Head2Head: These Chase drivers shouldn’t be overlooked (NASCAR.com)
August 31, 2010
With two races remaining until the Chase begins and the field all but locked, talk now centers around which driver has what it takes to win the title. Of course, Jimmie Johnson has to be mentioned. As does Kevin Harvick, the points leader, and Denny Hamlin, the wins co-leader. Even Kyle Busch is sneaking back into the fold thanks to a late-season surge.
Cup SeriesCurrent Top 12
Pos. Driver Wins T-5 T-10 1. K. Harvick 3 11 16 2. J. Gordon 0 10 13 3. Ky. Busch 3 6 12 4. C. Edwards 0 5 12 5. D. Hamlin 5 9 10 6. T. Stewart 0 6 13 7. J. Burton 0 4 12 8. M. Kenseth 0 5 10 9. J. Johnson 5 8 12 10. Ku. Busch 2 8 14 11. G. Biffle 1 5 14 12. C. Bowyer 0 4 12
• Complete Standings | Schedule/Results
But which driver has a legitimate chance to become a Cup champion, yet is overlooked in the championship debate? Could it be a former champion? Is it any of the Roush drivers? Perhaps a veteran like Jeff Burton? Maybe a youngster like Clint Bowyer?
Bill Kimm and Mark Spoor have their thoughts, read theirs and weigh in with your own in the comments below. Then vote in the poll at the right.
Which driver is overlooked in championship talk?
GREG BIFFLE TONY STEWART
I am focused on Greg Biffle. Although currently 11th in points, when the Chase reaches Homestead, the Biff could be in position for his first Cup championship.
Biffle has the talent to be a Cup champion, it’s just a matter of having the pieces fall into place, and it looks like that could be happening in 2010.
For the first time since the Chase debuted in 2004, there isn’t a clear-cut favorite. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin are struggling, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have yet to find Victory Lane this season and Kevin Harvick is consistent, but not dominant.
That opens the door for Biffle, who is peaking at just the right time.
In the past five races, Biffle has a third-place finish at Indy, a victory at Pocono, a fourth at Michigan and an eighth at Bristol. He’s been at the front in all of those races, and a contender for the win at all but Bristol.
Plus, the Chase sets up perfectly for Biffle. At the first four tracks in the Chase, Biffle has five victories and 19 top-five finishes. Biffle’s already hot, and if he finishes the way he is capable at New Hampshire, Dover, Kansas and Fontana—look out.
We’ve already seen history made this season with Kyle Busch winning three national races in a weekend. Biffle could add his name to the record book by becoming the first driver to win a Cup, Nationwide and Truck title.
• Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COMThe opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
Inever thought we’d ever find ourselves in a situation where Tony Stewart is a forgotten man when it comes to a points race but amazingly, that’s where we are with two races to go before the Chase.
Has everyone forgotten that Stewart is a two-time Cup Series champion? Has Stewart’s new “nice guy” image made us all forget what a fierce competitor he is?
Of Stewart’s 37 Cup victories, 14 have come at Chase venues including two each at Loudon, Dover and Kansas—the tracks that will host first three events in this year’s Chase. Stewart also is the defending winner at Kansas, by the way.
But it’s not all about recent history. Take a look at this season. Of course, the big hole on the resume is the lack of a checkered flag, but what Stewart and the No. 14 team have is consistency. What’s more, he’s peaking at the right time. Stewart has nine top-10 finishes in his past 11 starts dating to early June.
More than that, Stewart is a winner. He’s the type of driver who knows when the chips are on the table, when to take chances and when to step off the throttle. He knows how championships are won.
Will he win the championship? Maybe. Maybe not. Two things are certain: Stewart won’t go down without a fight, and the fact that he isn’t near the front of the championship conversation is just plain wrong.
• Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COMThe opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
