Is Kyle Busch and JJ done?

[creative_rajiv]

Kyle Busch and Jimmie Jonson started their pursuit for the cup on the wrong footing. Early mishaps have put them in a big hole and I am not sure they'll be able to fully recover. This implies there are no more mulligans for both of them and with a crapshoot in the form of Talladega still lurking around it'll be all the more difficult. JJ was already on 7 cylinders and might have blown up in another 100 laps. Kyle Busch is getting the taste of the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being in the chase.

Tony's post race comments were very good and I am glad that he raced all the contenders very clean and showed lot of respect to all of them. I am sure he'll race them clean unless somebody tries to mess with him.  Happy Harvick is on a roll and all he needs to do now is just get solid finishes.

[Tonyfan14]

I actually think it is a shame that Tony has to be so nervous racing close to the guys in the Chase. Like he said in his press conference there should be 2 seperate points handed out. Tony shouldn't have to feel bad that he is taking 4 points or whatever it is from one of his friends in the Chase by passing them. The Chase guys should have their own points handed out while the other 33 guys have their own as well. That way guys like Tony don't have to worry about racing hard with the Chase guys.

[Tyyrus]

HEY CREATIVE , DON'T SWEAT ONE RACE . THERES A LONG WAY TO GO , BOTH JJ & KYLE ARE WINNERS ... IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER....BABY ! " LADY LUCK"  WILL SMILE & FROWN ON EVERY ONE OF THE CHASE CONTENDERS WITHIN THE NEXT 9 RACES...CHOW ..  BRO !!!

[smyler]

If fate was definitely going to give me a blow, I'd rather it be in the beginning than at the end.  Remember that JJ won several races during the chase last year.  He only missed it by 8 points, and that was after 2 sub 30 finishes early on in the chase. 

Of course, if any one of the 10 can go without a DNF... it's all about consistency, so the cup is probably going to be his.  Hard to believe that all ten will not have one bad race.

[paulfan]

I agree Smyler, but a bad race for this bunch is a finish in the 20's.  Under the current points system consistency will still win and IMO I don't think a finish in the 40's can be recovered from. 

I really like the idea of a system that gives the chase drivers 1-10 points.  10 for first and 1 for the last among those in the chase.  The only thing I don't have a handle on is how do you split them out initially.  A 5 point spread would be to much. 

The really equitable way would be a spread that reflects the way they finished after the first 26 races.  Kenseth and Johnson would be close with a 3-4 point spread from the rest of the field. 

[Chris]

I think everyone could have a mulligan...
If ANYONE has consistent finishes,.... a driver that has ONE bad race is OUT.

A driver like Kenseth, Harvick, Burton what has consistent to 10 or 15 finishes, could win the title and never win a race in the last 10 races.

The way everything stands Martin or Burton COULD win the Championship and NOT win a race all SEASON

[creative_rajiv]

If someone like Harvick gets on a roll and garners 8 tops 10 with some top 5s in it, he can still afford to finish mid pack in couple of races and win the championship. Jimmie has to pass 8 guys in front of him to win the championship. It is not impossible but it'll take lot more than just finishing in top 10. Jimmie's team hasn't shown any strength in the past month or so. They have only led 300 some odd laps in the first 27 races. Under the current system, leading laps and leading the most laps gives you 10 extra points and his team hasn't been able to do that consistently.

The question is whether you want to keep them bunched up by having a differential of 1 point or reward the deserving champion who is strong and consistent. IMO Mark and Jeff won't win it because they are more apt to rack top 15s then top5 and top 10. PLus if they have a bad race say at Talladega, it'll be hard for them to recover. At this point, Jimmie and Kyle Busch have a steep mountain to climb and Harvick, Hamlin and Kenseth are sitting pretty in the front of the pack. Gordon is still very inconsistent to win the championship.