Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2014 18:04:37 GMT -5
Bobby Ricky looks at...The Dodge Dealers 400 (or more specifically, the race for the Chase):
It all comes down to this: Three spots left in the chase, eight drivers in the hunt for those spots, one race to settle it all. When this is all said and done, 12 drivers will find themselves in contention for the 2007 Nextel Cup Series championship. So who do I think will be the final three drivers to make the cut? Well, let's look at the eight drivers fighting for those final three spots and go over their chances of making it in.
Jeff Gordon: Ol' Jeffy's been consistent for most of the year, but surprisingly he's not locked into the chase yet. I say the odds are in his favor, though. He's a 4-time champ that knows how to get the job done, and I see cruising into this year's Chase with flying colors that will spark memories of his Rainbow Warrior days.
Tony Stewart: Once upon a time, the '02 champ was points leader and seemed poised for a second championship. But now, here he is on the verge of missing out on the championship hunt despite starting out so well. There is no way this guy can miss the chase under these circumstances, so expect Smoke to go all out and most likely make the cut.
Greg Biffle: How hypocritical would it be for the defending champion to miss the postseason? The odds may be against The Biff, but I'm sure he'll find a way to pull it out (just barely, though).
Jeremy Mayfield: 2004: Mayfield makes the Chase by winning the last race before it. Will he do it again this year? Given his lack of consistency compared to the other drivers, it looks doubtful.
Joe Nemechek: Of all the drivers who can sneak in from the outside at the last second, Front Row Joe has the best chance of doing just that. He comes into this race with the same amount of wins, top-5's, and top-10's as Biffle, meaning that a berth in the Chase will require at least another top-5 worthy performance for Nemechek and that at least Biffle has some sort of bad luck stroke.
Travis Kvapil: He's been a hard racer all year, but I don't think he has quite enough in the tank to make a second straight Chase. He's good, but there are others better than him by a significant margin.
Johnny Sauter: Could someone tell me how Sauter got this high up without me noticing it? Well, on a serious note, Sauter hasn't done much aside from 1 top-5, so I don't see him making the cut. But then again, he might just have a shot at a top-15 points finish to at least make up for it.
Matt Kenseth: 3 wins, but coming into chase cutoff race 16th in points. My apologies Kenseth Nation, but by the looks of things your man Matt doesn't really have much of a chance of making the final postseason cut. The only theoretical way for him to make it in would be to win, lead the most laps, and have the other Chase chasers crash out and not finish. Even this is very unlikely. As such, it seems that Kenseth will have to wait until next year for a shot at his second championship.
In conclusion, I say Gordon, Stewart, and Biffle will hold on to those final three spots, but Nemechek has a good chance to knock one of them out and take their place.
Good luck to everyone chasing the Chase!
It all comes down to this: Three spots left in the chase, eight drivers in the hunt for those spots, one race to settle it all. When this is all said and done, 12 drivers will find themselves in contention for the 2007 Nextel Cup Series championship. So who do I think will be the final three drivers to make the cut? Well, let's look at the eight drivers fighting for those final three spots and go over their chances of making it in.
Jeff Gordon: Ol' Jeffy's been consistent for most of the year, but surprisingly he's not locked into the chase yet. I say the odds are in his favor, though. He's a 4-time champ that knows how to get the job done, and I see cruising into this year's Chase with flying colors that will spark memories of his Rainbow Warrior days.
Tony Stewart: Once upon a time, the '02 champ was points leader and seemed poised for a second championship. But now, here he is on the verge of missing out on the championship hunt despite starting out so well. There is no way this guy can miss the chase under these circumstances, so expect Smoke to go all out and most likely make the cut.
Greg Biffle: How hypocritical would it be for the defending champion to miss the postseason? The odds may be against The Biff, but I'm sure he'll find a way to pull it out (just barely, though).
Jeremy Mayfield: 2004: Mayfield makes the Chase by winning the last race before it. Will he do it again this year? Given his lack of consistency compared to the other drivers, it looks doubtful.
Joe Nemechek: Of all the drivers who can sneak in from the outside at the last second, Front Row Joe has the best chance of doing just that. He comes into this race with the same amount of wins, top-5's, and top-10's as Biffle, meaning that a berth in the Chase will require at least another top-5 worthy performance for Nemechek and that at least Biffle has some sort of bad luck stroke.
Travis Kvapil: He's been a hard racer all year, but I don't think he has quite enough in the tank to make a second straight Chase. He's good, but there are others better than him by a significant margin.
Johnny Sauter: Could someone tell me how Sauter got this high up without me noticing it? Well, on a serious note, Sauter hasn't done much aside from 1 top-5, so I don't see him making the cut. But then again, he might just have a shot at a top-15 points finish to at least make up for it.
Matt Kenseth: 3 wins, but coming into chase cutoff race 16th in points. My apologies Kenseth Nation, but by the looks of things your man Matt doesn't really have much of a chance of making the final postseason cut. The only theoretical way for him to make it in would be to win, lead the most laps, and have the other Chase chasers crash out and not finish. Even this is very unlikely. As such, it seems that Kenseth will have to wait until next year for a shot at his second championship.
In conclusion, I say Gordon, Stewart, and Biffle will hold on to those final three spots, but Nemechek has a good chance to knock one of them out and take their place.
Good luck to everyone chasing the Chase!
