NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: The SPEED Crew Cuts To The Chase
The NASCAR experts from SPEED preview the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which begins this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway...
SPEED Staff  |  Posted September 14, 2012   Charlotte, NC
The 12 drivers who made up the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup pose for a photograph. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Let the games begin. The 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Below, SPEED on-air personalities set the stage for the first of the 10 Chase races:

Q: Heading into the first race of the Chase this weekend, who is your early favorite for the championship?

“I’m going with Denny Hamlin because he is so focused. I was really impressed when he missed the championship so narrowly a couple of years ago, and then said he looked in the mirror and asked himself what he could do differently to be better. All signs are good right now for the No. 11 team.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub

“I think it will be Denny Hamlin and not because he won two-consecutive races and almost won three. I think Hamlin and his No. 11 team will take what they learned from losing the championship in 2010 and marry it with what (crew chief) Darian Grubb learned about winning it in 2011.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst

“I picked Kasey Kahne at the beginning of year, and I still think they’ll be a factor. But right now, I see an air of confidence in Denny Hamlin that I haven’t seen in the past. I think he and Darian Grubb have worked out their differences and Hamlin has confidence in his crew and pit crew. This is his year.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst

“Three drivers jump out at me right away: Jimmie Johnson because he has such an incredible track record; Tony Stewart because he has the second-most incredible record in the Chase; and Denny Hamlin, who has more wins than anybody else this season.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: How much of an advantage is it for any of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers to have three teammates in the Chase?

“It’s a huge advantage. It’s good for the morale of the company. All four teams are contributing to the Chase. In years past, you’d have one competing and one testing and helping them gather info. For everything that goes into winning a championship, having all four teams in it is great for that organization.”
--Matt Clark, SPEED analyst

“That’s a tough one. You can argue it two different ways. In 2005, Roush Fenway Racing had five cars in the Chase and still didn’t win the championship. When a team has cars in and out of the Chase, the cars not in the Chase can experiment and try different things on behalf of their teammates, which could help the ones in the title hunt. On the other hand, if an owner has four of 12 cars in the Chase, by definition he has a one-in-three chance of winning, and that’s pretty good.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: We’re approaching the time that Tony Stewart came out swinging in his bid for the championship last year. What are the chances we’ll see him step up like that again this season?

“I don’t like a team going into the Chase on a downswing. I think last year was an anomaly. I just don’t see that happening again. I like teams that are on an upswing right now, having good runs and going to Victory Lane. I know Tony Stewart proved that wrong last year, but I think that was a one-shot deal.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst

“We can talk about Tony all we want, but it’s a bit of déjà vu. He was trending in this direction last year without the three wins he has now, and as soon as we got to the Chase, he went straight the other direction. So I have nothing bad to say about Tony.”
--Kyle Petty, SPEED analyst

“Nope. Stick a fork in Stewart – he’s done – and I think it’s because he got rid of his old crew chief, Darian Grubb.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst

“Last year, he said he didn’t deserve to be in the Chase, and of course, he won half of the races in the Chase. He’s a lot better off this year. I think Stewart is somebody these guys have to worry about.”
--Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR on FOX and SPEED analyst

Q: What will be more important in winning the championship this year – winning or consistency?

“This is all about winning. We saw it last year. Tony Stewart made the Chase all about winning. We saw Carl (Edwards) just be consistent, and that’s good, but it’s going to take those wins.”
--Kyle Petty, SPEED analyst

“You have to win. Tony Stewart proved last year that a driver can’t have a bad day. I think you have to pop off top-five or at least top-10 finishes every week, and there is no doubt it will go down to Homestead again.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst

“In order to win the championship, a team will have to win at least two races in the Chase. The key, as it always has been in the past, will be avoiding bad days. For example, Jimmie Johnson has put up great stats historically. But in three restrictor-plate races this year, he hasn’t finished a single one. He has to be looking at Talladega hoping he doesn’t have another DNF.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
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