NASCAR's Chase format is providing a wild ride of emotions

The post-race scene at Phoenix Raceway perfectly captured what it’s like to race in the Chase.

There was an ecstatic race winner. The third-place finisher seemed to be breathing a little easier. Not far behind, a three-time champion finished sixth and seemed to have a second wind.

It continued down the line, resignation coming from a guy who didn’t need to remind anyone he’d been through this before. He wasn’t alone, though, because the point leader felt not quite resignation, more like, that sucked, but it's done and over, and we move on.

The Chase is unforgiving in this sense. There are no resets. No more free passes or three-week battles. And so, like in Phoenix, the emotions have been flowing since the first week and haven’t stopped.

Tyler Reddick, that race winner, has been irrelevant since late in the summer. Or at least not a threat. But a return to victory lane not only keeps Reddick and 23XI Racing mathematically eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series championship, but also provides much-needed progress and pride. It had been six long months since his last win, and Reddick's celebration after getting out of the car looked like a weight had fallen off his shoulders.

Ironically, it came a week after Reddick all but conceded the championship. He was “a little too far back” at over 100 points behind the lead, and admitted the focus remained on righting the program. How quickly things change in a week.

No one better exemplifies what it is like to ride the week-to-week waves in this edition of the Chase than Christopher Bell. A third-place finish at Phoenix wasn't a win, but it must have felt like one, given how he’s now nearly erased his point deficit. Worthy of a deep breath this week and loosening of the shoulders.

Bell’s emotions have been all over the board in seven weeks: joy after winning the first Chase race, confidence in his program and chances, laughter and contentment after a top five at Bristol, disappointment of missed opportunities and feeling it had to happen at Las Vegas, then some shock after a Charlotte finish, and frustration of what a win could have meant. And now, through it all, he’s right on the doorstep.

Joey Logano is not on the doorstep but is hanging around. He swept the stages at Phoenix and finished sixth, moving under 50 points. That is one race away from the point lead if things go his way, and he knows it. Logano is also experienced enough to know, and mention, that this time of year is about performance and mental toughness, and it’s never good to let Logano have confidence.

The last two notable interviews came from the drivers who had been the story of the Chase: Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.

Hamlin hasn't conceded the title, but it’s clear he has nothing left to give in interviews. What more is there to say? The team hasn’t performed as well as it needs to at this point in the year, and the driver has made mistakes, too. For those who haven’t already read it elsewhere, Hamlin and company have had issues in at least five of the seven Chase races, either on the track or on pit road.

The most telling interview came from the scrum that Hamlin did away from television with reporters. It was posted on social media, and you can immediately see a driver beaten down by 21 years of trying to win a championship. Hamlin let out a heavy sigh at several points. He also admitted that some things are meant to be, nothing surprises him anymore, and he’s not shell-shocked. That answer came after a great question about how Hamlin isn't letting the Chase beat him down.

And lately, a look at Kyle Larson. He wasn’t resigned outside the care center, but as someone who doesn’t ride the highs and lows too badly, Larson accepted that it wasn’t his day. Larson had a terrible car, and now it’s time to move on to the next one. That has always been the MO of the Larson-Cliff Daniels team: there is more out there, and it’s not over yet.

NASCAR’s playoff format had its pros and cons. But it might not match the level of stress drivers feel in a Chase format, or how those emotions show up.

Don’t buy into any of this? Go back and watch all of these interviews. But don’t just listen to the words; watch the body language. There are many stories being told through all of those clips.

The biggest one? You can't tell where a driver will land mentally from one week to the next, and that is something to appreciate in a championship fight.