The Leader:
Jeff Gordon: Unless you have not been paying attention, you know that
Jeff Gordon has been the best driver in the Nextel Cup Series this
season. His six wins are tied for the most on the circuit. His 19 top five
and 25 top ten finishes are both the most of any driver. He's only failed to
finish one of the thirty-one races on the schedule to this point. He figures
to be near the top in
Martinsville. In 29 career starts at the Virginia track, he has seven
wins, 17 top five's, and 23 top ten's. His average finish there is seventh.
So is he a shoe in to win the championship? He's in the best position
obviously, but even this late in the season, there is nothing certain.
Remember in 2004 at this point,
Kurt Busch looked like a sure champ. But, he had some problems that
almost cost him the title. If Jeff continues at the rate he has this season,
however, nobody will catch him. Anything can happen, though.
Still In Position:
Jimmie Johnson: For those that are already
crowning
Jeff Gordon as the champ, hold off a bit longer. For as impressive as
Gordon has been, his teammate Jimmie Johnson is not far behind him. Going
into Martinsville, Jimmie is 68 points behind. His 16 top fives and 19 top
tens along with six wins (tied for the most with Gordon) have him second in
the standings. His big problem has been finishing races. His four DNF's are
tied for the most among the chasers. That right now is the biggest reason why
he's not closer to Gordon that what he is currently. That said, he's right in
the thick of it.
Clint Bowyer: This is the underdog story of The Chase. Many knew
Clint Bowyer had the talent. This year, he's showing it by making it
to championship contention. He started The Chase by winning his first career
Nextel Cup race at
New Hampshire. Currently, he stands 78 points behind Gordon. He needs
to finish higher in the race standings. He only has five top fives finishes.
But, if the Hendrick duo have problems, he's right there with a chance to get
to the top.
Has A Shot, But..........:
Tony Stewart: Many looked to him at the start of The Chase as the
driver to beat. He was one of the hottest drivers before The Chase. In the
eight races prior, he had three wins and two other top fives. In four of the
five Chase races, he has top ten finishes. The one exception is at
Kansas, where he had a 39th place finish. Right now, that is the main
reason he's not any closer to Gordon than he is. He also has four DNF's.
Stewart is 198 points behind Gordon. He can't afford another Kansas-like
finish.
Carl Edwards: Like Stewart, Carl Edwards can't
afford any more bad finishes if he's going to have any thoughts of getting the
Nextel Cup. The big problem for him is consistency. In the five Chase races,
he's finished 12th, 1st, 37th, 14th, and 5th. That one win in The Chase was
at Dover, but as you know, he was docked 25 points. He's 240 points out.
Another bad finish will likely end any Nextel Cup Championship thoughts.
Busch Brothers On The Brink Of Elimination:
Kyle Busch: The younger Busch sits 280 points
behind Gordon. That's a lot of ground to make up in just five races. For
Kyle, it's been a case of good and bad in The Chase. He has finishes 4th,
5th, and 3rd, but also has a 41st and a 36th mixed in. He's in a spot where
he has to finish in the top five every race and hope the ones ahead of him all
fall apart. Not likely.
Kurt Busch: The 2004 Champ is also on the brink. Kurt is 315 points
out. In The Chase races, he has only one top ten and finished outside the top
twenty in three of the races. That will not gain him any ground on the
leaders.
Better Luck In 2008:
Kevin Harvick: His season got off to a great start, winning the
Daytona 500. But that is the only win on the season for him in points
races. In the five Chase races, he only has one top ten finish. Harvick is
328 out of first.
Denny Hamlin: At this time, Hamlin stands 349
points out of first. Only one top five finish since The Chase started to go
with finishes of 29th and 38th.
Jeff Burton: Currently standing 366 points out
has Jeff Burton basically out of the title talk. Though he has two top tens
in The Chase, he also has finishes of 36th and 43rd. Another thing that has
hurt him is that out of the chasers, he has led a total of 28 laps all
season. That is the fewest by far. None of those laps led have been in a
Chase race.
Martin Truex Jr: Another underdog favorite at the start of The Chase,
Truex finds himself 378 out of first. He started The Chase well, finishing
fifth at
New Hampshire. Since then, he's not had a top ten to go with a 38th
and a 42nd place finish.
Matt Kenseth: The 2003 Champ finds himself 442 points out and last
among the chasers in the standings. After a seventh place finish at the start
of The Chase at
New Hampshire, he has not had a top 25 finish since. His downfall
started at
Dover, where he led the most laps, but finished 35th after engine
problemsBy: CrimsonCowboy
|