Leaving Chicago...In a Hurry

Now that the Chase is officially under way, I would be amazed if the best flight home in NASCAR history was the one that left from Illinois headed south.

That's for NASCAR officials, high and low, drivers and team owners. 

After the week they just had, I would bet the mini-bar was in constant use as well.

The week following the Richmond race saw penalties assessed, Martin Truex Jr. booted out of the Chase, Ryan Newman added to it, a new restart procedure, probation for the 22 and 38 teams, and on Friday, Jeff Gordon added to the Chase field to make it a baker's dozen.

On the line was credibility, plain and simple. Brian France, NASCAR's Chairman and CEO, shot his suit cuffs, looked into the camera and said so. The shenanigans at Richmond were such that NASCAR had to act decisively, and they did. They put Gordon in because he got used up in the final seven laps after Clint Bowyer spun to prevent Newman from winning and secure teammate Truex's place in the Chase.

Also, the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Gordon fans must have reached deafening levels. Power to the people and all that aside, I really can't argue with it, on those terms, but it was a sloppy finish to an even sloppier finale.

So now we have a 13-player Chase, and the one on the outside is the guy who really didn't do anything wrong. Truex just raced his Nomex-covered butt off and thought he made it in by the skin of his teeth.

The race itself was good, even if there weren't that many there to see it. Race fans are hardy, but they're not likely to stay glued to the bleachers in the face of a combined six-hour-plus delay. 

Matt Kenseth staked his claim to the favorite role by winning, and Joe Gibbs Racing finished 1-2. Gordon was as fast as he has been in quite some time, Jimmie Johnson somewhat halted the string of bad races he entered with, and both Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had engine failures to fall off the cliff ledge one race in.

Whatever New Hampshire holds this week, it will likely be far more low-key than Chicago was.

If it isn't, we're in for a bumpier flight home...all the way to Miami.