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.
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.