The chase for the Chase for the Championship is getting interesting. Too interesting for Ryan Newman.
After the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, three pulled close enough to the 10th-place driver in points to have a reasonable chance of stealing the final playoff spot.
Newman's wreck-induced 31st-place finish allowed rookie Kasey Kahne (31 points out of 10th), Jeremy Mayfield (32) and Dale Jarrett (55) to have hope in the final five races before the Chase begins Sept.19 at New Hampshire. The way they are driving and Newman is struggling should give them hope. Accidents have relegated Newman to 31st or worse in two of his past four races while Kahne has consecutive top-four finishes, Mayfield had three straight top 10s and was 11th Sunday and Jarrett has three top 10s (including a runnerup finish Sunday) in his past four.
"The last two months have been really good for us," Jarrett said. "We've gone now from what the beginning of the year was, just kind of an average team. From 12th to 20th basically was where we were running. Now we're a solid top-10 team week in and week out."
RUMOR CONTROL: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s mother, Brenda, has been traveling with him to help with his medical needs since he sustained second-degree burns during practice for an American Le Mans Series race July 18.
When they were unable to make a Dale Earnhardt Inc. charter the week after the accident, rumors circulated that Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Jr.'s stepmother and team owner, had refused his mother access to the plane.
"What started that, I believe, was that I was supposed to fly with the team to New Hampshire," Dale said. "I got called in to see Dr. ( Jerry) Petty and the neurology deal. So we missed that plane and I had to find a way to get there. Everybody thought that for some reason that my stepmother didn't want my mother flying on the company plane. Teresa totally wouldn't be like that. She knows that I needed my mom to help me with my wraps and stuff. That kind of bummed me out that people would say those things. But I hope I cleared it up."
PART II: Tampa resident Sebastien Bourdais is trying to stay focused on winning a first Champ Car driver title amid concern that team owners Carl Haas and Paul Newman are about to end their 22-year partnership. Haas is reportedly considering a switch to the rival Indy Racing League and a deal with that series' dominant manufacturer, Honda. Newman reportedly prefers to stay in Champ Car. Bourdais, the Champ Car points leader, said Haas has not wanted to discuss the situation.
"I don't know what to think about it," said Bourdais, who finished third Sunday at Elkhart Lake, Wis. "They are trying as hard as they can to stay together; we just have to see what will be their answer. I wish everyone would stick together because everyone knows we are strong because we are together."
A relationship already exists between the team and Honda. Newman/Haas competed in its first Indy 500 since 1995 (and 14th overall) this season, finishing fifth with Bruno Junqueira.
Newman/Haas is in strong position to win a fifth series championship. Bourdais has a 47-point lead over second-place Junqueira.
HOLD ON: Jenson Button's surprise move from BAR to the Williams team for next season may be snagged. Formula One head Bernie Ecclestone told the Daily Star of London in Sunday's editions that if the Englishman breached his contract in joining Frank Williams, he could lose his F1 license.
Ecclestone said the Formula One Contract Recognition Board will review the details, which involved Button's agent, John Byfield, exploiting a 2005 option in the BAR contract.
"Unfortunately, agents and big money mean morals go out the window," Ecclestone said. "But we are not like (soccer); I like to think our players stick to their agreements."
TRUCKS: Zephyrhills native David Reutimann maintained 14th place in the NASCAR truck series points standings after finishing 17th Friday at Indianapolis Raceway Park. In 14 starts, he has one pole, two top fives and six top 10s as the series' top rookie.
