THIS WEEKLY REPORT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF DAVID POOLE

 

 

2009 RACE TO THE CHASE

After Race #23 of 26:  Michigan #2

Races Left to the Chase: 3

Bristol #2               Richmond  #2

Atlanta #2             

 

                                                Out         Last        Gain/Loss                                             Top         Top         Bot

09/LW/LY                 Pts       of 13^th    Race      13^th         Lst 5       W—2—3               5s           10s         10s

1/1/6-STEWART   3500       +721       17/117   -35          796/E     3—4—3                 13           18           0

2/3/9-JGORDON  3216       +437       2/175      +23         677/E     1—6—0                 11           16           2

3/2/3-JOHNSON  3197       +418       33/74      -78          672/E     3—3—1                 9              14           2

4/6/2-EDWARDS 2995       +216       4/165      +13         678/+1   0—1—2                 7              11           0

5/5/12-HAMLIN     2986       +207       10/139   -13          684/+1   1—2—2                 7              11           3

6/4/19-KuBusch   2957       +178       36/55      -97          439/-2    1—0—2                 6              12           2

 

7/7/21-Montoya    2887       +108       19/106   -46          715/+4   0—1—0                 1              11           0

8/8/11-Kahne       2884       +105       11/130   -22          718/+4   1—0—1                 4              9              1

9/9/17-Newman   2845       +66         15/118   -34          610/-2    0—1—1                 5              9              1

10/10/7-BIFFLE    2821       +42         20/103   -49          606/-1    0—0—2                 7              10           2

11/12/10-KENSTH 2811    +32         14/126   -26          610/-1    2—0—0                 4              8              1

12/11/25-Martin    2791       +12         31/75      -77          690/+1   4—1—0                 6              11           5

                                                Out of

                                                12^th

13/14/15-Vickers 2779       -12          1/190      +84         781/+4   1—0—0                 4              11           2

14/15/13-BOWYER 2733   -58          8/147      +41         702/+2   0—1—1                 4              10           2

15/13/1-KYBSCH 2721       -70          23/94      -12          487/-7    3—0—1                 5              7              3

16/16/27-Reutmn 2673      -118        9/143      +37         581/-2    1—0—1                 4              7              1

18/18/5-BURTON2459       -332        18/109   +3           398/-3    0—0—2                 2              6              3

21/25/4-DALEJR  2278       -513        3/170      +64         468/E     0—1—1                 2              4              5

23/22/8-HARVICK 2251     -540        12/127   +21         568/+3   0—1—0                 2              3              6

 

2008  Chase participants in ALL CAPS

 

 

CHASE SEEDING

1—Mark Martin                     5040                       7—Kurt Busch                      5010

2—Tony Stewart                  5030                       8—Kasey Kahne                 5010

3—Jimmie Johnson           5030                       9—Carl Edwards                 5000

4—Matt Kenseth                  5020                       10—Ryan Newman            5000

5—Jeff Gordon                     5010                       11—Juan Montoya              5000

6—Denny Hamlin                5010                       12—Greg Biffle                    5000

 

 

CLINCH SCENARIOS

                                                Pts Needed

After Michigan #2                 +586                       Stewart Clinched

After Bristol #2                      +391                       Likely: J Gordon, J Johnson

After Atlanta #2                     +196                       Likely: Edwards, Hamlin, Ku Busch

 

NOTES:

 

·          RED HOT VICKERS DRIVES INTO CONTENTION:  While much will be made of the fuel situation in Brian Vickers’ win at MIS, the real story is Vickers’ strong run to Chase contention over the last six races. After a 35^th at Loudon, B.V. has ticked off finishes of 7^th, 7^th, 5^th, 6^th, 11^th and first at MIS. Only Tony Stewart has scored more points over the period. The Chase format was designed to provide opportunities for teams to overcome early season problems and make a playoff run over the last 10 races. That’s exactly what Vickers and the #83 team are doing.

·          NEWMAN, BIFFLE, KENSETH STRUGGLING TO STAY IN THE T12:  Mark Martin’s late pit stop dropped him to 12^th in the Race to the Chase standings, but the recent runs of Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth are putting them in jeopardy of being overtaken by Vickers, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch or David Reutimann. Kurt Busch has had the worst run over the last five races, but he still has enough cushion to clinch by Atlanta if he rights the ship at Bristol.

