All that was missing from Bristol last weekend was Russell Crowe on Colossus, hovering over the track asking, “are you not entertained?”

If it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, we should have quite a show at Bristol this weekend.  After all, it’s been a year since we saw a traditional beating, banging and “moving him up the track” race at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

A thrilling end of the Cup regular season; battles at the top and bottom of the playoff standings.  A Cup playoff opener that has turned the playoff standings on its collective ear. A three-wide Xfinity finish at Daytona and a battle for the regular season title there with two races still to go.

This is exactly the kind of regular season finale-NASCAR was hoping for when they went to this playoff system a few years ago. That it ends at the wild card that is Daytona, only makes it better.

New ideas don’t always work out the first time. NASCAR has tried some new ideas this year; and was roundly praised for doing so.  I don’t think you’re going to see them quit on any of them, despite the mixed bag of success we’ve seen.

Is Chase Elliott currently NASCAR’s best road course racer?  Probably.  In fact, he may turn out to the best road course racer of his generation.

I doubt we’re going to get one of these two week breaks every year going forward, but I have to be honest; it’s been pretty nice.  For a sport whose season runs from early-February to mid-November, a change in the routine has been refreshing.

The uproar from the drivers since Atlanta announced how they’re going to re-image the track has been interesting to say the least.  It has certainly spotlighted the differences in the way the sport is viewed by the track owners and the drivers.

Human nature is a funny thing.  When Kyle Larson won his first race this year, it was a feel good story of “taking advantage of second chances”.  Now that he’s had three wins and four seconds in the last eight points races (and was one turn away from a fourth win), folks are beginning to turn.

I did find the final segment of this version of the All-Star Race entertaining.  The rest of the race…meh.