Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet

Jeff Gordon
Hendrick Motorsports
No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet

Chase points: First, 6,201
Position change: None
What happened: Gordon didn’t lead a lap for the first time in five races and fell back as far as 20th after his team overadjusted his Chevrolet. He rallied to finish a quiet seventh at Atlanta, and saw his lead in the standings hacked into after teammate Jimmie Johnson won.

Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports
No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

Chase points: Second, -9
Position change: None
What happened: Johnson scored his series-best eighth win of the season, and second in a row, to pull onto Gordon’s bumper in the race for the Nextel Cup title.

Clint Bowyer
Richard Childress Racing
No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet

Chase points: Third, -111
Position change: None
What happened: Bowyer matched his career-best finish at Atlanta by crossing the line in sixth to continue a trend he’s set in the Chase. Bowyer has now matched or bettered his career-best finish in six of the first seven Chase races.

Carl Edwards
Roush Fenway Racing
No. 99 Office Depot Ford

Chase points: Fourth, -261
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Edwards weathered the fallout from his confrontation with teammate Matt Kenseth by finishing second and moving up a spot in the standings.

Tony Stewart

Joe Gibbs Racing

No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet

Chase points: Fifth, -322

Position change: Minus 1

What happened: Stewart had an unusually poor race in Atlanta, coming in 30th for his lowest finish since 2000. He had finished in the top 10 in 11 of his past 12 races at the track.

Kyle Busch
Hendrick Motorsports
No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet

Chase points: Sixth, -328
Position change: None
What happened: Busch was in position to win until a late caution set up a final round of pit stops. His crew struggled on the stop and he fell from first to 15th, then spun on the restart. He wound up 20th, but his spirits were lifted the next day when he tested his new Joe Gibbs Racing ride and was consistently the fastest car on the track.

Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing
No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet

Chase points: Seventh, -392
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Harvick finished 15th, and said his car was the best it had been in Atlanta in years.

Jeff Burton
Richard Childress Racing
No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet

Chase points: Eighth, -400
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Jeff Burton struggled early, but a slew of adjustments and late-race two-tire pit call earned him a fifth-place finish, his third top-10 finish in the Chase.

Kurt Busch
Penske Racing
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

Chase points: Ninth, -419
Position change: Minus 2
What happened: Busch led 98 laps, but his team took four tires on the final pit stop when most everyone else only took two and he finished eighth.

Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
No. 11 Fed Ex Chevrolet

Chase points: 10th, -424
Position change: Minus 1
What happened: Hamlin didn’t pit on the final stops to take over the lead. But his car wouldn’t go on the restart, leading to a wreck and a 24th-place finish. His team later found water in his fuel, and NASCAR discovered the problem spread beyond Hamlin.

Matt Kenseth
Roush Fenway Racing
No. 17 Dewalt Tools Ford

Chase points: 11th, -448
Position change: Plus 1
What happened: Kenseth scored his best finish of the Chase — fourth — but could have been done better if not for a late caution. He was chasing down Kyle Busch for the win when the yellow came on, and took four tires on the final stop.

Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Inc.
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet

Chase points: 12th, -448
Position change: Minus 1
What happened: Truex led 135 laps and was poised for an excellent finish until Hamlin had his problem on the restart. As cars dodged and weaved Hamlin’s sputtering car, Truex never saw him and ran straight into the back of him. He finished a disappointing 31st.

Associated Press