By Joey Gucciardo | 1:37 PM E.T.
NASCAR's new chase system features a 4-car battle for the championship, the first of those four to the finish, takes home the chase trophy.
Just four drivers, and 39 other drivers that can't win the championship.
Why is this good for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?
This new format gives unlikely winners a spot in the chase. Remember David Ragan's 2013 Talladega win, if that happened this year, he could have made the chase. But last year, Ragan wasn't really in contention. That missed him out on a spot in the chase.
Before the new format, the Top 12 drivers in the points standings made te chase, then thee were reset to 2000 points, and then were given 5 points for each win they had. With the new format, drivers (Now 16, instead of 12), are eliminated until there are 12 drivers, then 8, then the final four battle it out at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The old format came into play in 2004, Kurt Busch won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Back then, it was the NEXTEL Cup Series) championship, with Jimmie Johnson as a close runner-up in points.
Johnson was also runner up in points to Matt Kenseth in 2003.
But, we know what happened next, Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive championships (2006-10), and last years championship. Matt Kenseth was the runner-up to Johnson last year in Sprint Cup Series points.
But, no unlikely winners have won this year in the Sprint Cup Series. In fact, all the winners have been drivers from the most successful teams in NASCAR, such as Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-HAAS Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, even from Roush-Fenway Racing.
But, if there is an unlikely winner in the Sprint Cup Series, they could get a spot in the "Chase for the Cup."
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