I hate to say it but right now I am kinda enjoying the countdown.
And yes, the word is spoken often, much as the 'race to the cup' or whatever they call it in circle car racing is mentioned.
The funny car cut is pretty exciting right now. Kinda like a mid year crunch for several teams. Many of my favs are out of the chase right now, I am having a hard time deciding who I want to win each race as its pivitol. And by race, I dont mean event, each race counts now. I like that
I am not passing judgement yet, I want to see what happens after the first cut. If it stays this exciting then I am all for it. If it becomes an 8 racer coverage situation, then I will lose interest real quick like.
I think a lot of teams that dont make the cut are going to love playing the spoiler role. Like any other professional sport, teams outside of the playoff race find satisfaction in still making a difference.