By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune sportswriter
October 16, 2007 09:20 pm
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The chase for the Nextel Cup title began with 12 drivers hoping to wear the champion’s crown, but after five events the field has been whittled down to three contenders.
With victories in the last two races at Talladega and Lowe’s Motor Speedway, former Indiana resident Jeff Gordon is rapidly moving toward a fifth championship.
While everything is falling into place for Gordon, the chase for the championship has realistically ended for eight drivers.
Only Gordon’s teammate Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer appear capable of derailing another championship for the 24 Chevrolet team. Johnson trails Gordon by 68 points and Bowyer is 78 back.
With the series traveling to Martinsville, a track that shouldn’t be included as a part of the chase, it would not be unlikely for Gordon to score a third consecutive win. Last year Gordon finished second to Johnson and was turning up the heat over the final laps.
Martinsville is a short track that is designed like a paper clip, long straights with tight corners. It should be replaced in the Chase track lineup by Bristol Motor Speedway.
Tony Stewart, the “Rushville Rocket,” finds himself 198 points behind Gordon. Gordon, Johnson and Bowyer are all going to have to stumble drastically for Stewart to have a chance of getting into the hunt for the championship.
Stewart is capable for reeling off several victories in a row, like he did earlier this year at Chicagoland and in the Brickyard 400. But it would still require the top three chasers to finish well back in the field for Stewart to make up lots of ground.
The remaining eight drivers might as well start thinking about the 2008 season. Carl Edwards is 240 markers back followed by Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex and Matt Kenseth, a distant 442 points in arrears.
In my opinion, Gordon has to be looking over his shoulder at Johnson. Johnson narrowly missed winning at Talladega and a vapor lock in the engine on the final restart at Lowe’s kept him out of the top ten.
I have contended all year that Gordon would claim his fifth title in 2007. With a new wife and baby daughter he just seemed more relaxed all year.
In other racing news
• Anderson Speedway closes out the season on Saturday with a 200-lap enduro for the Thunder Cars and a front wheel drive challenge.
The winner of the enduro will claim $3,000 and the front wheel driver challenge champion will take home $500.
Last year over 60 cars started the Thunder Car enduro with Plymouth driver Carl Muffley claiming the victory.
Track owner Rick Dawson said 55 cars are scheduled to start the enduro, but the number is prone to increase. Racing starts at 7 p.m.
• For the second consecutive year the Champion Racing Association’s Winchester 400 turned out to be one of the best Indiana late model events of the year.
Of the 40 cars that started the Winchester 400, probably half of the field could have contended for the victory. Texas driver Ryan Lawler used the right strategy and a little luck to claim the win. He stayed out of trouble for the first 300 laps, grabbed the lead when Nextel Cup competitor David Stremme pitted and then drove to the victory.
The CRA teams complete the season Nov. 4 with the Adam Petty Memorial All American 400 at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville.
If you haven’t witnessed a race at Winchester Speedway, you’re missing some exciting racing. Tribune reporter Scott Smith has dubbed Winchester “the way Bristol used to be” before changes were made in the Virginia track that made the racing boring.
Ken de la Bastide may be reached at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or at (765) 454 -8580.
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