DRIVER UPDATES Chase for the Cup

A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship heading into this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (in order of points):

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Points: first, 6,073

Car: No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Position change: None

Last week: Three-peat anybody? More than doubled his points lead with his sixth victory of the season last week at Martinsville. Suddenly, his early season troubles seem like a long time ago. Would need a major collapse to miss out on his third straight points title.

GREG BIFFLE

Points: second, -149

Car: No. 16 3M Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Position change: Plus 1.

Last week: Moved up to second after typically difficult day at Martinsville, a track where he hadn’t had much success. Got off pit sequence early in the race and dropped a lap. Managed to get it back late to finish 12th.

JEFF BURTON

Points: third, -152

Car: No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing

Position change: Minus 1.

Last week: A week after a win in Charlotte and a word of caution that it was too early to hand anybody the trophy, Burton may have played himself out after a 17th-place finish at Martinsville marred by a late pit penalty that kept Mr. Steady out of the top 10.

CARL EDWARDS

Points: fourth, -198

Car: No. 99 Office Depot Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Position change: None.

Last week: Regained a little bit of his mojo with a career-best third at Martinsville, not bad after two horrific weeks that seemed to be dominated by his scuffle with Kevin Harvick instead of his driving.

CLINT BOWYER

Points: fifth, -242

Car: No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing

Position change: None.

Last week: Kept a hold on the fifth spot with a ninth-place finish at Martinsville, his ninth straight race with a top-12 finish. Would need to end the season with a series of top-fives, however, for him to sneak into second behind Johnson.

KEVIN HARVICK

Points: sixth, -256

Car: No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing

Position change: None.

Last week: Picked up his fourth top-10 of the Chase with a seventh-place finish at Martinsville thanks to a series of late-race adjustments. Needs to find a little extra over the next four races to sneak into the top five on the season.

JEFF GORDON

Points: seventh, -275

Car: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Position change: Plus 1.

Last week: Showed signs that he may be able to snap his winless streak with a fourth-place finish at Martinsville. Led three times for 57 laps, though his role over the next four weeks could be making sure teammate Jimmie Johnson keeps a steady hand on the points title.

TONY STEWART

Points: eighth, -338

Car: No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Position change: Minus 1.

Last week: A pair of flat tires sent Stewart to a 26th-place finish at Martinsville, just the fifth time in 20 starts at Martinsville that Stewart finished outside the top 20.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Points: ninth, -379

Car: No. 88 AMP Energy-National Guard Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Position change: Plus 1.

Last week: Ended a frustrating stretch with a second-place finish behind Johnson in Martinsville, his best race since opening the Chase with a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire.

MATT KENSETH

Points: 10th, -408

Car: No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Position change: Plus 1.

Last week: Showed a little fight in rallying back from a lap down in 39th at one point to finish eighth at Martinsville.

DENNY HAMLIN

Points: 11th, -420

Car: No. 11 FedEx Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Position change: Plus 1.

Last week: Managed his best race since Richmond on Sept. 6 with a fifth-place finish at Martinsville, the fourth top-five finish for him in seven career starts at the track.

KYLE BUSCH

Points: 12th, -445

Car: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Position change: Minus 3.

Last week: Is it over yet? Busch continued his miserable Chase with a 29th-place effort at Martinsville, the victim of three separate cut tires. The regular-season champ has finished 28th or worse in four of six Chase races this year.

Associated Press