NASCAR Sprint Cup: Why the Wild Card Is a Great Idea

Who's in and who's out is a question regularly recited as the 26 weeks of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing unfold, and the final roster for the Chase is revealed after the fall race at Richmond.

Rumors persisted following the 2010 season as to what tweaks NASCAR was going to make in an effort to provide a better fan experience.

There is the old saying that says something about not pleasing all of the people all of the time, and surely there are those who dislike the Chase and may find fault with the wild-card slot.

NASCAR knocked one out of the ballpark when they came up with the playoff-style battle for the 11th and 12th positions in the Chase lineup known as the wild-card slots.

To qualify for those positions, a driver must have won at least one race and be somewhere in the point standings from 11th through 20th place.

The fans wanted racing to be more about wins and a higher level of competition. The new, tighter points system and the race to get in the Chase via the wild card has done just that.

Any non-Chase contender can capture a win and have some really good finishes that vault them to a position of possibly being in the Chase.

As the season has played out, it appears it may take two wins to seal the wild-card deal if you are outside the top 10 in points.

Someone like Brad Keselowski, who was outside the top 20 in the standings, can get two wins and move up considerably in points to be eligible for the wild card and be a force to reckon with in the Chase.

You ask Tony Stewart, who remains winless with three races to go, how important a win is, and he will likely tell you it is crucial, as he sits 10th in the point standings.

The door is open for an unexpected driver to make the Chase by winning at any given race. The 2011 season has seen five first-time winners in the Cup series.

With the preseason of NASCAR winding down, the sense of urgency to win and finish well has been ratcheted up to a level we have not seen in some time.

Drivers and fans are seeing the degree of competition as good as it has ever been, with 15 different winners in 23 races.

The dynamics of the standings after each race adds unprecedented drama to the dance drivers do in an effort to gain precious points.

The tally on who makes the 12-man Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship won't be known until the final laps at the final race before the Chase at Richmond International Raceway.

NASCAR may not always make decisions that are popular, but they had a great idea when they amped up the Chase with those wild-card slots.