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There are six races to go before the start of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Each week, race victories become more important as drivers strive to accrue vital Chase “bonus points. ” Starting this year, the 12 drivers who qualify for the Chase will have their point totals “reset” to 5,000. They then will have bonus points – 10 for each victory – applied.
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) currently is set to benefit the most from this increased emphasis on winning. After accidents at Chicagoland and Indianapolis placed him 37th and 39th respectively, he has dropped to ninth in the series standings.
But setbacks in the standings won’t hurt Johnson when the points are reset. He has four wins, tied with his teammate Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) and both drivers have earned 40 bonus points each to date, which would make them the top-two seeds to start the Chase (5,040 points apiece). Seeding ties are broken by the comparison of drivers’ best finishes beyond victories. Johnson would jump from ninth to second because of the seeding process.
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) also will benefit from the seeding process after capturing consecutive wins at Chicago and Indianapolis. Stewart currently sits fifth in the standings but if the points were reset now he would move ahead two possible spots for third in the seeding.
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