Thanks to Kansas, the '09 Chase became best Chase

It felt very strange, after an adventurous 22-day stretch on the road, to be at home last weekend for the first time in four race weekends, so it figures an attempt to tick off a great percentage of fans might be in order.

And that's with this statement: Finally, the real Chase is shaping up!

It really is, in my opinion. Because after what I called the best run-up to the Chase, ever, it really appeared to me that this Chase had the potential to be the best of the six we've had so far. That's already ticking people off, I know.

Decided on the box

With pit strategy playing a major role in the first three races of the Chase, David Caraviello says this year's title will be won by team which has its pit gambles work best.

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So after two races, it seemed that we had only a four-horse race comprised of Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Montoya and Kurt Busch. And all of a sudden, with the least bit of a lapse by Martin and Johnson, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and yes, even Jeff Gordon, are right back in it.

I know people love to hate who they love to hate -- so they probably will only keep hating Gordon and not give his words much credence -- but doggone it, even he said that under the old championship format, and particularly after his Kansas win, that Stewart would be on cruise control.

That statement has a lot of validity to it, so please, try to latch onto this Chase format and appreciate it, even if only a little bit?

I say, "so what if nine Chase contenders finished in the top 10 Sunday?" That only proves what everyone should have known by now: They're currently the best teams in the sport.

The race set Kansas records for leaders and lead changes -- and at the end you really didn't know if Gordon was going to catch Stewart or not. That's good stuff.

The most intriguing aspect as this chapter of the Chase closes -- and we won't have an answer until after Fontana this weekend -- or even after that. And that is, what effect did NASCAR's "warning shot" have on the effectiveness of Hendrick Motorsports' lead duo, Martin and Johnson?

Each of them had scored top-four finishes in each of the first two Chase races, and they "faltered" to seventh and ninth, respectively, at Kansas. That's the intrigue that just has to keep you watching at least for one more week, even if it means absolutely nothing. (Continued)