# @frontstretch on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=hszG2-S28Vw
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70608944-frontstretch-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/0bda119ca3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-16T12:55:53.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Frontstretch (@frontstretchdotcom) — https://gondola.cc/frontstretchdotcom

## Caption

No eliminations. No cutline. No artificial win-or-go-home drama. Now we get to watch the championship leaders actually race for a title.

This week on Frontstretch Happy Hour, Bryan Nolen, Michael Massie and Dalton Hopkins are joined by John Newby of Savage Ventures to break down the NASCAR Chase after a chaotic weekend at Gateway.

First, with NASCAR's new Chase format, nobody is getting eliminated at Bristol. Instead of obsessing over 12th or 16th place, we can focus on the top of the championship standings and watch the title fight develop over the entire 10-race Chase.

Then, William Sawalich apparently decided it was payback time. One week after his run-in with Corey Day at Darlington, Sawalich retaliated at Gateway, sending Day hard into the inside wall and seriously damaging Day's championship hopes. Was it justified payback, dumb racing or something NASCAR needs to punish?

We'll also debate World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The track has established itself on the Cup schedule, but has it done enough to become a permanent NASCAR fixture?

Finally: does the NASCAR champion still need to win Homestead? Under the new format, there are no eliminations and no Championship 4. The driver with the most points after Homestead wins the championship — whether he wins the finale or finishes 20th. Will fans embrace a champion potentially celebrating without winning the final race?

JOIN THE CONVERSATION LIVE:
Do you like having no Chase eliminations? Should NASCAR punish Sawalich? Does Gateway belong on the schedule long-term? And does the champion need to win Homestead for the finale to feel satisfying?

More NASCAR coverage at Frontstretch: https://frontstretch.com/

#NASCAR #FrontstretchHappyHour #NASCARChase #WilliamSawalich #CoreyDay #Gateway #WWTRaceway #HomesteadMiami #NASCARChampionship #NASCARCupSeries #NASCARNews #Motorsports

## Stats

- **Views:** 694
- **Likes:** 10
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 0

## Tags

williamsawalich, motorsports, nascarcupseries, gateway, coreyday, frontstretchhappyhour, nascar, wwtraceway, homesteadmiami, nascarchampionship, nascarnews, nascarchase

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