2008 RACE TO THE CHASE

After Race #24 of 26:  Bristol#2

Races Left to the Chase:  2

California              Richmond

 

                                                Out of     LstRace                Lst 5       Finishes                Top         Top         Bottom

08/LW/07              Pts          13^th         Fin/Pts   Gain        Pts          1—2—3                 5s           10s         10s-MR

1/1/8-Ky Busch    3609       +766       2/180      +46         728/E      8—3—2                 15           16           3

2/2/5-C Edwards 3397       +554       1/190      +56         888/+2   6—4—0                 11           18           2

3/4/13-Dale Jr      3193       +350       18/109   -25          559/-1    1—1—1                 7              12           2

4/3/6-J Johnson  3191       +348       33/64      -70          697/+1   2—3—1                 7              12           1

5/5/7-J Burton      3117       +274       42/37      -97          361/-2    1—0—1                 4              11           2

6/6/2-T Stewart   3013       +170       8/142      +8           687/+4   0—3—1                 8              12           4

7/7/15-G Biffle      2984       +141       11/130   -4            666/E      0—1—2                 7              10           3

8/8/10-K Harvick 2972       +129       4/160      +26         667/+1   0—1—1                 5              10           3

9/9/1-J Gordon     2951       +108       5/160      +26         577/-3    0—1—3                 9              11           4

10/10/4-Kenseth 2921       +78         9/138      +4           605/-2    0—0—2                 5              14           5

11/12/3-Hamlin    2900       +57         3/165      +31         617/+1   1—0—5                 7              12           4

12/13/9-Bowyer   2855       +12         7/146      +12         595/+1   1—1—1                 4              11           2

                                                Out of

                                                12^th

13/14/24-Ragan   2843       -12          10/134   +14         664/+2   0—0—1                 5              9              2

14/11/23-Kahne   2799       -56          40/43      -77          504/-3    2—1—0                 3              11           3

15/17/14-Newmn2674       -181        6/150      +30         580/+1   1—0—0                 2              8              4

16/15/39-Vickers2672       -183        20/103   -17          478/-2    0—1—0                 3              6              3

17/16/11-Truex    2592       -263        35/58      -62          392/E      0—0—0                 3              7              4

18/18/19-McMury2492      -363        12/127   +7           669/+4   0—0—0                 0              6              4

 

CLINCH SCENARIOS

 

1—Kyle Busch                     +720       clinched at Michigan

2—Carl Edwards                +554       clinched at Bristol

 

(Magic number after California:  +196 over 13^th place, need a +161 margin to have to only start

Richmond to make the Chase)

3—Dale Jr.                           +350       needs to finish 41^st or better at California

4—Jimmie Johnson          +348       needs to finish 40^th or better at California

5—Jeff Burton                     +274       needs to finish 15^th or better at California

6—Tony Stewart                 +170       needs to finish 2^nd or better at California

7—Greg Biffle                      +141       needs to gain 55 pts or better at California

8—Kevin Harvick                +129       needs to gain 67 pts or better at California

9—Jeff Gordon                    +108       needs to gain 88 pts or better at California

10—Matt Kenseth              +78         needs to gain 118 pts or better at California

11—Denny Hamlin              +57         needs to gain 138 pts or better at California

12—Clint Bowyer                +12         can’t clinch at California

 

CHASE SEEDING

1   Kyle Busch                      5080      

2   Carl Edwards                 5050       -30

3   J Johnson                       5020       -60

4   Dale Jr                             5010       -70

5   Clint Bowyer                   5010       -70

6   Denny Hamlin                 5010       -70

7   Jeff Burton                      5010       -70

8   Tony Stewart                  5000       -80

9   Jeff Gordon                     5000       -80

10 Greg Biffle                       5000       -80

11 Kevin Harvick                 5000       -80

12 Matt Kenseth                 5000       -80

 

NOTES

·          6 STILL IN THE “DANGER ZONE:”   7—Greg Biffle +141 ahead of 13^th place, 8—Kevin Harvick +129, 9—Jeff Gordon +108 look to be in good shape.  It gets more precarious for 10—Matt Kenseth +78, 11—Denny Hamlin +57 and 12—Clint Bowyer +12.

