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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
ALEXANDER: Chase Changes
The 12 legitimate contenders for this year’s NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup have undergone a total makeover from last season...
Adam Alexander  |  Posted July 16, 2009   Charlotte, NC
A fulltime reporter for SPEED in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Adam Alexander also hosts NASCAR in a Hurry, The SPEED Report and NASCAR Race Hub. (Image: SPEED)
What a difference a year makes.

The 12 legitimate contenders for this year’s NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup have undergone a total makeover from last season.

The 2008 Chase featured 12 different drivers from only four “super” teams – Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports – and each organization put three drivers in the Chase. Although seven races remain before the Chase field is set, the landscape of this year’s championship playoffs is much more diverse with the first-time appearance of certain drivers, teams and even a manufacturer’s first showing in a while.

At this point, after a dry spell, Dodge is represented by Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch, who certainly is someone to watch despite trailing in bonus points to some of the others.

Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team have been another Cinderella story of sorts this season. It was just three years ago that Montoya announced his move from F1 to NASCAR and now he is in a genuine position to make The Chase. While his team is not a superpower and doesn’t have the backing and technical support of some of the bigger teams such as Hendrick, what they continue to do each week against some of the mega teams is extraordinary. I think Montoya will make the cut because his days in the F1 pressure cooker battling for championships will give him an edge.

Newly-minted Stewart Haas Racing has Tony Stewart solidly in the Chase and Ryan Newman still holding on after clawing his way in following a horrendous start to the year. Had it not been for bad luck at the season’s onset, Newman would be firmly cemented in the Chase. He had a rough last couple of years at Penske Racing but his career has been surging since the jump to Stewart Haas.

Stewart and Newman’s pseudo-teammate, Mark Martin, is another new face in this race, coming out of semi-retirement strong. Not only has Martin won four races, he has more victories than anyone else, and thus more bonus points, making him the points leader if the championship bid kicked off today.

So, why are things so different than last year when we had only the four powerhouse teams represented in the Chase?

One of the reasons for the variety is the wholesale changes within some of the teams. Martin wasn’t even eligible for the Chase last year by virtue of his partial schedule but teamed up with Hendrick, who placed three teams in the Chase last season, and attained instant success. Stewart and Newman’s alliance with Hendrick has given them an immediate chance at the championship, as well.

Additionally, Richard Childress Racing has undergone significant changes for the worst and the organization’s massive struggles have freed up three spots for guys like Montoya, Kahne and Busch to have a shot at contending. At this point, RCR has no eligible drivers despite placing three of three teams in last season, and they must hit on something soon to have a prayer of qualifying even one for the title run.

A final factor in the Chase facelift could be the testing ban NASCAR instituted. It hasn’t affected organizations like Hendrick, whose teams know how to work under any given situation. But the ban could have been a boost for guys like Montoya, who don’t have as many resources, allowing them to level the playing field just a bit.

Regardless of what the root of the shakeup in this year’s Chase frontrunners is, one thing is for sure – no one knows what to expect and we certainly can’t look to last year to help us predict.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel
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Adam Alexander

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