The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup starts now.

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup starts now.


After a grueling – and record-setting – regular season, the championship field has been whittled to 12 drivers. Over the next 10 races – starting with this Sunday’s SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – those 12 drivers will battle for the title in what will likely play out as the tightest Chase in the seven-year history of the format.
Also on deck, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Coming out of its first open week in over two months, the Trucks return to action in Saturday’s THERACEDAYRAFFLESERIES.COM 175 at New Hampshire.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series enjoys an open week before hitting the high-banked one-mile at Dover International Speedway in two weeks.
The GRAND-AM Rolex Series completed its season last weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, and Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas were once again crowned champions. It was dominating and record-breaking campaign for the duo.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
“Best Chase Ever” Begins Sunday
Prior to last Saturday night’s race at Richmond, Carl Edwards gave a bold prediction, one echoed by a number of competitors: “It has been so wild this year and each race is so different. You just never know. I think that the wild thing about this Chase is that there are really 14 guys that could win the championship in this garage. I can’t pick a favorite as a fan looking at it, and I don’t think you can say which rivalries are going to build. I think this is going to be the best Chase we have ever had.”

11 vs. 1: Who, If Anyone, Can Knock Off Johnson
Many drivers labeled this Chase field the most competitive since the format’s inception in 2004.
That’s a fair statement. After all, all 12 members have prior Chase experience, all have won multiple races in their career, and five have won at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
But knocking off “Superman” won’t be easy. Statistically, it seems Johnson saves his best for the Chase. One stat that proves that: His 18 wins in the Chase are more than the second-, third- and fourth-most combined. Second and third in Chase wins are Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, with six each. Tony Stewart is fourth with five victories.
Plus, no one knows playoff pressure better than Johnson. He’s the only driver to earn a berth in all seven Chases.

What Makes A Champion?
Historically, the recipe for a Chase champion consists of these two ingredients: wins and consistency.

Only once in the previous six Chases has the eventual champion failed to win at least once in the 10 races (Tony Stewart, 2005). Here’s a breakdown of the champions since 2004 and number of wins during the Chase:
2004: Kurt Busch, one win
2005: Tony Stewart, no wins
2006: Jimmie Johnson, one win
2007: Jimmie Johnson, four wins
2008: Jimmie Johnson, three wins
2009: Jimmie Johnson four wins

But you also need consistency. Only once in the previous six Chases has the eventual champion averaged a finish outside the top 10 (Jimmie Johnson, 2006, 10.8). In 2007, Jimmie Johnson averaged a Chase-record average finish of 5.0. The list:
2004: Kurt Busch, 8.9
2005: Tony Stewart, 8.7
2006: Jimmie Johnson, 10.8
2007: Jimmie Johnson, 5.0
2008: Jimmie Johnson, 5.7
2009: Jimmie Johnson, 6.8

New Hampshire Vital For Championship Hopefuls
A championship can’t be won or lost in one race. But history suggests that this Sunday’s race in New Hampshire can drastically alter the road to the title.
Only once has the eventually champion finished outside the top 10 in the first race at New Hampshire: (Jimmie Johnson finished 39th in 2006). Kurt Busch won the New Hampshire race on his way to the 2004 championship.

Spoil Sports: Competitive Balance Lives At New Hampshire
Much of the focus will surround the 12 Chase drivers, but a potential spoiler could steal some of the ink this weekend. New Hampshire is known for a wide array of victors. In the last 11 races, there have been 11 different winners. It’s also the site of the first career victory for five drivers, all of whom are active: Clint Bowyer, Robby Gordon, Joey Logano, Joe Nemechek and Ryan Newman.