Sorry to keep people in suspense Thursday while we awaited official confirmation. We have our winner. On behalf of the judges and contest administrators, congratulations to klvalus.

Make no mistake about it, the competition for this title was fierce. There is a wealth of writing talent out there and, as we expected, plenty of pure, unbridled passion for NASCAR.  Getting through the bracket and reaching the finals required both, and we commend klvalus and tvil for being the last ones standing.  And, once again, we thank everyone who participated, including those who were eliminated before the Bracket Challenge phase of the competition. 

Stay tuned to see more of klvalus' work as a contributor to FOXSports.com's NASCAR coverage. 

--Jim

The white flag is up. The winner of the Miller Lite Sports Writer Challenge is scheduled to be announced Thursday. Stay tuned.

As we count down to that announcement, here's a quick review of the work of our four semifinalists (the entries of our two finalists will be reviewed here after the winner is named). To refresh your memories, here was the topic we asked the semifinalists to address:

If you or I get cut off on the freeway, we might be react with some degree of anger or frustration. Imagine getting spun out coming out of turn 3 at Talladega, with 20 laps to go and a chance at a top-five finish ruined. That will get most NASCAR drivers' blood boiling.

There have been a few episodes of "Road Rage" in NASCAR this season, generally resulting in a little finger-pointing and name-calling, but little or no damage to cars or drivers. Should this kind of behavior be banned, or is some of the drama it creates good for the sport? Where should NASCAR draw the line between entertainment value and  safety? Do NASCAR officials already do an adequate job of policing this, or does more need to be done?

Discuss Road Rage in NASCAR, and what can or should be done about it.

Reviewing the semifinalists' submissions:

tvil: This may be tvil's best effort of this competition, and that's saying something. Very well crafted, and obviously well researched. Weaving in the quotes from NASCAR drivers past and present, along with the gem from Bill France, was very effective here. And the lead paragraph scored a direct hit on this topic, this sentence in particular: "Most fans can’t relate to the feeling of racing a stock car -- but we can all relate to the feelings of winning, losing, and being wronged."

Easy to see why the voters gave this one the stamp of approval.

critter340:  A little top-heavy here. By that I mean it took a little too long for the writer to get to the point, and the attempt to set the stage in the first paragraph or two was a bit overdone. Also, I'm not clear where the death of Dale Earnhardt fits into this discussion.

 There's some passion in this post. I just thought some of it was a little misplaced. And, as cool as it may sound, I don't think having drivers square off behind the trailers is a very realistic way of dealing with this issue.
 
 gunaquat:  The entrant is to be commended for taking a risk here, but I don't think it paid off. By its nature, the blog format gives the writer a great deal of creative freedom, and it isn't always held to the same journalistic standards as a traditional news article. But I'm not comfortable with using the names of real drivers and naming them among the injured in a fictional "news flash" used for dramatic effect. We can't assume that every reader is going to read the "This Could Happen" headline and recognize the context intended here.
 
 I thought the writer brought the point home in the last couple paragraphs, but the risky technique with the lead just didn't cut it for me.
 
 klvalus:  Overall, a solid effort. But...
 
 It seemed like the writer was determined to seize on this opportunity to tap into her professional experience. Sometimes, too much knowledge really can be a dangerous thing. The danger here was taking almost a clinical approach to the topic, and lapsing into a little shrink speak. That didn't quite happen here, but it came close with: "Psychology teaches us that anger comes from multiple smaller incidents, building up over time."  A little preachy, perhaps?
 
But the suggestion of some form of anger management training for drivers has some merit, and the entrant delivers that point in a crisp, clean writing style that has served her well throughout this competition.

Our two finalists have submitted their entries for the title round. Those can be found by clicking on their photos on the bracket page.

Readers will be able to rate their blogs beginning Thursday, Sept. 20. The voting period will end on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and we're scheduled to announce our winner on Sept. 26.

Once again, good luck to the finalists, and thanks to all who have participated.

