This year marks a historic championship drive in many aspects, and there's a story line behind each driver in the Chase...
Jimmie Johnson is going for an unprecedented 4th consecutive championship.
Tony Stewart is trying to become the first owner/driver to win a title in 17 years, as well as become the first driver to win a Winston, NEXTEL, and Sprint Cup.
His teammate Ryan Newman is driving a car number that has never been in victory lane in the Cup Series.
Jeff Gordon is on a drive for 5.
Carl Edwards will try to join Bobby Labonte as the only drivers to win both a Busch/Nationwide and Cup series Championship.
Juan Montoya tries to become the first foreign-born driver to win a championship in NASCAR's top 3 divisions.
Brian Vickers is trying to become the first Toyota champ, as well as the first title for a team that wasn't even in existence 3 years ago.
Kasey Kahne is trying to give Richard Petty his first title in 30 years.
Kurt Busch is looking to give Roger Penske his first championship in NASCAR.
Denny Hamlin is trying to give Joe Gibbs a 4th championship, and the first for Toyota.
Greg Biffle is attempting to become the first driver to win a championship in all 3 of NASCAR's top divisions.
Finally, Mark Martin is trying to become the oldest champion in NASCAR history.
What can you expect to see in this year's Chase?
I look for Jimmie Johnson to be dethroned as the reigning champ. For starters, he hasn't had a top 5 finish since his win at Indy. His last 4 races have been very uncharacteristic of what we're used to seeing from the #48 team. The last 2 years he won the final 2 races heading into the Chase. This year, he had troubles at Atlanta and started dropping back at the end of the race at Richmond. I also look for Tony Stewart and Mark Martin to be the final 2 standing going into Homestead in a deja vu scenario of 2002.
Who are the favorites?
The favorites this year have to be Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. That's not in any particular order. All 12 drivers have a very legitimate shot at the title, but Gordon, Johnson, and Stewart have been atop the standings most of the year, and when Mark Martin finally started getting results, he was on fire. I expect these 4 to run strong in all 10 races.
Who are the dark horses?
The dark horses this year are, IMO, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, and Juan Montoya. Vickers and Montoya are in the Chase for the first time. Biffle, Edwards, Newman and Montoya have yet to win this year. With these 6, they certainly earned their way into the Chase, but they haven't quite seemed to be championship material. I know I'm leaving out Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin. Those 2 drivers have had very solid seasons. Kurt Busch was in the top 4 until the last few races, and is having one of, if not his best season since he won the title back in 2004. Denny Hamlin seems to be pulling a Jimmie Johnson, and is starting to peak at the perfect time.
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