#11-Denny Hamlin’s early race problems doomed him to a 40th place finish at Chicagoland, dropping him five positions and 70 points closer to being out of the Top 12. Clint Bowyer and the #07 team never seemed to get a handle on the race track and his 22nd dropped him out of the Top 12, 27 points out. #9-Kasey Kahne’s 15th lost him three positions back to 11th, but he did pick up five points on 13th. Still, the #9 team’s performance of late predicts a rough road to staying in the Top 12, especially if the challengers stay consistent. Kurt Busch’s 28th at Chicagoland puts his Chase hopes in serious jeopardy and is now 245 points out in 18th place. #83-Brian Vickers continued his strong challenge for the Top 12 with his sixth at Chicagoland, moving up one position and 17 points. The Red Bull driver now lurks 95 points out of 12th. #16-Greg Biffle gave himself slight breathing room in the Top 12 with his fourth at Chicagoland, but he’s only 62 points ahead of Bowyer in 7th place, and his last three Indy finishes are 21-33-15. See the full Chase stats so far and comparisons with each year on my Chase Stats after Chicago page.(7-16-2008)
