NASCAR: The chase heats up
by Robby Maddux
While major talks about Juan Montoya invading the NASCAR scene are circulating around, with the hot Danica Patrick possibly doing the same next year, there's still matters to be settled here and now. It begins with this week's Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at
If you saw last week's race, you saw Jeff Gordon get payback on Matt Kenseth. Gordon made a bold late move at Chicagoland, bumping Kenseth with just four laps remaining to go on and take the win in the USG Sheetrock 400. It was his second victory in the last three weeks as he climbed to 10th in the standings with 2,219 points.
The four-time Nextel Cup champion has been obscured this season by Hendrick Motorsports teammate and current points leader Jimmie Johnson. But over his lustrous career, Gordon owns 75 Nextel Cup victories with three coming at Loudon. As well he has 9 top-5 finishes and 12 top-10's, proving he knows his way around this 1-mile oval.
Cracking the top-10 in points gives Gordon and his team momentum and a new outlook on the season. Look for Gordon to be a serious contender Sunday while bettering his already respectful 12.7 average finishing order at Loudon.
Another driver who should not be over looked this weekend is Kurt Busch. Busch won the first Chase race in '04 en route to winning the Nextel Cup. The win was his second here and completed a season sweep for Busch at Loudon. He was second to defending champion Tony Stewart here last July, adding to his 4 top-5 finishes and 10-top 10's.
Busch has been extremely consistent this year and is coming off a third place finish at Chicagoland last week to remain eighth in the standings with 2,265 points. Busch has 6 top-5 finishes and 9 top-10's this season and has finished inside the top-12 in five straight races from Feb. 26-April 2.
Two big names that can be eliminated from your selections in this race are Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne. Edwards has struggled over his last two races, running 20th at Chicagoland and placing 39th at Daytona. He's 14th in the standings and is 197 points outside of the top-10. Edwards ran 12th here last year and with the ''sophomore jinx'' squarely in his corner, expect him to be a non-factor in this race.
Despite leading the series with 4 wins this season Kahne ran 23rd at Chicagoland, his third straight finish outside the top 20, as he fell one spot to now be fifth in the standings with 2,303 points (348 behind Johnson).
Barring troubles, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch will be hard to beat come Sunday. Both have the potential to take the checkers putting you in the winner's circle with a winning ticket!
