OPINION

By Jim Pedley

updated 12:44 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2009

I used to throw the opinion that there ought to be a Chase road race into the pot just to add flavor to the debate. Now, after watching Martinsville last week, and pondering Talladega this week, I throw it in with a solid conviction.

The Chase would be better with a road race. It would then have X, Y and Z factor events.

Yes, it could very well have been the fact that Jimmie Johnson appeared ready to — for the fourth year in a row — help the NFL with its October television ratings that had me eager to see the Chase move to Martinsville last weekend. Johnson was again maneuvering his way into his accustomed position of unassailable dominance and even though he has this uncanny success rate at the .526-mile cattle chute of Martinsville, you had to figure that one of these days, he would get bit there.

He didn't, of course. Not bit hard enough, at least, to turn the Chase back into a chase.

Now, Talladega. And again, the Chase is at a place which could neutralize with extreme prejudice Johnson's single-handed efforts of scuttling one of NASCAR's best-ever ideas.

You have just got to figure that one of these years (the guy is only 34) Johnson will get caught up in a Big One. A Medium One would provide some relief at this point.

Which brings us to road racing.

As with Martinsville and Talladega, a road race should not be viewed as a penalty levied upon Johnson — I genuinely like him and Chad Knaus and harbor nothing but respect for their talents and efficiency — or any future driver or team which races well enough to dominate NASCAR's version of the playoffs.

It should be viewed as another test of skill sets. Another curveball to challenge the sport's biggest hitters.

It would be a race which would help ensure that the driver and team that wins the Chase are not simply the best oval racers in Cup.

People this week are rubbing their hands together and thinking Talladega is the last best chance for Johnson to suffer what mortal drivers suffer on a weekly basis — mistakes and misfortune.

A road race would do that in spades in the Chase. The weekend would start with an intense practice, a very intense qualifying session, more practice and then a race which would feature a dozen or more individual tests per lap instead of just four.

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OK, now this is just being tossed into the pot, but, hey, pot-tossing is the foundation of all debate and I am pretty sure it is protected in some constitution somewhere so here goes: End the Chase on the infield road course at Daytona International Speedway.

Bring the ferris wheel back out, bring the fans back down to Daytona, bring the season full circle and give Knaus and his robots something more to worry about.

Jim Pedley is managing editor of Racin' Today. Read more NASCAR news at racintoday.com.

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