Well, my early pick for the Nextel Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson, has fought his way back after a rough start in the chase, and now sits at the top of the pack. Can he hold on? I think so, but it won't be easy with Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. right on his tail.

Check out this chase rundown at CBS Sportsline.

Weigh in with your thoughts by hitting the comment link below.

Current Nextel Cup standings with two races remaining.

Numbers in parenthesis are points behind leader.

1 Jimmie Johnson 6157 (leader)
2 Matt Kenseth 6140 (17)
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6079 (78)
4 Denny Hamlin 6077 (80)
5 Kevin Harvick 6052 (105)
6 Jeff Gordon 6000 (157)
7 Jeff Burton 5973 (184)
8 Kyle Busch 5924 (233)
9 Mark Martin 5904 (253)
10 Kasey Kahne 5867 (290)

1 Matt Kenseth 6008
2 Jimmie Johnson 5982 (26 points behind leader)
3 Denny Hamlin 5943 (-65 points)
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5924 (-84)
5 Jeff Burton 5924 (-84)
6 Kevin Harvick 5887 (-121)
7 Jeff Gordon 5862 (-146)
8 Mark Martin 5807 (-201)
9 Kasey Kahne 5798 (-210)
10 Kyle Busch 5759 (-249)

For the full standings, click on this link.

Stewart wins in Atlanta

Here is a link to the story about Tony Stewart's Sunday win in Atlanta.

From Seth Sands

POST FALLS – The 2006 racing season at Stateline Speedway came to a close Wednesday night with the final running of Wednesday Night Fever. Three champions were crowned during the finale; Craig O’Neal in the Road Runners, rookie KC Garber in the Fever 4’s and Yvonne Lifsey claiming her third Bump to Pass division title.

Brian Shaw passed heat winner Jamie Allen to score the 20-lap main event for the Road Runners. Dave Hatton finished third, dash winner Derek Colarusso fourth. Tom Harris won the C Heat and the B Main.

Craig O’Neal led the points heading into the final event after scoring numerous wins and top finishes throughout the season over Coeur d’ Alene’s Chuck Davidson. At the end O’Neal edged out Davidson in the main event finishing seventh to capture the 2006 Road Runner Championship over 71 other competitors.

The championship title is the first ever won for O’Neal at Stateline Speedway. Davidson who had equal success during 2006 season finished a slim six points behind in second. Dave Hatton was third in the standings. O’Neal’s fans celebrated the accomplishment by waiving lobsters in the air. The top twenty in the championship points will be honored at Stateline’s annual banquet.

Billy Husk, 2006 Champion Crew Chief of the Idaho 200, made an appearance in victory lane winning the Fever 4’s 25-lap main event as a driver. Colton Garber, the A Dash winner, battled up to second from the rear of the field, cousin KC Garber third. Andy Brown finished fourth with Mel Auckerman fifth. Husk also won the A Heat race with Terry Auckerman taking the B Dash and B Heat.

KC Garber’s third place run allowed him to keep his small advantage over Colton and defending champion Mel Auckerman to score his first championship at the track. Garber joins other family members that have accomplished the honor over the last 20-years including his uncles Dave and Dan.

After leading the points all season long up to last week, Colton Garber finished second in the standings only eight points behind his cousin. Mel Auckerman claimed third position, 19-points behind the champion.

Keith Williams finished the 2006 Bumper car season with his twelfth win of the season escaping a barrage of bumper clunkings by fellow drivers in the 15-lap grand finale. Robby Cartwright finished second, James Cotter third. The “Crazy Taxi,” driven by Darryl Carillio rounded out the top five.

Athol, Idaho’s Yvonne Lifsey finished fourth in the finale and claimed the Bump to Pass championship title. The top sixteen in standings will be awarded at the banquet.

Stateline Speedway’s annual awards banquet, “A Night of Champions” will be held November 18 at the Red Lion Templins Resort on the River in Post Falls. Tickets can be ordered by calling 1-208-773-5019.

For more information about Stateline Stadium/Speedway including coming attractions, schedule of events, and competition rules, log onto www.raceidaho.com or contact the event hotline at 208-773-5019.

