NASCAR's Midseason Report Card: Who's in the Chase and Who's Chasing?
Summer heat is in full swing, as is the heat on the drivers who find themselves midway through the NASCAR Sprint Cup season that leads to the 10-week Chase for the championship.
Consistency is always a huge factor in maintaining a good position in the point standings, but with the 2011 edition of the points calculations, wins become critical.
There are 26 points races that lead up to the Chase with the top 10 drivers in the standings automatically transferring as contenders for the title.
NASCAR announced a different calculation of points this year for the races and introduced two "wild-card" slots which will be the 11th and 12th positions for the drivers eligible for the Chase.
The drivers who fill the wild-card slots will come from the 11th through 20th positions in the point standings. Two drivers with the most wins will make the cut.
With the approach of NASCAR's halftime, a few drivers in the Sprint Cup series look to have a lock on their place in the Chase because of wins or perhaps other reasons that will be discussed.
Some drivers may or may not be in the current top 10 of the point standings, yet they are expected to contend for the title. These drivers are chasing wins and points to secure a shot at the title.
In no particular order, we will first look at the drivers who appear to be "Chasing" followed by drivers who appear to be solid contenders for the championship. They will have "Chase" following their names.
See if you think these picks agree with the way you see the 26-week season playing out in the top series of NASCAR.
1. Tony Stewart: Chasing
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Tony Stewart, owner/driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, has yet to win a race this season.
The heat of summer seems to bring out the best in Stewart's performance. If one or more wins are to come his way, it will be in the second half of the races leading to the Chase.
Currently, Stewart is ninth in the points and really needs to pick up his consistency and at least get one win.
2. Jeff Gordon: Chasing
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Four-time NASCAR Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) champion Jeff Gordon started the season strong with a win at Phoenix in February that broke a lengthy winless streak.
The driver of the No. 24 Chevy has only had two top-10 finishes besides his win this year. Currently, he sits 16th in the points having dropped two places after the Coca-Cola 600.
His switch to a team headed by Alan Gustafson looked to be positive and Gordon was pleased with the change, but so far, they have spurts of strength on the track and fail to finish strong.
Gordon wants that fifth title badly and even though they seem to be struggling a bit, performance should get a little more consistent as the second half unfolds. It would be a surprise if he is not in the Chase without using the wild-card slot.
3. Clint Bowyer: Chasing
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Unlike his teammate Kevin Harvick at Richard Childress Racing, Clint Bowyer has not won a race. Currently he remains in the top 10 at eighth place in the points.
Overall, he has picked up his performance after the first four races of the season with fairly consistent top-10 finishes.
It is likely Bowyer will get a win before the start of the Chase. If he can continue to have good finishes, he should make the Chase.
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4. Denny Hamlin: Chasing
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Denny Hamlin was runner-up for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup title against Jimmie Johnson. He thought this season would be strong for him, but he hasn't won a race and is currently 12th in points.
Hamlin only had one top-10 finish in the first eight races this season. He and his team seem to be gaining momentum with three top-10 finishes out of the last four races.
The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota should get at least one win and probably more before the start of the Chase.
5. Mark Martin: Chasing
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Mark Martin is in his final year at Hendrick Motorsports and he would like nothing better than to contend for the Cup series title.
Martin has shown some strength with his No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, but has yet to win and hovers at 14th place in the points.
Two wrecks have given him some bad stats with his wreck in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, dropping him three slots in the standings.
He is the sentimental favorite to many who want to see him run for the title. Martin may just barely make the Chase with consistent strong finishes. A win may not be in the cards for him.
6. Greg Biffle: Chasing
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Greg Biffle drives the No. 16 3M Ford for Roush Fenway Racing and has yet to win a race this season. He lingers just outside the top 10 in points in 11th place.
Biffle has reason to believe he will make the Chase and snatch a win or two because he has the potent FR9 engine in his car that should serve him well in the remaining races.
Biffle has been a bit erratic with his finishes, but basically is improving as the season progresses. He, like so many others, really needs at least one win to make sure he has a shot in the Chase.
7. Kurt Busch: Chasing
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Kurt Busch looked to be a force to deal with in his Penske Shell/Pennzoil Dodge having won the Bud Shootout and one of the Daytona 500 qualifying races.
His frustration with his equipment recently reached the boiling point when a rant over the radio resulted in changes with his team that will hopefully get him back on track.
Busch has yet to win a race, but despite the problems with his equipment, he remains in the top 10 of the point standings at sixth place.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Chase
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He has made great strides in performance this year with his new team led by crew chief Steve Letarte.
Junior has been hanging in the top five of the point standings, but continues to qualify poorly and has yet to break a streak of 105 races without a win.
Earnhardt remains fourth in the point standings and nearly won the Coca-Cola 600, but ended up seventh. He has finished in the top 10 six times out of the 12 races.
His run at Charlotte seemed to be a real confidence builder and it may go a long way in getting him closer to a win that should come before the Chase. Consistency with top finishes would assure his place in the Chase.
9. Kevin Harvick: Chase
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Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, has gotten three wins so far this season, which guarantees a berth in the Chase.
Harvick doesn't necessarily lead a lot of laps, but is near the front and is ready to strike for a win. He appears to be the strongest of the RCR drivers this year just as he was in 2010.
Currently, Harvick is second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings. There is no reason to believe he won't contend for more wins as the season plays out.
10. Jimmie Johnson: Chase
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Jimmie Johnson, the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, took his Lowe's No. 48 Chevy to a win at Talladega in April. He is currently ranked third in the point standings.
Johnson will make the Chase, but the sixth championship would be nearly impossible. It seems as the season progresses, his team is making more mistakes.
The No. 48 car did not finish the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte due to a blown engine, the first for Hendrick Motor Sports this season.
11. Kyle Busch: Chase
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Kyle Busch has taken his No. 18 M&Ms Toyota to Victory Lane twice this season, which should secure his place in the Chase.
Currently, Busch is ranked fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings. He is a consistent contender for top finishes having only had two poor finishes, one because of an accident and the other due to engine problems.
This Joe Gibbs Racing driver will absolutely be in the Chase and quite likely contend for the title when the Chase rolls around.
12. Carl Edwards: Chase
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Carl Edwards took his No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford to a win at Las Vegas. He has continued his winning ways in the NASCAR Nationwide series and accepted a cool $1.2 million for the win at the Sprint All-Star race.
Edwards leads the point standings. He has finished in the top 10 nine times out of the 12 races so far this season.
His consistency, probable wins and the Roush Fenway/Yates FR9 engine will give him the performance to continue his top finishes and contend for the championship.
13. Matt Kenseth: Chase
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Soft-spoken Matt Kenseth has taken his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford to two wins so far this season. Currently, he ranks seventh in the point standings.
He seems to have some momentum on his side and that, plus his Roush Fenway Racing FR9 engine, should easily secure his place in the Chase.
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