The Chase is on. After more than seven months of racing, the field has been reduced to 12 drivers competing for NASCAR's Nextel Cup championship. What happens now?

Can Jeff Gordon close the deal, or has Jimmie Johnson captured all the late season momentum? Is Tony Stewart poised to make a charge?

Handicap and preview the Chase for the championship. Who's going to win it all and why? Make a case for a couple others who could contend, and give us a darkhorse or two who could surprise. The 500-word limit still applies. But this is for all the marbles, so make 'em count.

They deserve to be here.

The two finalists in this competition have written on the state of NASCAR, the complexities of the points system, the pros and cons of night racing and the realities of road rage in the sport. They have consistently demonstrated the ability to tackle these topics with stylish, engaging writing, and they've defeated worthy adversaries along the way. 

So, once again, our congratulations to klvalus and tvill, the finalists in the Miller Lite Sports Writer Challenge.

We're only a few steps away from determining the winner. The final article topic of the competition will be available on Thursday. The finalists will have until Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET to submit their blog entries on that topic. Readers will be able to rate their blogs beginning Thursday, Sept. 20. The voting period will end on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Good luck to the finalists.

Our four semifinalists have updated their blogs with their takes on this week's topic -- road rage in NASCAR. Their latest entries can be accessed by clicking on their names on the contest bracket page.

Voting for this round of the competition is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Sept. 6. Good luck to all four remaining entrants.

Reminder: The deadline for our semifinalists to submit their blogs is Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET.  Remember, the 500-word limit still applies.

Once again, the topic for this round: 

If you or I get cut off on the freeway, we might be react with some degree of anger or frustration. Imagine getting spun out coming out of turn 3 at Talladega, with 20 laps to go and a chance at a top-five finish ruined. That will get most NASCAR drivers' blood boiling.

There have been a few episodes of "Road Rage" in NASCAR this season, generally resulting in a little finger-pointing and name-calling, but little or no damage to cars or drivers. Should this kind of behavior be banned, or is some of the drama it creates good for the sport? Where should NASCAR draw the line between entertainment value and  safety? Do NASCAR officials already do an adequate job of policing this, or does more need to be done?

Discuss Road Rage in NASCAR, and what can or should be done about it.

Time once again for the judge's feedback portion of our show. I'll try to lean more toward Randy than Simon here, dogs, but the intent is to offer something in the way of constructive criticism. Nothing personal, folks. You signed on to be judged when you entered this contest, right?

 Those who reached the round of eight are to be commended for their efforts. Click on their names to read their quarterfinal entries, which are reviewed here:

MoparMiller: Stylish phrase-turning and colorful prose served this entrant well in earlier rounds, but may have been his downfall here. The Darwin's Theory and intelligent design references just didn't work for me, and they served to weigh down the first couple paragraphs. In a competition like this, saving your best for last isn't necessarily the way to go. Come out firing -- you can work the poetry in later. Go back to your first-round posting. I got a sense of where you were going in the first paragraph. Much more effective.

Tvill: Some good points were made in intelligent fashion. As we've seen throughout this competition, this guy knows his NASCAR. The writing style may be a bit matter-of-fact here, but the topic is thoroughly addressed. I think the suggestion of keeping the number of night races the same but spreading them out more carefully over the season is a good one. Also like the concern expressed for NASCAR's fans of the future. Overall, a solid effort. 

QuarterMileTracksRock: As his pen name suggests, this entrant is an admitted devotee of the dirt-track circuit. So I was a little surprised not to see him take a stronger stance in defending that turf. He has that angle covered, but I thought he missed an opportunity to really stand up for Saturday nights at the local tracks. Also thought he buried the lead here. This was probably his best point, and it was his last paragraph: "If NASCAR wants the Chase to be successful, they can't run the ball up the middle against the NFL.  Saturday nights make for a tempting way out of that struggle..."

As for this reference: "Two words: little brown oval-shaped ball..."  I'm counting five.

critter340: This one gets high marks for originality, but a couple red marks in punctuation (see Saturday's and Hampton's).  It's an interesting way to attack the topic, with a blend of humor and satire that seems to have come straight out of Colin's martini shaker. It may have been a bit risky to go this route at this stage of the competition, but it appears to have paid off. 