·          GO TIME FOR KYLE:  Kyle Busch needs a big race at Bristol to back in the thick of the Chase hunt. Coming off a win in the spring at Bristol and six Top 10s in the last seven races at BMS, this is the place for him and the #18 team to get it done.

·           GIVE A CALL TO TONY THE TIGER:  Tony Stewart didn’t have a great run, but his 17^th at MIS was more than enough to clinch a spot in the 09 Chase, his fifth appearance in the playoffs in the six-year history of the format.

·          T12 BY OWNERS:  Stewart-Haas 2 of 2 (100%), Hendrick 3 of 4 (75%), Roush 3 of 5 (60%),   Earnhardt/Ganassi 1 of 2 (50%) Gibbs 1 of 3 (33%), Penske 1 of 3 (33%), Petty 1 of 3 (33%). 

·          T12 BY MANUFACTURERS:  Chevrolet 6, Ford 3, Dodge 2, Toyota 1,

 

 

RACE TO THE CHASE COMPARISON CHARTS

                                      Out of                                                      out of                                                     out of

2008                       pts/13^th                   2007                       pts/13^th                   2006                       pts/11th 

1- KY BUSCH       3429/+720            1-JGORDON        3471/+910            1-JJOHNSON       3365/+533

2-C EDWARDS    3207/+498            2-D HAMLIN          3195/+634            2-M KENSETH     3307/+475

3-J JOHNSON      3127/+418            3-M KENSETH     3117/+556            3-K HARVICK       3048/+216

4-DALE JR            3084/+375            4-T STEWART      3073/+512            4-M MARTIN          2970/+138

5-J BURTON        3080/+371            5-C EDWARDS    2970/+409            5-T Stewart           2959/+127

6-T STEWART      2871/+162            6-J JOHNSON      2959/+398            6-J GORDON       2931/+99

7-G BIFFLE           2854/+145            7-J BURTON        2927/+366            7-KY BUSCH        2922/+90

8- K HARVICK      2812/+103            8-KY BUSCH        2881/+320            8-D HAMLIN          2920/+88

9-J GORDON       2791/+82               9-C BOWYER       2779/+218            9-J BURTON        2916/+84

10-M KENSETH   2783/+74               10-K HARVICK     2773/+212            10-DALE JR          2881/+49

11-K Kahne          2756/+47               11-M TRUEX         2757/+196                           

12-D HAMLIN       2735/+26               12-KU BUSCH     2724/+163

 

13-C BOWYER     2709/-26                13-Dale Jr             2561/-163             11-K KAHNE         2832/-49

14-D Ragan          2709/-26                                               

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                               

2005                                                       2004

1-T STEWART     3268/+617            1-JGORDON        3254/+468

2-J JOHNSON      3142/+491            2-J JOHNSON      3186/+400

3-G BIFFLE           3016/+365            3-DALE JR            3115/+329

4-R WALLACE      2979/+328            4-T STEWART      3089/+303

5-M MARTIN          2899/+248            5-M KENSETH     3018/+232

6-J MAYFIELD      2869/+218            6-KU BUSCH       2909/+123

7-KU BUSCH       2848/+197            7-E SADLER         2864/+78

8-R NEWMAN       2773/+122            8-K Harvick           2832/+46

9-C EDWARDS    2758/+107            9-B Labonte          2799/+13

10-J McMurray      2702/+51               10-K Kahne          2792/+6

 

11-D Jarrett           2651/-51                11-J MAYFIELD    2786/-6

12-J Gordon         2644/-58                12-M MARTIN       2759/-33

13-E Sadler          2636/-66                13-R NEWMAN    2748/-44

14-K Harvick         2620/-82                14-D Jarrett           2734/-58

15-M KENSETH   2598/-104             15-J McMurray      2722/-70               

 

Eventual champion in italics

Underline denotes last driver with more than one-race margin over 13^th place. Until 2007, the most points you could lose to another driver if you started  the race was 156. With the extra five points for winning instituted in 2007, you can now lose 161.