2008 RACE TO THE CHASE

After Race #23 of 26:  Michigan #2

Races Left to the Chase:  3

Bristol                    Richmond 

California             

 

                                                Out of     LstRace                Lst 5       Finishes                Top         Top         Bottom

08/LW/07              Pts          13^th         Fin/Pts   Gain        Pts          1—2—3                 5s           10s         10s-MR

1/1/8-Ky Busch    3429       +720       2/175      +72         743/E      8—2—2                 14           15           3

2/2/5-C Edwards 3207       +498       1/195      +92         770/+2   5—4—0                 10           17           2

3/3/6-J Johnson  3127       +418       17/117   +14         798/+2   2—3—1                 7              12           1

4/4/13-Dale Jr      3084       +375       23/99      -4            565/-2    1—1—1                 7              12           2

5/5/7-J Burton      3080       +371       11/135   +32         430/-2    1—0—1                 4              11           1

6/7/4-T Stewart   2871       +162       12/127   +24         705/+6   0—3—1                 8              11           4

7/10/15-G Biffle    2854       +145       4/165      +62         701/+4   0—1—2                 7              10           3

8/11/10-Harvick   2812       +103       8/142      +39         672/+5   0—1—1                 4              9              3

9/6/1-J Gordon     2791       +82         42/37      -66          552/-3    0—1—3                 8              10           4

10/12/3-Kenseth 2783       +74         5/155      +52         618/-1    0—0—2                 5              13           5

11/8/27-K Kahne 2756       +47         40/43      -60          579/-3    2—1—0                 3              11           2

12/9/2-D Hamlin   2735       +26         39/46      -57          495/-5    1—0—4                 6              11           4

                                                Out of

                                                12^th

13/13/9-Bowyer   2709       -26          20/103   -4            546/-3    1—1—1                 4              10           2

14/14/22-Ragan   2709       -26          3/170      +63         660/E      0—0—1                 5              8              2

15/17/39-Vickers2569       -166        7/151      +44         530/E      0—1—0                 3              6              3

16/16/11-Truex    2534       -201        16/115   +8           477/+2   0—0—0                 3              7              3

17/15/14-Newmn2524       -211        21/100   -7            564/-1    1—0—0                 2              7              4

18/19/17-McMury2365      -370        10/134   +27         642/+5   0—0—0                 0              6              4

19/18/12-KuBsh  2324       -411        36/55      -52          370/-2    1—1—0                 3              5              6

20/20/23-Sadler  2297       -438        9/138      +31         630/+5   0—0—0                 2              6              6             

 

 

CLINCH SCENARIOS

 

1—Kyle Busch                     +720       clinched at Michigan

 

(Magic number after Bristol: +391 over 13^th place)

2—Carl Edwards                +498       needs to lose 107 pts or less to 13^th place to clinch at Bristol

3—Jimmie Johnson          +418       needs to lose 27 pts or less to 13^th place to clinch at Bristol

4—Dale Jr                            +375       needs to gain 16 pts or more on 13^th place to clinch at Bristol

5—Jeff Burton                     +371       needs to gain 20 pts or more on 13^th place to clinch at Bristol

 

(Magic number after California:  +196 over 13^th place)

 

CHASE SEEDING

 

1   Kyle Busch                      5080      

2   Carl Edwards                 5040       -40

3   J Johnson                       5020       -60

4   Kasey Kahne                  5020       -60

5   Dale Jr                             5010       -70

6   Denny Hamlin                 5010       -70

7   Jeff Burton                      5010       -70

6   Kevin Harvick                 5000       -80

9   Tony Stewart                  5000       -80

10 Jeff Gordon                    5000       -80

11 Greg Biffle                       5000       -80

12 Matt Kenseth                 5000       -80

 

NOTES

·          GREATEST “RACE TO THE CHASE” IN FIVE-YEAR HISTORY?  That’s easy. The inaugural Race to the Chase in 2004 saw three drivers outside the Top 10 with three races to go, make it in:  Jeremy Mayfield, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman. They unseated Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte and Kasey Kahne.

·          BOWYER’S CHANCE IS BRISTOL:  Judging on how the #07 ran at Michigan, California doesn’t look promising for the Jack team, so Bristol is a crucial stop for Clint Bowyer in his quest to make his second straight Chase.  Tied in 13^th with David Ragan 26 points out of 12^th place, Bowyer’s last three Bristol finishes are 8^th, 3^rd and 3^rd.  Ragan’s are 26^th, 41^st and 21^st.