Very effective tagline here: "Sure we all have our preferences, but in the end, we watch because they race."

Gunaquat: There are the occasional awkward sentence structures that pop up in this entrant's work, but it's his passion for the sport that seems to keep shining through. To take the next step, he needs to strive for a little more clarity and bolder writing than what was displayed in the first paragraph of this post. This sentence was a bit of a head-scratcher: "For me,  these are signs of where and when racing should take place." Huh?

But I thought he really rallied here: "I'm sure there are other disadvantages, but being a kid at heart I don't want to see them, because I want what I want: more color, noise, action, and cooler temperatures."

Solid, but short of spectacular. That's my opinion.

Cheviot: I thought this entrant had the game to reach the semifinals of this competition, especially after a strong second-round effort on NASCAR's points system. But this entry was a tad flat, leaning a little too far in the direction of an essay, and away from the more creative style of writing that a blog format allows.

 I didn't really get a sense of where he stands on this topic from reading this, and that's not good. But Cheviot's bio indicates a desire to pursue a career in sports writing, and I would encourage him to stick with it. There's clearly some ability and talent to work with here.

IowaGirl: Another novel approach. A tad gimmicky, maybe, but she seemed to make it work for her. I applaud the fact that she stood by her guns and said NASCAR has doesn't need more night races. She didn't take the easy way out of this topic.

IowaGirl's knowledge of NASCAR propelled her into the elite eight of this competition, and she went out with style.

klvalus: This blogger established herself as a force in this competition from the outset, and didn't disappoint with this entry. Clear, concise and opinionated, with a solid foundation of knowledge of the subject matter. That's a tough combination to beat. The parenthetical "nod" to the sponsor was a clever touch. Leave it to a true NASCAR fan to make sure the logo is showing.

Congratulations to those who have reached the final four. Time for your next topic:

If you or I get cut off on the freeway, we might be react with some degree of anger or frustration. Imagine getting spun out coming out of turn 3 at Talladega, with 20 laps to go and a chance at a top-five finish ruined. That will get most NASCAR drivers' blood boiling.

There have been a few episodes of "Road Rage" in NASCAR this season, generally resulting in a little finger-pointing and name-calling, but little or no damage to cars or drivers. Should this kind of behavior be banned, or is some of the drama it creates good for the sport? Where should NASCAR draw the line between entertainment value and  safety? Do NASCAR officials already do an adequate job of policing this, or does more need to be done?

Discuss Road Rage in NASCAR, and what can or should be done about it. Remember, the 500-word limit still applies. Deadline for this round is 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 5. Good luck.

All eight remaining contestants met the deadline for this round, so we're ready to head into the voting phase for the Elite Eight. Click on the bloggers on the bracket page to read their latest efforts.

Readers will be able to rate the blogs beginning Thursday. The voting period for this round is scheduled to end at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

Once again, good luck to all.

The clock is ticking, and the deadline for this round is approaching. Looks like most of the Elite Eight have already posted their entries. For those who haven't,  a reminder that the deadline is TONIGHT at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Links to the new posts will be available on the bracket page later tonight.

Good luck.

 --Jim

Congratulations again to those who have advanced to the Elite Eight. Here's the topic for your next submission:

Following an August 19 date at Michigan, the next three NASCAR Nextel Cup races will be run under the lights at Bristol, California and Richmond. Should NASCAR run more events in prime time? Does it make for a better fan or viewer experience? What about the impact on smaller tracks and lesser circuits that stage races at night?

Is night time the right time, or was NASCAR meant to be run under the sun? Discuss the pros and cons of night races in NASCAR. Entries are not to exceed 500 words, so make 'em count. Deadline for this round is Wednesday, August 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The votes have been tabulated, and the bracket page has been updated to reflect the winners of the first round of the head-to-head portion of this competition. To find out who has advanced and see how the next round shapes up, CLICK HERE.

