Clint Bowyer scored a career-first win at Loudon in 2007, then rode that momentum to third-place at season’s end. (Robert Laberge/Getty Images Photo) » More Photos

- The biggest Chase gainer in terms of positions is Clint Bowyer, who grabbed a career-first win at Loudon in 2007, then rode that momentum to third-place at season’s end, gaining nine positions after starting the Chase as the 12th seed.

- How many non-Chase teams have been able to win in post-season races since 2004? Any guesses? Tony Stewart missed the Chase in 2006, then won three of the final ten races. Greg Biffle has three wins as a non-Chase driver, one each in ’04, ’06 and ‘07. Otherwise, Joe Nemechek had a surprising win at Kansas in 2004, while Dale Jarrett triumphed at Talladega in 2005 and Brian Vickers scored with his cue-ball move (the #48 ball into the #8 ball, then both into the corner pocket) on the final lap at Talladega in 2006, and Kyle Busch showed signs of things to come when he won at Phoenix during the 2005 Chase. The tally? Ten race wins for non-Chasers in 40 races.

- Despite buckets of dissent when the format was unveiled, most objections have been quieted. One of the most disingenuous arguments came from teams and sponsors outside the cut-off who bitched and moaned they would be ignored by fans and media in the final ten races. The reality? They were most likely ignored even before the Chase because of poor performance, poor marketing and/or poor publicity. A few notable exceptions to that rule: Jeff Gordon in 2005, Tony Stewart in ’06 and Dale Jr. in ’05/’07 were major stories after surprisingly missing the Chase.

So, what are the historical conclusions? The titlist will likely come from the top-three seeds, non-Chase drivers might win up to 25 percent of the races, and if momentum really is a component, it pays to win the first race. Or, if you’re Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team, you lull your competitors a false sense of hope, then grab the field by the scruff of the neck to win four out of the last five races.

Hang on, it’s going to be fun to watch.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Jade Gurss is the owner of fingerprint, inc., a sports publicity company. He has written two New York Times Best Sellers, including what is believed to be the biggest-selling motorsports book in American publishing history (Driver #8 with Dale Earnhardt Jr.). His two decades of publicity and marketing experience involves nearly every category of motorsports, including nine innovative seasons as NASCAR publicist for the Budweiser brand and Earnhardt Jr. His blog can be seen at: http://fingerprint.typepad.com


Attention Race Fans! Play SPEED's 'CHASE For The FANTASY CUP' Pick a team of 5 championship drivers every week... Compete throughout the 10 CHASE race weeks. Cash prizes are awarded to teams with the most year-to-date and weekly points!