Champ Or Chaser: The Chase For The Sprint Cup (New Hampshire)

The Chase has started, twelve drivers will go for a championship; one will win, the other eleven will be left saying “Well, we tried.”

Of course, their compensation (at least monetarily) will be nice, but winning a championship can’t be measured in money. It is the culmination of a career’s worth of work and a high point for a driver and team.

Starting off The Chase poorly won’t completely doom your chances (as Jimmie Johnson will tell you from his title run in 2006), but starting it off well can greatly bolster your chances of winning it.

It will be worth noting how the contenders, especially the favorites, fare in this opening race. Plus, there’s always an unexpected surprise contender coming out of New Hampshire.

Watch for the Jeff Gordons, Greg Bifles, and Kevin Harvicks; they could sneak into this and make more than a three-man race to the title.

In a now updated version of my “Chaser or Racer” pieces, I will be writing a weekly column called “Champ or Chaser,” detailing the top five Chase drivers and their chances of winning championship. So, let’s get to it shall we.

1. Kyle Busch

He’s been the rabbit for the entire season; eight wins had him leading the standings going into The Chase, and those same eight wins have kept him on top with the seeding.

He’s this year’s “sexy” pick. But, in the four years of The Chase, the “sexy” pick has only won once (Tony Stewart in 2005). He can’t get too cocky or comfortable, because he could lose his hold much more easily than he could regain it.

2. Carl Edwards

Everyone seems to think this may be his year to take a title home; his speed has always been there, but now he may have the experience to back it up.

For sure, he’d be a wonder as a marketing piece if he were to win and the sport would love the attention he might bring, but it remains to be seen if he can actually consistently perform well in The Chase. His first in 2005 was great, but his Chase last year fizzled; maybe the third time will be a charm.

Who knows at this point? But, like Busch, Edwards can’t get too comfortable.

3. Jimmie Johnson

About the only thing keeping me from saying he is the hands on favorite is the fact that he’s gunning for three in a row. The odds simply aren’t in his favor to do so.

Then again, the odds weren’t in his favor to twin two in a row—and he did just that. This team has The Chase figured out more than any other; there is a switch somewhere in them that gets turned on when this point in the season comes around, and they become nearly unbeatable.

All things say he’ll contend up to the last race. Expect him to be fighting tooth and nail down to the end.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

I almost get the feeling that people are forgetting he’s in it this year. He’s been strong all year, but some bad luck (and a couple of bad calls) in the summer saw him score one top five after his Michigan win.

But, it’s not always bad to fly under the radar. I am always more comfortable picking a driver/team who isn’t always in the fore; I like guys who lurk and bide their time.

This team seems to be doing so. They’ve got a win, so that goal is met. Now, they just have to go for a title. And, I fully expect them to be a true contender. Watch out for Jr.

5. Clint Bowyer

A beneficiary of the seeding, Bowyer find himself in fifth.

However, it won’t do him any good now that The Chase is starting. He hasn’t been consistent enough this year and I see no reason to think he and the team and will stumble upon that consistency.

They’ve got to get better in order to be true contenders. I don’t this team hanging around a for a while.