As usual, I'm amused at some of the junk posted at NASCAR.com. They ask, "Is it fair for Roush Racing to have five drivers in the Chase and will team orders affect the outcome of the Chase?" Come on people, what do you think? What a hoot. Is it fair? What difference does it make if it's fair or not, they worked hard and won those positions in the Chase, and most of us are taught from day one, "All's fair in love and war." NASCAR racing certainly isn't love, by any means. Will team orders affect the outcome of the Chase? You can bet the farm they will, although you won't find anyone at Roush Racing admitting it, and you won't hear it on the team radios during the events.
Yes, there are hard feelings, with a couple of drivers still seething from their Richmond experience, but you'll have that with any short track race. Only once a year do they couple the anguish and anxiety from short track racing with making the chase, and it's a done deal for this season. Those who made it, made it on their merits. Those who didn't make it don't deserve to be there, it's as simple as that. Both Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon have alluded to that in post event interviews, along with the embattled Jamie McMurray.
It's good to see Mark Martin in the chase. He's come so close to the championship in previous years that it's been a heartbreaker, maybe this year he can pull it off. His resurgence into the top five this season has brought about a decision to return to racing in 2006. Why retire if you are doing that well? No. I'm not a Mark Martin or a Ford fan, but I have to call it as I see it and Martin has earned the honorable mention, that's for sure.
While accolades are being handed out, I can't forget about Rusty Wallace, he's a tenacity prone devil himself, fighting to the end and hoping to get one more win in his storied career. He is still claiming that he won't be back next season; he wants to retire regardless of what happens in the Chase. Although it's possible for him to win the chase, as far as the odds and figures are concerned, it isn't really likely that he'll do it.
Who do I think will win? I'm not going to make that assumption, only an idiot would put their self out on that limb. Right now it's anybodies game, there are some strong wills out there in that Chase lineup this year, and some excellent race drivers, both veteran and beginner. Check out the updated 2005 Top Five for the Chase contenders listing, and come back each week to see who made the top five in the Chase. You can rest assured that there will be some non-Chase contenders in the top five during the final ten races, which will dramatically alter the championship picture.
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