Monticello — With nine races left before the Chase begins, several drivers currently
among the top-12 points leaders are not locked in, while several others
still have a shot at making this year's Chase.
Tony Stewart finished second for the fourth time this season at Infineon
and increased his lead over Jeff Gordon. Stewart can roll the dice as many
times as he wants to secure more victories and the 10-point Chase bonus that
comes with each win.
Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, and Ryan Newman
also seem secure, but from seventh spot on back, it's iffy.
Denny Hamlin has had a roller-coast season, and if it continues, he
could find himself out.
Kyle Busch has had lots of successes, but his performance has been
spotty.
Greg Biffle has shown that he has good stuff, but like Hamlin, he has
come up short several times.
Matt Kenseth started the season off with two wins, but since then has
mostly flopped.
Mark Martin also has two wins, but needs more consistent finishes.
A rough outing at Infineon Raceway in California pushed Richard
Childress Racing's Jeff Burton from the 12th and final spot to 15th.
Meanwhile, strong showings by sixth-place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya and
winner Kasey Kahne put them back in contention, with Montoya taking over the
12th spot and Kahne just three points behind him. Michael Waltrip Racing's
David Reutimann has been in and out of the Chase in recent weeks and is
currently 40 points outside of the top 12.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans are going to have to wait until next year for a
championship. Team owner Rick Hendrick switched crew chiefs on Earnhardt's
team three weeks ago in hope that he could turn the season around, but it
hasn't happened.
Weekend Racing: Racing returns to Daytona International Speedway this
weekend as the Cup and Nationwide cars take on the 2.5-mile track. The
Camping World Trucks have an off weekend.
Fri., July 3, Nationwide Series Winn-Dixie 250, race 17 of 35; Starting
time: 7:30 p.m. (EDT); TV: ESPN2.
Sat., July 4, Sprint Cup Coke Zero 400, race 18 of 36; Starting time:
6:30 p.m. (EDT); TV: TNT.
Racing Trivia Question: How many Cup championships does Tony Stewart
have?
Last Week's Question: Who is the driver of the Sprint Cup No. 5
Kellogg's Chevrolet? Answer. Mark Martin.
You may contact the Racing Reporter at: hodgesnews@earthlink.net.