In another couple of weeks, the big media drive in NASCAR racing coverage will be the infamous Chase for the Championship. Actually, it has already started. Some industry insiders claim that the season is now split into three parts, the first part of the season is where teams get their feet wet and get a feel of the tires and new rules packages. The second part begins with the summer run around Pocono time; seriously beginning the race to see who gets into the chase, with the third and final part being pretty much self explanatory.
One of the assets associated with the chase was the thought of making the championship fair for all competitors. It was hoped that the chase would somehow help alleviate the stranglehold that team partisanship had to do with molding the outcome of the season. What I'm trying to allude to here, is the practice of teammates holding up the faster racecars while another teammate who is competing for the championship, is cruising along for the win without being hampered by competitors.
This season, it appears that one team will have multiple teammates in the chase, which may set the stage for some all-out trickery. Roush Racing has the ability to get most or all of its teams in the chase. With just two events remaining, Greg Biffle is firmly ensconced in the Chase, with Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, and Kurt Busch holding the fifth, seventh, and eighth positions. Some of this may change during tonight's event. Edwards or Busch may be out and Kenseth may be in, or all five Roush drivers may find themselves in the hunt with just one event remaining. Penske Racing and Hendrick Motorsports may end up with two drivers in the chase, either one or the other or possible both. As it stands now, both owners have two drivers in the top ten, with Rusty Wallace and Jimmie Johnson both firmly ensconced, guaranteed to make the Chase, along with Biffle and Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart.
If it comes to pass that Roush ends up with four or five drivers in the Chase, it could set the stage for some solid team partisanship. Even having three drivers in the Chase will give them an edge. We've already seen it this season and several others, with one slower car holding up the field as best they can, while their faster teammate flies toward the checkered flag. All multiple car organizations do it. That isn't the way the NASCAR powers that be planned it, but we'll all have to say, "That's Racin'." If you follow the link to my chart listing the top five drivers in '05 , you'll see that Roush drivers have made the list 32 times in 24 events.
Go To Page: 1 2