Wednesday Night Fever – 10/4/06 Results

ROAD RUNNERS
Fast Time – Russell Syverson, 16.69. Trophy Dash -- A) Derek Colarusso; B) Robb Boatsman; C) Treven Tarr; D) Tom Knapp. Heat -- A) Jamie Allen; B) Roman Gibson; C) Tom Harris; D) Knapp. B Main -- 1) Harris; 2) Steve Roth; 3) Ken Huck; 4) Heath Denson; 5) Rick Andrews; 6) Brycen Tarr; 7) Shane Zettle; 8) Darryl Krumm; 9) Knapp; 10) Lonnie Jenkins. A Main – 1) Brian Shaw; 2) Allen; 3) Dave Hatton; 4) Colarusso; 5) John Vallone; 6) Robert Benn; 7) Craig O’Neal; 8) Chuck Davidson; 9) Syverson; 10) Robin Mathis.

BUMP TO PASS
Fast Time – Keith Williams, 16.907. Trophy Dash -- 1) James Cotter. Heat -- A) Williams; B) Philip Clem. Main – 1) Williams; 2) Robby Cartwright; 3) James Cotter; 4) Yvonne Lifsey; 5) Darryl Carillio; 6) Jody Duncan; 7) Phil Clem; 8) Bob Willis; 9) Todd Jensen; 10) Monty Zema.

FEVER 4’s
Fas

Nextel Cup Chase standings

1. Jeff Burton 5511 points
2. Denny Hamlin 5442
3. Mark Martin 5441
4. Matt Kenseth 5427
5. Kevin Harvick 5415
6. Jeff Gordon 5391
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5388
8. Jimmie Johnson 5346
9. Kyle Busch 5278
10. Kasey Kahne 5238

Full standings here.

Kansas results

1. Tony Stewart
2. Casey Mears
3. Mark Martin
4. Dale Jarrett
5. Jeff Burton
6. Carl Edwards
7. Kyle Busch
8. Brian Vickers
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Full results here.

Associated Press

After further review, Kasey Kahne figures he still has a shot at the championship.

But he knows it's a long shot.

The third-year driver was caught up in Tony Stewart's spinout at Dover International Speedway last weekend, and heads into the race Sunday at Kansas Speedway ninth in the Nextel Cup standings - 182 points behind leader Jeff Burton.

To get back in the race, Kahne will have to do more than just drive hard and avoid trouble. He'll also need several of his rivals to find their own bad luck.

Read about his strategy here.

My take on this weekend

As for my opinion, I'm doubtful on Kahne's chances. When you have to jump past that many drivers, it's just too much to overcome. Some in front of you might have a bad day or two, but it's unlikely all will. If Kahne is going to make a move, it better be this weekend in Kansas, which is a high-speed track, the kind that Kahne usually dominates.

I like Jeff Gordon's chances. He has been running strong races, and he has that killer instinct. Now that he is in position to win it all, I think he will take advantage of the situation. Look for him to start this weekend with a win in Kansas, where he has already won twice in the past five years.

I also think Jimmie Johnson will bounce back with a strong showing this weekend, possibly even a victory. My pick to win the Chase needs to pick up the pace right away.

You can read Larry McReynold's take on this weekend's race at this FoxSports.com link.

This news in from Seth Sands at Stateline Stadium/Speedway

Garber Wins Race; Takes Championship Lead

POST FALLS, IDAHO – September 28, 2006 – KC Garber led the way in the Fever 4’s main event to claim the victory and the top spot in championship standings. Garber, one of three Fever 4 title hopefuls, secured the top spot over defending champion Mel Auckerman and cousin Colton Garber with only one race left in the Wednesday Night Fever championship run.

Heat winner Andy Brown placed second and rookie Thomas Plybon finished third during the event. Auckerman finished fourth and sits only five points behind Garber in second. Colton Garber who had led the championship standings for nearly the entire season, dropped to third in the title hunt, 12 points back, after mechanical problems. Andrew McKee won the B Heat and Trophy Dash.

Spokane’s John Vallone piloted his Ford Mustang to the number one position in the Road Runner’s A Main over Craig O’Neal and Dave Hatton to win his first main event of the season. Tom Knapp won the D Heat and B Main event over Tom Harris, Darrin Meeks, and C Heat winner Bernie Beard.

