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12 drivers are now locked into the Chase and are ready to battle out the final 10 races for the Championship. This year's Chase has some minor changes to it, including the Chase field being expanded to 12 drivers rather than 10 and each driver starting with 5,000 points. Drivers were awarded an additional 10 points for every race they won this year, which makes Jimmie Johnson the points leader as the top 12 take the green flag at Loudon. Here is a breakdown of the 12 drivers who will be racing for the championship, with the winner to be decided at the last race in Homestead on November 18th.
Jimmie Johnson - Johnson slumped a little over the summer, but is once again looking red-hot with 2 wins and 5 top-five finishes during the past 6 races. Last year Johnson was written off by most after New Hampshire when he dropped to 9th in points and had even more bad luck in the races following. But the # 48 team came chugging back full steam and won the Championship. He drives for Hendrick, and he'll be given everything he needs to try and go back to back.
Jeff Gordon - Johnson's teammate had been the points leader since March and had a very comfortable cushion between him and 2nd place Tony Stewart. Gordon has been very consistent all season long, checking off 4 wins, 14 top-fives and a very impressive 21 top- ten finishes out of these first 21 races. His one and only DNF came at Lowe’s. Gordon's been here before, so he knows what it takes to win the championship.
Tony Stewart - After missing the Chase last year, Tony Stewart is once again in the mix vying for the Championship. Stewart seems to always fly under the radar – lurking the first half of the season, but suddenly coming alive during the second half and becoming a factor. Last year he was smoking hot during the final 10 races, winning 3 of them and scoring more points than all the chase contenders.
Matt Kenseth - He comes into the Chase 8th in points with only 1 win under his belt, that coming early this year at California. Consistency is a must in the Chase and while Kenseth isn’t always there contending for the win, he’s pretty good at being consistent. I think Kenseth will be lurking throughout and if he can catch some breaks and find a way to turn some of those top 10's into top 5's, he could bring home a championship for Roush-Fenway Racing.
Carl Edwards - Kenseth's teammate makes his second appearance in the Chase. In 2005, Edwards finished second behind Tony Stewart, winning 4 races along the way. Last season he missed the chase and went winless along the way. He's back this year, with 11 top- ten finishes, along with 2 wins. Edwards is very much a threat in this years chase.
Denny Hamlin - Last season he finished 3rd in the chase, 68 points behind winner Jimmie Johnson. He enters this chase not as hot as last year, only winning one time in 2007. That win, however, was at New Hampshire and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get off on the right foot. Hamlin has had success in the Car of Tomorrow and if he can stay consistent, he could be a sleeper pick for this year's championship.
Kurt Busch - Other than Busch, Dodge hasn't had much to cheer about this season. The 2004 champion has improved as the season has gone on, winning 2 races and going from a mid-pack driver to a top 10 driver on a consistent race basis. Dodge will set him up with everything they can to try and make a statement that this season was a fluke.
Kyle Busch - The 3rd member of the Hendrick stable is on his way out at the end of this season. He's won 1 race this season, the first COT race at Bristol. He's got a lot of talent, yet hasn't found a way to harness it consistently. He'll look great one race and then not so great the next. That inconsistency will doom him against these top class drivers.
Jeff Burton - Burton has just been hanging there all year, picking up some very solid finishes and 1 win at Texas. But he’s also had several finishes outside the top-ten. Week in and week out, during all 10 races of the Chase, you need to be on top of your game. Burton’s team hasn’t always been there.
Kevin Harvick - Started off strong with a win at Daytona, the only points win Harvick has. He managed to stay in the top 12 in points, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr at Richmond to claim that spot. Harvick has been struggling in recent weeks and these final 10 tracks aren't the best ones he's raced at. He accomplished the right to drive for the championship, but he'll need to race out of his mind and better than he has this year to win the championship.
Clint Bowyer - RCR's 3rd member in the field of 12, Bowyer didn't win a race all year. He's been consistent but unable to turn those top 10's into top 5's or wins. He's the longshot to win the championship and with other drivers in the field stronger than him, Bowyer has his work cut out for him.
Martin Truex Jr - Dale Earnhardt Jr. failed to make it into the Chase, leaving Martin Truex Jr. to be the only DEI car to get in. Truex had 1 win and four top-ten finishes in the regular season, but with DEI's recent engine troubles, Truex has to be concerned about falling victim to the same thing that cost Junior a spot in the chase.
MY PICK - Tony Stewart - "Smoke" has a lot to prove after not making the chase last season. He tore through the field the last 10 races, gaining more points than anybody. He's on a roll right now, finishing consistently in the top 5-10. I think he holds off Jimmie Johnson and wins the Nextel Cup Championship
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