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Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage commented on NASCAR's new changes to the Chase format, which the sanctioning body announced on Thursday. Here are some of Gossage's thoughts as part of a Q&A provided by TMS: Q: What change did NASCAR make that you thought was most needed? Gossage: The thing that NASCAR did with this is they made sure every single race counts. You are no longer racing for a big, long-term picture; you are racing for today and that is what fans want to see. They want to come to a race and know that they are seeing the drivers and their teams doing the very best, lap after lap, race after race and that this race today matters more than anything else going on. They are not worried about next week. They aren't looking toward the end of the season. They are worried about today because if you win today you are in the Chase. You've got a shot at winning the championship for the season. Everybody is going to try and be winning this race and the next week they are going to try and win that race. There is no pacing yourself. There are no testing things out and trying things out. You want to win today. So when you come to Texas for the April race, that race is huge. You've got to win. And if you can win there your season is made, you are in the Chase. To me, that means so much to the fans. They want to see that race that they bought a ticket to matter. Nobody buys a ticket to see a point championship. People are buying a ticket to see a race. Q: Do you think that NASCAR is trying to manufacture playoff drama with the changes or ultimately looking to improve the overall product? Gossage: It's often a criticism of NASCAR that they are somehow trying to manufacture things and I don't understand that because I didn't see that same charge levied against the NFL when they talked about eliminating the point after touchdown kick. Is the NFL trying to manufacture excitement? Yes! Absolutely they are and that is exciting. Is NASCAR trying to manufacture some excitement here? Absolutely! What is wrong with that? Through the years we have seen the playoff for various sports expanded. The NFL use to have a couple of teams - or three teams and a conference - that would have a playoff and go to the Super Bowl. Now it is up to six teams. In some leagues, they take 50 percent of the teams and put them in championship rounds for the playoffs. Everybody tries to do that in some fashion or another. I don't know why it's different when people talk about NASACAR that way. Every sport is trying to create excitement and this is no different. Q: Do you like the elimination style where you need to produce throughout the Chase or you could have an early playoff exit just like some "stick-and-ball" sports? Gossage: I like the eliminations. I really do. You are going to have to produce early on or else you are going to get kicked out after that third race. Then more are going to get kicked out after that sixth race. Then after the ninth race, it's down to four drivers. I think that is a good thing. That focuses the spotlight nice and hot on these drivers that are in the Chase. The eliminations to me make a lot of sense. It happens in every other sport. People can say what they want to but every other sport - you can have a great season but when you get to the playoffs you lose, you go home. Same thing here. You are going to have to win and do well in the Chase if you want to win the championship.
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