·          HISTORY REPEATS FOR KAHNE:  In the first Race to the Chase in 2004, Kasey Kahne came to Bristol in 10^th place, six points ahead of Jeremy Mayfield. He finished 21^st and dropped to 11^th place, 26 points out, and ended up missing the inaugural Chase. Saturday night, Kahne got caught up in the big wreck and dropped out of the T12 with a 40^th place finish. He’s now stuck in 14^th spot, 56 points out of Clint Bowyer in 12^th.

·          RAGAN KEEPS COMING:   David Ragan overcame a 27^th starting spot to post a career-best 10^th at Bristol and draw within 12 points of the T12.  Ragan and the #6 team look poised for a big run at California and could leave Fontana with a spot in the T12.

·          CARL CLINCHES BUT THREE WAIT:  Carl Edwards clinched his spot in The Chase (third in his career) in grand fashion, but Dale Junior’s 18^th, Jimmie Johnson’s 33^rd and Jeff Burton’s 42^nd meant all three will have to wait until Fontana to uncork the champagne.

·          HAMLIN, BOWYER WILL SWEAT FONTANA:  If you look at Fontana #1 and both Michigan’s, Denny Hamlin has finishes of 41—14—39 and Clint Bowyer has finishes of 19—26—20. David Ragan has finishes of 14—8—3 and Kasey Kahne has 9—2—40. 

 

RACE TO THE CHASE COMPARISON CHARTS

                                      Out of                                              Out of                                              Out of

2007                       Pts/13^th                 2006                       Pts/11^th                 2005                       Pts/11th

1-JGORDON       3582+861                1-J JOHNSON      3499/+540            1-T STEWART      3410/+622

2-T STEWART      3233/+512            2-M KENSETH      3492/+533            2-J JOHNSON      3197/+409

3-D HAMLIN          3229/+508            3-K HARVICK        3178/+219            3-G BIFFLE            3186/+398

4-M KENSETH      3163/+442            4-KY BUSCH         3097/+138            4-R WALLACE      3139/+351

5-C EDWARDS     3160/+439            5-J GORDON        3091/+132            5-M MARTIN         3014/+226

6-J JOHNSON      3059/+338            6-D HAMLIN          3070+111             6-J MAYFIELD      2983/+195

7-J BURTON         3054/+333            7-J BURTON         3064/+105            7-KU BUSCH         2982/+194

8-KY BUSCH         3024/+303            8-T Stewart          3056/+97               8-C EDWARDS     2849/+61

9-C BOWYER        2944/+223            9-DALE JR            3051/+92               9-R NEWMAN       2819/+31

10-K HARVICK     2888/+167            10-M MARTIN       3049/+90               10-J Gordon         2799/+11

11-M TRUEX         2887/+166                                            Out of 10^th                                            Out of 10^th

12-KU BUSCH      2879/+158            11-K KAHNE         2959/-90                11-M KENSETH    2788/-11

                                Out of 12^th            12-G Biffle             2798/-251             12-J McMurray    2787/-12

13-Dale Jr             2721/-158             13-C Edwards      2788/-261             13-E Sadler          2765/-34

14-R Newman      2704/-175             14-Ku Busch        2659/-390             14-D Jarrett         2721/-78

15-G Biffle             2562/-317             15-R Newman      2586/-463             15-Dale Jr             2682/-117

                                                                                                                                16-K Harvick        2677/-122

                                                                                                                                17-J Nemechek  2660/-139

                                                                                                                                18-B Vickers        2590/-209

                                Out of

2004                       Pts/11^th

1-J GORDON        3380/+488

2-J JOHNSON      3356/+464

3-DALE JR            3305/+413

4-T STEWART      3195/+303

5-M KENSETH      3156/+264

6-KU BUSCH         3051+159

7-E SADLER          3019/+127

8-K Harvick          2923+31

9-B Labonte         2919/+27

10-R NEWMAN     2918/+26

                                Out of 10^th

11-K Kahne          2892/-26

12-M MARTIN       2883/-35

13-J MAYFIELD    2883/-35

14-D Jarrett         2873/-45

15-J McMurray    2873/-45

16-C Mears          2628/-290

 

Names in ALL CAPS made the Chase in that year