2008 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

After Race #8 of 10:  Texas #2

Races Left in the Chase:  2 (20%)

Phoenix                 Homestead

 

 

                       Season/Chase  Out of  Lst Rce  Lst 5       Overall     Chase                  Top         Top         Bottom

Pos./LW                 Pts             1^st         Fin/Pts    Pts/         W—2—3   W—2—3               5s            10s          10s         

1/2-Johnson (+39)6382/1351 +30        1/190       876          9—2—5     3—1—1                 19-5         22-6         5-0

2/1-JGordon (-39) 6352/1312  -30        7/151       852          6—5—3     2—1—2                 20-5         28-7         1-0

3/3-Bowyer (-70)   6201/1201 -181       19/111     709          1—2—1     1—2—0                 5-3           17-5         3-0

4/6-KyBsh (-9)       6043/1033 -339       4/170       673          1—2—2     0—0—1                 11-5         19-5         5-2

5/4-Edwards (-96) 6025/995   -357       26/85       636          3—2—2     1—1—0                 10-3         14-3         3-1

6/5-Stewart (-51)  6009/979   -373       11/130     630          3—3—2     0—0—1                 10-1         22-4         5-1

7/8-Burton (-31)    5951/941   -431       6/150       631          1—1—2     0—0—0                 9-2           16-4         5-2

8/7-Harvick (-47)   5943/933   -439       10/134     563          1—1—0     0—0—0                 4-0           14-3         3-0

9/9-KuBsh (-34)     5929/912   -453       8/147       603          2—0—2     0—0—0                 5-0           13-3         2-0

10/11-Kensth (-6)  5928/918   -454       2/175       641          1—3—1     0—1—0                 11-3         20-4         6-3

11/10-Hamln (-100)5858/848  -524       29/81       600          1—2—5     0—0—0                 11-1         17-2         3-1

12/12-Truex (-11)  5858/848   -524       3/170       520          1—2—2     0—0—1                 7-2           12-2         5-2

 

NOTES

 

·          THINNEST CHASE CONTENDER FIELD EVER, BUT COULD BE CLOSEST GAP BETWEEN 1-2:  If Jeff Gordon makes up at least 13 points and no more than 48 on Jimmie Johnson at Phoenix, we will have the closest gap from 1-2 going to Homestead. In 2004, Kurt Busch carried an 18-point lead over Johnson into the final race, and held on for the win. Unless Clint Bowyer finishes well ahead of both, we’ll only have those two as contenders for the crown.

·          THE PUSH FOR THE PODIUM: Matt Kenseth moved a big step closer to teleprompter practice with a second place at Texas. He now leads Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex by 70.

 

 

2007 CHASE FINISHES

                                NH     DO    KS     TA     LO     MA     AT     TX     PH     HO

1—J Johnson         6       14       3        2      14         1        1        1

2—J Gordon            2        11       5        1        1         3        7        7

3—C Bowyer            1       12       2       11        2        9        6      19

4—Ky Busch            4         5     41       36        3        4       20       4

5—C Edwards        12         1     37       14        5       11        2      26

6—T Stewart            3         9     39          8       7        13      30     11

7—J Burton            18         7     36       43       4        12        5        6

8—K Harvick          17        20      6       20       33      10       15      10

9—Ku Busch         25         29     11        7       26      31         8       8

10—M Kenseth        7        35     35       26       34        5         4       2

11—D Hamlin         15        38     29        4       20         6       24      29

12—M Truex             5        13     38       42     17        19       31      3

 

CHASE COMPARISON CHARTS

                                      Out of                                              Out of                                              Out of

2006                        Pts/1st                   2005                        Pts/1st                   2004                        Pts/1st

1-JJOHNSON          6157/+17                 1-TSTEWART         6255/+38                 1-KUBUSCH            6052/+59

2-MKENSETH          6140/-17                  2-JJOHNSON          6217/-38                  2-JJOHNSON          5993/-59

3-DALE JR              6079/-78                  3-CEDWARDS         6178/-77                  3-JGORDON            5980/-72

4-DHAMLIN            6077/-80                  4-GBIFFLE              6133/-122                4-MMARTIN           5971/-81

5-KHARVICK          6052/-105                5-MMARTIN           6132/-123                5-DALE JR              5954/-98

6-JGORDON            6000/-157                6-MKENSETH          6120/-135                6-TSTEWART         5907/-145

7-JBURTON            5973/-184                7-RNEWMAN          6081/-174                7-RNEWMAN          5866/-186

8-KYBUSCH            5924/-233                8-KUBUSCH            5974/-281                8-ESADLER             5815/-237

9-MMARTIN           5904/-253                9-RWALLACE        5940/-315                9-MKENSETH          5795/-257

10-KKAHNE             5867/-290                10-JMAYFIELD       5848/-407                10-JMAYFIELD       5736/-316