We’re 2-for-2, but Just Barely

 

Out of the regular contributors on this site, we really only pull for two Nascar drivers.  Atleast in general; I mean everyone pulls for someone else when their driver wrecks out or ends up 2 laps down.  But usually we’ve got a couple of Tony fans milling about and a Jr. fan. 

I still don’t know who Smoothron pulls for because he usually sleeps through the whole race (instead of the first 19/20ths before watching the end like the rest of us).  I somehow feel he might be a Carl Edwards fan.  Something about that nickname.   With only 10 races to go before the Chase begins, we’ll run down our favorites and some of our not-so-favorites after this jump.

Hot Carl!  Douche Busch!  Jump!

Tony Stewart rolls into Loudon riding in the 6th spot in the Nextel Cup points race, just 50 points out of 3rd (seriously, everyone is MILES behind Gordon for 1st at this point).  Tony has finished in the top 6 in 5 of the last 6 races, so he’s one of the most consistent driveers on the track right now.  He’ll start stringing together pairs of wins down the stretch here and will be riding in somewhere around 3rd or 4th when the Chase starts.

Fan favorite Junior would be in 10th if not for the 100 point infraction earned by the team earlier in the season.  Instead, he sits just on the good edge of the Chase cut-line at 12th. 

Junior started the season with a couple of poor showings, but since then has only been out of the top twenty twice.  Then again, he’s only been in the top 10 six times this season.  I guess he’s content with riding in that 10to 20 pack every race this year, just barely making the Chase, and finishing in about 7th place at the end of the year.  Just don’t blame the equipment this time Dale because Martin is out-racin’ ya right now.

The rest of the field sits with Gordon, Hamlin, Kenseth, Burton, and Jimmie Johnson sitting in the top 5.  Ryan Newman, McMurray, and Mark Martin sit just outside of the top 12, waiting to pick Earnhardt off.  And Juan (Gone?) Montoya could pick up a lot of confidence after last week’s road-race win at Sonoma.  I don’t think anyone wants his fiery ass having much more confidence.  Nobody will be able to stay on the track.

So there you have it.  The current run-down of our favorites and a few others.  The bottom 4 drivers currently in the Chase will have to continue to turn in solid (read: boring, Dale) finishes to hold off some of those on the outside looking in.  But I honestly don’t think there’ll be too many shake-ups in the field throughout the rest of the year.  Then again, it is Nascar, they’ll figure out some way to fix livin’ races up.