Now that the smoke has settled, now that the champagne-soaked firesuits have found their proper next homes in washing machines or fancy display cases, now that all the tears _ both glad and sad _ have dried, and all the vocal chords have gone hoarse, now we can crack open a discussion about NASCAR's Cup Series championship race.
Because boy, is there a lot to discuss.
Even going into Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, we knew the results _ and the quality of the race _ would reverberate beyond that one weekend. The stakes, with all NASCAR has endured this season and now must adapt to in 2019, were high.
And no, I won't just tout "all NASCAR has endured" without proper explanation. But when the list stacks up, the gravity of the challenges facing stock car racing is no hyperbole.
We're in uncharted waters, folks.
