Quiet for most of the summer, defending champ Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team clinched their fourth straight Chase by winning at California, and took the lead in the 2007 Chase standings as well. Only #17-Matt Kenseth has made all four Chases. All #07-Clint Bowyer and #1-Martin Truex Jr. have to do is show up at RIR Saturday night and start the race and they gets in their first Chase in only their second full season. Truex was in 22nd and Bowyer was 18th at this time last season. In the 2004 inaugural Race to the Chase, Kasey Kahne lost an 89-point lead over Jeremy Mayfield and didn’t make The Chase. In 2005, Jamie McMurray dropped out and Ryan Newman snuck in. Last year, Kahne was the one who got in the Chase as his third place gained 61 points over Tony Stewart’s 18th, with Kahne having 16 points to spare in making his first Chase. If #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes the chase, he will become the first driver to make up over 100 points at RIR and make the Chase If only 10 got into the 2007 Chase [as it was the first three years], it would be four drivers fighting for two spots at RIR. Here’s how it would look going to Richmond: Ahead of 11th 9-Bowyer, +25 10-Truex, +20 Out of 10th 11-KuBusch, -20 12-Harvick, -33 13-Earnhardt Jr., -161, Truex would just need to start For more Chase stats, see my Chase Stats before Richmond page and for last week, see the Chase Stats before California page.(9-5-2007)
