Ten ways to improve NASCAR's playoff system

	A simple tweak of the Chase rules would allow fan favorite Kasey Kahne to compete in the Cup playoffs. AP

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But NASCAR officials are on record as saying that they are looking to tweak the Chase for the Cup format. One goal is to have more drivers qualify for the 10-race playoff.

It will be hard to make any changes -- even for NASCAR -- that would screw things up. The fans and teams would likely adapt quickly to any changes. With that in mind, and keeping with the symmetry that has 10 drivers competing in 10 Chase races, here's my 10 suggestions for NASCAR when it goes to the drawing board.

1. Put more importance on winning races. This just has to be done somehow, and not just for the final 10 races, but for all season. Give the winner more of a bonus -- as much as 50 additional points. The days of just being consistent and racing for a spot in the top 10 every event, those days need to be over.

2. Speaking of wins, add more drivers to the Chase by making a victory part of the qualifying format. Drivers would need to do more than just win a race, however. How about win a race and be within 750 points of the leader? For this season, that would make the final races interesting for several drivers. Right now, three drivers with victories are out of the top 10: Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch. Kahne and Biffle are both within 750 points, but Busch would need to pick up 13 points in the next three races to earn a spot in the Chase. Perhaps even more exciting under this scenario would be the saga of Carl Edwards, who is out of the Chase right now but within the 750 points. Instead of passing everyone to get to 10th in the standings, Edwards, under this proposal, could qualify by winning a race.

3. NASCAR needs to resist temptation, especially when it comes to getting the fans involved. Giving the fans the chance to "vote" in a driver would be easy to do -- much like most pro leagues do now with their all-star games and Nextel does with its all-star race. But it would also be a bad idea. Teams need to earn their way into the playoffs, somehow, someway.