NNS: Is Eight Enough?

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NNS: Is Eight Enough?

Kyle Busch is honing in on his first NASCAR national series championship...

SPEED Staff | Posted September 16, 2009 Charlotte, NC

Carl Edwards was 207 points behind standings leader Clint Bowyer with eight races left last year, but finished just 21 points behind Bowyer. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Kyle Busch is honing in on his first NASCAR national series championship. But for some drivers in the top 10 in the standings – especially those within the critical top-five range – the last eight races of the season are bordering on crucial.

Busch has a 201-point advantage over second-place Carl Edwards. This scenario isn’t new; with eight races left last year, Edwards was 207 points behind standings leader Clint Bowyer before an wild charge that left him just 21 points shy of catching Bowyer for the 2008 title.

But Edwards – who could become the first driver to win championships in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the same season – is concerned with more than catching Busch. Third-place Brad Keselowski is within 96 points of Edwards’ ranking and remembers last year all too well. Keselowski lost out on his chance to finish in the runner-up position due to Edwards’ final push.

The battle for the all-important fifth position between Justin Allgaier and Steve Wallace is incredibly compelling. Allgaier, in fourth, leads Wallace, in fifth, by only 20 points. Allgaier is also working to hold on to the Raybestos Rookie lead where he’s got a 16-point advantage over Brendan Gaughan.

Slots 7-10 also are in a state of flux. Jason Keller, in seventh, is clinging to a 34-point lead over eighth-place Gaughan, who must keep distance between him and Mike Bliss, just seven points back. Bliss continues to hold his top-10 position despite not having a full-time ride since the race at Watkins Glen International.

Michael McDowell is in that same category. He’s in 10th, 48 points behind Bliss and also has fought his way into the top 10 without having a consistent ride since the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

Drivers who finish in the top 10 in the standings will be honored at the season-ending Awards Banquet in Miami, Fla. The top five will be recognized on stage.

SOURCE: NASCAR Communications