Craig O’Neal continues to hold a slim 12-point margin over Chuck Davidson heading into next Wednesday’s finale. O’Neal won a dash and finished second in the main. Davidson countered the performance racking up top points in the heats and a solid fourth place finish during the main event. O’Neal must finish ahead of Davidson in next week’s events to secure the title. A win by Davidson and a sixth place or lower finish by O’Neal in the main event would hand the title over.

Keith Williams won his eleventh race of the season out pacing dash and heat winner Will Whitlow and the “Crazy Taxi” driven by Darryl Carillio for the victory. Williams caught Carillio with two laps to go in the event. Using the distraction of a lapped car Williams muscled by the “Taxi” spinning Carrilio in turn four to take the lead and win.

The wild, wacky, unpredictable action of Wednesday Night Fever concludes Wednesday night at 6pm with Fever 4’s, Road Runners, plus the cars and superstars of the Bump to Pass division competing in the season finale. Two championship battles highlight the night.

A two car duel between Craig O’Neal and Coeur d’ Alene’s Chuck Davidson for the Road Runners championship and KC Garber leads defending champion Mel Auckerman and cousin Colton Garber for the 2006 Fever 4 title. Adults are just $5.75; kids under the age of nine accompanied by adults are free.

Championships are on the line Saturday night as Winged Sprints led by Kevin Burck undefeated in the last four races, Hobby Cars and Street Stocks square off for the final Saturday night race of the season during the season championships. Qualifying starts at 6pm racing at 7:30pm. Adult admission is $10, Family Passes are $25 and admit two adults and up to three children.

For more information about Stateline Stadium/Speedway including coming attractions, schedule of events, and competition rules, log onto www.raceidaho.com or contact the event hotline at 208-773-5019.

Wednesday Night Fever – 9/27/06 Results

ROAD RUNNERS
Fast Time – Brian Shaw, 16.798. Trophy Dash -- A) Craig ONeal; B) Bart Hansen; C) Tom Harris; D) Melanie Auckerman-Davis. Heat -- A) Tim Stoddard; B) Derek Colarusso; C) Bernie Beard; D) Tom Knapp. B Main -- 1) Knapp; 2) Tom Harris; 3) Darin Meeks; 4) Beard; 5) Brian Allen; 6) Lonnie Jenkins; 7) Heath Denson; 8) Auckerman-Davis; 9) Leslie Runkle; 10) Rick Andrews. A Main – 1) John Vallone; 2) O’Neal; 3) Dave Hatton; 4) Chuck Davidson; 5) Bart Hansen; 6) Russell Syverson; 7) Robert Benn; 8) Robin Mathis; 9) Scott Murphy; 10) Jamie Allen.

BUMP TO PASS
Fast Time – Keith Williams, 17.022. Trophy Dash -- 1) Will Whitlow. Heat

This just in from the Associated Press:

NASCAR's championship-deciding system isn't the only thing about to be changed. The annual All-Star race is also being examined by series officials for tweaks to its format, The Associated Press has learned.

Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler confirmed Tuesday that talks are under way to make changes to the Nextel All-Star Challenge. The race has been run at the suburban Charlotte track 20 of its 21 years.

You can read the whole story here.

Brian De Los Santos at CBS Sportsline.com has an interesting article on the move by Jeff Gordon to within striking distance of the lead for the Chase Championship.

Gordon currently sits in second place, only six points behind Chase leader Jeff Burton.

NASCAR moves to Kansas for the Banquet 400 this Sunday. Gordon has two Nextel Cup series wins on the Kansas track.

You can read the full story about Gordon's strong move at this link.

Interestingly, Gordon has now become the favorite to win the Chase in a poll being conducted on the Web site of Dover International Speedway.

Jeff Burton's victory Sunday at Dover International Speedway in Delaware pushes him into the points lead in the chase for the Nextel Cup championship battle.

It was Burton's first victory in 175 races, an amazing statistic when you consider his prominence in the sport and the respect he has from other drivers. It also tells you a little about NASCAR's scoring system. Is it right for a guy to go that long without a victory and still lead the chase?

You can weigh in with your thoughts by clicking on the comment link below. Read the race story here.

