Chase drivers

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Chase points: first, 6,248 Car: No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports Position change: None Career Texas starts: 10 Best Texas finish: 1st (spring 2007) Last week: Four fresh tires late in the race allowed Johnson to surge to second in Atlanta, further tightening the two-time defending series champion’s grip on a three-peat. Would need a run of Kyle Busch-like bad luck in the last three races to open the door for Carl Edwards.

CARL EDWARDS

Chase points: second, -183 Car: No. 99 Office Depot Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing Position change: Plus 2. Career Texas starts: 7 Best Texas finish: 1st (twice) Last week: Did what he had to do, winning in Atlanta to pick up his seventh win of the season and third career victory at the track. Heads to a track where he’s won twice in seven starts, including this spring. He’ll need to reach Victory Lane again this weekend to make sure the last two races aren’t simply a coronation for Johnson.

GREG BIFFLE

Chase points: third, -185 Car: No. 16 3M Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing Position change: Minus 1. Career Texas starts: 9 Best Texas finish: 1st (fall 2005) Last week: Slipped to third in the Chase standings behind teammate Edwards after a 10th-place finish at Atlanta. Salvaged the top-10 with a brilliant final eight laps as he rallied from 16th.

JEFF BURTON

Chase points: fourth, -218 Car: No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing Position change: Minus 1. Career Texas starts: 15 Best Texas finish: 1st (twice) Last week: Was trying to salvage a so-so day when he collided with Dave Blaney with less than 25 laps to go, sending Burton to the pit three times and relegating him to an 18th-place finish.

KEVIN HARVICK

Chase points: fifth, -307 Car: No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing Position change: Plus 1. Career Texas starts: 11 Best Texas finish: 3rd Last week: Like the rest of his RCR teammates, Harvick had trouble with an ill-handling car at Atlanta. Battled his Chevy all day before finishing 13th to move up a spot in the standings.

JEFF GORDON

Chase points: sixth, -312 Car: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports Position change: Plus 1. Career Texas starts: 15 Best Texas finish: 2nd Last week: Gordon’s ninth-place finish in Atlanta means he has just three more shots this season to end his winless streak. Won’t be easy this weekend at a track where he’s never won.

CLINT BOWYER

Chase points: seventh, -314 Car: No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet Team: Richard Childress Racing Position change: Minus 2. Career Texas starts: 5 Best Texas finish: 5th. Last week: Slipped two spots in the Chase standings after a 20th-place finish in Atlanta, his worst performance in more than two months. Bowyer struggled to get a handle on his car all day.

TONY STEWART

Chase points: eighth, -401 Car: No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Position change: None. Career Texas starts: 13 Best Texas finish: 1st (fall 2006) Last week: Spent all day at Atlanta wrestling his car for control, and the car won. Finished 17th due to a bevy of handling problems that left “Smoke” frustrated and hoping for a better end to his run at Joe Gibbs Racing.

MATT KENSETH

Chase points: ninth, -413 Car: No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford Team: Roush Fenway Racing Position change: Plus 1. Career Texas starts: 12 Best Texas finish: 1st (2002) Last week: Kenseth isn’t driving like a guy who wondered how competitive he could be in the Chase. Kenseth led a race-high 128 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in Atlanta, though he thinks he let an opportunity to win slip away.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Chase points: 10th, -419 Car: No. 88 AMP Energy-National Guard Chevrolet Team: Hendrick Motorsports Position change: Minus 1. Career Texas starts: 12 Best Texas finish: 1st (2000) Last week: Spent most of the day in the top 10 before fading to 11th in Atlanta. Hoping for a little late-season boost at the track where he picked up his first Cup victory eight years ago.

DENNY HAMLIN

Chase points: 11th, -425 Car: No. 11 FedEx Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Position change: None. Career Texas starts: 6 Best Texas finish: 4th Last week: Picked up his first career top-five at Atlanta with a third-place finish. Led 56 laps on the day and seems to have put his scary crash a few weeks ago at Talladega firmly behind him.

KYLE BUSCH

Chase points: 12th, -465 Car: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Position change: None. Career Texas starts: 7 Best Texas finish: 3rd Last week: Battled his way to fifth in Atlanta, his series-high 17th top-five of the season. Give credit to crew chief Steve Addington, who kept tinkering with Busch’s Toyota to help him deal with handling issues.

Associated Press