Looking Ahead to The Chase

With just 14 races left to the start of The Chase, it is time for teams to turn it on or they will be left out in the cold for the championship.  The top ten drivers are separated by 81 points with the two wild card slots being 85 and 116 points back respectively.  This past week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne, who has struggled through the first part of the season, took the checkered flag.  Kasey’s win gave Hendricks Motorsports their 201^st win and third win in a row, including the All Star Race. Does this mean that Kasey is putting the rough start of the season behind him and will soon be in the top ten?  He is due; if can stay out of the wrecks he stands a chance to make it.

Greg Biffle continues to lead the pack with three others within 18 points.  The standings for the top twenty are:

1              Greg Biffle                          Leader

2              Matt Kenseth                    -10

3              Denny Hamlin                    -16

4              Dale Earnhardt Jr.            -18

5              Jimmie Johnson                -48

6              Martin Truex Jr.                -49

7              Kevin Harvick                     -55

8              Kyle Busch                          -62

9              Tony Stewart                     -65

10           Carl Edwards                      -81

11           Brad Keselowski               -85

12           Clint Bowyer                      -87

13           Ryan Newman                  -116

14           Paul Menard                      -116

15           Kasey Kahne                      -123

16           Joey Logano                       -139

17           Jeff Burton                         -153

18           Juan Montoya                   -157

19           Aric Almirola                     -162

20           Marcos Ambrose             -166

Notables outside the top 20 are Jeff Gordon in 22^nd and Kurt Busch in 25^th.  With The Chase a long summer away, there is still a lot of time for the leader board to change, but teams outside the top ten that long summer will not seem very long at all.

I don’t think that the top ten will change by very much.  I think the last few places and the wild card slots will continue to change, but I don’t think the main contingent of leaders will change.  Next week (June 3^rd) the race moves to Dover International Speedway for the FedEx 400.  Last May, Matt Kenseth won and last October it was Kurt Busch.  Matt certainly is running well this year and definitely stands a chance to repeat his win at the 1 mile long oval.  However, with Hendrick Motorsports on a tear, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Hendrick car in the winner’s circle on Sunday.