Current standings

1 Jeff Burton 5351 poins
2 Jeff Gordon 6 points behind leader
3 Matt Kenseth -18
3 Denny Hamlin -18
5 Kevin Harvick -54
6 Mark Martin -75
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. -102
8 Jimmie Johnson -136
9 Kasey Kahne -182
10 Kyle Busch -224

From Seth Sands

POST FALLS, IDAHO – September 20, 2006 – Wednesday Night Fever scheduled for 9/20 at Stateline Stadium/Speedway in Post Falls was canceled due to inclement weather over the Inland Northwest region, late Wednesday afternoon and non-race conditions forecasted for the remainder of the evening.

Racing events continue Saturday for the Inland Northwest Super Stock Series’ final race of the year. Mike Behar, Dan Garber, and Andy Brown are locked into a three-way battle for the championship title. Behar holds a slight six-point advantage followed by Garber and last week’s winner Brown all of Spokane.

Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks are also on track. Qualifying starts at 6pm racing at 7:30pm. Adult admission is $13, Family Passes are $30 and admit two adults and up to three children.

Wednesday Night Fever will resume next week starting at 6pm with one of the final two races of the season. Close point battles in Road Runners and Fever 4’s highlight the evening. Plus the cars and stars of the Bump to Pass division will hit the track. Adults are just $5.75; kids under the age of nine accompanied by adults are free.

For more information about Stateline Stadium/Speedway including coming attractions, schedule of events, and competition rules, log onto www.raceidaho.com or contact the event hotline at 208-773-5019.

Tony Stewart, last year's NASCAR points champion, has a good idea on how to fix some of the problems associated with how the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship is run.

Stewart just missed finishing in the top 10 this season, so he isn't in contention for the championship. But that doesn't mean he won't be a factor in who ultimately wins this season.

Stewart finished second in Sunday's first Chase race, passing several championship contenders late in the race and costing them valuable points.

Stewart believes NASCAR brass should have two races during the final 10-week runoff for the championship, one for the top 10 drivers in the Chase, and a race for all of the other drivers.

Stewart, in an AP story, says:

“If I had my way and I could change NASCAR today, I would have had the guys that didn't make the race this week and (the guys) from 11th on back run a 200-mile race with no-holds-barred on that,” he explained. “Then the top 10 guys run a 200-mile race against each other after that. That way at least you don't have the teams that did make the playoffs playing against the teams that didn't make the playoffs. Right now, it's kind of a weird situation. The Chase is exciting, there's nothing wrong with it. But it puts some of us drivers in some awkward positions.”

I agree with Stewart. The top 10 should not have to contend with the rest of the field during this crucial 10-race playoff. Other sports don't let everyone play in the playoffs. That is the whole purpose of the regular season qualifying period. Let the top contenders battle it out in the playoffs.

You can read more of Stewart's comments at this link.

The Dover International Speedway Web site has a poll asking which driver will win the NASCAR Chase for the Cup Championship.

Here are the current standings:

Which "Chase" driver will win the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship?

Name, votes

Dale Earnhardt Jr., 277
Kevin Harvick, 245
Jeff Gordon, 200
Matt Kenseth, 147
Mark Martin, 120
Jimmie Johnson, 119
Kasey Kahne, 114
Denny Hamlin, 61
Jeff Burton, 25
Kyle Busch, 15

You can weigh in with your opinion by clicking on the comments button on this post or checking out the earlier thread on this blog.

Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. -- Kevin Harvick turned New Hampshire International Speedway into his personal playground, dominating Sunday's race to take the early lead in NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Note: Chevys took the top five spots and 7 of the top 8.

Results
Pos. Driver Make

1. Kevin Harvick Chevy
2. Tony Stewart Chevy
3. Jeff Gordon Chevy
4. Denny Hamlin Chevy
5. Brian Vickers Chevy
6. Elliott Sadler Dodge
7. Jeff Burton Chevy
8. J.J. Yeley Chevy
9. Dave Blaney Dodge
10. Matt Kenseth Ford

• Complete results, click here
• Driver standings, click here

Next race

Dover 400 (Dover International Speedway, aka "THE MONSTER MILE")

Matt Kenseth won in Dover in June, chasing down Jamie McMurray and finally taking the lead with three laps to go. McMurray finished second, and current points leader Kevin Harvick finished third.

The Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship is set. Here is the lineup:

1 - Matt Kenseth 5050 points
2 - Jimmie Johnson 5045
3 - Kevin Harvick 5040
4 - Kyle Busch 5035
5 - Denny Hamlin 5030
6 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5025
7 - Mark Martin 5020
8 - Jeff Burton 5015
9 - Jeff Gordon 5010
10- Kasey Kahne 5005

Check out the rundown on the contenders at Yahoo Sports, and then feel free to comment on who you think will win this year's championship by clicking on the comments link below.

For the record, I will stick with my pick of Jimmie Johnson.

As predicted earlier in this blog, last March's Bristol race and last weekend's Michigan race were good indicators of which drivers would look good this weekend as NASCAR returns to Bristol.

Now, the two tracks are quite different, and the prediction was really based on the March race at Bristol. It just so happened that many of those top finishers also did well last weekend at Michigan, hence the connection.

All those drivers are still hot, and the prediction is looking good following qualifying Friday for Saturday night's Bristol race.

Of the drivers who finished in the top 10 in the March race at Bristol and last weekend's Michigan race, eight are in the top 10 qualifying positions for Saturday's race. Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty were the only drivers to qualify in the top 10 and not be among the top 10 for either of the earlier races.

Here is the grid for the first 10 qualifiers:

1. Kurt Busch - Dodge - 124.906 mph
2. Jeff Burton - Chevrolet - 124.808 mph
3. Bobby Labonte - Dodge - 124.484 mph
4. Matt Kenseth - Ford - 124.404 mph
5. Tony Stewart - Chevrolet - 124.299 mph
6. Denny Hamlin - Chevrolet - 124.226 mph
7. Kevin Harvick - Chevrolet - 124.106 mph
8. Kyle Petty - Dodge - 124.082 mph
9. Elliott Sadler - Dodge - 123.921 mph
10. Reed Sorenson - Dodge - 123.905 mph

Here are my Yahoo Fantasy Racing picks for this weekend:

A drivers
(I went against the trend by not picking Kurt Busch, the top qualifier and a dominant force at Bristol)

Tony Stewart and Mark Martin

B drivers
(Junior qualified 40th; a very bad day. He said afterward that his car is very poor, but is hopeful it can be turned around by race time)

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler and Jeff Burton

C drivers
(Gotta hope Sorenson can race as well as he qualifies and can stay in the top 10)

Reed Sorenson and Scott Riggs

And the winner is ...

Tony Stewart!

Dustin Long, a writer for the News-Record in Greensboro, N.C., weighs in with his own take on the meaning of Saturday night's race in Bristol (see earlier posts on this blog).

Among the quotes in Long's story:

"It's been a long year, and there may be some people that have had enough of one another, and this is the perfect opportunity to fix that." - Jimmie Johnson, who leads the Nextel Cup standings by 58 points over Matt Kenseth.

Long details some of the great dust-ups at Bristol over the years.

Kurt Busch, who won the first race at Bristol earlier this year by bumping Matt Kenseth out of the way late in the race and cruised to the checkered flag, will start on the pole Saturday in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch qualified with a speed of 124.906, slightly ahead of Jeff Burton's 124.808.

The big question will be who survives at Bristol. This could be the best race of the season if you like drama - and crashes. Tempers are hot after a season of questionable race moves, most notably Busch's early-season nudge of Kenseth, and there is plenty on the line as drivers maneuver for one of the 10 spots that will get them into the Chase for the Championship.

Grab a beer, a bowl of chips and TIVO this one if you have that technology. This one should be a blast!

Don't take my word for it, check out what some of the NASCAR experts have to say by clicking on this link.

Here's one of the quotes you will find in the Yahoo article:

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "With the exception of the road courses, this is the race that probably makes all the race teams the most nervous. It's just so unpredictable. You know you've got to be lucky and good."

Here is the starting grid for Saturday's race.

Dan Beaver has a nice story on Yahoosports.com today about NASCAR's desire to get into big markets so it can ring up bigger profits.

Beaver notes in his story that this shift is pushing the short tracks out of the running for NASCAR's top races.

Will this move by the big bosses of the sport put an end to the short-track races? Let's hope not, because those tracks are where you see some of the best races of the year.

In my mind, I would like to see more short-track races. They could even add more road courses. These tracks test the true racing ability of the driver, not the setup capabilities of professional engineers and the financial backing of ownership groups that can get an advantage with their testing programs and engineering. I say put the focus back on the driver.

