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Chase For The Cup Update: Charlotte

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2007

RACE FIVE: LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Bank of America 500 (Coverage starts 7 p.m., Saturday, WFTS, Channel 28)

Although 60 percent of the Chase remains, some people are already calling it a two-man race between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. The assumption is that Clint Bowyer, though only 63 points back, isn't ready to win a championship, and everybody else is too far back. Well, it's too early to say Tony Stewart (154 points back) is out of it, or that the four or five other guys behind him can't get back into it. But Saturday night's race provides Gordon and Johnson a chance to create some separation. Gordon has won four times at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and Johnson has dominated there in recent years.

Compiled by Tony Fabrizio

1. JEFF GORDON (5,690)

AT LMS: 29 starts, 4 wins, 13 top-5s, 15 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 4, 2, 11, 5, 1.

COMMENT: Picked up his fifth win of the year last week at Talladega in what is easily his best season since his most recent series title in 2001.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON (-9)

AT LMS: 12 starts, 5 wins, 8 top-5s, 11 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 1, 6, 14, 3, 2.

COMMENT: Johnson is very strong at the next three tracks. He has won four of the past six at Charlotte, two in a row at Martinsville and won this year's spring race at Atlanta.

3. CLINT BOWYER (-63)

AT LMS: 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 0 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 12, 1, 12, 2, 11.

COMMENT: Got through a tough hurdle last week at Talladega and has managed to stay close against long odds.

4. TONY STEWART (-154)

AT LMS: 17 starts, 1 win, 6 top-5s, 10 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 2, 3, 9, 39, 8.

COMMENT: Stubbornness at Kansas (staying out with a fender rub) and impatience at Talladega cost the two-time champion several spots.

5. KEVIN HARVICK (-202)

AT LMS: 13 starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 3 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 7, 17, 20, 6, 20

COMMENT: Although he's still in the running mathematically, Harvick has shown little to suggest he can get back into the mix.

6. CARL EDWARDS (-205)

AT LMS: 5 starts, 0 wins, 2 top-5s, 4 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 42, 12, 1, 37 14.

COMMENT: Although he won three weeks ago at Dover, the momentum Edwards started the Chase with has pretty much disappeared.

7. KURT BUSCH (-215)

AT LMS: 14 starts, 0 wins, 2 top-5s, 2 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 9, 25, 29, 11, 7.

COMMENT: Has had fast cars in all four Chase races, but a mechanical problem and crashes have left him with little to show for it.

8. KYLE BUSCH (-260)

AT LMS: 7 starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 1 top-10.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 20, 4, 5, 41, 36.

COMMENT: Crashes in the past two races at Kansas and Talladega have all but taken the younger Busch brother out of the running.

9. DENNY HAMLIN (-262)

AT LMS: 4 starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 3 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 6, 15, 38, 29, 4.

COMMENT: Has been fast at times in the Chase (he led 61 laps at Dover and 40 at Talladega), but he hasn't gotten enough good finishes.

10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. (-300)

AT LMS: 4 starts, 0 wins, 0 top-5s, 1 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 15, 5, 13, 38, 42.

COMMENT: A crash at Kansas and blown engine at Talladega have probably ended Truex's championship hopes.

11. MATT KENSETH (-318)

AT LMS: 16 starts, 1 win, 5 top-5s, 7 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 14, 7, 35, 35, 26.

COMMENT: Except for leading 192 laps at Dover (before finishing 35th), the Chase has mostly been a disaster for Kenseth.

12. JEFF BURTON (-336)

AT LMS: 27 starts, 2 wins, 6 top-5s, 12 top-10s.

LAST 5 FINISHES: 18, 18, 7, 36, 43.

COMMENT: If Burton still had any hope before Talladega, it probably ended with a blown engine.

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