Every year when it gets time for the Chase to begin, I seem to get more anxious because it is about a title that has been housed in one location for the last five years. It’s housed in the Hendrick Motorsports shop with the No. 48 team.
The first two years of the Chase went to Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart. Then, once the 2006 season concluded, the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson took the title and has since then made almost a mockery of the Chase for the Cup. Every year, whether he has a good 26 race run or one that has been off, when it comes to the final Chase races, that team straps in real tight and seems to become invincible.
In Monday’s rain-delayed Geico 400, Johnson again was running up front, which was something that was not as common during the regular season. So what’s got me thinking that this year is different compared to the previous five.
It’s pretty simple, it’s the same answer when Stewart was asked before the race at Chicagoland if he would be considered a legitimate title contender. Right now, I don’t see him as one.
I know I’m probably going to be heckled to no end because of that statement, but I do not see the same cohesive team that I have the last five years. Even last year, when during the Chase the team literally took teammate Jeff Gordon’s team to pit their car, they were not the same cohesive unit. It took them to the final laps to get that championship. This year, you can hear it on the radio that things are not the same in the No. 48 shop.
It’s hard to say that they’ve lost their edge, but it’s not out of the question.
The big thing about the race at Chicagoland Speedway is that I found it extremely appropriate that the driver not calling himself a title contender has suddenly found himself now seven points out of the lead. This after he entered the Chase running ninth, and with zero wins.
Once more, I’m not going to speculate that Stewart saying he wasn’t a title contender suddenly made him a legitimate one. It is a bit ironic though. We all expected by this point in the season for the guy known as “Smoke” to at least have a couple wins as the Chase began, but it didn’t happen. Was the team off a bit…yeah, there’s no question. Even with teammate Ryan Newman winning at New Hampshire, with Stewart finishing second at the same time, it’s been a season that has experienced more downs than ups for the two-time champion.
All I know is that come next weekend, with NASCAR returning to New Hampshire, you can expect Stewart to now consider himself one of the contenders for that championship.
I’d be happy to see him win that championship. I’d be happy to see 11 of the 12 drivers win the championship. Simply put…anybody but the 48.
RESULTS: 1-Stewart 2-Harvick 3-Earnhardt Jr. 4-Edwards 5-Keselowski 6-Kurt Busch 7-Bowyer 8-Newman 9-Martin 10-Johnson
NOTABLE FINISHES: 12-Kahne 21-Kenseth 22-Kyle Busch 24-Gordon 31-Hamlin
CAUTIONS: 6 for 25 laps. Lap 32-35 (Competition), 72-75 (Debris), 146-150 (Debris), 165-168 (Fluid on track), 205-208 (#38 accident-T3), 214-217 (Debris).
LEAD CHANGES: 22 among 10 drivers. Kenseth 1-32, Yeley 33, Kyle Busch 34-40, Kurt Busch 41-103, Edwards 104-115, Johnson 116, Newman 117-118, Edwards 119-145, Kurt Busch 146, Newman 147-162, Johnson 163-164, Keselowski 165-168, Johnson 169-204, Stewart 205, Kenseth 206-208, Stewart 209-214, Truex Jr. 215-217, Kenseth 218, Truex Jr. 219-227, Kenseth 228-237, Stewart 238-250, Truex Jr. 251-252, Stewart 253-267.
TIME OF RACE: 2 Hrs, 47 Mins, 41 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: 143.306 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.941 Seconds
2011 CHASE FOR THE CUP: 1. Harvick, 2054 points; 2. Stewart, -7; 3. Edwards, -10; 4. Kurt Busch, -11; 5. Earnhardt Jr, -13; 6. Keselowski, -14; 7. Newman, -14; 8. Johnson, -16; 9. Kenseth, -19; 10. Kyle Busch, -24; 11. Gordon, -25; 12. Hamlin, -41
