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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Chase Drivers Ready For Battle
Dover International Speedway will pose a stiff test...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted September 27, 2009   Dover, DE
Dover International Speedway is the site of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

With the second race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup set to roll off this afternoon at Dover International Speedway, there’s already controversy among the title contenders.

The AAA 400 will feature a new tire combination from Goodyear, one that’s drawn a variety of reactions from the racers. “They should’ve left the tire alone,” said defending race winner Greg Biffle. “There was nothing wrong with the old one.”

Not so, said Juan Pablo Montoya. “Definitely they've improved the tire again and so it's nice to see Goodyear, this year, they have done a really good job of improving the tires and making a more competitive tire for everybody. It's nice to see,” said Montoya.

On top of that, nearly a full day of rain in Delaware will have washed all the rubber off the track, adding another complicating variable to the equation. “It will change the track for sure,” Kurt Busch said of the steady rain, which thankfully appears to be clearing for the race. “What it will do is make the track go into a bigger mood swing (today) because it will start off fresh when we do race and then it will rubber in with 43 cars out there and everybody getting fresh tires. So the track will go through a bigger mood swing. It won’t be as consistent.”

Here’s how the 12 Chase drivers look heading into Sunday’s AAA 400 at the Monster Mile:

1.MARK MARTIN, Hendrick Motorsports, 5,230 points — Martin, a four-time Dover winner, struggled out of the gate on Friday with a somewhat disappointing 14th-place qualifying effort. But Martin was fourth-fastest in Happy Hour, as crew chief Alan Gustafson appears to have found a setup the points leader is good with.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON, Hendrick Motorsports, 5,195 — The man to beat at Dover, Johnson has been fast all weekend. He will start from the pole, which gives him the all-important first pit stall. He is the favorite and is a threat to sweep at Dover this year.

3. DENNY HAMLIN, Joe Gibbs Racing, 5,195 — The Monster Mile is Hamlin’s own house of horrors, a track where he almost always struggles. He qualified 13th and was just 18th in Happy Hour. Plus, he tangled with Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Nationwide race on Saturday, so his mood his not good.

4. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, 5,175 — The Colombian qualified second and was second-fastest in both practice rounds on Saturday. He has a history of blowing tires at Dover, but he ought to be really good this time around.

5. KURT BUSCH, Penske Racing, 5,165 — Busch will start from 16th-place, which is a disadvantage. That said, he topped the speed charts Saturday morning and was eighth in Happy Hour, so his No. 2 Dodge is clearly ready to roll.

6. TONY STEWART, Stewart-Haas Racing, 5,156 — The regular-season points leader qualified just 22nd and was 26th in Happy Hour, although he was eighth in the Saturday morning practice.

7. RYAN NEWMAN, Stewart-Haas Racing, 5,151 — Although he’s been quiet in recent weeks, Newman could have a very big day Sunday at Dover. He’ll start the race on the inside of Row 2. He was third and 11th in the two practice sessions on Saturday.

8. BRIAN VICKERS, Red Bull Racing, 5,140 — Given that Dover isn’t one of his favorite tracks, Vickers was pleased to qualify 12th. But he was way of the pace in practice, running 30th in Happy Hour after being 27th in the first session.

9. GREG BIFFLE, Roush Fenway Racing, 5,138 — Even though he doesn’t like the tires, Biffle is always a threat to win here and will be again this time. He qualified fourth and was sixth in Happy Hour. He should be solid.

10. JEFF GORDON, Hendrick Motorsports, 5,128 — The seventh qualifier, Gordon was just 19th in Happy Hour, although that was a step up from the first practice, when he was 31st.

11. CARL EDWARDS , Roush Fenway Racing, 5,117 — By qualifying way back in 30th place, Edwards has dug a deep hole for himself, and he never even got a whiff of the top 15 in any of the three practice sessions. That said, his Dover finishing average of 7.600 is far and away the best in the field.

12. KASEY KAHNE, Richard Petty Motorsports, 5,069 — In dire need of a big weekend to stay in contention for the championship, Kahne has looked good so far. He qualified sixth and was fastest in Happy Hour.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of ?Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,? and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to



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