2008 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

After Race #2 of 10:  Dover #2

Races Left in the Chase:  8 (80%)

Kansas                   Atlanta  

Talladega               Texas

Charlotte               Phoenix

Martinsville           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                                         

1/1-Edwards (+10)                5390/340   --           3/170       804          6—4—2     0—0—2                 13-2         21-2         2-0

2/2-Johnson (-10)                 5380/340   -10         5/160       789          4—4—1     0—1—0                 11-2         16-2         1-0

3/3-Biffle (+20)                       5380/380   -10         1/190       806          2—2—2     2—0—0                 10-2         13-2         3-0

4/5-Burton (-32)                    5308/298   -82         9/138       436          1—0—1     0—0—0                 5-1           14-2         2-0

5/10-Harvick (-15)                 5289/289   -101       6/155       763          0—1—1     0—0—0                 6-0           14-2         3-0

6/9-Bowyer (-23)                   5284/274   -106       8/147       677          1—1—1     0—0—0                 4-0           13-1         2-0

7/7-Stewart (-40)                  5277/277   -113       11/130     711          0—4—1     0—0—0                 9-0           14-1         4-0

8/11-JGordon (-19)               5272/272   -118       7/151       712          0—1—3     0—0—0                 9-0           13-1         4-0

9/4-DaleJr (-79)                     5261/251   -129       24/91       640          1—1—1     0—0—0                 9-1           14-1         2-0

10/12-Kenth (+10)                 5223/223   -167       2/180       573          0—1—2     0—1—0                 7-1           16-1         7-1

11/6-Hamlin (-121)                5197/187   -193       38/49       687          1—0—7     0—0—0                 9-0           15-1         5-1

12/8-KyBsh (-136)                 5180/100   -210       43/34       549          8—3—2     0—0—0                 15-0         17-0         5-2

 

 

NOTES

ท          IS KYLE DONE? NOT SO FAST:  Even though a despondent Kyle Busch was throwing in the towel after his second straight bottom 10 finish in the Chase at Dover, he should arrive at Kansas with a better perspective, especially if he studies Jimmie Johnson’s pathway to the championship in 2006. True, Rowdy is dead last and 210 points out of the lead with eight races to go, but Johnson was still in 7^th place and 146 points out at the halfway point after getting a second at Lowe’s. There is time, but Kansas would be a good place to start the comeback.

ท          HERE COMES THE BIFFINATOR:  What a time to win two in a row! Greg Biffle made a late pass for the lead for the second straight week, and now stands just 10 pointsout of first place in The Chase and is the defending champ at Kansas. He could become the first driver ever to win all three of NASCAR’s major series.

ท          TIME FOR TONY THE TIGER? Tony Stewart won at Kansas in 2006 when he was on the outside looking in at The Chase, and a win this week could be springboard for Stewart to get into serious contention.

 

 

2008 CHASE FINISHES

                                NH     DO    KS     TA     LO     MA     AT     TX     PH     HO

1—C Edwards         3        3

2—J Johnson         2        5

3—G Biffle               1        1

4—J Burton             4        9

5—K Harvick          10        6

6—C Bowyer         12        8

7—T Stewart           8      11

8—J Gordon          14        7

9—Dale Jr                5      24

10—M Kenseth     40        2

11—D Hamlin           9      38

12—Kyle Busch    34      43

 

CHASE COMPARISON CHARTS

                                     Out of

2007                                    Pts/1^st

1-J Gordon            5340/+2

2-T Stewart           5338/-2

3-C Edwards         5337/-3

4-J JOHNSON         5336/-4

5-Ky Busch            5330/-10

6-C Bowyer           5322/-18

7-M Truex              5294/-46

8-J Burton             5265/-75

9-K Harvick            5225/-115

10-M Kenseth       5224/-116

11-Ku Busch          5192/-148

12-D Hamlin           5182/-158

 

                                      Out of                                              Out of                                                            Out of

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

1-JBurton              5351/+6                   1-JJohnson           5362/+7                   1-JGordon             5371/+1

2-JGordon             5345/-6                    2-RWallace             5355/-7                    2-KUBUSCH            5370/-1

3-MKenseth          5333/-18                  3-RNewman          5350/-12                  3-Dale Jr                5353/-18

4-DHamlin              5333/-18                  4-MMartin              5341/-21                  4-JJohnson           5314/-57

5-KHarvick             5297/-54                  5-TSTEWART         5339/-23                  5-MMartin              5314/-57

6-MMartin              5276/-75                 6-GBiffle                 5339/-23                 6-ESadler               5275/-96

7-Dale Jr                5249/-102                7-JMayfield           5281/-81                  7-MKenseth          5272/-99

8-JJOHNSON          5215/-136                8-CEdwards          5259/-103                8-RNewman          5264/-107

9-KKahne               5169/-182                9-MKenseth          5238/-124                9-TStewart            5236/-135

10-KyBusch           5127/-224                10-KuBusch           5192/-170                10-JMayfield         5214/-157

 

Eventual champion in ALL CAPS