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Charting the Chasers after Dover: The Monster mashes, Biffle’s bashes
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Regardless of the outcome, Sunday’s race at Dover proved to be one of the best of the year, if not one of the best in several years. Three Roush teammates staged a furious battle over the last 30 or so laps with Greg Biffle coming out on top.
It was the type of white knuckle, hold your breath shut up and drive kind of racing that could easily be the highlight of the year.
Biffle, along with Carl Edwards who came in third, Jimmie Johnson who came home 5th and even second place finisher Matt Kenseth all tamed the Monster Mile Sunday. For several other Chaser’s however, most notably Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, the Monster had the last laugh.
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The tie at the top was broken with Carl Edwards taking over sole possession; while Biffle and Johnson took last weeks tie and moved it down to second place. Kevin Harvick who was sixth Sunday made the biggest move in the points, up five to fifth place, while Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Junior share the dubious distinction of taking the largest fall each losing five spots.
1. Carl Edwards 5390. Although he was no doubt heartbroken after taking two tires late in the race while the rest of the lead pack took four, Edwards still managed to come home with a solid third place finish. If you can’t win a race, consistent top five runs will keep you in the hunt. Despite his Ford losing grip Sunday Edwards was still battling for the race win in the last five laps. That’s the kind of performance that could end up crowning a champion when it’s all over.
2. Jimmie Johnson 5380. Johnson’s pit strategy just past the second half of the race nearly cost him a chance at the win. His crew chief Chad Knaus gambled and kept Johnson out on lap 188 while most of the leaders pitted. The move gave Johnson some critical track position but just as easily could have backfired. In the end Johnson was able to stay in the lead and in the end come home fifth. Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team seem to have more luck than anyone on the track and mistakes and miscues are rare. As long as that trend continues and no one on the team loses their lucky horseshoe they will remain in contention.
3. Greg Biffle 5380. From a guy who wasn’t on many peoples radar Biffle has now become a genuine threat to take it all. Biffle won Sunday and is now tied for second with Jimmie Johnson. His plan as the regular season ended was to make it in to the Chase by running conservatively. Once in the Chase, Biffle’s plan is to win as many races as possible. So far that plan is working quite well, thank you very much. By winning Sunday Biffle accomplished something no other driver has ever done in the short history of the Chase for the championship; sweep the first two races. Should Biffle go on to win it all he may just have drawn up a winning blueprint for others to follow in the years to come.
4 +1 Jeff Burton 5308. Burton finished ninth Sunday and was able to move up one spot in the points. His slow steady upwards progress has Burton in the running to win his first Cup championship. However Burton will need to score some top five finishes and win a race or two in the next few weeks if he hopes to make a serious run for the top. Even if he does have some great finishes, Burton and the drivers from fifth on back will have to depend on a little bad luck from those in the first three spots. Burton does have one advantage that most of the field doesn’t; the experience that can only come from years of Cup racing.
5 +5 Kevin Harvick 5289. Another week, another top 10 finish for Kevin Harvick. Sunday he came home sixth, his 9th top 10 in the last 10 races. While consistent top 10 runs can almost guarantee entry into the Chase, it’s race wins that will ensure a championship. Harvick has the crew, equipment and talent not only to win races but a championship as well. He’ll need to do one if he hopes to win the other.
6 +3 Clint Bowyer 5284. Bowyer finished eighth Sunday and gained three spots. While he could come on strong, given his history over the next few races, it would be a big shocker if he were to win the championship. This may not be his year, but Bowyer has the talent and may gain the experience in the coming years to be a champion.
7. Tony Stewart 5277. Stewart managed an 11th place finish Sunday and held fast to seventh. With his Joe Gibbs racing teammates finishing their day in the garage Sunday, no doubt there was a bit of worry in the No. 20 pit. In fact they should be worried about the big picture. Stewart can’t afford anything other than top five finishes moving forward if he hopes to seriously make a run at the championship.
8. +3 Jeff Gordon 5272. Gordon came home seventh Sunday and managed to gain three spots. Dover is a track Gordon has won at and should have been a threat to win. Although he had a couple of flashes of brilliance, the team never seemed to make a serious run for the win. It’s kind of like their entire season, always a threat but never able to close the deal.
9. –5 Dale Earnhardt Junior 5261. The Achilles heel for the Earnhardt team earlier in the season was there tendency to fade in the latter stages of the race. Sunday they didn’t have to wait. By lap 79 Earnhardt had slid back to 20th. Then he blew a right rear tire. He salvaged a 24th place finish, perhaps respectable for someone outside the Chase but not for a team that had so much promise at Daytona in February.
10. +2 Matt Kenseth 5223. Kenseth was finally able to salvage a stellar finish, almost winning Sunday and scoring a season best second. The finish moved Kenseth up two spots but is probably too little too late to make serious run for the championship.
11 –5 Denny Hamlin 5197. Two things you can count on, congress will raise taxes and Denny Hamlin won’t win a championship this year. Mechanical woes sent Hamlin to the garage area early Sunday, he was scored 38th.
12 –4 Kyle Busch 5180. Busch’s Chase went from bad to worse Sunday as an engine failure sent him home in 43rd place. After winning more races than anyone in 2008, Busch was the clear favorite heading into the Chase. But as history has shown, a driver can only have one bad race during the Chase, not two. In 2006 one driver in the Chase had an awful finish at Loudon then a blown engine at Dover. He fell to last place in the points and never recovered, finishing the year in last place. That driver? Kyle Busch.
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