Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Tony Stewart — Stewart keeps on rolling, and his seventh-place at Richmond gives him 12-straight top-10s. But to the leader come the spoils: gone is Stewart's 200-point lead, reduced to five per Chase rules.
"Whereas before, I could have finished last and still held the lead," says Stewart, "now, technically, I could finish second and lose the points lead. It just doesn't make sense."
Yeah, all that work to build such a points lead for naught. NASCAR could at least give him a 10-point cushion.
Stewart's defense of his points lead should get off to a good start. He dominated at New Hampshire on his way to the win there in mid-July.
2. Greg Biffle — Biffle finished third at Richmond, and needs to look no further than out his windshield to see who his main competition for the 2005 Cup may be: teammates Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth.
"Before the Chase," says Biffle, "the Roush motto was 'Take one for the team.' Now that motto is 'Every man for himself.' I plan to take that to heart."
With five cars in the hunt, there are bound to be instances of Roush cars battling each other, which could lead to some friction in the Roush camp.
Biffle is primed for a run at the title. In the last three races, he has qualified and finished in the top four.
3. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth left no doubt as to his inclusion in the Chase; he finished second to Kurt Busch to easily secure the ninth position in the points. He is arguably the hottest driver right now, with four-straight top-sevens, including a pole-to-checkered win at Bristol.
"Don’t fear the reaper,” says Kenseth. “Fear me. We were dead in the water back in June, but we finally found that Roush secret formula just in time to make the Chase."
Kenseth was the last Cup champion under the old format. If he remains hot, he could add a new style championship to his trophies.
4. Kurt Busch — Busch entered the 10-race Chase in style, winning at Richmond for his third win of the season. Like nearly all of Roush Racing, Busch is peaking at exactly the right time.
"Everything before the Chase was just a Sunday drive," says Busch. "Starting now, it's like rush hour on the Autobahn at WrestleMania — no speed limit, no rules, no problem."
Busch began last year's Chase with a win a New Hampshire, and then reeled off five-straight finishes of sixth or better. He hopes to establish the same start this year.
5. Rusty Wallace — Wallace finished fifth, and improved his position in the points to third, leapfrogging Jimmie Johnson to gain what could be an important five points. When the Chase starts Sunday in New Hampshire, Wallace will only be 10 points behind Tony Stewart, instead of over 300 behind.
“What a bargain,” says Wallace. “I finish two places ahead of Stewart, and I gained nearly 300 points on him. This Chase deal will be a piece of cake.”
In the last 15 races, Wallace has only one finish worse than 13th. That consistency, with a win or two thrown in, will allow him to challenge for the Cup.
6. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson and the No. 48 crew never seemed to get in a groove this year, and his title aspirations have suffered. Behind Tony Stewart and the Roush team, Johnson is the forgotten man. A finish of 25th at Richmond did nothing to change that feeling.
"We're kind of reeling right now," says Johnson, "but there's always hope. I know no one's picking me to win this thing, but my good friends at the Psychic Hotline think differently. They tell me I'll win as long as I'm willing to pay $7.99 a minute."
Johnson's best in the last three races is a 16th. At this point, that's only good enough to put you in an early hole. The Lowe's team must make vast improvement in a hurry to compete with the favorites.
7. Mark Martin — Martin finished 13th at Richmond, behind the 1-2-3 finish of teammates Busch, Kenseth, and Biffle. Martin stands sixth in the points, which places him only 25 behind Stewart.
"Can we get any closer?" asks Martin. "I'd like to think so, but I've got a bunch of greedy teammates who want to hog the top spots. I've never been one to complain, so I won't."
Martin is winless in points races this year, which is a trait that seems to separate the Cup favorites from the rest. Any other driver in Martin's position would have only a slim chance for the Cup — since he's got Roush power, his chances improve greatly. But it would help if those ahead of him falter.
8. Jeremy Mayfield — Does anyone not named Slugger or Shana think Mayfield has a chance to win the Cup?
"I do."
Is that Ray Evernham talking?
Anyway, Mayfield qualified for the Chase in seventh-place with a strong sixth-place finish at Richmond. It was his seventh top-10 of the year, and to remain competitive in the Chase, he'll at least need that many top tens in the remaining 10 races.
9. Ryan Newman — Newman slipped in to the Chase by the hair of his chin, finishing 12th at Richmond while Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon fell to the wayside.
"Now that was pressure," says a relieved Newman. "I'm just glad we're in the Chase. Now the fun starts. Where's Dale Jarrett?"
One thing Newman has going for him is that he's fast. While his race results have left a lot to be desired, he has qualified well, and is long overdue for a pole. Last year in the final 10 races, Newman reeled off four-straight poles, and won at Dover.
10. Carl Edwards — Edwards earned his ticket to the Chase by finishing 21st at Richmond, landing him eighth in the points. Edwards has Chase experience — last year, of the 13 Cup races he ran, the final 10 were for the money. And he was respectable, with two top-10s.
Edwards is probably a year away from seriously contending for the Cup title. He has made more strides forward in the span of one year than anyone on the circuit. Whether he's ever Cup champ or not, he'll always have one thing going for him: the best set of teeth in NASCAR (although that's probably not saying much).
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