TONY STEWART

TONY STEWART
Car: No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet
Chase points: First, 6,100
Position change: None
What happened: Stewart finished 10th in Atlanta and widened his points lead from 15 to 43. But he was still griping about the mind games rival Jimmie Johnson's crew tried to play the week before, leading some to wonder if the tactic was working. He heads to Texas with a spotty track record, failing to finish in two of the past three events there.
JIMMIE JOHNSON
Car: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
Chase points: Second, 6,057
Position change: None
What happened: Johnson had a frustrating time in Atlanta, working his way up to the top five only to fade to a 16th-place finish. He was the last car on the lead lap when it ended. Johnson has run four races at Texas with four top-10 finishes, the best streak among drivers in the top 10.
GREG BIFFLE
Car: No. 16 National Guard/Subway Ford
Chase points: Third, 6,025
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Biffle finished seventh in Atlanta, and it was only good enough for him to gain eight points on Stewart. He goes into Texas coming off a win there in April -- his only top-10 finish at the track in three previous appearances.
CARL EDWARDS
Car: No. 99 Office Depot Ford
Chase points: Fourth (tied), 5,993
Position change: None
What happened: Edwards won the race at Atlanta to complete a sweep there this season. It was his third victory of the year and it pulled him within 107 points of leader Stewart. He has only competed at Texas once before, finishing 19th in April.
RYAN NEWMAN
Car: No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge
Chase points: Fourth (tied), 5,993
Position change: Minus 1
What happened: Newman started from the pole yet again, but managed only a 23rd-place finish and was two laps down at the end. He is now tied with Edwards, but would lose the spot on a tiebreaker because Edwards has won more races this season. Newman has one victory at Texas, in 2003.
MARK MARTIN
Car: No. 6 Viagra Ford
Chase points: Sixth, 5,957
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Martin finished third, despite a speeding on pit road penalty, and dismissed anyone who thinks his 143-point deficit is too much to overcome. "I'm in," he said of the title hunt. Martin has run all nine races at Texas, with four top-10 finishes and a victory in April 1998.
MATT KENSETH
Car: No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford
Chase points: Seventh, 5,945
Position change: Plus 2
What happened: Kenseth had his first strong run in weeks, finishing fifth in Atlanta. It lofted him two spots in the standings, but at 155 points out, he's probably too far behind to win his second Cup title. Kenseth has competed in six races at Texas with two top-10 finishes, including a victory in April 2002.
Rusty Wallace
Car: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
Chase points: Eighth, 5,843
Position change: Minus 2
What happened: Wallace's bid to win a championship in his final season ended when he crashed just minutes into the race at Atlanta. He ended up 37th -- his third-straight lousy finish -- and dropped two spots in the standings. He has competed in all nine races at Texas, with four top-10 finishes.
KURT BUSCH
Car: No. 97 Irwin Industrial Tools/Sharpie Ford
Chase points: Ninth, 5,840
Position change: Minus 1
What happened: Busch won't hang onto his Nextel Cup championship, guaranteeing that by hitting the wall after blowing a tire in Atlanta. He finished 36th and was the only Roush driver outside of the top seven. Now 260 points out, he'll be handing off the trophy to someone else at the end of the month. Busch has competed in five races at Texas with four top-10 finishes.
JEREMY MAYFIELD
Car: No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
Chase points: Tenth, 5,790
Position change: None
What happened: Mayfield remained last in the Chase with a 38th-place finish in Atlanta. It wasn't his fault -- his clutch failed on him -- but his team is in turmoil after crew chief Slugger Labbe was fired just before they reported to Atlanta. He has competed in nine races at Texas with two top-10 finishes, but hasn't scored in the top 10 in his last five races there.