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The Chase For The Championship: How It Works

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By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

The 4-year-old Chase for the Championship gives NASCAR the equivalent of a postseason. After 26 of the 36 races, the top 12 drivers qualify to have their points reset to 5,000, and they get 10 points for each race they won. (Carl Edwards lost the 10-point bonus for one of his wins because of a penalty). Points are then accumulated the same way they are during the first 26 races. Only the top 12 are in position to win the title.

NO. 1: KYLE BUSCH

5,080 points, 8 wins

Outlook: The Chase tracks don't match up quite as well for the season's top winner as they do for other contenders.

NO. 2: CARL EDWARDS

5,050 points, 6 wins

Outlook: Edwards has been superb on the intermediate tracks, and there are five of them in the Chase.

NO. 3: JIMMIE JOHNSON

5,040 points, 4 wins

Outlook: With three of his four wins coming in the last seven races, the two-time defending champ is peaking at the right time.

NO. 4: DALE EARNHARDT JR.

5,010 points, 1 win

Outlook: The people's driver has tailed off a lot since winning at Michigan in June. He'll need to step it up dramatically.

NO. 4: CLINT BOWYER

5,010 points, 1 win

Outlook: Bowyer barely made the field, and he hasn't looked as strong as he did last year when finishing third.

NO. 4: DENNY HAMLIN

5,010 points, 1 win

Outlook: Like Johnson, Hamlin has found a combination that works in recent weeks. He's good on several Chase tracks.

NO. 4: JEFF BURTON

5,010 points, 1 win

Outlook: Mr. Consistency is a good bet for a top-five finish in the points, but he'll need more speed to make a championship run.

No. 8: TONY STEWART

5,000 points, 0 wins

Outlook: So he has been quiet all year. There's a sense he is going to get hot, and when he does, he'll be unstoppable.

NO. 8: GREG BIFFLE

5,000 points, 0 wins

Outlook: Biffle ought to spend a little more time in teammate Edwards' garage trying to pick up some of his secrets.

NO. 8: JEFF GORDON

5,000 points, 0 wins

Outlook: Gordon has taken a big step back from last year's runner-up finish and he doesn't look like a serious threat.

NO. 8: KEVIN HARVICK

5,000 points, 0 wins

Outlook: Six straight top-10 finishes have given him hope, but Harvick knows he'll need wins to race for the championship.

No. 8: MATT KENSETH

5,000 points, 0 wins

Outlook: One of only two drivers to make every Chase, along with Johnson, Kenseth enters this one as a long shot.

Tony Stewart will factor into this thing. Though quiet most of the year, he has the same cars and resources that have helped teammate Kyle Busch win eight times. Jimmie Johnson still has the best combination of talent, cars and team, but he won't get his three-peat. Busch won't have quite enough, either. No, this has the look and feel of a Carl Edwards season. Ford's best driver will give Jack Roush his third Sprint Cup title since 2003.

No. 1

Sunday: Sylvania 300, New Hampshire (1 p.m.)

Track type: Slightly banked, 1-mile oval

Chasers to watch: Bowyer, Harvick, Burton, Stewart

No. 2

Sept. 21: Camping World/AAA 400, Dover (1 p.m.)

Track type: High-banked, 1-mile oval

Chasers to watch: Busch, Edwards, Johnson

No. 3

Sept. 28: Camping World/Coleman 400, Kansas (1 p.m.)

Track type: 1.5-mile tri-oval

Chasers to watch: Busch, Edwards, Stewart

No. 4

Oct. 5: Amp Energy 500, Talladega (1 p.m.)

Track type: 2.66-mile restrictor-plate track

Chasers to watch: Johnson, Gordon, Earnhardt

No. 5

Oct. 11: Bank of America 500, Charlotte (7 p.m.)

Track type: 1.5-mile quad-oval

Chasers to watch: Johnson, Gordon, Edwards

No. 6

Oct. 19: Tums 500, Martinsville (1 p.m.)

Track type: Half-mile, paper clip-shaped short track

Chasers to watch: Johnson, Gordon, Hamlin

No. 7

Oct. 26: Pep Boys 500, Atlanta (1 p.m.)

Track type: 1.5-mile quad-oval

Chasers to watch: Busch, Edwards, Johnson, Stewart

No. 8

Nov. 2: Dickies 500, Texas (3 p.m.)

Track type: 1.5-mile quad-oval

Chasers to watch: Edwards, Johnson, Stewart, Biffle

No. 9

Nov. 9: Checker Auto Parts 500, Phoenix (3 p.m.)

Track type: Odd-shaped 1-mile oval

Chasers to watch: Harvick, Johnson, Stewart, Earnhardt

No. 10

Nov. 16: Ford 400, Homestead (3 p.m.)

Track type: 1.5-mile progressive banking quad-oval

Chasers to watch: Biffle, Kenseth, Edwards

All starting times are TV times. All races on WFTS, Ch. 28

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