Top drivers will bid for biggest prize

The Chase for the Nextel Cup championship begins Sunday in New Hampshire.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The field has five series champions, the reigning Daytona 500 winner, three of NASCAR’s rising stars, two newcomers and a 14-year veteran searching for his first title.

Together, they’ve combined to win 23 of the first 26 races. Alone, they’ll race against one another for NASCAR’s biggest prize.

The Chase for the Nextel Cup championship begins Sunday in New Hampshire, and the fourth installment of this 10-race title hunt promises to be the best one yet.

“It’s a stout field,” defending champion Jimmie Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be the most competitive Chase we’ve seen. You’ve got a lot of wild cards, a lot of action.”

It starts with Johnson, who is trying to become the first driver to win consecutive titles since Jeff Gordon in 1997 and 1998. His win Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway was his second straight and series-best sixth of the season, and it earned him the top seed in the Chase.

NASCAR expands field

NASCAR tweaked the format this year, expanding the field from 10 to 12 drivers and seeding them based on bonus points earned in the 26-week regular season. After one of his typical summer swoons, Johnson rallied the last two weeks to lock down the top spot and take a 20-point advantage over Gordon into the Chase.

He’ll face his toughest competition within his own Hendrick Motorsports camp, where teammate Gordon has been flawless this season. He won four races, finished in the top 10 in all but five events and built a lead of more than 300 points in the standings.

It’s all gone now, but Gordon isn’t worried. The four-time series champion is a veteran of close title chases — and has even lost one to a teammate before, Terry Labonte in 1996.

Tony Stewart, the two-time series champion, is back in the Chase after failing to make it last year in a stunning collapse. He’ll start third, 30 points behind Johnson, as three former champions are positioned for what could be an epic battle.

Edwards to start fourth

Carl Edwards will start fourth after a one-year absence. He finished third after making the Chase as a rookie in 2005, but missed it last season. He’s followed by Kurt Busch, who won the inaugural Chase in 2004. He missed it last season, his first driving for Roger Penske, but got hot in late July and stormed into contention behind new crew chief Pat Tryson.

Denny Hamlin, who finished third as a rookie last season, is out to prove last season wasn’t a fluke. Martin Truex Jr. starts seventh in his inaugural Chase appearance, but is ready to step into a starring role. Matt Kenseth, the last driver to win a championship under the pre-Chase system, starts eighth and is followed by Kyle Busch, a dark horse in the field. Jeff Burton is a title contender for the second straight year, and the 14-year veteran is looking for his first Cup title. His teammates, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, round out the top 12.