Believe it or not, I just checked the NASCAR site to see when today's race started, and found I'd missed it last night! The night races don't work for me with the time difference, so I'd have missed it anyway. Thanks for the brief review, Garrett.
I was just starting to read up on the Playoffs. Is it just the Chase by another name?
Regarding the driver changes, it's always sad when one of your favorite drivers moves on. In Formula 1 there are only half the number of race seats, so you're unlikely to get many drivers past 35 let alone 45 years of age. Max Verstappen is already halfway through his third season, and he doesn't turn 20 until the end of next month. There are also some very talented youngsters waiting in the wings.