HEMBREE: Strong Chase Storylines Building

Sprint Cup

HEMBREE: Strong Chase Storylines Building

Season’s closing weeks figure to hold a high level of drama…

Mike Hembree | Posted August 31, 2012 Hampton, GA

Crew chief Darian Grubb (Left) guided Tony Stewart (Right) to five wins in the 2011 Chase but was let go at the end of the season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

The Dandy Dozen drivers who will participate in the Chase for the Sprint Cup remain to be identified.

Four are in, and more will lock up spots Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. And the wild-card scenario is creating exactly the sort of drama NASCAR intended, with a handful of drivers wrestling for two spots.

But, even without knowing the entire championship lineup, more than a few cool storylines are developing for what could be an eventful Chase:

TONY VERSUS MATT – Although Tony Stewart backed away this week from his very pointed and threatening comments targeting Matt Kenseth after their run-in (and throw-in) at Bristol, it doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination to picture a situation in which they could tangle again in the Chase.

DARIAN VERSUS TONY – Despite ramrodding a team that won five Chase races and the championship last season, Darian Grubb lost his job as Stewart’s crew chief, eventually moving over to sit atop Denny Hamlin’s war wagon. Grubb isn’t the sort to publicly vow revenge, but a tight title race matching Stewart and Hamlin down the stretch could make for some fun moments.

BIFFLE VERSUS THAT THIRD TITLE – Greg Biffle leads the points entering the weekend and seems to be near the top of his game as the Chase approaches. He has been in proximity of the championship in previous years but hasn’t closed the deal. The Biff has won Camping World Truck and Nationwide titles. Figure him to be a major threat.

KASEY KAHNE VERSUS EXPECTATIONS – Kahne figured to be a near-certain Chase candidate as he finally arrived at Hendrick Motorsports this year. Barring a cataclysm, he’ll slide into the playoffs near the bottom of the top 10 or as a wild-card holder. Although his season has been up and down, he’ll be expected to be a contender.

HARVICK VERSUS THE SCOREBOARD – Kevin Harvick is one of only two drivers (the other is Martin Truex Jr.) in the top 10 with no race wins. He started the season with a new crew chief and now has another new one. Odds would say he won’t be a Chase favorite, but Harvick is ruggedly determined. Don’t count him out.

TRUEX, BOWYER VERSUS THE ODDS – Michael Waltrip Racing surged in a big way this year, and the team will send its two full-time drivers – Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer – into the Chase. Although they have only win one between them (Bowyer’s unlikely victory at Sonoma), they figure to make some noise in the season’s closing weeks.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

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