NASCAR: Chase For The 2008 Sprint Cup
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Sep 03, 2008
Ten different drivers have posted victories in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, led by Busch with eight. Edwards (six), Kasey Kahne (two), Jimmie Johnson (two), Ryan Newman (one), Jeff Burton (one), Denny Hamlin (one), Clint Bowyer (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one) and Kurt Busch (one) are the others.
With two races remaining before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins, 18 drivers remain mathematically eligible and there have been 44 changes among 13 drivers in the top 12 positions in the points standings since the Race to the Chase began at New Hampshire.
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Edwards still trails Busch by 212 points. With 12 races to go, the odds of his catching Busch for the title in the old system would be slim since Busch is racing in the top five almost every week.
In any points format, Busch wouldn’t like getting bumped out of a victory. But we’re talking minimal pain in the pre-playoff years. Busch would know he was well on his way to the championship.
Not true with the playoff. Edwards bumped Busch knowing it would result in a 20-point swing when the Chase starts. As it stands now, Edwards would start the playoff only 30 points behind Busch. It would be only 20 if not for the bonus points stripped from Edwards for an oil-tank lid violation found after his win at Las Vegas in March.
Had Busch won at Bristol, he would have a 50-point cushion to start the Chase, assuming neither man wins in the last two regular-season events.
It could mean the difference in who wins the title. Without a Chase, it only meant one guy got the best of the likely champion for one day.
Giving each race and each decision more meaning is what the Chase brings to the series at this point of the season.
