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This ain't your daddy's Chase, NASCAR Nation. Under the league's new points system, parity rules in the 2011 Sprint Cup playoff, with the top nine drivers separated by only 19 points.

The NHRA Countdown or NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup? Which playoff format is better? If you're 2009 Funny Car champ Robert Hight, it's a no-brainer.

Know this about Kansas Speedway, one of the so-called cookie-cutters on the Sprint Cup tour: Running near the front on that mile-and-a-half track and winning the Chase go hand in hand.

Bad news if your favorite driver isn't in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup: Chasers are going to dominate the 10 playoff races. Bank on it.

Year after year the IndyCar Series produces thrilling championship fights, often down to the last lap of the season. NASCAR wishes it had it so good. So what's the difference-maker?

The way many fans figure it, NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup owes Jeff Gordon a title or two. Terry Blount predicts a fifth championship is finally in Gordon's stars.

Not everybody likes the new playoff format the NHRA will run with in 2007. Some naysayers have even started an online petition, but there's no way the NHRA changes its mind. In fact the playoff system could be a boon, writes Terry Blount.

I'm officially lobbying for a NASCAR rule change. OK, maybe it's unofficial, but you're welcome to join. After four races, two cars rank in the top 10 in the owner standings, but they aren't Chase eligible. For the No. 55 Toyota and the No. 51 Chev...

There are three much-maligned cookie cutters -- NASCAR's 1.5-mile ovals -- left on the schedule. As we saw in Charlotte, that means fuel mileage may decide the Chase.

I don't know about us reading palms or being psychic, but when it comes to predicting the Chase participants, the ESPN.com boys did OK. You can even check it out on the chart at the bottom. Getting it right on 10 out of 12 isn't so bad. Maybe we're ...

Did Carl Edwards' Chase chances go up in smoke Sunday night at Atlanta? Not exactly. But it's not looking good for him or several others hoping to make NASCAR's playoff.

NASCAR's wild-card system for making the Chase may be the best decision in the sport in years. Winning isn't just important, now, it's Chase life or death for some big-name drivers.

It's the age-old question in NASCAR: Should consistency trump winning, especially in the Chase for the Cup? Terry Blount's answer: a resounding "No!"

The best thing about playoffs is anything can happen, as baseball has proven already this postseason. As NASCAR's playoffs roll into Kansas, this Chase is looking like the best ever.

Don't panic, Junior Nation. After a disastrous five-race stretch in Sprint Cup's race to the Chase, NASCAR's most popular driver still has plenty of time to end the misery.

You can say this for the halfway mark to the Chase in NASCAR: It's been anything but dull. Among the surprises so far? The struggles of Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano.