This week, after star drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. missed the 10-race chase to the Nextel Cup, their teams have undergone major crew changes. Each now has a new crew chief, with Gordon jettisoning the pit box chief that led his 2001 title effort, and Earnhardt reuniting with his cousin Tony Eury, Jr., who had been car chief on his team for 6 wins in 2004.
Of the ten drivers who made the chase this year, five are from Roush Racing. Those are Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. Of the ten, there are only two Chevys (the defending manufacturer's champion), leader Tony Stewart and 2004's most-wins driver Jimmie Johnson. The remaining three are Dodges of Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield.
Those on the best momentum streaks right now include Stewart, Busch and Kenseth. Under the old system, Stewart would win running away, as his point total after Richmond would have been 250+. Now he is only up 5 points on 2nd place. Kenseth was down 610 points, now he's down 35. Kenseth was 24th in points 10 races ago -- he finished tied for 8th. That is one hell of a climb, all the while Tony Stewart was finishing with top 10s. Stewart had won 5 of 7 races at one point early in the summer.
Wallace and Martin are in their final full-time seasons in the series, Wallace with 56 career wins and Martin with 34. They might be sentimental favorites, but I'd be highly surprised if they crack the top-3.
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