THIS WEEKLY REPORT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF DAVID POOLE

 

 

2009 RACE TO THE CHASE

After Race #24 of 26:  Bristol #2

Races Left to the Chase: 2

Atlanta #2              Richmond  #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   3564       +653       33/64      -68          695/E     3—4—3                 13           18           1

2/3/4-JOHNSON  3344       +433       8/147      +15         672/+1   3—3—1                 9              15           2

3/2/9-JGORDON  3310       +399       23/94      -38          601/-1    1—6—0                 11           16           2

4/5/11-HAMLIN     3141       +230       5/155      +23         684/+1   1—2—2                 8              12           3

5/4/2-EDWARDS 3110       +199       16/115   -17          672/+1   0—1—2                 7              11           0

6/6/19-KuBusch   3103       +192       7/146      +14         473/-2    1—0—2                 6              13           2

7/9/15-Newman   2995       +84         6/150      +18         610/E     0—1—1                 5              10           1

8/10/7-BIFFLE      2986       +75         4/165      +33         701/+5   0—0—2                 8              11           2

9/7/21-Montoya    2975       +64         25/88      -44          669/E     0—1—0                 1              11           0

10/12/27-Martin    2971       +60         2/180      +48         675/+1   4—2—0                 7              12           5

11/8/14-Kahne     2963       +52         28/79      -53          627/-3    1—0—1                 4              9              1

12/11/10-KENSTH 2945    +34         10/134   +2           650/E     2—0—0                 4              9              1

                                                                Out of

                                                                12^th

13/15/1-KYBSCH 2911      -34          1/190      +36         613/-3    4—0—1                 6              8              3

14/13/16-Vickers 2906       -39          12/127   -27          757/+2   1—0—0                 4              11           2

15/14/12-BOWYER 2833   -112        21/100   -54          664/E     0—1—1                 4              10           2

16/16/26-Reutmn 2785      -160        17/112   -42          566/-2    1—0—1                 4              7              1

18/18/5-BURTON 2568      -377        18/109   -45          455/-1    0—0—2                 2              6              3

21/21/3-DALEJR  2416       -529        9/138      -16          488/E     0—1—1                 2              5              5

24/23/8-HARVICK 2300     -645        38/49      -105        511/+1   0—1—0                 2              3              7

 

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           5020                       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                       Johnson, J. Gordon Clinched

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

 

NOTES:

 

·          JOHNSON CLINCHES SIXTH STRAIGHT CHASE:  It could have been a far better night, but Jimmy Johnson put himself in the record book again Saturday night as his 8^th place finish at BMS clinched his spot in the 09 Chase. Only Matt Kenseth can equal Johnson’s record of appearing in all six Chases, but he only has 34-point margin with two races to go. Jeff Gordon also clinched at BMS for his fifth Chase appearance. JG missed the 2005 Chase.

·          HAMLIN, EDWARDS, KURT BUSCH LOOK GOOD, SIX IN THE “DANGER ZONE”:  Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch could all clinch at Atlanta and breathe easy at Richmond. Not so much for places 7-12. Juan Montoya (2th, -44 points to 13^th) and Kasey Kahne (28^th, -53 points) suffered the most damage at Bristol. Another concern for JPM is he was 27^th at Atlanta in the spring and doesn’t have a top 15 there since his first race in 2007, which was an impressive 5^th. 

·          KYLE BUSCH RACES HIS WAY INTO SERIOUS CONTENTION:  Rowdy Busch served notice he’s far from done in the 09 Race to the Chase with a clutch win at Bristol, gaining 36 points on 12^th (now just 34 out) and now he goes to Atlanta, where he won in 2008.  Brian Vickers avoided disaster and managed a 12^th at BMS, keeping him in contention, although he lost 27 important points to 12^th. Vickers had a fifth in the spring at AMS. Clint Bowyer ran far better but contact with teammate Kevin Harvick led to a 21^st place finish and a 54-point hit in the standings. Bowyer can be encouraged by a 6^th at Atlanta in the spring. David Reutimann’s 17^th at Bristol all but eliminates him from contention.

·          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       3609/+766            1-JGORDON        3582/+861            1-JJOHNSON       3499/+540

2-C EDWARDS    3397/+554            2-T STEWART      3233/+512            2-M KENSETH     3492/+533

3-DALE JR            3193/+350            3-D HAMLIN          3229/+508            3-K HARVICK       3178/+219

4-J JOHNSON      3191/+348            4-M KENSETH     3163/+442            4-KY BUSCH        3097/+138

5-J BURTON        3117/+274            5-C EDWARDS    3160/+439            5-J GORDON       3091/+132

6-T STEWART      3013/+170            6-J JOHNSON      3059/+338            6-D HAMLIN          3070/+111

7-G BIFFLE           2984/+141            7-J BURTON        3054/+333            7-J BURTON        3064/+105

8- K HARVICK      2972/+129            8-KY BUSCH        3024/+303            8-T Stewart           3056/+97

9-J GORDON       2951/+108            9-C BOWYER       2944/+223            9-DALE JR            3051/+92

10-M KENSETH   2921/+78               10-K HARVICK     2888/+167            10-M MARTIN       3049/+90

11-D HAMLIN       2900/+57               11-M TRUEX         2887/+166                           

12-C BOWYER     2855/+12               12-KU BUSCH     2879/+158

 

13-D Ragan          2843/-12                13-Dale Jr             2721/-158             11-K KAHNE         2959/-90

14-K Kahne          2799/-56                                               

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                               

2005                                                       2004

1-T STEWART      3410/+622            1-JGORDON        3380/+488

2-J JOHNSON      3197/+409            2-J JOHNSON      3356/+464

3-G BIFFLE           3186/+398            3-DALE JR            3305/+413

4-R WALLACE      3139/+351            4-T STEWART      3195/+303

5-M MARTIN          3014/+226            5-M KENSETH     3156/+264

6-J MAYFIELD      2983/+195            6-KU BUSCH       3051/+159

7-KU BUSCH       2982/+194            7-E SADLER         3019/+127

8-C EDWARDS    2849/+61               8-K Harvick           2923/+31

9-R NEWMAN       2819/+31               9-B Labonte          2919/+27

10-J Gordon         2799/+11               10-R NEWMAN    2918/+26

 

11-M KENSETH   2788/-11                11-K Kahne          2892/-26

12-J McMurray      2787/-12                12-M MARTIN       2883/-35

13-E Sadler          2765/-34                13-J MAYFIELD    2883/-35

14-D Jarrett           2721/-78                14-D Jarrett           2873/-45

15-Dale Jr             2682/-117             15-J McMurray      2873/-45               

16-K Harvick         2677/-122            

17-J Nemechek   2660/-139

 

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.