Post by RaceFanX on Sept 7, 2008 17:48:12 GMT -5
12 MEN ENTER! 1 MAN LEAVES! 12 MEN ENTER! 1 MAN LEAVES!
Since the NASCAR season began in Feb., there have been 26 races. We've seen a lot this season but now it's time to get down to business. The field of drivers to win the title has been narrowed to 12. Kyle Busch's big point lead...GONE! The reset button has been pressed, now's it's anyone's title for taking. They all want it but in the end it's like Highlander, THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
12 Drivers, 12 Stories, here is the 2008 CHASE FOR THE CUP contenders
1. Kyle Busch, #18 M&M's Toyota, Kyle Busch has had one of the best season's on record. He's dominated, winning 8 races but an incident where he wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr. just before Junior ended a 2 year losing streak made him something more than a winner...a villian. NASCAR has needed a bad guy, someone fans love to hate, for years and Kyle has taken to role with vigor. With NASCAR's old system, a title in 2008 would be almost a lock for "Rowdy," as fans call him, but now he's got to prove himself all over again. Can Kyle win one for the bad guys?
2. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot/Aflac Insurance Ford, There has only been one driver to really challenge Kyle Busch this season, Carl Edwards. With 6 wins, Carl has been keeping pace with Busch all year. In a season where Ford has struggled to win, Carl has kept them in the fight and had no trouble finding time to do his celebratory backflips. After going winless in 2006, Edwards is back to full form. Can he win his first crown?
3. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson has won the last two NASCAR titles in a row. That's impressive and you'd have to say he's the favorite except all the odds are against him now. Only once in NASCAR's 60-year history has a driver won 3 titles in a row. Dale Earnhardt couldn't do it, Jeff Gordon couldn't do, not ever Richard Petty could do it. Only Cale Yarborough from 1976-1978 ever pulled that feat off. But if anyone can do it, Jimmie can. Johnson comes in hot, having won 4 races this year including the last 2 before the Chase began. Can Jimmie prove he's one of the greatest NASCAR drivers in history?
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Mountain Dew AMP Energy/US National Guard Chevrolet, HE'S BACK BOYS! Little E switched teams before the season began and it paid off. He won a race at Michigan International Speedway, his first win in over two years, and has shown that in his new ride he can get the job again. Junior is once again a force to reckoned with. Will this be the year Dale Jr. finally wins the Cup title?
5. Clint Bowyer, #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet, Last year Bowyer made the Chase and everyone questioned why since he'd never won a race and wasn't among the sport's elite. Then he won the first race into the Chase and fought hard, almost winning the whole thing. Now Bowyer is back and looking to finish the job. He won at Richmond in the spring to get here but Bowyer is being made to leave the #07 for a new RCR team car next year. Can leave the #07 on top?
6. Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Toyota, Denny has only one win this year at Martinsville but he's been a factor in almost every race this season. The #11 team is really clicking and is now a proven winner, now they look to take the next step and add the big crown. Gibbs Racing's other teams, the #18 and #20, have already won titles, is it now Denny and the #11 team's turn?
7. Jeff Burton, #31 At&t Chevrolet, Burton is back to winning form. After going from 2002 to 2006 without a win, Burton is once again one to watch out for. He proved that earilier this year with an impressive win at tricky Bristol. Due to a NASCAR sponsorship ruling, his sponsor At&t is leaving the sport forever at the end of the season. Can Jeff send them off in style with his first title and get RCR their first since 1994?
8. Tony Stewart, #20 Home Depot Toyota, Everything that has a beginning has an end. For Tony Stewart, that is very apparent. Since his first Cup race in 1999, Tony has always driven the #20 Home Depot car but that is about to change. At the end of the 2008 season Tony will leave the team that brought him the 2002 and 2005 Championships to start his own team for next season. But he's by no means a lame duck, he's looking for a third crowd ans since he's winless at this point in the season he's hungry. Can Tony put another trophy in the case before he walks out the door?
9. Greg Biffle, #16 3M/Dish Network Ford, "The Biff" is winless this year but he's on a hotstreak with only 2 finishes of 20th or worse in the last 9 races. He's the only driver ever to win titles in both the Busch(Nationwide) Series and the Truck Series, now can Biffle be the first to win all 3?
10. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon is somewhere where he hasn't been in years, on the ropes. Gordon is winless this deep in the season for the first time since his rookie year in 1993 when he didn't win a race all year. Gordon has struggled all year but since he made the Chase he still has a shot. No matter what has happened, it's hard to bet against a four-time NASCAR Champion. Will Gordon turn things around in the last 10 races in his "Drive for Five?"
11. Kevin Harvick, #29 Pennzoil Chevrolet, Another driver in trouble is Kevin Harvick. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner hasn't been in victory lane for a points-paying race since. But still Harvick is dangerous, he's had strong showings in the Chase before and with the reset the door is wide open for a comeback. Will "Happy" be just that come November?
12. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Ford, The last driver in the Chase is Matt Kenseth. Matt has had his share of trouble this year and is winless to this point in the season. But if it one driver who can take the crown without a lot of checkered flags it's Kenseth, who won the title in 2003 after only winning one race early in the season. Will Matt Kenseth go from worst to first and take title number 2?
