Is NASCAR Headed Toward A Playoff Conundrum?

1. Is the playoff race headed toward chaos?

If you’re a fan of chaos, these next two months could be up your alley.

Just four spots remain in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Two drivers without a win yet, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex, Jr. are very capable of winning races. So are Kevin Harvick and Austin Dillon.

Plus, consider the fact that we have three road-course races to go in the regular season at Indianapolis, Road America, and Watkins Glen. If what we saw Sunday means anything, two other drivers, Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher, being able to sneak in with wins is a possibility at those road courses, as well as Pocono, which drives much like a road course.

It could get crazier than that. With superspeedway races at Atlanta and Daytona coming, what if drivers like Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski, both proven superspeedway racers, get a win?

One word: insanity.

NASCAR could very well be in a situation where just winning a single race does not necessarily guarantee a playoff spot, and that could make the month of August more intense than perhaps ever before.

2. Should NASCAR begin the rest of the season out west?

NASCAR announced earlier this week that the Busch Clash would again return to the Los Angeles Coliseum next February. That return is well-earned, as this past year’s event by all accounts delivered on what the hopes of it were going in.

What should be weighed, however, is whether or not it’s the best thing for the bottom line of teams in racing’s top division.

Criss-crossing the country is not too heavy of a lift, comparatively speaking, for top teams like Hendrick Motorsports or Stewart-Hass Racing. But what about those such as Spire Motorsports or Rick Ware Racing?

The early west coast exposure is great for the sport. But NASCAR could build on that by filling a week after The Clash by staying out west. Why not race for a few more weeks out west and even run Sonoma early in the year on the back end of a Vegas-Phoenix-Auto Club Speedway swing?

Atlanta has benefitted with good weather thanks to being moved out of the second race of the season slot. But if you run Phoenix, Vegas or Auto Club, odds are very good that weather is a minor issue.

Now, would this put the Daytona 500 about five races into the season? Yes. But NASCAR has shown a desire to mix things up and tinker with the status quo to spice up interest.

If you do the same thing time and time again, a feeling of staleness could set in. Shaking up the early part of…