We'll be updating the main contest page later tonight. That update will include the announcement of the top three finishers from Round 1, whose blogs will be featured in the "Good Call Writers" section on that page.

Again, we congratulate all of the contestants who reached the "Sweet 16" phase of this contest.  And good luck to those who have advanced to the round of eight. The topic for your next article will be presented on Thursday, Aug. 16.    

The judges will chime in from time to time on what they're seeing from the competitors. Here are some quick-hit comments on the latest round of blogs:

JayJayDean: Excellent piece of writing, but a little wordy.  --Cindi Redding

Mopamiller: I disagree with the ideas, but I think you're getting the point across and being original. --CR

tvill: Frankly, I thought your first-round entry was more clear and concise than this one, and therefore stronger. But this does offer some original suggestions on a complex topic. --Jim McCurdie

Poconogirl: I like the originality here. A little wordy, but that's understandable given the subject. --CR

CableAce: Good piece. Although I disagree with some of the ideas here, I also found some of them interesting. --CR

QuarterMileTracksRock: Some very good ideas, but i have to disagree with you on the concept of mulligans. --CR

Critter340: Not sure I like the ideas, but it was written well. You get an 'A' for thinking outside the box. --CR

Diehrdearnhardt: Not sure about the ideas, but I'm leaning toward liking them. A little wordy, but a darned good piece. --CR

1steelerfan1: Nice job. There are consistency issues with grammar and style, and there are some minor spelling issues, but it’s well-written. It’s somewhat of a leap to assume Tony Stewart would have raced exactly the same during the Chase last season if he was in it, but the point is well-made. --Scott Wilson

Gunaquat: I like the ideas here. It would definitely clarify things in the points system. The writing, however, is a little sloppy. Lots of capitalization problems, an unattributed quote...just to name a few. But the ideas are good. --SW

Cheviot: Very well-written. The ideas are good and presented in a clear, concise manner. Minor editorial issues, but just a few of them. Good job. --SW

JoshQPublic: A fine job. The ideas are good. Few grammatical mistakes, and one name error. I like the added illustrations. Very nice. --SW

IowaGirl: I like this one. She explains why there’s a problem and then she lays out her detailed plan on how to fix the problem. Few issues with the actual writing. Very well done. --SW

Kwillycrunk: I have a few issues with this one. Editorially, there needs to be about seven paragraphs in this entry, not three. Big blocks of type make me not want to read something, so break up those huge paragraphs. As far as subject matter is concerned, I think there are too many variables not taken into account to make this feasible. I know it’s not likely, but what if there are 26 different winners in the first 26 races? --SW

Klvalus: Great job. I like it a lot. Well-written, well-thought out and well-executed. My one question would be about the drivers being removed from the Chase as it gets whittled down. What if two or more Chase drivers are taken out in the same wreck during a Chase race? How does that affect which one gets removed from contention? --SW

lisa4usc: I like it. Winning should definitely be rewarded. A few nit-picky editorial issues, but nothing major.  Good job. --SW

The remaining contestants have composed their new blogs, and now it's up to the readers to weigh in on their work. 

 Registered users of FOXSports.com can vote by going to the contest's bracket page, and clicking on each blogger. On the right side of each blog page, you'll see a blue "RATE THIS BLOG" box. Read the entry, then go to that box to vote on it. Limit one vote per person, per email address for each voting period. This voting period is scheduled to run through August 14. 

To assist in your evaluation, here is the topic entrants were asked to address: 

"NASCAR uses an elaborate points system to determine which drivers and teams compete for the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship. It's not always easy for the casual fan to grasp, and critics have suggested that it rewards consistency and top-10 finishes more than it does winning. The last Cup champion to lead the series in wins was Jeff Gordon in 2001.  

"Does the system encourage or reward more conservative racing? Is there enough emphasis placed on winning races? Could it be more fan friendly? If you were running NASCAR, what changes would you make to the existing points system, and why." 

Entrants were limited to 500 words. Give them a fair read, then rate their blogs.