Take a look at Beaver's story, and feel free to weigh in with your thoughts by clicking on the comment button below.

(AP photo: Bristol Motor Speedway)

By The Associated Press

There will be no changes to the 10 races in the Chase for the championship in 2007, with much of next season's schedule the same as this year's.

NASCAR chairman Brian France has promised slight adjustments to the championship format and did not rule out tweaking the locations of the final 10 races of the year. But when the schedule came out Thursday, it was unchanged.

The 26th and final qualifying race will again be at Richmond International Raceway, and the Chase will begin Sept. 16 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Then it's on to Dover, Kansas, Talladega and a stop at Lowe's Motor Speedway in suburban Charlotte.

From there the Cup series will go to Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and then crown the champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18.

When France said in July he was considering changes to the Chase, which he developed in 2004, many believed the schedule could be one of the alterations -- perhaps by adding a road course to the final 10 events. The series races twice a year on road courses, and critics of the system believe every kind of track should be represented during the playoffs to make it a true championship battle.

Read the full story here.

See the full schedule here.

By The Associated Press
NASCAR fined Carl Edwards $20,000 on Tuesday for intentionally hitting Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car at the end of the Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Edwards was also placed on probation until the end of the year, but was not docked any points for Saturday’s altercation. He said he will not appeal the penalty.

“I put everything I can into winning races,” Edwards said. “I was wrecked and I reacted. It was wrong on my part. NASCAR penalized me and I respect that.

“Most importantly I apologize if I upset any of my fans or sponsors.”

Edwards was leading the race when Earnhardt spun him out of his way with one lap to go. Earnhardt went on to win the race under caution, and as he was making that final lap, Edwards drove onto the track and rammed into the side of Earnhardt’s car. Earnhardt’s hand was hanging out his window when Edwards bashed into his car, and he had to quickly pull it back in to avoid injury.

Edwards later went to Victory Lane, where Earnhardt was being uncharacteristically booed by the fans, and the two had a heated argument during the post-race ceremonies.

(AP photo: Carl Edwards, right, listens to team owner Jack Roush after the NASCAR Busch Series' Carfax 250 auto race in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday. Dale Earnhardt Jr. bumped Edwards out of the way on a restart in overtime and grabbed the victory. Edwards first drove onto pit road and momentarily parked in Earnhardt's pit. Then he drove back onto the track as the field drove slowly by behind the pace car, banging hard into the side of Earnhardt's car.)

Jerry Bonkowski at Yahoosports.com has a good article on the battle between Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon. It highlights their past feud and examines what might have been Sunday if Gordon could have run down Kenseth in the final laps of the Michigan race.

Said Gordon in the column: "I wish we had three more laps because I would have liked to have shown him I know how to pass him clean and race him clean."

He didn't quite take home the winner's check on Sunday (as I predicted he would in an earlier post), but Kasey Kahne's fourth-place in Michigan still keeps him in the running for the Chase for Nextel Cup.

Unfortunately for Kahne, his finish was only slightly better than Dale Earnhart Jr.'s sixth-place showing, which keeps Little E in the top 10.

With three races remaining to determine the top 10 who will make the chase, time is running out on Kahne, who still sits in 11th place and seems to be the only other driver with a chance to nudge his way into the top 10. Greg Biffle sits in 12th, but he is 140 points behind Kahne. He will need lots of help in the final three races.

Matt Kenseth's victory Sunday in Michigan pulled him closer to standings leader Jimmie Johnson, who finished 13th. Kenseth is now 58 points behind Johnson.

So we are heading back to Bristol, where Kurt Busch used the bump-and-run tactic in the Food City 500 earlier this year to push race-leader Kenseth out of the way with four laps remaining and went on to win in a controversial finish.

Look for the same drivers who finished in the top 5 in the March Bristol race to be among the leaders this coming Sunday, with the exception of Kurt Busch. I don't think Busch will be able to steer clear of the Bristol crashfest twice in a row.

I do expect the top finishers at this past weekend's Michigan race to also run strong in Bristol.

