What is the Chase for the Sprint Cup and why is it important?

Since 2004, the Chase for the Sprint Cup has added excitement to the NASCAR season. The Chase for the Cup consists of the final ten races of the schedule and includes the top 12 drivers in the point’s standings after the 26th race. Drivers that qualify for the field of 12 have their points reset to 5,000 and are awarded ten bonus points for each victory. For example, if you have won five races then you start with 5,050 points. Points for the final ten races follow the regular scoring format. Resetting the points in this manner almost guarantees that the championship will come down to the final race with multiple drivers likely in contention for the title.