And remember my vow in the previous post, if a Ford driver takes the title I'll join the board as an official member. So if Edwards, Biffle or Kenseth bring it home get my account ready.
Since the NASCAR season began in Feb., there have been 26 races. We've seen a lot this season but now it's time to get down to business. The field of drivers to win the title has been narrowed to 12. Kyle Busch's big point lead...GONE! The reset button has been pressed, now's it's anyone's title for taking. They all want it but in the end it's like Highlander, THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
12 Drivers, 12 Stories, here is the 2008 CHASE FOR THE CUP contenders
1. Kyle Busch, #18 M&M's Toyota, Kyle Busch has had one of the best season's on record. He's dominated, winning 8 races but an incident where he wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr. just before Junior ended a 2 year losing streak made him something more than a winner...a villian. NASCAR has needed a bad guy, someone fans love to hate, for years and Kyle has taken to role with vigor. With NASCAR's old system, a title in 2008 would be almost a lock for "Rowdy," as fans call him, but now he's got to prove himself all over again. Can Kyle win one for the bad guys?
2. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot/Aflac Insurance Ford, There has only been one driver to really challenge Kyle Busch this season, Carl Edwards. With 6 wins, Carl has been keeping pace with Busch all year. In a season where Ford has struggled to win, Carl has kept them in the fight and had no trouble finding time to do his celebratory backflips. After going winless in 2006, Edwards is back to full form. Can he win his first crown?
3. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson has won the last two NASCAR titles in a row. That's impressive and you'd have to say he's the favorite except all the odds are against him now. Only once in NASCAR's 60-year history has a driver won 3 titles in a row. Dale Earnhardt couldn't do it, Jeff Gordon couldn't do, not ever Richard Petty could do it. Only Cale Yarborough from 1976-1978 ever pulled that feat off. But if anyone can do it, Jimmie can. Johnson comes in hot, having won 4 races this year including the last 2 before the Chase began. Can Jimmie prove he's one of the greatest NASCAR drivers in history?
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Mountain Dew AMP Energy/US National Guard Chevrolet, HE'S BACK BOYS! Little E switched teams before the season began and it paid off. He won a race at Michigan International Speedway, his first win in over two years, and has shown that in his new ride he can get the job again. Junior is once again a force to reckoned with. Will this be the year Dale Jr. finally wins the Cup title?
5. Clint Bowyer, #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet, Last year Bowyer made the Chase and everyone questioned why since he'd never won a race and wasn't among the sport's elite. Then he won the first race into the Chase and fought hard, almost winning the whole thing. Now Bowyer is back and looking to finish the job. He won at Richmond in the spring to get here but Bowyer is being made to leave the #07 for a new RCR team car next year. Can leave the #07 on top?
6. Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Toyota, Denny has only one win this year at Martinsville but he's been a factor in almost every race this season. The #11 team is really clicking and is now a proven winner, now they look to take the next step and add the big crown. Gibbs Racing's other teams, the #18 and #20, have already won titles, is it now Denny and the #11 team's turn?
7. Jeff Burton, #31 At&t Chevrolet, Burton is back to winning form. After going from 2002 to 2006 without a win, Burton is once again one to watch out for. He proved that earilier this year with an impressive win at tricky Bristol. Due to a NASCAR sponsorship ruling, his sponsor At&t is leaving the sport forever at the end of the season. Can Jeff send them off in style with his first title and get RCR their first since 1994?
8. Tony Stewart, #20 Home Depot Toyota, Everything that has a beginning has an end. For Tony Stewart, that is very apparent. Since his first Cup race in 1999, Tony has always driven the #20 Home Depot car but that is about to change. At the end of the 2008 season Tony will leave the team that brought him the 2002 and 2005 Championships to start his own team for next season. But he's by no means a lame duck, he's looking for a third crowd ans since he's winless at this point in the season he's hungry. Can Tony put another trophy in the case before he walks out the door?
9. Greg Biffle, #16 3M/Dish Network Ford, "The Biff" is winless this year but he's on a hotstreak with only 2 finishes of 20th or worse in the last 9 races. He's the only driver ever to win titles in both the Busch(Nationwide) Series and the Truck Series, now can Biffle be the first to win all 3?
10. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon is somewhere where he hasn't been in years, on the ropes. Gordon is winless this deep in the season for the first time since his rookie year in 1993 when he didn't win a race all year. Gordon has struggled all year but since he made the Chase he still has a shot. No matter what has happened, it's hard to bet against a four-time NASCAR Champion. Will Gordon turn things around in the last 10 races in his "Drive for Five?"
11. Kevin Harvick, #29 Pennzoil Chevrolet, Another driver in trouble is Kevin Harvick. The 2007 Daytona 500 winner hasn't been in victory lane for a points-paying race since. But still Harvick is dangerous, he's had strong showings in the Chase before and with the reset the door is wide open for a comeback. Will "Happy" be just that come November?
12. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Ford, The last driver in the Chase is Matt Kenseth. Matt has had his share of trouble this year and is winless to this point in the season. But if it one driver who can take the crown without a lot of checkered flags it's Kenseth, who won the title in 2003 after only winning one race early in the season. Will Matt Kenseth go from worst to first and take title number 2?
And remember my vow in the previous post, if a Ford driver takes the title I'll join the board as an official member. So if Edwards, Biffle or Kenseth bring it home get my account ready.