#5-Mark Martin has pounded out 5716 points in four races of Chase VI, but three-time champ #48-Jimmie Johnson is setting the most torrid pace in Chase history, with 5728 points thus far. Johnson is 10 points ahead of his 2008 pace, which was record-setting at the time. Martin’s fifth at California caused him to surrender the Chase lead to Johnson, but he lurks only 12 points out. There was no way to gain ground on Jimmie Johnson as he won at California, but #24-Jeff Gordon did the next best thing by finishing second and moving up two spots to fifth place. The four-time champ is 105 points out, and will need to string together several podium finishes to move closer to the lead. #42-Juan Pablo Montoya stayed around the front all day long at Fontana and brought home another important third place finish. JPM has finished no worse than fourth in four Chase VI races, the best string in his young NASCAR career. After four races in 2006, Johnson was 8th in the Chase points 156 points behind the leader #31-Burton, who was at 5598 points. Currently six drivers are within 156 points of the leader, See year-by-year comparison, race-by-race, notes and more on my Chase Stats after Auto Club page and the Chase rules, how the Chase would had worked out back to 1975 and history on my 2009 Chase Rules and Notes page.(10-15-2009)
