It all begins today: Under the promotional tag "Ready. Set. Chase!" as well as bright blue skies, Sprint Cup's championship series stages its first race on Sunday.
Green flag is scheduled about 2:45 p.m. ET at Chicagoland Speedway. The race: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, pushing the movie's video release. The field: 16 drivers in the first of 10 races.
MORE: Starting lineup | Jimmie under the radar | Kyle Busch's challenge
Sunday's race is the first of three in the Chase's opening segment. Four drivers will be eliminated from the field after three, six and nine races, leaving four to compete on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami for the Cup championship.
Rain washed out qualifying on Friday, forcing NASCAR to set Sunday's starting lineup according to points as directed by series rules. The first 16 drivers on the grid are in the Chase; non-qualifiers flesh out the 40 cars.
Kyle Busch holds pole position as top Chase seed. He and his three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are in the front seven when the race begins.
Here's what you need to know:
— 16 reasons to watch the Chase. Busch will try to do what Kevin Harvick didn't last year. This is the third time the Chase will be run under its knockout format.
— Meet the drivers. Busch is the top seed, thanks to his four wins. Brad Keselowski also won four races this season. Other Cup champions in the race: Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch. Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray made the field of 16 without winning a Cup race.
— This is Stewart's last go-round. He will retire from NASCAR driving after the Homestead race, hoping his career ends in a fourth Cup championship. There are nine other things fans need to know before the Chase begins. And, be aware that Stewart and Ryan Newman are cool again after their snit at Richmond.
— Two rookies are in the Chase field, along with two other drivers making their first run at the Sprint Cup championship. And their last, actually, because NASCAR is expected to have a new sponsor for its top national series next season.
— Because of those newcomers, there will plenty of pressure in this race. Drivers who succeed will have mastered the balance of aggression and caution.
— Denny Hamlin is defending race champion, and a driver who is considered a championship contender. However, Hamlin's Chase history is littered with hard luck and bad decisions. If this is Hamlin's time to win, he must beat his biggest opponent: Denny Hamlin.
Lug nuts have never been so important. (Getty Images)
— NASCAR has a new set of rules that could ruin a winner's chances in the Chase. They are draconian, aimed at making sure rules on car bodies and tire alignment are not violated. Several race winners were flagged this season for failing post-race laser inspection. Penalties include removal of a race winner's automatic advancement to the next Chase round, and a substantial point deduction that would all but assure elimination.
And, NASCAR will inspect cars to make sure at least 17 of 20 lug nuts are tight to wheels at race's end. Suddenly, crewman with a tube of glue and the one in the pit manning an impact wrench are of massive importance.
Imagine the potential impact of a failed inspection or a lug nut violation.