Two of the most often-repeated statements in recent years have been Robin Pemberton's "have at it boys" and Brian France's, "Game 7 moments". The one of those we've scrutinized the most is France's. We've noted time and again that the thing that makes Game 7 moments special is that they don't happen all the time. It's very difficult to manufacture those edge-of-your-seat, career-defining moments.
What we saw at Richmond is a perfect example of that. For all the hype we'd all given the race leading up to it: like it was going to be some kind of free-for-all with those winless guys going for broke, the regular season ended up finishing with a thud. The only real drama surrounded Greg Biffle, and whether he'd be able to scrape together a good enough finish to keep Clint Bowyer out of the Chase. And, to be honest, there wasn't a lot of drama there.
So, do we need to go changing the system again next year to try and guarantee that Richmond will have drama? Absolutely not. Sometimes Super Bowls are blowouts and finals are sweeps. In fact, this should be a reminder that the final four concept, at Homestead, could be nearly as big a yawner. With the butt-kicking Brad Keselowski put on the field at Richmond, and remembering he did the same thing at New Hampshire, it's not a stretch to see him doing the same thing at Homestead.
And, that could have fans screaming for one of those "phantom" cautions they usually loathe.