

After New Hampshire, 11 of the 12 Chase contenders are within 99 points of the leader. Sorry if you consider that to be bogusly engineered hype; but it creates more depth of excitement.

Even Matt Kenseth, who fell to 177 points back when the dreaded mistake by a couple rookies wiped out he, David Gilliland and Casey Mears, could light it up and come back to the top five in the title race.

And finally, if anyone thought there was a question about who deserved to be in the Chase, eight of the 12 qualified drivers finished in the top 10.

Obviously, each week someone will step up, as Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. did at New Hampshire; to stir up the mix. That, too, is part of the drama this Chase produces.

So sit back and enjoy the show.

Also: NASCAR Says ... Top-10s aren't enough to win Chase

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer