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TALLADEGA — Sunday's Amp Energy 500 fueled arguments for yanking Talladega from NASCAR's Chase for the Championship … and that's why Talladega should Chase on.

Unpredictable? You bet.

Lots left to chance? Uh huh.

And there's a problem with that?

You can see why Chase drivers chafe. It's no fun chasing a title, only to have someone's blown tire blow you back in the standings.

But didn't NASCAR do this Chase thing to make the season more exciting for fans?

And there's no track more exciting than Talladega, which turns 43 cars into multi-colored lottery balls.

"This is the track I fear the most," Jimmie Johnson said after Sunday's race.

Johnson joined the chorus of drivers who have stumped for chasing Talladega from the Chase, but funny thing: He came here leading the Chase, and he left here leading the Chase.

In fact, Johnson can thank a late-race crash for swelling his lead from 10 to 72 points. Carl Edwards, second in the Chase, pushed third-place diver Greg Biffle too hard in Turn 3, and the 12-car crash knocked both drivers out of the race.

Star Multimedia
Slideshow: AMP Energy 500 View photos from the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Johnson managed to dodge three mishaps, including two massive Talladega specials, to keep his Chase lead.

The incidents might make a case for those who want to chase Talladega from the Chase. Then again, they made the case for keeping Talladega in the Chase.

Not only do fans want to see crashes, but crashes are a part of racing. They should play a role in the championship Chase, especially since they played a role in the pre-Chase regular season.

Crashes played a major role Sunday, affecting more than Edwards and Biffle. Only 18 drivers ran all 190 laps, including just five of 12 Chasers. Six Chasers saw their day end in wrecks.

Yet the top four held their Chase positions, and no one dropped more than two spots. Winner Tony Stewart gained four spots to No. 7.

Six Chase races remain … plenty, since no Chaser left here mathematically eliminated from title contention.

So why not Chase on NASCAR's fastest track, where restrictor plates keep cars close and the "Big One" is the rule?

Why not Chase where a smooth surface and the Car of Tomorrow's compatible bumpers encourage bump drafting? It makes for exciting racing.

Sunday's race saw 64 lead changes among a Sprint Cup-record 28 drivers.

There might come a time when NASCAR must make some accommodation. Maybe every Chase driver could drop his lowest finish.

That might be more necessary next year, when the fall Talladega race moves to the end of October. The move will leave fewer Chase races to follow.

But NASCAR should include Talladega in the final 10 races of the year. Drivers should come here with motivation to race and take chances.

That's what fans pay to watch, and no track delivers better.