The chase is on!
After the first race in the chase the standings are as follows. Jimmie and Carl share the top spot at the moment. Its going to be a close chase!
RANK/DRIVER/POINTS/BEHIND/STARTS/POLES/WINS/TOP 5/TOP 10
| 1 | +1 | Carl Edwards | 5220 | Leader | 27 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 20 |
| 2 | +1 | Jimmie Johnson | 5220 | Leader | 27 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| 3 | +6 | Greg Biffle | 5190 | -30 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| 4 | -- | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 5170 | -50 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 14 |
| 5 | +2 | Jeff Burton | 5170 | -50 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 6 | -- | Denny Hamlin | 5148 | -72 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| 7 | +1 | Tony Stewart | 5147 | -73 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| 8 | -7 | Kyle Busch | 5146 | -74 | 27 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 17 |
| 9 | -4 | Clint Bowyer | 5137 | -83 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| 10 | +1 | Kevin Harvick | 5134 | -86 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| 11 | -1 | Jeff Gordon | 5121 | -99 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| 12 | -- | Matt Kenseth | 5043 | -177 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15 |


Comments: 25
8 -7 Kyle Busch 5146 -74 27 2 8 15 17
Thanks Marianne!
Next week at Dover should be interesting too. Kyle won it back in June and Tony, Denny, Harvick & Dale Jr. (among others) were all taken out on lap 17.
I think I've told you my IL's favorite racer is Kenny Schrader. In the years I've been in the family, I don't think the guy has ever come close to winning a race.
"Over the past 20 years in the Nextel Cup Series, Schrader has collected a total 640 starts and more than $25 million in earnings. He has four wins to his credit in the Nextel Cup ranks (Talladega, 1988; Charlotte 1989; Atlanta, 1991; Dover, 1991) as well as 64 top-five and 181 top-10 finishes. Schrader has also led the field to the green flag on 23 occasions during his career."