New Chase for the Sprint Cup gives NASCAR exactly what it wanted

Exactly as intended, the Chase for the Sprint Cup finale created that indelible moment NASCAR sought when it instituted numerous revisions toits playoff structure.

Kevin Harvick not only was crowned the 2014 champion, but did so by outrunning title contenders Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, all of whom were running essentially in lockstep throughout the night. When it was over, Harvick, on the strength of a spirited charge from 12th to the lead in the final 12 laps, grabbed the victory and the championship.

A fitting conclusion to what had been a memorable Chase.

The absorbing Chase, with its new format featuring multiple rounds of eliminations and ramped-up intensity, may have been somewhat maligned among fans, but all signs point to NASCAR keeping the system in place in for the foreseeable future.

While the television ratings for the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale were level with the year before, there was an increase in viewership in the two races leading up to the season-ender. And ticket sales were robust at the final two race events of the year. For a sport many felt had grown stagnant, the final 10 weeks of the season and its accompanying hullabaloo were a rejuvenation of sorts.

“What I want it to do is grow the sport, put us in a stronger position for years to come,” Brad Keselowski said. “I’m not really looking at it in a short‑term perspective, all I really care about with the format is that it takes the sport to another level. I think the jury is still out on that, but it looks like it’s going to be good.”

That sense of excitement can be traced directly to the greater sense of anxiety which emerged as the prevailing sentiment throughout the playoffs. Thus creating frantic must-win elimination races at Talladega Superspeedway and Phoenix International Raceway, each were won by drivers who otherwise wouldn’t have advanced without being victorious.

A week after angering Hamlin and Matt Kenseth, Keselowski responded emphatically by winning Talladega. It was a victory which even those who had become tired of Keselowski’s antics, were forced to acknowledge his moxie.

Ironically, it was Kenseth, who jumped Keselowski from behind the week prior, pushing his rival across the start/finish line. Why? Because with his playoff future hanging in the balance, Kenseth could not afford to be selective in who he drafted with and needed to get to the front. Keselowski may have won and advanced, but Kenseth finished runner-up and moved on as well.

“When it comes down to the end of the race at Talladega, it’s not like you can be, ‘All right, I’m going to do this,’” Kenseth said. “You have to do what’s best for your best finish.”

Beyond underlining that the new Chase will sometimes create strange bedfellows, the prevailing sense of desperation also indicated drivers could exceed what they previously thought was max effort.

In years past drivers would get defensive if questioned whether they could try any harder. A common retort was that they couldn’t stand on the gas pedal any harder. However, whether it was pure happenstance or a byproduct of needing to perform to avoid being knocked out of the Chase, drivers responded to the pressure.

With the stakes raised, though, two of the four Chase finalists, Newman and Hamlin, vastly exceeded the performance levels they exhibited for much of the year. During the 26-race regular season, Newman’s average result was a pedestrian 14th with all of two top-five finishes. While Hamlin won a race, his average finish was 15.2 with his Joe Gibbs Racing team often sidetracked by inconsistency.

Come the playoffs that all changed, with Newman and Hamlin each undergoing a rapid metamorphosis.

Looking nothing like the middling driver he had been before the Chase, Newman recorded three top-fives in the final five races. The last a second-place effort at Homestead where he nearly pulled off a monumental upset. As for Hamlin, his JGR No. 11 team found the consistency it lacked. Seven times in 10 playoff starts Hamlin finished 10th or better, and he led 200 laps compared to just 163 during the regular season.

“We weren’t victorious so we didn’t win many battles, but we sure came close to winning the war,” Newman said. “It’s still a lot of fun. ... I drove my heart out; there’s no doubt about that.”

Although by no means perfect and with a few additional format tweaks maybe needed, the 2014 Chase more than served its purpose. A fan base was energized, drivers were impassioned, and in the end a worthy champion held the Sprint Cup trophy.

Exactly as NASCAR intended.