Here is the top 10 finishing order from the March Bristol race:

1 Kurt Busch
2 Kevin Harvick
3 Matt Kenseth
4 Carl Edwards
5 Bobby Labonte
6 Mark Martin
7 Greg Biffle
8 Kyle Busch
9 Ryan Newman
10 Kasey Kahne

And here is the top 10 from Sunday's Michigan race:

1 Matt Kenseth
2 Jeff Gordon
3 Tony Stewart
4 Kasey Kahne
5 Mark Martin
6 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7 Greg Biffle
8 Reed Sorenson
9 Denny Hamlin
10 Elliott Sadler

As race fans know, though, the key to winning at Bristol is avoiding the big crash. Much of that is luck, which makes this track one of the hardest to predict a winner. In March, only four cars had stayed clean with more than 60 laps to go in the 500-lap race. Two later got bumped out, and only the other two, Kenseth and Busch, finished in the top 5.

So, with all that said, my top 5 for Bristol will be:

1 Tony Stewart (It's time for him to make a major move; expect him to hang out in the top 10 and make a late move for the win)

2 Matt Kenseth (he's running strong right now; retaliation against Kurt Busch for earlier Bristol incident could happen, which would hurt this pick)

3 Mark Martin (never seems to be a challenge for the win, but always seems to hang around for a good finish)

4 Kevin Harvick (he has it all together right now and could be tough to beat)

5 Elliott Sadler (two consecutive top-10s has him rejuvenated)

I expect Kahne and Biffle to press too hard this weekend and possibly get caught up in a mess, which could put an end to both of their hopes for a chase run.

By The Associated Press

Elliott Sadler's exodus from Robert Yates Racing was completed Wednesday when he was introduced as the new driver at Evernham Motorsports.

Sadler, who signed a long-term contract to drive the No. 19 Dodge, spent Wednesday behind the wheel of his new ride during a test session at Kentucky Speedway. The paperwork on his immediate release from Yates was completed late Tuesday, freeing him to switch teams in time for this weekend's race in Michigan.

Read the full story at ESPN.com.

Some funny reading

If you've never checked out Ryan Smithson's Power Rankings column on Nascar.com, it's worth clicking over and getting a few laughs by reading the comments after each driver. For instance, he offers this gem in reference to Kasey Kahne and his All-State commercials:

"A lot of fans e-mailed me wanting to know what happened to Kahne on the final lap at the Glen. Here is what happened: A carload of ugly middle-aged women in an SUV totally ran him into the dirt. They were super-sorry though."

NASCAR heads back to Michigan International Speedway this Sunday for the GFS Marketplace 400, and I see no reason why this trip to Michigan will be any different than the June event that was dominated by Kasey Kahne.

Kahne (AP photo), sitting 11th in the points standings in which he'll need to be in the top 10 if he wants to make the Nextel Cup Chase, couldn't find himself in a better position. He owned the Michigan track in June, and I expect him to do the same this Sunday.

The Michigan event should be a good one for "speed" racers, meaning guys like Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards should fare well also. But Kahne has dominated these types of tri-oval and quad-oval tracks this year, winning in Texas and Lowes Motor Speedway and the oval that runs like a quad-oval in Atlanta.

A helping hand

In May, a Miss Teen USA contestant persuaded all 43 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway to sign a racing helmet. It was auctioned on eBay, where it brought in $5,100 for the Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation.

You can read the FoxSports.com story here.

R. Gordon joins Junior's team

From SpeedTV.com
JR Motorsports has announced that Robby Gordon will take the helm of the No. 88 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Busch Series events at Michigan International Speedway and California Speedway.

With only four races remaining before the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship showdown, here are a couple of links of good stories detailing what's at stake for those hoping to make the chase. Read the stories here and here.

Nextel Cup Standings
As of Aug. 14, 2006 (Four races left until Chase begins)

Top 10 make the chase. Read about scoring at this link.

Number in parenthesis is points behind leader

1 - Jimmie Johnson
2 - Matt Kenseth (124)
3 - Kevin Harvick (323)
4 - Jeff Burton (362)
5 - Kyle Busch (370)
6 - Mark Martin (426)
7 - Tony Stewart (447)
8 - Denny Hamlin (459)
9 - Jeff Gordon (485)
10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (515)

****************************
11 - Kasey Kahne (569)
12 - Kurt Busch (687)
13 - Greg Biffle (695)
14 - Carl Edwards (706)
15 - Brian Vickers (875)