Motorsports

Chasing drivers feel the pressure

Talk of the Chase for the Championship dominates at California Speedway.

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 4, 2006

FONTANA, Calif. - Pressure.

Two races to go coming into Sunday's Sony HD 500 at California Speedway, and on one side of the line there was success; on the other there was failure. Dress it up how you want. But that's the reality facing drivers fighting for a spot in this year's Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship.

Friday at the track, someone asked Jeff Burton whether this would be "a lost season" if he doesn't hold on to a Chase spot. He has had a redemptive campaign, fighting back toward the top tier of the sport after at least four years of not being in that mix. The question was valid.

It's a game of musical chairs from fourth through 10th, with eight drivers going for potentially seven seats once the song stops Saturday at Richmond, Va.

The last time a driver held the No. 7 position in the standings for two straight weeks was when Burton did it at Pocono (Pa.) and Michigan in June. The cards have been shuffled more times than at a single-deck blackjack table in Las Vegas.

Mark Martin walked in to Bristol, Tenn., last weekend fourth in the standings. He finished 28th in the Sharpie 500, however, so he came into Sunday's race 10th and on the hottest seat. Martin was 90 points ahead of Kasey Kahne, who aimed at moving up on someone who's on the success side of the Chase cut.

"There's a lot of pressure," Martin said. "There always is. The thing is that a lot of people are just now waking up to it. The pressure has been here since the Daytona 500. If you scored more points in the Daytona 500, you wouldn't be sweating here, so I've been racing to make the Chase all year since Daytona."

Maybe so, but after Daytona there have been 23 more chances to make up points that slipped away because of mistakes or bad luck or any other of the various pits.

Now, after California, there is only Richmond, and it's almost time to see who's in and who's out for real.

Tony Stewart, last year's champion, came in eighth, seven points ahead of Martin and 97 ahead of Kahne and by no means immune to elimination. But Stewart swore he did not feel the pressure.

"All eight years we have been here (in the Cup series), we have just strictly dealt with one week at a time," he said. "That it is the easiest way to approach it. What you do this week is this week. Then once this weekend is over, this weekend is done and you worry about the next one."

Denny Hamlin, Stewart's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, came in two spots ahead of Stewart and 111 points up on Kahne as he tries to become the first rookie-of-the-year candidate to make the Chase. Hamlin, born in Brandon, also fended off the pressure issue.

"Whether we're in or out, it has still been a great ride," he said. "I'm just a dumb rookie who doesn't know what he's doing. We're already exceeding expectations. Anything that happens from here on out is icing on the cake. I feel like even if we just fall completely on our faces from here on out we've still had a great season."

That's all well and good, and maybe that is not totally denial or rationalization. Burton, though, has another view, and it seems to ring more true.

"My team and I are having a really good time with this," he said. "If it is the fourth quarter with two minutes to go and you don't want the ball, then get the heck off the court. That is where we are. It is time to get it done. ...

"I definitely wish we didn't have to worry about it. At the same time, it is a heck of a lot of fun being part of it. I enjoy the opportunity we have to try to get in the Chase. I enjoy the opportunity to come to the track and compare ourselves against our competitors. This is what racing is about, what racing for championships is about.

"And you know what? It will start all over in two weeks."

NEXTEL CUP POINTS LEADERS

Through 24 of 36 races, not including Sunday's race. The top 10 and all others within 400 points after 26 races are in the Chase for the Championship and are the only drivers eligible to win the title. All drivers above the line would make the Chase if the season ended now:

Driver Pts Back

1. Jimmie Johnson 3,499 -

2. Matt Kenseth 3,492 7

3. Kevin Harvick 3,178 321

4. Kyle Busch 3,097 402

5. Jeff Gordon 3,091 408

6. Denny Hamlin 3,070 429

7. Jeff Burton 3,064 435

8. Tony Stewart 3,056 443

9. D. Earnhardt Jr. 3,051 448

10. Mark Martin 3,049 450

11. Kasey Kahne 2,959 540

12. Greg Biffle 2,798 701

13. Carl Edwards 2,788 711

UP NEXT

Chevy Rock & Roll 400, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. TV: TNT

[Last modified September 4, 2006, 02:06:28]