New stars emerge in the ‘Chase’

Loudon, N.H., is a typical, quaint New England town with a population of 4,918. There are lots of trees, nice little homes, mom-and-pop conveniences stores and a golf course.

What sets Loudon apart from any other New England town is New Hampshire International Speedway.

On the two NASCAR Nextel Cup weekends at NHIS, more than 100,000 people converge on Loudon.

For the second straight year, the Sylvania 300 marks the start of the Chase for the Cup. It is the first of the 10-race playoff run to decide the points champion.

The two most prominent names in the series won’t be involved in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon will be driving for wins and nothing more.

Eleventh place doesn’t mean much to Gordon, a four-time champion, or Earnhardt Jr. They will also be experimenting for next season.

There will be plenty of dialogue about the Chase.

The fact all five Jack Roush teams are involved in the Chase already has Nextel Cup officials contemplating a limit on the number of race teams, according to an article in The State.com out of South Carolina.

Nextel Cup chairman Brian France said he was worried that potential new owners of Cup teams may shy away from the sport, feeling they’ll have to have at least a three-car team to be competitive.

That is a lot of money and there are only so many sponsors out there.

There is also talk about expanding the Chase to include the top 12 teams, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The rationale was given that there have been at least 12 teams vying for spots in the Chase entering the 26th and final race before the Chase in the two years of the new format’s existence.

It was also pointed out that it would give Gordon and Earnhardt Jr., two of the sport’s top drawing cards, a better chance to make the Chase.

Marketing is a key to the existence of any sport. It’s important to showcase the stars, the drivers people want to see.

It sells.

But if they aren’t good enough to make the top 10, that’s just too bad.

This gives the sport a chance to create new stars such as Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.

NASCAR is one of the most progressive organizations in pro sports and the Chase has proven to be an overwhelming success.

My only gripe would be that they should have a 10- or 15-point gap between each of the race participants based on order of finish instead of just five points. Make the first 26 races more meaningful.

Against the backdrop of the chase will be the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Sylvania 200.

In past years, Ricky Craven’s return to his “home” track would create a nice little sub-plot.

The Newburgh native is always well-received, but the last two years have been trying for him.

He parted ways with the PPI Motorsports Team and his Tide No. 32 ride in the middle of a dismal 2004 season, and the Roush truck ride hasn’t lived up to expectations after a terrific start.

Craven is leaving Roush after this season. So, on Saturday, he will again find himself in the midst of an audition for a future ride. Here’s hoping Saturday’s race can catapult him to a strong finish and a respectable ride for 2006.

As for my pick for the Chase: Tony Stewart.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.