·          “BUBBLE DRIVERS” WILL SWEAT 500 LONG LAPS AT THUNDER VALLEY:  Positions 6-12 still aren’t safe, although Tony Stewart (6th), Greg Biffle (7^th) and Kevin Harvick (8^th) all look good with three to go. From there, it gets real dicey and the danger lurking on every lap at Bristol will keep these drivers and teams on edge.

9—Jeff Gordon    +82 is a Bristol ace but this team is struggling

10—Matt Kenseth  +74 is also usually very good at BMS, but is too close for comfort.

11—Kasey Kahne  +47 has finished 2^nd and 7^th in his last two Bristol starts, but early

summer hot streak seems like a while ago.

12—Denny Hamlin  +26  has dropped five spots in five races and frustration is evident with

driver and team.

 

RACE TO THE CHASE COMPARISON CHARTS

                                      Out of                                              Out of                                              Out of

2007                       Pts/13^th                 2006                       Pts/11^th                 2005                       Pts/11th

1-JGORDON       3471+910                1-J JOHNSON      3365/+533            1-T STEWART      3268/+617

2-D HAMLIN          3195/+634            2-M KENSETH      3307/+475            2-J JOHNSON      3142/+491

3-M KENSETH      3117/+556            3-K HARVICK        3048/+216            3-G BIFFLE            3016/+365

4-T STEWART      3073/+512            4-M MARTIN         2970/+138            4-R WALLACE      2979/+328

5-C EDWARDS     2970/+409            5-T Stewart          2959/+127            5-M MARTIN         2899/+248

6-J JOHNSON      2959/+398            6-J GORDON        2931+99                6-J MAYFIELD      2869/+218

7-J BURTON         2927/+366            7-KY BUSCH         2922/+90               7-KU BUSCH         2848/+197

8-KY BUSCH         2881/+320            8-D HAMLIN          2920/+88               8-R NEWMAN       2773/+122

9-C BOWYER        2779/+218            9-J BURTON         2916/+84               9-C EDWARDS     2758/+107

10-K HARVICK     2773/+212            10-DALE JR          2881/+49               10-J McMurray    2702/+51

11-M TRUEX         2757/+196                                            Out of 10^th                                            Out of 10^th

12-KU BUSCH      2724/+163            11-K KAHNE         2832/-49                11-D Jarrett         2651/-51

                                Out of 12^th            12-G Biffle             2692/-189             12-J Gordon         2644/-58

13-Dale Jr             2561/-163             13-C Edwards      2637/-244             13-E Sadler          2636/-66

14-R Newman      2553/-171             14-Ku Busch        2602/-279             14-K Harvick        2620/-82

15-G Biffle             2428/-296             15-B Vickers        2484/-397             15-M KENSETH    2598/-104

16-C Mears          2361/-363             16-J McMurray    2455/-426             16-Dale Jr             2544/-158

17-J McMurray    2286/-438             17-C Mears          2452/-429             17-J Nemechek  2533/-169

18-B Labonte       2264/-460             18-R Newman      2444/-437             18-B Vickers        2487/-215

19-J Montoya       2263/-461             19-C Bowyer        2414/-467             19-K Kahne          2405/-297

20-M Martin          2220/-504             20-E Sadler          2349/-532             20-M Waltrip        2364/-348

 

 

                                Out of

2004                       Pts/11^th

1-J GORDON        3254/+468

2-J JOHNSON      3186/+400

3-DALE JR            3115/+329

4-T STEWART      3089/+303

5-M KENSETH      3018/+232

6-KU BUSCH         2909+123

7-E SADLER          2864/+78

8-K Harvick          2832+46

9-B Labonte         2799/+13

10-K Kahne          2792/+6

                                Out of 10^th

11-J MAYFIELD    2786/-6

12-M MARTIN       2759/-33

13-R NEWMAN     2748/-44

14-D Jarrett         2734/-58

15-J McMurray    2722/-70

16-C Mears          2555/-237

17-M Waltrip        2488/-304

18-G Biffle             2422/-370

19-R Wallace       2417/-375

20-S Marlin           2396/-396

 

Names in ALL CAPS made the Chase in that year