New Hampshire fans wouldn't be put off with Michigan move

For going on 3 days now, all we've heard about is how bad it would be for New Hampshire International Speedway and its fans if the Nextel Cup race in Michigan got rained out this week.

Should rain claim the event for yet another day on Tuesday, NASCAR would give serious consideration to scrapping the week and moving the Michigan race to Thanksgiving weekend -- making it the last race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Doing that, of course, would give NHIS the final race before the Chase begins (a spot otherwise reserved for Richmond) and start the chase on Sept. 23 at Dover.

On SPEED's on-the-fly pre-race show Monday morning, Jimmy Spencer lamented what would happen to NHIS, its owners and its fans, if it was deprived of a Chase race. Bob Bahre, Spencer said, sold tickets with the expectation of a Chase race.

And I say, so what? Anyone who thinks the 1st race of the Chase at Loudon is anywhere on par with the final "regular season" race at Richmond each season needs their head examined.

Each lap of race No. 26 changes which drivers are in and which are out of the Chase. Emotions bubble over like never before and run the gamut -- elation, euphoria, utter dejection, anger, frustration, ambivalence. The first race of the Chase is just a starter course -- a heat race, if you will, leading up to races 5-8, when the championship picture really takes hold.

After all, Kevin Harvick dominated at NHIS last September but was a footnote to the Chase chase.

If I'm in anyway connected with NHIS through ownership, ticket-holding fandom, or media member (which, obviously, I am) I'm praying for rain all week in Michigan. I'd love to see the final regular season race in New England this year -- what a story that would be, and what an event, too.