Count Jimmie Johnson in. No wait. He’s out. No, in.

Count Jimmie Johnson in. No wait. He’s out. No, in.

 

The weekly Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup pendulum swings toward the “out” segment of popular opinion, as Johnson’s accident-induced 34th-place finish at Charlotte dropped him to eighth in the standings, 35 points behind leader Carl Edwards. That’s a hefty deficit, especially considering the stout list of drivers between Johnson and the points lead.

 

But here’s some good news for the five-time defending champion: half the Chase remains, and Talladega waits on deck. Talladega, often labeled the wild-card track of the Chase, could shake up the standings once again – a perfect opportunity for Johnson to wipe away Edwards’ robust cushion. He’ll have that opportunity on Sunday, in the Good Sam Club 500.

 

Elliott Sadler continues to slowly chip away at NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s lead, now down to just 15 points with three races remaining. The two frontrunners face two open weeks before the next race, at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

A familiar face has launched up the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings: Four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. Hornaday won his second consecutive race, closing to within 21 points of leader Austin Dillon. He’ll look to further knife into the deficit this weekend at Talladega, in the Coca-Cola 250 powered by fred’s on Saturday.