The field ran the first 168 laps of the Iowa Corn 350 caution-free, with William Byron barely holding off Brad Keselowski for the lead.

It appeared as if the two had the best cars today and that they were going to battle it out in intense fashion. Stage two started with much of the same until the age-old saying of “cautions breed cautions” came to life.

A Shane Van Gisbergen spin sparked the fire that led to nine more cautions of the ensuing 100 laps. The chaos that started in the middle of a green flag pit cycle flipped the field on its head, and for a moment, those of us on Team Chaos were looking at the best race of the season.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for a new winner that could bring some excitement to the playoff chase. Byron barely saved enough fuel at the end as pole-sitter Chase Briscoe and Keselowski used every tool in their arsenal to catch them, before they eventually ran out of tools to use.

Here are The Wave Around’s takeaways from the Cup Series trip to America’s Heartland.

Game 5 Moments

NASCAR repeatedly defends its wacky playoff system because it creates “Game 7 moments,” those do-or-die scenarios that we all love about stick and ball sports. This year, though, it’s done the opposite of that. 

With three races until the playoffs begin, nearly every playoff spot is locked up on points. So, barring an unexpected winner, I’m looking at you, Daytona, that leaves 80% of the field throwing Hail Marys every week. It’s not entertaining and leaves us at the same spot that NASCAR is so desperate to avoid.

There’s no pressure on those who have already locked themselves in. It leaves me just wanting to simulate through these last three races to get to when the field has to lock in again.

Like football in 1905

Get it? Because they can’t pass? Sorry, our Seahawks return to action this Sunday, and I’ve got football on the brain. I’ll see myself out.

Back to the sport this blog is focused on, this was another race dominated by fuel mileage and track position. Iowa’s unique makeup as a high-speed short track produces electric racing with two usable lines and a rough third groove, but the Next Gen car continues to hurt great tracks.

Ryan Blaney was running down the leaders with 20 laps to go, making up half a second a lap. But once he made it to Keslowski in third, he couldn’t make it by him; words cannot describe how frustrating it is to watch. NASCAR is a visual sport, and to have it so aero dominant kills so much of the enjoyment of these races.

I pray that NASCAR takes a long look at this car in the offseason to limit some of the aero issues it has. I won’t claim to know the first thing about fixing them, but that’s why I get paid to write about the sport and not run it. (I’m also not paid.)

Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty

Sorry for the traumatizing subhead, but it had to be done. NASCAR’s broadcasting rights returned to NBC this week, and there was a lot to enjoy about their production.

With such a heavy emphasis on fuel saving, the percentage bar of fuel remaining instead of the timing intervals was so nice, and added a lot to the end of the race. When pit strategies go crazy like today, giving the audience a constant reminder of the strategies at play is critical to the watcher’s enjoyment of the broadcast. I also love Leigh Diffey, whose voice alone adds more legitimacy to the sport than it deserves.

With that said, the commercials were horrendous yet again. Cutting away from the intense battle for the lead for a full-screen ad in stage one was a war crime, and the Liberty Mutual ad atop the scoreboard didn’t help. Not sure whose bright idea it was to have a yellow banner sit atop the scoring pylon, but I hope they stub their toe tonight.

Never gamble, kids

If you had asked me three months ago, who you should gamble on to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship, I would have told you I already put my life savings on Christopher Bell to win it all. Now, it looks like I might be filing for bankruptcy a little younger than I thought I would be.

Bell has fallen off a cliff and has left a void that nobody has been able to fill. There hasn’t been a standout driver, who looks like the field can only hope fails to make it to the Round of 4. Maybe it’s Chase Elliot, he’s the regular season points leader, but he hasn’t had consistent race-winning speed.

Byron’s been one of the fastest cars all year, but has an Atlanta Falcons-level addiction to choking away wins, and Denny Hamlin has three wins this year, but is as streaky as they come. It’s certainly setting the stage for any playoff driver to get hot at the right time and make their play for a championship.

I, for one, can’t wait for the offseason discourse after SVG goes on a run and steals the championship with a 10th-place finish at Phoenix. I’m sure NASCAR fans will be measured and analytical with their opinions.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the winding hills of Watkins Glen next week with the green flag scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PST.