NASCAR: Busch suggests first-round bye for pre-Chase points leader

NASCAR's playoffs system, the Chase for the Sprint Cup, has been been modified slightly since it was first introduced in 2004 to ensure down-to-the-wire championship battles each season, and newly crowned champ Kyle Busch has suggested another one as a means of providing an additional reward to the driver who outperforms the rest over the races leading up to the decisive 10 races.

In 2014, the Chase switched to a system of elimination rounds that more closely resembled the playoff systems used in other major league sports. Busch would like to go a step further by awarding an NFL-style first-round bye to the pre-Chase points leader – which this year was Kevin Harvick, who slipped to fifth in the Chase seedings based on race wins.

"I think being able to accomplish that feat of leading the points is somewhat similar to the old championship format. I think you should reward that guy and not have to make them sweat for the first round."